A/N: This is my first story. All reviews are welcome! Also, this is the first chapter of a much longer story. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Woe is me; I own nothing.

Chapter One

Sweet Sixteen

My name is Anna Clearwater. I live in Malvern, Arkansas. At least I did, before the tragedy.

When I was only seven my father became an alcoholic. Only a year later, on my birthday, he hit me on the back with a broken beer bottle; I had to get fifteen stitches and still have the scars. My mother refused to leave the bastard even though we both knew that we should. When I was twelve he started to beat her whenever he was drunk. When I turned thirteen he started to beat us both. He slowly got worse and worse. As a gift to me for my "Sweet Sixteen" my mother told me we were leaving. She told me she would show him the divorce papers the next day; she told me I would always remember the day we left for the rest of my life, and I never did forget, I never could forget. Ever.

I went to school like it was any normal day. After all of the times I brought a friend home, only to be beaten as soon as they left, many of my friends weren't very close, only one, Emily. Emily, who had endured with my all of the times I showed up at school with black eyes and bruises, who had helped me cover all of the injuries, like deep purple paint spilled across my body.

I went into first period, Social Studies, and sat down next to Emily. She smiled at me and was the only one, always the only one, to tell me "Happy Birthday, Anna!' I smiled, this year it actually was happy, I would get to leave the bastard behind, both of us would. We'd finally be safe, finally be free.

"It will be," I said with a smile. Emily looked at me quizzically.

"What do you mean?" she asked. After all, I had never really had a truly 'Happy Birthday', only false smiles and entire jars of concealer to cover the damage.

"We're leaving," I whispered fiercely. "She's getting a divorce."

"Oh My God!" She said out loud in surprise. Everyone swiveled around and stared at us, their eyes burning holes into my usually solid mask.

"Hush!" I told her.

"Sorry," she whispered. "Congratulations!"

I smiled, "Thanks."

The rest of the day passed in the blur. I could barely hide my excitement. After what seemed like days, I finally got on the bus to get home. When I got to my stop Emily got off with me. I gave her a look, but let her come. My house didn't look any different than before but I felt different, I felt freer.

I stopped, took a deep breath, and walked towards my future.

I walked in the door, Emily right behind me. Instantly I heard shouting, Dad. I turned towards Emily, "You need to leave," I told her urgently. "Now!" She shook her head. "Call the police! Get out!"

I turned and ran into the living room. Mom was cowering in a corner while my father held a kitchen knife in one hand and a whiskey bottle in the other. I ignored the bottle and focused in on the knife. He had never used a knife before, knives kill.

"Why don't you love me anymore?" he shouted, swaying with the whiskey. "Why don't you love me?"

"Dad!" I cried running towards him, then backing away as he swung the knife. "Stop it!"

"She's leaving me!" he shouted, I winced as the alcohol reached my nose. "You're both leaving me!"

"Daddy stop!" I told him. "Daddy, I love you. You need to calm down. Please Daddy!"

"Why?" He said. "What have I got to calm down for? She'll take you with her!"

I held my hands out in front of me. "Daddy, stop, just stop. She won't take me away. We'll be okay, just stop."

He dropped the bottle, the glass falling to the floor and shattering out in slow motion. The knife started to slip from his hand. I sighed almost silently. He saw me.

"You're lying to me!" He shouted. "You'd leave just as soon as her!" He raised his knife again.

Mom started creeping towards the door, but Dad didn't see, he only slowly walked closer to me. I backed up a step, drawing him away from my mother. She accidentally crawled over a piece of broken glass, looking down a t it with muted shock as a small cry escaped her lips. Dad swiveled around and strode towards her as she tried to cowered into the wall. He grabbed her by the shoulders and banged her against the wall, shouting "Why did you lie to me?"

I ran up to him and jumped on his back, holding on with all of my strength. He backed up, ramming me into a wall. Pain lanced up my back in a wave, reigniting the fire of my scars, as a scream tore through my throat. My vision fading at the edges as I slipped off his back. He ran towards my mother, I heard a crack as the door broke down. Police streamed into the room. I saw his arm rise up then drop in a terrible silver arch, blurring as he moved to fast for anyone to stop him.

The police grabbed him and jammed him into the floor. I could barely see as everything faded away into endless gray. I was left with one image. My mother's sightless eyes staring at me as blood pooled around the knife in her back.

In barely a moment, my mother was gone.