I take a glance out the window as I descend the stairs, and it is windy and gray outside. Mother yells my name - Minerva - and I scurry down the cold marble steps before mother pulls out the whip.
Mother and Father have always been this way since I was born; I am their slave, who is locked away from the outside world. I do the day's assinged chores, and if I should be tardy, or if I make a tiny mistake, I get whipped. Sometimes, if Father is in a really bad mood, he will whip me while I'm naked and throw me into furniture. He has a very bad temper; our broken furniture in the garage and the cuts and bruises on my body are proof of that.
I have never been to a real school, for I am home-schooled - Father and Mother don't want teachers to question my poor, abused body. I wish I could go to school, then I wouldn't have to be with my abusive parents as much.
When I'm downstairs, my mother glares at me, daggers in her eyes. I am scared, but my long hair (due to not having Mother cut my hair in a while) hides my face and any inner emotions.
"Minerva, go to the nature room and polish the floors"
"Yes Mother"
"And don't forget to wear those rubber gloves, we don't want to catch your ugliness"
"Yes Mother"
With a fowl look on her face, mother points an ugly finger down the hall at the nature room.
In the nature room I cry as i polish the wood floor. The hot tears roll down my cheeks and on to the floor. I can see my reflection. A black olive nose sticks out of my long, thick, brunette bangs, and the bottom of my muzzle is visible. I can't see it, but I know that my puffy pink lips are trembling, and a red surronds my deep indego blue eyes.
A loud peck at the big Chinese window makes me jump. When I approach the window, I see a black raven eating the window putty. The raven looks at me, and I could've sworn it winked at me. It continues to eat the putty, then after it finishes its meal, I hear a cracking sound as it flys to the fence outside that surrounds the house. There's a pause, then the cracking sound continues. I'm able to put my arms protectivly over my face before the window smashes to the ground.
When I hear Mother ask for me, I begin to panic. Memories of the last time I got whipped makes my knees knock together. The whistle from the raven signals me what I must do, not for the moment, but what I must do to save my life; I must run and never return.
Just before Mother inserts the key into the door lock to the room, I step out of the window and take off at a fast run. Mother sees me just as I climb over the fence, the raven flying by my side. She calls for Father and I run faster.
Halfway across the field I hear Father yelling for me to come back this instant, aiming his rifle at me as he gives chase. He fires three times, but misses me by a long shot.
I continue running into the forest, and do not stop. The raven is still by my side, but after twenty more minutes of venturing into the forest it whistles and turns around towards the house. Because no sounds of snapping twigs nor running feet are heard, I slow down to a walk.
My breathing's hard but I don't stop walking, in case Father is still chasing me.
What seems like an hour later, I reach the end of the forest. I see a big city, and smile real big.
"Yes! I'm free!"
I begin my adventure into my new life by crossing the street and looking for something that can help me.
Meanwhile, while our runaway Minerva victoriously walked down the strret in search for help, her mother and father defeatedly pace their bedroom.
"We have to get her back before she acually tells someone what is going on!" her mother said angrily.
Her husband grinned maliciously.
"I think I know just who to call"