Chapter 1

My birthdays were hardly anything to celebrate, or at least that was what my parents told me. I often fantasized about having a three-tiered vanilla cake with strawberry frosting. The best thing I could hope for on my birthday was an extra helping of supper. This birthday was different though; I turned 18 this year. Once my mother and father went to bed I would make my escape and truly start my life. I'd been saving up for a while. In addition to cleaning the house and making dinner for my parents I'd also kept a part time job at a local restaurant. The man who ran the restaurant was a kind-hearted man. He was a widower, but that never stopped him from making everyone, whom he encountered smile. He also had two sons one who was a year younger than I was and another who was four years my senior. They were my most trusted and closest friends.

Harold, who was seventeen, was more childish than anything. He spent most of his time playing boyish pranks on me and his elder brother. George, was the more serious one of the two. I'd imagine he'd end up that way even without the death of his mother. Though George was older than me; I had to admit I had a crush on him once or twice when I was younger. But I knew better than to let myself fall for him. Throughout his youth, George had been known as the neighborhood playboy. He could have any girl he wanted and he used that power fully. He had a different girl on his arm every other month. Considering that we lived in a small town, it was a substantial number of girls. Some of which who would take him back in a heartbeat. It was a pretty impressive spectacle to witness.

Besides his womanizing habits, George and I grew close and we were nearly inseparable. In fact, he was the one who was helping me escape my cruel parents tonight. He grew bored of our small town, so it would make sense we would both run off at some point. George had asked Harold if he wanted to come with but Harold decided to stay back with their parents so he could finish school. George and I agreed to meet each other at the old rotted bridge just on the outskirts of town. I hated that bridge, when I was younger I fell from it into the cold freezing water below me. It was George who had swam to my rescue and saved me from drowning. That's how I met him and Harold. If he and Harold hadn't been fishing that day I would have certainly perished. Least to say after those events I had a fear of water.

"Oh Rosie!" I cringed at my mother's voice, the only other person who called me Rosie was George.

"Yes mother?" I kept my gaze towards the floor in front of me. I could tell my mother was looking to cause trouble.

"Did you finish sewing my new dress? Mr. Kimber has a dinner party tonight and I would just love to see his face once she sees me in my new dress!" My mother had, had an outstanding track record and reputation for fooling around with other men. Mr. Kimber was her latest victim.

"Sorry mother, I have a few more buttons to sew on and I have to hem it." I cringed again. That would not make her happy.

"That's a shame. Here I thought you and I were coming to an understanding." My mother marched over to where I was sitting and pulled me up by the hair. "You lazy impotent girl!" She threw me down and towered over me. "How dare you not have your tasks finished! I don't ask for much from you, you're lucky you haven't ended up in the poor house!" She sneered down at me as a cruel smile spread across her face.

"I'm sorry mother." I held my tears in, I would not give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

"Just wait until your father hears about your disobedience, and how you smashed the china." At this I looked up at her, I was about to open my mouth and say I haven't touched the china when I saw her glide across the room. With a swift motion my mother grabbed a plate and threw it to the ground. She repeated these actions until there was about two or three plates left.

"Clean up this mess, I'm going to get your father." With a satisfied smile, she left the room. I had twenty minutes to make my escape, there was no way in hell that my father would let me live after what my mother had done. His china collection was worth money and he prided himself on them. Not because he enjoyed collecting various designs of plates. But because he had won an arm wrestling competition with a strong man. Granted that he cheated his way to victory. I got up from my place on the floor and maneuvered around the shards of glass that laid on the floor. I walked to the corner of the living room that I was permitted to sleep in and lifted a loose floor board.

I had very few possessions while other girls had many dolls and beautiful trinkets. I had a small box that held my money I earned from my work, my comb, and a very old necklace. It was a locket that contained a picture of a beautiful woman who held a newborn baby in her arms, beside her was a man who wore half of a white mask. My mother told me not to bother with the people in the photograph. She said she had gotten the locket from a childhood friend of hers, she only gave it to me because she thought lockets were tacky. Sometimes, when both of my parents were asleep I would look at the picture. I would pretend that this couple were my real parents, that maybe I was that baby that the woman held. But I knew that was impossible, I couldn't have been their child and they couldn't have been my parents.

Taking the locket, I put it around my neck and clasped it shut. I took whatever belongings I had and shoved them all in a burlap sack and made a run for the back door. Part of me was excited that I was beginning my new life while the more rational part of me was scared for dear life. There was the possibility of my parents coming after me and dragging me back home. But I knew for a fact that George wouldn't let that happen, he hated the way my parents treated me. I knew that as long as I had George then everything would be alright. Everything would be alright.

Hey guys! I hope you enjoy the first chapter to my sequel! Please review and tell me what you guys think! I am so excited for the up and coming chapters! I love you guys! Message me if you have any comments, questions, or concerns. Or if you just wanna say hi!

-Kara