Chapter 1

Max's POV

"Maximum Ride?" yelled a deep, loud voice.

I was slumped against the dirty wall, my once beautiful hair hanging in dirty, tangled clumps around my face. My clothes were raggedy and I closed my eyes as I felt the pain in my sore body travel through me as I jumped at the sound of my name.

The door flew open and slammed roughly against the wall and I automatically jumped, terrified about what was going to happen next.

"Maximum," he growled.

I slowly looked up at the face I dreaded seeing the most. Jeb Batchelder. He reached down and grabbed my hair, pulling me up. I let out a shriek and he kneed my ribs. I groaned and fell down, but his hands were still wound tightly around my hair.

"Where's the money, Maximum?" he hissed in my ear.

I hated how he said my name. It sounded horrible on his lips. It made me feel more like scum. I grunted in reply and he threw me across the room. My head cracked against the wall and I tried not to scream, not to let the tears fall out of my eyes.

"Where is it?" he growled again.

"I'm sorry, sir," I whispered, hating how my voice cracked and how horrible it sounded.

"What?" he hissed.

"I-I used it for something," I whispered.

"What for?" he hissed.

"Food," I lied.

"Liar!" he yelled, throwing the wooden chair across the room.

It cracked against the wall, and I squeezed my eyes shut, my breath speeding up. He came over to me and grabbed my chin so that I looked into his horrible, black, beady, heartless eyes.

"You bought drugs, didn't you?" he asked me.

"No!" I squeaked. He grabbed my bag and dug his hand into one of the pockets. I closed my eyes in defeat as he pulled out a small packet filled with powder.

"You bitch," he spat.

"I'm sorry. I needed it," I told him.

"I promised I would give you some after you gave the money to me," he hissed.

"I know. I don't know why I bought it. I was just feeling horrible after what I did. It was horrible for me," I whispered.

"I don't care," he hissed.

"Please. I won't do it again. I promise," I told him, taking deep breaths. He stared at me grimly.

"Good. Because if you did, I would have to kill you," he told me simply. Just like he did to Ella. My sweet sister, Ella. I closed my eyes and grit my teeth.

"Your next job is at a school. You will be transported to another house. It is in California. It's a rich kid school. And you know how rich kids are," he told me with a grin. I gulped.

"Yes, sir," I told him.

"But, you know what? You're ugly. Nobody would want to do anything with you," he told me.

"That's because—" I began angrily.

"No, no, no. You don't want to get angry at me. I'll get it arranged to fix you up," he told me.

"When will I go?" I whispered.

"Next week. I'm going to let you go to school for the whole year. You will do what you usually do. And you will bring the money to me every month. You understand? I want $800 per month. You can keep the rest, because I'm that generous," he told me. "Run away. And you know what will happen. It will not be pretty."

"Okay," I replied. Just like that. And just like that, he patted my cheek and walked off before slamming the door shut.

He left me there, shivering in the cold, dark room. I was terrified. I hated my life. I trembled and began to cry. It started off soft and then became louder and louder and I couldn't contain it anymore. I sprawled across the floor, heaving and crying my heart out. How could this happen to me? How did this happen? When had I become so weak?

I was always the strong, tough Maximum Ride who wouldn't let anybody touch me or beat me in anything. What had happened? I just crumbled away and now I was just like a rag doll; I was just…there.

I kept gasping and crying until I remembered my escape. I reached for my bag, and dug into it, my fingers closing around the small packet. This was my escape. This always made me feel better when I was in pain. I looked at it for a while. I knew it was wrong. I wanted to stop doing this. But there was nothing else I could do.

Nobody could blame me; I was a mess. My life was horrible. I could never have a happy family, nor could I ever find true love. I couldn't find my boyfriend, or ex, Sam. I could never see my beautiful, smiling sister again, or my mother.

I was stuck in a horrible nightmare, and no matter how many times I tried to wake up, I just couldn't. I used to be skipping around in a perfect dream. How in the world did I end up in a nightmare?

Fang's POV

"Fang! Fang! Fang!" squealed a voice.

I turned around and saw my little sister running towards me, a huge smile on her pale face. I automatically grinned. She was such a sweet child. I bent down and opened my arms as she rammed into me. I grinned as I picked her up and swung her around. She giggled and I finally stopped, dropping myself on the couch, with her in my lap.

Her hands were wound around my neck and she stared into my eyes. She had beautiful golden hair that was in huge curls. Her blue eyes sparkled as she stared at me and she was grinning happily. She was my Angel. She was six years old, and the only one that I sort of opened up to.

"Did you have fun with Gazzy?" I asked her. She nodded enthusiastically, her hair bouncing around on her shoulders.

"Great," I told her with a smile.

"We played cops and robbers! But only because I made him play pony with me," she told me, giggling.

"Sounds fun!" I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice enthusiastic.

"And Iggy dressed as a princess. It was funny," Angel laughed. That sparked my interest.

"Iggy? Dressed as a princess?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah! Me and Nudge forced him to. And Gazzy even took a picture!" she squealed. Perfect. Blackmail.

"That's great. Can I get a picture?" I asked her.

"I'll give it to you… under one condition," she told me all business-like.

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" I asked, playing along.

"You have to…um," she muttered, thinking deeply, "You have to play barbies with me!"

"Um…" I replied. I wouldn't want to be caught dead holding one of Angel's naked Barbie dolls.

"No Barbie. No picture," she told me. Dang for a cute little girl she could truly be evil. "Okay, okay. You win," I told her.

"Pleasure doing business with you," she told me, sticking her hand out.

I just grinned and shook her hand before watching her skip away. Usually I was an emotionless rock. But Angel just got to me. She was just someone that would always be able to make a person smile. I was sucked into reality when I remembered the huge English essay due the next day. I went upstairs to finish my homework. Mondays were such a drag.

Max's POV

I was slumped in my room, staring off into space when the door opened. Carolyn opened the door, staring at me sympathetically. She was 45 years old and the only other person in the house who understood me. Who was sweet to me. Who made me feel like I wasn't just a piece of trash. I smiled up at her as she came to me. I hadn't smiled a true smile in forever.

"My dear, Max," she whispered, walking towards me.

"Carol," I replied, trying to get up.

"No. Sit, darling. You look exhausted," she whispered, tracing the dark circles underneath my eyes.

"And sore. I feel horrible, as usual," I mumbled.

"I know, darling. I wish I could help. I wish I could free you from the horrors of this terrible world, but I cannot. I really wish that a beautiful, strong, independent young woman like you didn't have to experience all of this. You're only sixteen years old," she told me.

"There are people even younger than me here, Carolyn! Besides, I'm a horrible person! Look at what I do for a living! Look at what it's doing to me. I'm a mess. I'm sick," I told her.

"Don't you dare say that! You're an amazing person, and one day you will be free. I will make sure of that," she told me.

"As long as Jeb is alive, I might as well be dead," I spat at her.

"Honey…"

"You know that no matter what I do, I can never escape him. He will always have a way to find me. I can never escape. And I will never be able to stop. I'm too weak. I'm scared," I admitted.

I never admitted that I was scared. Ever. I never showed any signs of weakness. But that was before. Before I was fifteen. For a year and a half, I've been living in this horrible nightmare, and there is no way out. I know that. It was the truth. And there was no use avoiding it.

"Darling," she sighed, putting a hand on my head.

"Carolyn! Get to work!" Jeb yelled, poking his head into the room before leaving.

Carolyn's nostrils flared, she closed her eyes, grit her teeth, and then pulled me up to the cracked mirror. I sat on the new chair that she brought in, closed my eyes, and let her work wonders.

A couple hours later, I opened my eyes and found myself staring at a beautiful girl in a foggy, cracked mirror.

Her dirty blonde hair was dyed a golden blonde, cropped to barely below the shoulders, layered, and straightened. Her face was completely clear, soft, and air brushed. Her eyes were bright brown, the eyelids glittering with a soft gold. Her lips were curved with a pinkish tint. As I arched my eyebrows, the girl in front of me mirrored the movement.

"Wow. You cleaned me up nicely," I complimented, staring at the mirror, unable to rip my gaze away. I pushed the bangs out of my eyes, and admired my hair. It gave me more confidence, seeing myself in a less broken state.

"Eh. Nothing I haven't done before," she told me with a shrug.

"True." Truthfully, I hated makeup so much. But I had to wear it. And I would rather wear pounds of makeup than look like how I did a few hours ago.

"Maximum Ride!" yelled a voice. I groaned. It was Jeb.

"Yes?" I growled as he came upstairs.

"Change into something nice and we'll leave in twenty minutes," he told me before walking back downstairs. I sighed.

"I'm going to miss you," Carolyn told me, wiping a tear.

"I'm going to miss you too. What will I do without you?" I exclaimed.

"You'll come back after a year, right? Promise to keep in touch. Be safe. Please be careful. Take your birth control pills, and please cut down on your…horrible addiction," Carolyn told me in a rushed voice.

"Don't worry. I have a bunch of pills. And I'll try. I probably won't be able to stop anyways. How else will I get rid of the pain?" I asked her, staring at the ground, biting my lip.

Carolyn choked back a sob and enveloped me in a huge hug. She then rushed me out, grabbing my bags for me and taking them down to the car. I walked out of my room. The house was big. I was on the second floor, and there were many, many doors along the hallway.

Each was a room which held a girl, ranging from eleven to higher. You can probably guess what horrible things we do. If you can't, you'll catch on soon.

I knocked on the door next to mine. It opened and there stood Sabrina, smoking a cigarette, looking high. She grinned at me and giggled, stumbling around.

"Max! You're looking hot!" she squealed. I winced. If she looked this bad, I wonder how I looked before.

"Sabrina. I'm leaving, okay? I'll be back…soon," I told her with a sad smile.

She hiccupped and looked me up and down, with a small frown. Her once rich red hair was now a pale orange, hanging limply against her shoulders. She wore a gown like I did and her eyes were empty of emotion. I cringed. This was horrible to see.

"Why? Where are you going?" she exclaimed, looking frantic.

"Out. I'll be back soon," I told her with a sad smile.

"Well, okay?" she replied with a giggle before closing the door.

I closed my eyes. Poor Sabrina. I remember when I first met her. I was fifteen and we were in a train, going somewhere. I was scared and she was…not. She just sat there, fearless, trying to calm me down. Trying to tell me that we were okay. When we definitely weren't. But let's not dwell on the past.

I stared at the closed door, took a deep breath, and turned around towards the staircase. She was the only person I knew here close enough to be someone I trusted. I didn't trust anybody anymore. Other than Carolyn. I walked down the stairs, my knees shaking. Pretty soon I would be out in the real world. I've never seen the sun in weeks. Maybe months.

I took a deep breath and opened the front door, squinting my eyes, and gasping in pain as the blinding sun pierced them. Once I was used to the brightness, I opened my eyes and looked around. Jeb was standing next to a black car.

My luggage was in the back, and the door was open, waiting for me to slide in. I knew that the moment I entered the car, my life would be even worse. Sure, I would have more freedom.

But in a way, I would still be controlled. I would never be able to escape the cold, hard truth. I would never be able to lead a normal life. I could pretend, of course. But it was too hard. That's why I had my only escape. Buried deep in my pocket. Once I entered that car, I would enter a highway to hell.

But I had no choice. This was fate. And if fate wanted to torture me, so be it.

Okay. That was the first chapter. Wow! Pretty long...about ten pages!

Yes, I know it's intense. I just got so inspired after watching a movie

and reading a book based on sex slaves and basically the "horrible side of the world".

I'm NOT NOT NOT promoting anything bad; just clarifying that. ALWAYS SAY NOOO!

If I went overboard, or ever do, please, please tell me!

I need to know! I just get so into the depressing stuff because it's just so interesting to write!

It just sounds more emotional and makes the story more interesting and makes people feel the emotion in the book and they just get hooked.

You know? Anyways, please review and tell me what you think!

REVIEW=INSPIRATION=NEW CHAPTER! If you want more… haha

K bye guys. Oh and thank you for the reviews so far!

Special thanks to:

Zombichick67, Sam, HeAt-StRoKe, Fly on Maximum Taylor Ride, and MaxXFang-TogetherForever.

I SERIOUSLY love you guys!

YOU ROCK!

REVIEW! :D