"Sinners run away even when no one is chasing them. But those who do what is right are as bold as lions."
~ Proverbs 28:1

It was almost 3:00 in the morning, and she could feel the rain begin to fall upon her cheeks, the continuation of a storm that reminded her of her own, brewing inside her chest. She could here the crunch beneath her feet from the gravel of the driveway as she rushed to her car, a maroon Cadillac that she had inherited from her late mother. Her vision became cloudy from her tears as she pulled the car keys from her pocket.

"Jane!" The crunch of gravel becoming louder as the owner of the voice drew closer. The rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, and the air chilled in anticipation. Jane fumbled with her keys, unable to unlock the car door fast enough as the voice finally reached her.

"Jane, I can't let you leave. You know thoroughly well what you are worth to this family. Father..."

"That man in there," Jane said, her voice shaking between suppressed sobs and anger, "is not our father."

"You don't think I've realized that? He never was. But you know what he is, what he does. You have to accept your role. Come back inside and apologize." Her pursuer gripped her wrist, squeezing it until she gave, sinking to the ground as the pressure of his hold began to hurt.

"Please, Josh...don't let him make you..."

"I know my duty to this family," Josh interrupted, his voice firm and condescending, "clearly you need to be reminded of yours."

Without loosening his grip, he began to drag Jane back to the house. She dug the heels of her boots into the gravel to slow him down and gain traction, but it was useless. Joshua was the strongest, the oldest, and the hardest to break. She had seen it with her own eyes time and time again, a devoted son who was willing to do anything for his father. She felt a sharp pain in her legs and looked down, noticing how the gravel drive was tearing apart her jeans. She also caught a glimpse of the knife she hid in her boot, small and silver, glinting off the occasional light as her legs writhed in panic, still trying to stop her body from moving.

With all the strength in her core she could muster, she lifted her leg and released her free hand from being clamped down on her brother's tightening grip. She swiped the knife from her sock and in one swift movement, swiped behind her and cut cleanly across the top meat of Josh's hand.

Small drops of blood flew off his hand as he dropped Jane and applied pressure to his wound, letting an angered guttural growl escape him. He shifted his gaze to Jane, who had recovered from the ground and stood, leaning to one side with her knife still in her hand, poised for any attack he decided to offer.

"You bitch." He growled as the day began to bring forth its light and the drive way lamps began to decimate theirs. The clouds had begun to claim the morning, blocking out any view of a sunrise.

"Just let me go Josh."

"You know I can't do that." He said with warning. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a revolver, pointing it at the ground as he checked the bullets it possessed.

"You can't kill me. Like you said, Father needs me - this family needs me."

"You're right," he said with a low mumble. He looked up at her with a devilish sneer, "but you won't heal fast enough if it's a shot from me. Don't tempt me Janie. Just come inside and we'll get you cleaned up." He said with a tone of triumph. "You know I won't hesitate."

"I know." Jane replied, staring down at her legs, the torn denim with traces of blood from her scrapes, "and know that even if you do bring me inside, even if you do take me back to him, I won't stop until I get away from this cursed place."

"Cursed? How is this place cursed? We are blessings to this goddamn Earth. We are blessed by God."

"God," Jane scoffed weakly, wiping away the tears masked by the gently falling rain, "and where is this God that we so blindly carry out 'duties' in the name of?"

"We have a divine purpose."

"A purpose that I want nothing to do with."

"You have no say in that." His eyes were dark as he raised his gun, pointing it straight for her stomach.

Without thinking, adrenaline raced through her, as it should through anyone held at gunpoint, and raising her hands - as if in defeat - she chucked the knife at Josh, hitting him square in the chest.

He chuckled as he spit up pools of blood, sinking to his knees as he watched her run from him back to her car, whispering, "You missed." He raised his gun and pulled the trigger, hitting Jane in the lower thigh, a cry of pain following upon impact. The striking pain surged through her leg, causing her to limp the rest of the way. Blood seeped from her wound. She grabbed her keys from the gravel and effortlessly unlocked the car door this time, grabbing some gauze and tape from the middle consul and quickly wrapping it up.

"There's no way I'm getting blood all over my car." She said to herself as she carefully situated in the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition. The Cadillac roared to life, the radio blasting a guitar solo, startling her. She clicked off the stereo and took one last look at the estate, watching as her brother pulled the knife from his chest and stumbled to the front door, two men in suits answering it and staring back at her. Shit, she needed to leave now.

She pulled out of the driveway as fast as she could, bursting through the gated entry before they could seal it.

She had to run. She couldn't stay.

If she had, it would only be a matter of time before she'd lose herself, becoming completely consumed by her "purpose". She didn't want that life, she never did. It was her mother's job, not hers. But now her mother was dead. No one could protect her.

She turned on the windshield wipers as she pressed the gas, leaving her home, her prison, in the past. The searing pain in her leg beckoned her to stop.

She would never think of them again, and she would make sure they never found her.

The road was desolate, empty, which made her escape all the more faster, efficient. The darkness loomed over the horizon. Wherever she was going, it would be far away from this place. She wanted to see where the light was, where it came from, how it would affect her.

She glanced into her rear view, checking the supplies she had in the back seat that wouldn't fit in the trunk. Salt rounds, ammo, holy water, shot gun; she was ready for the long road ahead.