To: The Person who complained about the character's age: All right, don't worry, I'm not upset or anything, but I just want to let you know that 7th graders do all kinds of things now days, it's sad, but true. I know 6th graders who make out, so I didn't think it was too far fetched. Anyway, just wanted to say that. Thanks for reading and leaving reviews, everyone!

"When you were running away," Dr. Lester begins as he shifts his rump around in his cushion chair. "What exactly was going through your mind?"

There is a long silence. Dr. Lester studies the young woman's face curiously. Her eyebrows are furrowed and she's frowning, deep in thought.

The young woman was extremely attractive, Dr. Lester argeed with himself; she had beautiful blond hair that rested well past her shoulders, her eyes, - though a bit narrow, - were glimmery green. So green, one could not mistake them from a mile away.

She was thin. But she looked good, - a lot better than she had before. When she had first been turned in, she was well under ninety-eight pounds; and really pale, her eyes were dark and sullen and her lips were chapped. Her nose was a bit crooked, perhaps from getting it broken quite often, and her left cheek was a bit swollen.

She had seemed a bit nervous and frightened when she first came into the Police station, but later on after talking with Dr. Lester for a while she lightened up. Her posture told him, that she was a very proud woman, loaded with respect and dignity, for she sat with her back straight, her legs crossed over another and her hands resting in her lap.

Her blue jeans were dirty, worn-out and there was a big tear from her knee down to her ankle. Her white t-shirt was a bit stained as well, but she didn't smell bad.

Thank God thought Dr. Lester. He wasn't sure if he could deal with a stinky person.

"Cynthia," Dr. Lester says more gently. "Are you with me?"

Cindy Vortex story was long and untold, from the day she ranaway to the day she crawled into that Police station looking for salvation. She had run up to the first Police officer she saw and claimed that she had been kidnapped and held against her will for years.

Cindy turns to look at Dr. Lester and casts him a warm smile. "Yes," she says with a sigh. "I'm here. What did you say?"

"I said," Dr. Lester repeats. "What exactly was going through your mind as you were running away?"

"Oh I don't know," Cindy replies quickly with a one sided shrug. "Confusion, I guess. That and sadness."

"Where did you go?" Dr. Lester asks. "What was your plan?"

"Well," Cindy begins. "I went to the bus station, and I bought a one way ticket to Vinceton," Cindy laughs and then continues, "I had to hide Humphrey in my duffle bag," she explains even though Dr. Lester didn't ask, "they wouldn't allow dogs on the bus, of course."

"Ah, I see." Dr. Lester remarks blankly. "Where you going to see any relatives in Vinceton?"

"As a matter of fact," Cindy starts. "I was. I wasn't going to at first - I didn't want to see any more Vortex's in my life time, but that was when I was thinking irrationally. When my thoughts cleared up I realized I couldn't live on the street, I was just a kid, - I'd get mugged, or molested or kidnapped or both."

"So true," Dr. Lester agrees. "Who did you see?"

"I saw my big cousin Tyson." Cindy replies, she sighs and runs three of her fingers through her hair then looks out the window.

"What's the matter, Cynthia?" Dr. Lester asks.

Cindy turns back away from the window and looks at Dr. Lester. "Please," she says with a grin. "Just call me Cindy."

My short figure sent large shadows dancing along the walls. I felt a little closed in, wedged between the alleyways.

Downtown Vinceton is always ugly. It's always raining. Always grey. Always unhappy.

There were large puddles everywhere, and garbage piled up just outside of a full dumpster.

My hands were deep in the pockets of my sweater. The hood was pulled over my head to block out the world from seeing my face. Because if you looked me in the eye at that very moment, they would be filled with depression. Anyone would see it. Yet, I don't have that one essential thing. Control. I wants to stop my feet from going in this direction and turn around. But I can't. I want to forget everything I has ever done wrong and try to get things right. But I can't.

Why don't I ever have control over my life?

Up, up, up, the rusty staircase. Becareful not to slip off, still wet from the crying sky. I wrap my fingers around the cold doorknob. I can hear music booming from inside. I can hear the television booming from inside. It was always like this.

I gave Humphrey a reassuring look as I knocked on the door.

Tyson was my cousin. My big cousin. He's six years older than me. He ran away from his parents when he was seventeen and got his own apartment. It was a cheap runned down place, but at least it was something.

I went to Tyson because I was a runaway like he was, I thought that if anyone would have any sympathy for me and take me in, it would be him. And plus, I felt more comfortable around people closer to my age. Tyson was still a kid, and I was not ready for any more sets of rules to follow.

Right now, Tyson is studying at a Community College in Vinceton, and working a part time job as a waiter in some expensive restaraunt called, Bon Appetito.

Nothing happened the first time I knocked so I gave it another go. Finally the door swung open and there stood my nineteen year old cousin Tyson. He looked like a mess; his dirty blond hair was a wreck, there was dark around his eyes, it looked like he hadn't shaved in a couple of weeks, and he was wearing a thrown on navy t-shirt and red plaid lounge pants.

He looked around for a moment, then caught sight of me and looked downward. "Yeah?"

"Hi," I said nervously, because it was the only thing I could think of saying. I hadn't really planned out what I was going to say to him. Humphrey sat down and sighed.

"Well, hi there." Tyson said scratching the back of his head. "No girl scout cookies for me today, sorry I'm on a tight budget."

I almost burst out laughing. "No, I'm not selling any cookies." I said quickly, then I looked down at myself and back at him. "Ty, don't you remember me?"

"Remember you?" Tyson asked shocked. He leaned against the doorway and eyed me up and down. "Well, you do seem a bit familiar..." he scratched his chin for a moment, then his eyes grew wide. "Holy Hell... Cindy? Cousin Cindy? Is that you?"

I smiled. "You remembered."

"Daaammn!" Tyson exclaimed. "You've gotten big," he put his hand out trying to measure my height. "And beautiful. How old are you now?"

"Thirteen." I boasted.

"Wow. Yeah. I bet you hafta fight those Middle school boys off with a stick!" Tyson said. "What are you doing here? No wait a minute, - forgive my rudeness, - come in!"

Tyson stepped out of the way so Humphrey and I went inside. He shut the door behind us and led us down a narrow hallway with dark tan wallpaper and army green carpeting.

He turned and it opened up into the living room; there was a couch and a couple of chairs, a recliner, a TV, and a coffee table sitting right in front of the couch. An X box lay on the floor, connected up to the TV and a remote controller left ascew on one of the couch cushions. A open pizza box had been left on the coffee table, with most of the slices gone.

A stack of school text books and notebooks lie on the floor next to the TV.

"Have a seat," Tyson said gesturing at the couch. "Forgive my messiness. I've been couped up pretty much all weekend!"

I sat down on the couch as Tyson knelt down to scratch Humphrey behind the ears. "How's my Humphrey doin'? Huh? How's my big boy doin'? That's a good doggy. He's a real good dog!"

"You can talk to him like a normal person." I said. "He actually prefers it that way." Humphrey snorted.

"Aye," Tyson said patting Humphrey's head. "Didn't know that. Sorry Humphs." he stood up and put his hands on his hips as he looked at me. "So what are you doing down here, missy? All by yourself? All grown up and pretty n' shit?"

I laughed. "I ran away from home." I went right down to the chase.

Tyson's eyebrows arched upward. "Aww," he said. "How come?"

"I hate it there." I said. "My dad doesn't give a shit about anything but his work, and when my mom was around she was nothing but a bitch. My brother's an annoying retard. And now that my parents are divorced all I have is a neglectful father who honestly doesn't give a shit about nothing. And all the kids at my school think I'm a whore, and I've got like the worst reputation ever. I can't believe I lasted as long as I did."

Tyson stared at me. Then he blinked. "Wow," was what he said when he spoke finally. "Why does all the kids at your school think you're a whore?"

"Because my ex spread these bullshit rumors about me." I replied fiercly. "They're total bullshit. He's just upset because I didn't want him groping me and I broke up with him. Then after that, all these other guys started spreading rumors about me. It's awful. I can barely get up and go to school everyday."

"Awww," said Ty. "I'm sorry. Why didn't you tell everyone they were bullshit?"

"Who'd believe me?" I wanted to know. "A thousand other people against me? I don't think so."

"So, why did you come to me?" Tyson asked.

I bit my lip. "Because um.. I don't know. I didn't know where else to go.. I was going to live on the street but then I thought about getting mugged.." Tyson laughed, that annoyed me.

"I understand," he said. "You need a place to stay, eh? Just for a bit?"

"I ... I guess." I wanted to stay for as long as I wanted, but I figured him letting me stay at all was good enough. "Yeah."

"Well, of course you can stay here. I only have one spare bedroom. It's pretty small because it's supposed to be a study. But, I pretty much use the whole apartment as a study, so it don't matter much." he chuckled.

I shifted uncomfortably. "You're not going to tell my dad, right?"

Tyson laughed hysterically. "Of course not!" he exclaimed.

"That sounds awfully nice." Dr. Lester says. "Your cousin Tyson was a nice guy, wasn't he, Cynth - I mean, Cindy?"

Cindy looks out the window again and sighs. "Mmhm."

"What's wrong, Cindy?" Dr. Lester asks.

Cindy bites her lip.

"Tyson was a nice person, was he not?" Dr. Lester wants to know.

"I guess.." Cindy replies, a low whisper.

"Cindy, what's wrong?" Dr. Lester pressures onward. "What's wrong with Tyson?"

Cindy cringes, and shifts uncomfortably. "Mmff."

"What?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Cindy, what's wrong with your cousin, Tyson?"

"He, um." Cindy tries, but the words won't come out.

"He what?"

"Um.."

"Cindy?"

Silence.

"Cindy, what did Tyson do?"

Silence.

"Cindy, I need you to talk to me." Dr. Lester coaxes. "Did he hit you?"

Cindy shakes her head.

"Did he touch you?"

Cindy chews on her fingernails still staring out the window, then slowly starts to nod her head.

"Where did he touch you?"

Cindy laughs nervously. "Can we please talk about something else?"

Dr. Lester looks at her sadly, but then forces a smile and says, "We're going to have to come back to this subject eventually, Cindy."

Cindy's voice returns to a mere whisper. "I know," she breathes. "But not now."

Dr. Lester nods. "All right." he agrees. "All right... So what happened after Tyson let you and Humphrey stay at his apartment?"