July 19th

I've had enough. I'm leaving.

Lucas is like my evil stepbrother, cunning and deceitful. Mum is like my evil stepmother, only ever listening to adorable little Lucas. Dad won't listen to me; he only agrees with Mum. Here I am, trapped in a fairy tale. Everyone is awful.

Where will I go? What will I bring?

I'll bring you, notebook, of course. And a pencil and eraser. An extra set of clothes might not fit in my small backpack. A bottle of water. A bag of nut cookies and nut bread. I can pick those up at the bakery. Caroline, the baker, isn't cruel like my family.

I can stop at Yado Inn. Jackie will let me stay for sure, and he can keep a secret. It'll be a better home than here, anyway. But I can't stay there very long. It's way too close.

Okay. The plan is perfect. I will leave in the middle of the night. No one will notice. I'll stop at the Inn, rest, and then wake up super early next morning. I'll pick up some bread and cookies, and then I'm off. Away from here. Away from Lucas.

But where to? I'll worry about that later. I'm going to pack what I can for now, do my chores, run the usual errands. Pretend like my last day here is a normal one.

-Claus

July 19th (Later)

It's almost sunset. Mum, Dad and Lucas don't suspect anything. They're happy as always, especially Lucas. He made dinner for us today, all by himself. Mum thinks he's a little chef. Dad ruffled him on the head.

"Way to go, Lucas!" he'd say.

"This is really good," Mum would say.

Hey would smile bashfully and blush. He thinks he's so cute and talented. I don't care. Smile while you can, Lucas. I won't be seeing you again. I definitely won't. Your food doesn't taste so great anyways. They're only praising you because you're nine years old.

"Well, Claus? Aren't you going to thank your brother for cooking?"

I nodded bitterly. It was all I could do. I think Lucas noticed my resentment, because he stopped smiling and looked down guiltily. Don't bother, Lucas. I know you're acting.

He cornered me in the afternoon. It was awkward.

"Um, Claus…" he said.

"What?"

"I… I just wanted to say…"

"Say what?"

"I… never mind."

And then he walked off, leaving me all confused.

I think I'll leave a letter for Lucas. I want to make him as miserable as possible. A farewell letter.

I'll write the draft here, and then copy it onto blank paper. Here goes:

"Dear Lucas,"

No, he's not "dear". I need something colder. This is a hate confession.

"To Lucas:"

"By the time you read this, I'll probably be somewhere far, far away. I just wanted to tell you that the reason I left is you. You're a terrible person and I hate you. I wish you would die."

"You're a liar too, above all things. Everyone thinks you're so cute and cuddly. I used to think that too. But I know better now. You're selfish, manipulative, and sadistic. If you think you can get away with everything, just because you're so cute, then think again. One day, I hope everyone sees the darker side of you, and then you'll have no friends."

"Do you know how I feel now? Do you think I appreciate being dangled off a cliff? Was it fun? How about when you pushed me into the well, or when you dressed me up in Linda's clothes? Were those things fun, too? Because to me, they were embarrassing and painful. Don't bother apologizing. I'm not going to accept your apologies. You'll probably just end up torturing me again after I've forgiven you."

"I'm going to run as far away as I can. Where I'll go, I don't know for sure. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. All I'm going to tell you is that you're a terrible twin brother. I've never done anything mean to you, and I've tried my best to love you. Forget that. From now on, I don't have a twin. Maybe I'll change my name, so that it isn't spelt with the same letters as yours."

"Good –bye,"

That also seems to be too soft. My eyes are wet right now.

"See you,"

No, but I won't be seeing him again. That isn't appropriate.

"Sincerely,"

Isn't that a bit too formal?

"Much love,"

Who am I kidding? I just wrote a hate letter.

I can't think of an ending. I'm crying. Maybe I won't leave, after all.

No, I have to leave. I'm already nine-tenths there.

"Much hatred,"

That's too cold, isn't it. What do I write… I'm over thinking this, aren't I?

"From,"

That works. It matches the beginning, too.

"From, Claus."

"P.S. Your dinner wasn't that good. Mum cooks way better."

Okay, the letter is done. When I leave at night, I'll leave it on the spot where I sleep. When Lucas tries to snuggle me in the morning, he'll be greeted with cold air and my letter. Perfect.

Alright, everything is in place. My bag is near the entrance, and has everything packed in it. No one suspects me of anything. To them, it's just another normal evening. I'll leave tonight, and tell you about it when I find a place to settle down.

The sunset is really pretty. Clear skies, it seems. Perfect weather for escape.

-Claus

A/N: Ooh, plot development. If you thought this was just going to be Lucas bullying Claus, you thought wrong! By the way, this story takes place before the events of Mother 3. Hope you liked it, reviews make me happy as always :)