"Rebellions are built on hope." -Jyn Erso; Star Wars: Rogue One


Flashback con't.


What did Marlowe have planned? It was simple. She was going to leave. How she was going to do that? Well, she was still working out the details. But the important thing would be that Vlad wouldn't suspect a thing. It had to happen at a time Vlad would least expect it. Which meant Marlowe would have to keep a close eye on her father's schedule in the most subtle way possible. She couldn't imagine the reaction he'd have if he found her watching him.

In the meantime, Marlowe would be biding her time. Saving as much money as possible without it looking suspicious. Stashing away whatever clothes would be necessary without Vlad choosing to look into the sudden disappearance of outerwear.

Only bring what you can, but don't make it too obvious what you're doing.

Marlowe wasn't sure how long she could keep that motto going, but she knew that as long as she had some kind of rule to go by, she'd be OK! Until the perfect opening came, she'd go along with what her father wanted. And, thankfully, Vlad didn't seem to catch onto anything.


Present Day


Marlowe's hands grasped the seatbelt tightly as Jack drove like a bat out of hell. It was one thing, knowing Jack and Maddie were ghost fanatics, but when she saw what they drove. . . .a shiver of fear ran up her spine. It was a giant mechanized van, and Marlowe could only begin to wonder what the van really had built into it. The van's appearance—big and bulky, looking more of a hazard than anything—had Marlowe wondering why the dangerous looking vehicle was even allowed on the road. Jack and Maddie seemed undisturbed about the vehicle's potential dangers; they seemed to be enjoying all the contraptions the van had to offer.

They're crazier than I thought, she thought anxiously. How're they OK with this?!

The older couple were chatting heartily in the front—more than likely something about ghosts—while Marlowe just tried figuring out a way she could move around without getting injured by something. There were flashing buttons, little antennae poking around, and what looked like lasers angled in awkward positions. Swallowing thickly, Marlowe's hand tightened on the seatbelt.

Somehow, Maddie had convinced Marlowe to go by Amity Park's high school—Casper High—so the teen could get enrolled in school. Despite Marlowe's arguments that she didn't need to be attending school, Maddie wasn't having any of it. She wanted Marlowe to go to school, to meet other kids her age and have the fun most teenagers were experiencing. That made Marlowe extremely anxious. Back in Wisconsin, when she lived with Vlad, fun wasn't in their vocabulary. Vlad had pretty much made it impossible for Marlowe to genuinely find some kind of pleasure out of anything. Friendship wasn't something that Marlowe could establish, going outside just to enjoy a nice day wasn't something Marlowe could experience. She was constantly confined to her home under Vlad's command.

That was why when Maddie said she wanted Marlowe to go out and have fun with other kids her age, it not only startled Marlowe, but also frightened her. She never had that experience before. Marlowe wasn't even sure she had the proper socializing skills. She'd more than likely end up either being made fun of, or she wouldn't be able to properly talk to any of the other kids and end up without any friends. Maybe both outcomes would happen.

If those do happen, you can thank Vlad for it.

The thought was hostile, holding malice especially when it came to Vlad's name. It seemed like each thing Marlowe just couldn't stand about herself, it had something to do with her father. It was like he found some kind of enjoyment in bringing her down, making her feel inferior. Had Marlowe's mother not left, would things have been different? Would Marlowe have been in a healthier environment? It made her chest ache, thinking about her missing mother. She hardly remembered her. Vlad had said that the day Marlowe's mother left, she took every single belonging with her.

"She took every article of clothing, every piece of jewelry," he had exclaimed. "It was as if she didn't exist in the end."

She didn't take everything with her, Marlowe would occasionally think. She left me.

"Marlowe." Maddie's voice snapped Marlowe out of her thoughts. "Are you excited about this?"

Letting out a sigh, Marlowe shrugged. "I don't know quite yet," she sighed.

"It'll be fine," Maddie exclaimed, a cheerful tone to her voice. "You'll make a lot of friends! Don't worry."


Flashback


It took some careful planning, but Marlowe finally had everything she needed to be able to escape Vlad. She had enough money saved up, she had enough clothing stored without it looking too suspicious, and she had a good idea on Vlad's schedules. For the most part, Vlad kept to himself in his lab, unless Marlowe's company was needed. Which, a majority of the time, was without Marlowe's consent. Occasionally, Vlad would leave the house to go out for his own selfish needs, whatever those needs may be. But he'd be gone for hours at a time. During those absences, Marlowe would do a thorough survey of the house. Were there alarms set up that Marlowe needed to be aware of? Were there any kinds of traps that Marlowe needed to find? Did Vlad have any ghostly henchmen lurking around the house?

For the most part, Marlowe didn't see anything out of the ordinary. But that didn't mean Vlad didn't have anything diabolical in mind. He may very well have a ghost henchman—or henchmen—lurking around somewhere in the home. Marlowe would be able to detect them, so they were probably at a considerable distance from herself. That would mean Marlowe would have to be extremely thorough in her search for ghosts in the home. She had to be sure she wasn't leading anyone or anything to where she'd be staying. She didn't want Vlad knowing anything.

Marlowe had used those absences to do a complete check of Vlad's lab. It was clean, immaculate. She had to be careful not to touch anything. The Portal was always locked, and she knew that Vlad had the passcode for it. Marlowe wasn't going to risk anything when it came to the Portal.

In the end, Marlowe decided she would have to go through with her plan eventually. She couldn't keep stalling forever. If she kept stalling, Marlowe didn't even want to imagine what she'd have to endure.


(A/N):

I would have put this chapter up sooner, but I got distracted by work and school, not to mention my birthday was yesterday, so I had a mini celebration on that. But, I hope you guys found some enjoyment in this chapter! Let me know what you think, OK?

Do I own anything in the DP universe? No. No I don't.

If you've got ideas on anything—whether it's OCs or subplots—don't hesitate to let me know. Leave your ideas as reviews or PMs.

Let me know if there's anything confusing I need to clear up on.

Thanks.

Kaia Milligan