(A/N: WARNING! If rape and incest bothers you, do not read this chapter. If you do want to read it, skip through certain parts of it.)

More than a year had passed after Theresa had left the Trunchbull household. Agatha was now sixteen.

She had not grown any taller than when she was fifteen. Nevertheless, Agatha grew in other ways.

She became much more mature and more serious.

Also, she was wiser than most of the people her age. This goes without saying; anyone who went through what she had would know that life was not always easy, even if you are wealthy.

Finally, she had started to go through puberty very rapidly. Most of her female classmates were already going through it, but Agatha started late due to unhealthiness and malnourishment. Although she worked everyday, she was often given little or no food when she was punished. She was glad that she was able to go through puberty because it meant that she was in good shape.

Agatha was not looking forward to being an adult, however. Once she was eighteen, her parents would-most likely-force her to get a job as a maid.

That was not the type of career that she wanted to pursue. What she really wanted to do was teach. She wanted to help children learn and comfort the ones who lived the life she was living. She would like that better than cooking, cleaning, and waiting on people. She was tired of doing that all of the time, and she did not think that she could stand doing that for the rest of her life.

What she needed to do was to talk to her parents. She knew that they would not agree to let her study teaching, but she had to tell them. Otherwise, her future was bleak.

So when would she ask them? She did not have time in the morning. Afternoons after school were better, but Agatha could never be sure if her parents or sister would have guests. It was her best bet to speak to them after supper, when her parents were not busy. Normally, they were reading books, magazines, and newspapers during that time.

She would talk to her parents then.

(Sometime in early October)

"Mother? Father? May I have a word with you please?" Agatha queried one evening.

She had just finished the last of her duties, which were washing the dishes and polishing the silver. Agatha saw that it was still a while before bedtime, so she took the opportunity to speak to her parents.

Agatha was hovering outside of the entrance to the parlor, frightened of what her parents' responses would be. But she would have to speak to them sooner or later, so she gulped and stepped into the room.

Now, her parents looked up at her. "What is it, girl?" her father demanded snappishly.

Sitting down on a chair opposite to them, Agatha continued. "I wanted to talk to you about the type of career I would like to pursue. After much thought, I would like to be a teacher."

Theodore stared at her for a second, then shrugged. "If you want to teach, than that's what you will do. Your mother and I decided early on that you should either be a maid or a teacher."

Agatha blinked in surprise. She had not expected that her father would give his consent to this. Just as she was about to thank him, her father started to speak again.

"Now that the subject has been brought up, I would also like to mention that I will send you to Grant's Teachers' Training College in London once you have graduated high school. Do you understand me?" Theodore inquired.

"Yes, Father," Agatha replied.

Her father nodded. "You can go now," he stated.

"Yes, Father. And thank you," added Agatha.

Theodore bobbed his head again, and Agatha went upstairs to her room, smiling widely when her parent could not see her.

I do not think that I have ever been this happy in my whole life, she thought as she changed into her nightgown.

(Next day)

While Agatha was eating lunch at school, she told Ruby about the conversation she had with her father. Ruby squealed in delight.

"I'm surprised that he didn't say no," the latter remarked in surprise. "He never really let's you do anything that he thinks will make you happy. He would rather want you to feel miserable."

Agatha chuckled in agreement. "You sure are right about that," she snorted. "I am just glad that I can be what I want to be."

"Me too. I'm happy that you're glad because you always seem glum, tired, or angry. You deserve all of the happiness in the world," declared Ruby.

Agatha grinned. "How are things going at your house?" she asked.

Ruby's face fell. "Not good. If my parents keep on treating me like shit, I'm going to run away from home!"

Taken aback by Ruby's tone and unrefined language, Agatha queried, "What did they do now?"

"Mother slapped me in the face because the grits that we had for breakfast was burned. She was cooking them, but then someone called her on the telephone and she had to leave it for a minute. When she poured the food into our bowls and saw that it was burned, she slapped me hard. She blamed me for what happened even though it was her fault for leaving it," grumbled Ruby. "Besides that, they always yell at me."

Agatha shook her head in sympathy. "That is not fair," she murmured.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, chewing their food in silence.

"Hey Agatha, I have an idea. If I run away, why don't you come with me? I know that you wish to get away from your parents. They treat you worse than my mother and father do!" exclaimed Ruby.

"I would love to. I am tired of being treated like a slave. But I do not think that it would be a good idea. If we were found, our parents would kill us!" cried Agatha.

"Not if you hide yourself correctly."

"That is true."

"But if I knew a way to keep us from getting caught, would you come?"

"You know I would."

Ruby gazed at Agatha solemnly and nodded.

They continued to eat their lunch then, and when the bell rang, they went to their next class.

It was just as well that Ruby had brought up the urge to run away. A couple of weeks later, something happened to Agatha that changed her life, and she would never be the same.

(One Friday afternoon)

"Girl! Rebecca and I are going to a party. We will be back after ten. Be sure to give your father his supper and do not forget about your chores!" Elizabeth called to Agatha as she was leaving the house.

"Yes, Mother!" responded Agatha from the dining room, which she was cleaning.

The front door closed and Agatha finished up tidying the aforesaid room. Afterwards, she went to the kitchen to cook some steak, noodles, and vegetables.

When it was finished, Agatha fixed a plate for herself and let the rest of the food simmer in their pots to keep warm.

It was not until Agatha was halfway through her meal that she realized that her father was away from home later than usual. He was normally home about a half hour after she came home from school.

Agatha shrugged as she ate the last of her food and washed her dishes. Then she went to dust the parlor.

Forty-five minutes later, as Agatha was about to sweep and mop the kitchen floor, Theodore walked into the house. He was reeking strongly of liquor.

"Where is your mother?" he demanded.

"She went to a party and took Rebecca with her."

Theodore grunted. "Is supper still warm?"

Agatha nodded. "Yes, Father."

She went to the kitchen, fixed him a plate, and set it in front of him on the table. Then she went to sweep and dust the kitchen floor.

Twenty minutes later, Agatha was done, and Theodore's plate was wiped clean. Agatha took it and washed it along with the silverware. Then she went upstairs to her room.

Agatha changed into her nightclothes and was reaching for a book of a shelf when she heard a sound behind her. Pivoting, she saw that her father was behind her.

"Is there something wrong?" she queried, startled. "Do you need anything?"

"No," Theodore said quietly. "But I want to talk to you about something."

Agatha waited as her father collected himself.

"First of all," the latter began. "I want to say that I admire your decision to become a teacher."

Pleased and astonished, Agatha whispered, "Thank you."

Theodore peered at her again. "You had handled the situation like a fully-grown adult would when you spoke to me and your mother. You even look like an adult now. You have grown-up so much," he claimed.

Agatha nearly beamed, but then she began to frown. Something was not right about his statement, and she did not like the way he was looking at her. Before she could mull this over, however, her father moved closer.

A shiver crept up Agatha's skin, and she felt the sudden need to shield herself. She also felt that she should say something, but it seemed as if she had an attack of laryngitis.

"I cannot believe how much you have grown in the past year. Soon you will marry...and have children," Theodore remarked.

Then, before Agatha could react, her father reached out a grabbed her chest.

"Father...let go of me!" the former shrieked, unnerved.

Theodore shifted his hands to her wrists. "Be quiet. You are a woman now, and you are going to be treated like one," he hissed.

Agatha started to sob, realizing what he meant. "Father...please..." she wept, trying to pull away.

"Be still!" commanded Theodore, squeezing her arms more tightly.

"Please...let me go," whimpered Agatha.

Theodore smiled evilly. "Not until I am done with you, I will not."

He grabbed her breasts again. Agatha wrenched away and attempted to run towards the door, but her father was faster and stronger. He snatched her up and threw her on the bed, tearing off her clothes.

"Father, stop!" shouted Agatha in terror.

"Shut up, you little bitch!" Theodore bellowed. He backhanded Agatha, bruising her cheek and splitting her lip.

Agatha yelled in pain as her father straightened and undressed. She turned away from him, fearful of what she would see. "Please..." she begged again.

"SHUT UP!" hollered Theodore, slapping her again. He laid down and pinned her to the bed.

"Father...!"

"SHUT UP!"

Agatha cried, then screamed as her father slammed into her, ripping her virginal skin and filling her with unendurable pain. Tears streamed down her face.

As her father continued, Agatha felt blood pouring onto the sheet, soaking the bed. She wanted to disappear, to die, to leave this excruciating pain behind her as her innocence leaked away. She tried to fight off her father again, but he had her pressed tightly to the bed.

"You are not going anywhere!" Theodore growled.

He kept going for a half an hour-though it seemed like forever to Agatha. Then he stood up, wiped the blood off of himself, and got dressed. After that, he left the room.

Agatha rolled over and sobbed bitterly. Never had she been treated like this. Never had she been attacked in such a way that she felt like shattered glass in the outcome.

Once the pain had subsided somewhat, Agatha went to her dresser and closet and threw her clothes into a large sack, along with some books. She had to get away before he father did this to her again.

As she packed away a few dresses from her closet, her eyes fell on a tarnished tea set that she received nearly eleven years ago. Agatha threw it aside, not wanting to look at the pot, cups, and saucers that reminded her so much of herself and of what happened earlier.

When she packed everything that she could, she turned off her bedroom light, closed the door, and snuck into the hallway.

Her father was snoring in his room, so she quietly tiptoed down the stairs. After creeping out of and locking the back door, Agatha ran into the shelter of the woods, heading towards Ruby's house.

After a nearly thirty-five minute walk-she had to stop often because of the pain between her legs-she reached Ruby's backyard.

Looking up, she saw that Ruby's bedroom light was on. Agatha picked up a few small rocks and threw them at the window. Ruby appeared a moment later and opened it when she realized who she was.

"Agatha!" she breathed, aghast. "What are you doing out here this late?"

"I am running away," explained Agatha in a hollow voice.

Ruby brightened. "Really? Well, I'm going with you. My parents are driving me mad," she whispered. She looked behind her. "My parents are asleep. I'll be down in fifteen minutes."

Agatha sat down on the back steps until Ruby walked out. Turning, she saw that Ruby was holding a sack as well.

"Oh my goodness, what happened to your face?" gasped the latter, her eyes wide with horror as she gaped at Agatha's cheek and lip.

Agatha could not speak. She felt frozen. How could she tell her what her father did? How could she describe the feelings of ripped and burned? Of being ruined? Of being torn and thrown into a smelly gutter...a feeling that nauseated and saddened her? Tears welled into her eyes.

Luckily, Ruby understood that she did not feel like talking. "Come on," she murmured, taking her hand.

Agatha and Ruby darted through the thick trees that surrounded the village, keeping off the road.

As they made their way to the edge of Vanford, the girls heard the sounds of people laughing, women talking, and dogs barking. They could also hear crickets and the wind whooshing through the trees. Ruby tripped over a root, but Agatha held her up.

"So," Agatha said in the same empty voice. "Have your parents done anything to you lately?"

"Yes. They yelled at me and hit me some more. I was about to leave before you came," Ruby responded. "But enough about that. How did you get that bruise on your face? And why is your lip so bloody?"

Agatha squirmed. "My father hit me, and he h-hurt me," she replied after a long minute.

Ruby scowled at her slightly. "He hurt you? In what way?"

Trembling, Agatha pointed to her private area.

Gasping, Ruby breathed, "He touched you?"

"No. Worse." Agatha mumbled.

Ruby gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh, Agatha, I'm so sorry! I would never have guess that that was the reason you ran away!" she remarked. She embraced Agatha for a long time.

Eventually, Ruby let her go, and Agatha felt a little bit better. "Come on," whispered the former. "We have to hurry if we want to get away from here. There's a stream not far outside of the village. We can lose our scent in the water if we walk in it. By dawn, we should reach an orphanage called St. Octavia's, which is right by the stream.

Agatha nodded, and they pressed on.

A short time later, they reached the edge of Vanford. Agatha turned to gaze at the village for one last time. Never again would she return to this backwards place. Never again would she return to Vanford Private School. Never again would she see her mother's shiny daisies and bright-blue lobelias.

Never again would she return to the house where she had been broken.

(Thirty minutes later)

"Here we are," Ruby declared when she and Agatha reached a stream a quarter of a mile beyond the village.

They took of their shoes and stockings and put them in their sack. Then they stepped into the cold water, trudging upstream and placing their sacks on their heads.

The water went up to Agatha's waist and Ruby's chest. Its coolness gradually took away the pain between the former's legs, and she was able to move faster.

Through the long hours of the night, Agatha and Ruby continued on their quest, stopping only to rest. The nighttime sounds that seemed so comforting now frightened them. Every twig snapping was the sound of policemen. Every brief silence pressed themselves onto their girls' eardrums as they fought the current and sleep.

Finally, just as they felt that they could not go on, dawn approached. Agatha and Ruby could not help but smile.

"We're nearly there. It's only a bit further. Let's keep going," announced Ruby.

They plowed through the stream for a while longer, the sky growing lighter by the moment. Then, when the girls stopped to take a break, the sun peaked over the horizon, bathing the world with light.

One of the sun's golden rays seemed to stretch out and touch the surface of St. Octavia's, making it shine like a beacon of promise and hope.

They were home.