When I got home no one was there. It was quiet. Weird.

I went up stairs, looking for mom. It was normal for dad to be gone, but mom was almost always home. I went into her room and softly called her name. No answer. I entered her bedroom looking around. Something was very, very wrong. I went into my room and sat on the bed. The sound of crumpling paper made me stand up again.

There was a note on my bed. I picked it up. It was in moms hand writing

Clare

You know that I love you, and your sister, with my entire heart. But your father and I... It's not good for us to be in the same city anymore, let alone the same house. I know that once I'm gone things will calm down. Perhaps go back to normal.

I'll get a hold of you in a few weeks. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.

You're in my prayers,

Mom.

Oh my god. This has to be a joke. It has to be a joke. I bolted out of my room and into my parents'.

I threw open the closet. It was empty, except for my father clothing. There wasn't an article of hers left, not a shirt, a pair of pants, a shoe. Nothing. I opened their drawers. Same thing. No clothes, none of her jewelry. She'd even taken her perfume with her.

How could she do this? How could she think this would fix things. It would only make things worse. Oh, god, please don't let him come home tonight.

I didn't want to have to see his reaction to her absence. Dad would flip. He'd go ballistic. And I'd be the only one here for him to take it out on.

But what could I do?

I was just thinking about the options. Maybe go to Alli's, but I realized that if I did, when I came back he'd been even more angry. I heard the front door open and my heart pounded.

I turned off my light and climbed into bed. If I pretended to be sleeping, I thought he would leave me alone.

Boy, had I been wrong.

"Where is she?" Dad shouted as he barreled into my room. I sat up straight in bed.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not wanting to let on that I knew anything.

"Your bitch of a mother, where the hell did she go?" He demanded.

"I don't know." I said, not lying.

"Her stuffs gone. I know she wouldn't go without telling you. So tell me, where is she?" When I didn't reply, he came towards me and dragged me out of bed.

The old bruise on my arm throbbed.

"I don't know!" I screamed. A tear slid down my face. "She didn't tell me!"

Dad pushed my to the ground.

"Don't lie to me!" He yelled. I felt his foot connect with my ribs. Once, twice, three times. I was screaming in pain by now but he didn't react. There was none of the love in his eyes that there used to be, back when we were all a family and loved each other. Back when I would come home from kindergarten, crying because a boy had picked on me. He had picked me up, twirled me around and promised not to let any one hurt me again.

Way to keep that promise, Dad.

"I'm n-not lying." I said through my tears.

Another kick, this time in the face. That one hurt more than the others.

"You better hope I don't find out you're lying." He told me, and left the room.

I stood up as soon as I could. It took a minute. My body resisted the movement. I think one of my ribs was broken. I looked around, listened. Dad was downstairs. Good.

I quickly searched my closet for one of my old camp duffel bags. Trying to be as quiet as possible, I packed an a couple of outfits. Then I grabbed the picture of my mom, my father, Darcy, and me.

It broke my heart a little to look at it, but I shoved it in the bag anyways. When I heard the basement door open and then close, and my father thump down the stairs, I ran. I bolted down the hallway, down the stairs, and out the door.

And then I realized I had nowhere to go.

Alli's parents were strict. There was no way they would allow me to stay there. Even if I explained the situation, they would send me to the police and I'd be put in a group home or something. And I didn't have anyone else close to me that I could run too.

Except... possibly... Eli.

It was crazy. We weren't even friends. And yet... I couldn't see any other option. Maybe he'd say no, or his parents were, but I had a feeling they wouldn't object. Eli was the only problem.

But I had no other options, so I held onto my bag and walked in the direction of Eli's house.

Oooh, dramatic chapter! This story definitely needs some comic relief... or possibly romantic relief? ;) Guess we'll see next chapter! Review, pretty, pretty, pretty please? Oh, look. Now I'm begging. :P - C