Disclaimer: I don not own Yu-Gi-Oh

A/N: Thank you for reviewing Dark Magician Girl / Hikaru, Star Girl11, Angel in Disguise8 and Steffani. I guess so far most of you guys have the same person in mind right about now. Let's see if this chapter will change your mind, thanks and please read and review.

Entry 2

Drip Drip Drip

It's raining again. The rain always seems to tell me something, beckoning me to listen. Tonight, it's warning me of Andersen's restlessness. His patience is growing thin.

That only means one thing.

I could sense his impatience growing for days now. Julie has been coming over more often than ever and whenever she did, they'd always argue. She never comes in the broad daylight anymore, no, the only time she's here is in the dead of the night, way past my bedtime. Andersen obviously wants to keep this from me, so he only arranges these "meetings" when I'm supposed to be asleep.

But of course, I never am.

This used to surprise me, but it doesn't anymore. Maybe it's universal, or maybe it's just her style, in any case, I've noticed this from her ever since I met her and it hasn't changed since. Julie, with her sugary sweet smile and sun-kissed blonde hair has always tried to convince me that everything was all right. She repeats that phrase as if it has been programmed into her mind to do so. Her moves are always precise, calculated and organized. Every minute aspect of her has a purpose and everything she sets to work on comes out perfectly. She reminds me of a robot.

Perhaps that's why she was assigned to me. The Hopeless Cause. Her talent and skills would guarantee me a good future right? Well, even Julie has her limits and it seems she had met her match in a teenage boy named....

"I'm sick of your excuses!"

Andersen is yelling at my social worker again. Julie sounds irritated by his anxiety but kept her voice at a calm whisper. That makes it difficult to hear what she is saying.

"....that damn little brat is ruining me, he's...."

Snippets of conversation. I can only hear so much pressing my ear against the basement door.

"No, no, I won't....I can't do that...."

"...handle it.....if ...let the authorities take him....."

"Please sir, he's been...."

Julie's voice seemed to have raised an octave and what seems like a touch of hoarseness to it.

"I'm sick of this.....no buts."

"It has only been six months."

"......way too long."

Julie is saying something, her voice sounds muffled, desperate, is she crying?

"Be considerate sir, just a little longer."

"I've had enough!"

"Wait.....it will change."

"I WANT THE BOY OUT NOW!"

I began backing away from the door when I heard that. It was loud enough, clear enough, and forceful enough for me to understand without any doubt. Everything else pieced together wouldn't have sent the message across as decisive as that.

Silence

I stood there, in the darkness, the silent darkness, waiting. Waiting for what, I'm not sure. Shock quickly enveloped me as those words Andersen slammed down sunk into my mind. I felt condemned, defeated. My fate was sealed by a mere six words.

Still no response

I shouldn't have been surprised. No I shouldn't have. But I was. All along, I had known Andersen wanted nothing to do with me. It was a matter of time before I was cast out into the streets again, or worst, thrown into another hateful, ignorant family. It had been only six months but I felt that day coming every single one of those dates. I expected it, knew about it, and foresaw it. Hearing it, however, is an entirely different matter. This was final. Now there is nothing left to reassure myself that maybe I was just paranoid or that I was overreacting.

Nothing

I can no longer hear Julie. Has she abandoned me as well? Julie, Julie, please defend me. I can't move anymore, I don't want to. Don't let them take me away again. I'm so afraid. My mind cried out to her, but she couldn't hear me.

I fell on my hands and knees, shaking in an effort to not burst out and let them know I was listening. The cold cement floor is damp from the rainwater leaking inside. In the darkness, I can make out my fingers turning white, desperately gripping onto the ground as if it was my lifeline.

Drip Drip Drip

The water is still pounding down outside. I feel so weary from all this. The loss of sleep hasn't helped much either. I don't see why I care so much. Andersen has treated me horribly from the first time I arrived at this place. Nothing I did pleased him, only fed is anger towards me. Curses ran from his mouth like water and beatings were even more frequent.

The time he caught me listening into one of his and Julie's conversations was the worst.

I had a cold that night and couldn't stifle my sneezes. Julie arrived again; right on schedule and they began their discussion. I did what I always did at a time like that and hid in a small compartment behind the door leading from the basement. They were talking about me again, that time; Andersen seemed especially pissed and was hitting something against the upstairs wall. As soon as their conversation began to heat up, out of nowhere, a sneeze flew from my nose and echoed all the way upstairs – to Andersen.

A pause

But that was it. Sighing in relief, I crawled into be and wrapped a thin blanket tightly around myself. That was just too close for comfort and I didn't want to take that chance again. I thought I was safe, but I later found out I was wrong.

Very wrong

A few minutes later, I heard Julie's car pull away with a squeal and thunderous footsteps just above me. The heavy steps soon reached the wooden staircase and my heart pounded along with it. Andersen was coming. To get me. He waited until Julie was gone to get me, but he had planned to the entire time.

Before I knew it, my blanket was ripped off and I was face to face with a red-faced Andersen. My eyes darted quickly from his monstrous face to the stick he held in his right hand. It was long, slender and oh so familiar. He held it front of my face, mocking me with it, a devious smirk spreading across his hideous face.

I had never seen his expression twist in such a grotesque grin before and it scared me, even more than usual. This was not the normal beating I often got from him, it was different. As if confirming my thoughts, Andersen slashed the stick through the air, a whipping sound following it and smacked me painfully across the face. Subsequent to the blow, he thrust the stick to the far end of the room where it clattered against the wall and lay motionless.

My hand instantly flew to my cheek and tenderly rubbed the long, bleeding scar on it. I felt the warm blood tricking through my fingers as I held my hand in place. But before I recovered the pain, Andersen harshly grabbed me by the neck and shoved me down onto the hard cement, knocking the wind out of me.

With a sneer, he growled, "This will teach you not to meddle in my business you ungrateful little brat."

And he tore off my pants.

I shuddered, thinking back to what happened that night. I would have been grateful for a beating. After that incident, I forced myself to recover, and told myself never to cry again. I still eavesdropped on their conversations, though and tonight was no different.

The mark of that night still mars my face up until now and I am forced to remember those agonizing moments forever. Julie was told I had fallen down the stairs.

That brief glimpse into my memories made me realise something. I want to leave, I want to get away and I never want to return. There is nothing binding me to this place except for my fear of moving. That could wait. I already hit rock bottom living here and there can't be any way to sink down even further.

For once, Andersen is right; I had to get out now.

And I am.

End Entry