Stolen Youth

Hi people! So, I feel strangely happy even though I spent the last forty-eight hours awake while writing/researching this chapter! Yeah! Now I need some sleep, but I don't think all that caffeine I just drank is going to help… Oh well! Enjoy!

Wait for it…Wait for it…Don't rush…Let them come to you…Sit still…Don't move…Show nothing and everything…No big productions…Just stare at that wall…Yes…That's it…You're doing good Kali…Don't weaken…

She was just sitting on her bed, knees drawn to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs. The therapist was trying to read her diary. Trying the operative word. The backwards-forwards chicken-scratch-cursive way she wrote could be overly confusing if not used to reading it. She didn't want to be hurt for the words that she had written about her past. They hated her, everyone, just because of how she lived. Tala and others somewhat understood because they had lived in the abbey, but even they didn't. No one but her team understood the love of her Father she harbored, the loyalty she kept even though he left her all alone.

The pain that those people had caused was irreversible, impossible to change. Physical scars were part of being hurt, but those could disappear with time. Emotional could never go away, though. They would stay and nag, continually hissing and snapping at the very edge of your head. They would kiss you and say sorry before attacking you time after time. They wouldn't stop, they never would.

That's what drove Kali to the edge. Some would say that she went insane before even going to the mental ward, others could say that with no place to run, she had too face her fears. Both sides were right, if you really, truly thought about. Only the insane could and would love a mass murderer willingly, only the mentally unfit could and would fight off death just so another's dream would come true, even if it meant their own demise.

Kali was that crazy, that mad, that strange. But that was what kept her alive. Her 'insanity' meant that she had to get free in order to see that Boris' dream was seen through till the very end. It meant that she would kill every person in her way just to make it out of that hellhole.

But something else controlled her as well. Love. Her unstoppable love for Brie, Jennie, and Anjela would get her out if insanity didn't work.

Brie wasn't just her best friend, second in command, partner in crime. The silver haired girl was also Kali's 'lover'. Through thick and thin, they had always been there for one another. Kali had had Androphobia, or a fear of men while Brie had Merinthophobia, the fear of being tied up. While in the abbey, they were surrounded by both. They helped each other through daily life and slowly their fears dimmed. After years of comforting, the two had rarely left the one another alone, but now they couldn't spend the day together, and it drove Kali off the deep end. No, there was nothing sexual about their relationship, but there was still something there, hidden behind the walls they had carefully constructed.

Jennie was like that annoying little sister Kali had never had, and she loved the preteen with all her heart. She had never had the chance to have a blood relative to love, so Jennie was the perfect one to pretend one with, considering that her real father was Boris. It made her more caring towards those she really trusted, something that was important.

Anjela was her cute little baby. For some reason, she was always able to trust the devious child. There was almost nothing that Kali wouldn't do for the small child. The redhead had grown up having to take care of the smaller one, and a mother daughter relationship had been born.

But all that happiness was now at stake. Not all doctors were stupid, sooner or later one would crack the code to her diary or figure out her escape plans. All one had to do was study her, day in and day out. Then all would become clear and all would come to an end. Depressing is what it was.

"Why do you write like this? Is it a foreign language?" The therapist asked.

"I was told to write like that. It's Russian." Might as well lie, nothing better to do with my life these days.

"Will you translate it for me?"

"I mustn't. Master would become angry with me." Why would I ever tell you? I like my secrets, thank you.

"He would never know, he can't harm you here." She said in a sickeningly sweet voice. It was like overly sweetened honey, thick, nasty tasting, and full of flies.

"I can never escape his grasp." Because I want to be there. You wouldn't understand, so I'll never tell you. I'm taking this to the grave.

"Why are you so resistant? We're only trying to help."

Lies. Damning lies. You want to help? Let me go. Never lock me up, or face the music. Believe me, I'll have you, and everyone else here, dancing for your lives. "I'm only doing what I was taught to do. Eleven years of studies is hard to erase in only a few days."

"You've been here for ten days. Do you know what day it is in the outside world?"

Well duh. That's important to may sanity. I need to remember what day it is or forever go insane. "No. I don't. Would you care to tell me?" Don't get so snappy! The more you have emotions, the tighter your leash.

"You need to be cut off from the outside world, so no. Only when you're willing to tell me about the diary."

"Okay. I feel faint, may I sleep?" No diary for you, missy. And I do know the day. Tuesday. Ha, in your face.

"Yes, you may. Goodbye."

"Farewell," Fare badly, more like it.

Kali flopped down onto the bed before uttering a small groan. Her stomach hurt because of all the food she had eaten. Yes, the meal size was slightly bigger than her fist, but she never really ate. She'd only eat if she could exercise, very normal for her. So that larger-than-fist portion had her stuffed.

She closed her eyes, trying to figure out the finer details of escape. There was no way she could take out the big lug they called her guard long enough to run away. No way. Now, she could take out a woman quite easily. But a woman wasn't transporting her from place to place. Not unless…

She smiled, a true smile. She hadn't done that in years. Androphobia, the fear of men…the fear she wasn't able to quite get rid of but was able to suppress all the same. The screams, the muttering, the true fear that couldn't be denied. She remembered how to act, how to twist and turn her body. Memories…Sweet sweet memories. Closing her eyes, she could see everything. How she acted, the unrivaled fear.

Now…To fake that. To lie in the most complicated area. Show fear, aggression, and want all that the same time. To destroy all thoughts that she was lying, that she was untrue with one simple action. Ah. Deception, sweet, beautiful deception.

Her guard walked in and grabbed her wrist. At first she was slack, but she tensed seconds before screaming. A high-pitched noise that startled many people. She wiggled and struggled as she jumped from the bed, eyes pained. The first scream ended and the second began.

Kick…Punch…Scream…Struggle…Mutter now…No more screaming…Act the same as you did before you got over your fear…You know how to…

"I didn't do it! I didn't do it! I'm sorry…So sorry!" Kali gasped, losing herself in the moment. Old ghosts came back, forcing her to remember how she acted. Her breathing sped up and she began to sweat violently. She lost control, she let emotions, desires, and wants take over.

Words morphed together as she muttered, screamed, and begged. And all he did was drag her down hallways. Her mouth was as dry as cotton while dread formed in the pit of her stomach. She was going to die. She was going to die because she disappointed her father one too many times. But she didn't mean too! It was too hot out and the finish line so far away…how did he expect her to run faster than anyone else? She was small…weak…useless…

Dead…dead…dead…dead…She couldn't even process thought normally. She had always been proud of her self control, how could she let past demons attack so viscously? All of her thoughts were circled around the fact that she was too die. In normal circumstances, she would have given a swift kick to the groin and run like hell. But there was a small problem. She wasn't thinking. In fact, she was only panicking, causing her heart to pound against her chest.

And sweet relief. The hand was gone and a strong push forced Kali forward. With no need to be told twice, she sprinted as far away as she could. She ended up curled up in a ball in the corner the fence made.

Tala saw her and moved to stand beside her. He reached out toward her, only for her to whimper and move away. In the back of her head, Kali knew that she could trust Tala, but her body wasn't listening to her mind. Her body wanted too keep as much distance as possible, while her mind just wanted someone to hug her and tell her that she wasn't going crazy, even if the hug part was kinda hard to do.

"Tomorrow," She managed to groan before covering her ears and curling into a small ball. As the presence of man slowly receded, she relaxed. Kali leaned her head back against the fence as she closed her eyes. The extra sweat slowly dried as wetness reappeared in her mouth. Chapped lips were licked as she closed her eyes.

As Spencer pulled everyone away, her ears picked up random words he was whispering to the others. "Past…pain…fear…broken…escape…"

Then several female guards moved toward her. Like a lazy lion, she just stayed in her spot in the Savannah. Females she could deal with, they were kinder. Like her mother, who had only locked her away in closets instead of forcing her to run and work and accept beatings all of the time.

They touched her shoulder, but nothing happened. She was in a daze, but as all the doctors thought, it was nothing that couldn't be fixed with medicine. Ha! A lifelong phobia couldn't go away in just one day of medicine. Silly doctors.

And she was plunged into darkness. A musky smell covered her nose, forcing her to breathe it in and out. Pain shot down her leg as something jabbed into it. Little dots swam before her eyes as she collapsed onto the ground. But she only feigned passing out fully. She was very much awake, for such a simple thing as drugs didn't work on her. Not after years of building up a slight immunity. And yet, she let herself fall limp and evened her breathing.

Dear Diary,

I love you. That and I'm going to leave you in this hellhole. Just so you can give hope to another wrongly accused child that is bright enough to find you and crack this code.

Silly therapist. She was reading my fake diary. Everything about me is in this one. So just wait, for a smart person will one day look through this mattress and find you. Until then, good luck.

If everything goes right tomorrow, I'll never see you again. So let me do a major summary so you and whoever finds this will know at least a small part of my pain.

All in all? We won four world championships, each time someone else on the team wins. During the tournaments, I didn't eat. The other three needed their strength to win, so bare minimum for me. While traveling, I ate the most because I carried the most, but it still wasn't that much.

The first three years, no one bothered us and we migrated from place to place with ease. The fourth year, questions were being asked. The police would chase us and we had to move faster. Finally, I couldn't take it. I broke down and Brie helped me back up. I killed the four officers that were chasing us that night. After my outburst, we disappeared off the face of the earth. We didn't go to any matches or tournaments. No one saw our faces on the streets.

And then we were caught. I had been singing that night, and the police must of thought that I was Kali, which I am. They followed me 'home' and dragged everyone off but me.

Me. I was eighteen, still am. This sent our lives to hell, the media lapping this story up as cats would, hungry for milk.

Brie, seventeen, Jennie, twelve, and Anjela, ten, were all sent to foster homes. Many people wanted Brie to be sent here also, but they all thought that I was the one to make her that way. Everyone thought that I made Brie angry, violent, uncontrollable, Jennie sarcastic, pessimistic, full of attitude, and Anjela devious, mischievous, and tricky. It was all my fault that I let them grow up to become whoever they wanted. 'Twas it also my fault that I wasn't made to be a mother when I came from the womb?

Anyway, if you, whoever next reads my diary and was able to decode it yourself, have wishes to find me, you better know some druggies on the streets. Just ask for the location of 'Strykers Point', and you'll find me there. That's if I don't die. If I do die, Brie, Anjela, or Jennie will help you bounce back after your lovely stay at this mental ward.

I would love to meet someone who has the intellect to make it out of there alive, if I make it out. And if this isn't found until a hundred years have passed, my 'children' will be taking care of my place, so don't worry. Strykers Point will live on only as long as people are able to have hope.

Okay, I think I've done enough ranting for now. I mean, I'll never see you again, diary, but I love you all the same. You saved my from insanity, if I wasn't able to vent, I would have killed myself with one of my pens.

I love you.

Kali

Trying to write while being carried over someone's shoulder while half in a bag was kind of hard for her, but she did it. And as she wrote, a lone tear slipped down her face. She was going to miss only her diary, and she could never bring it with her. The memories would be hard to contain if she had it, that and she should help someone, if able.

And as she was being placed on the floor, Kali slipped the small book into her pants and fell limp once again. She was ready too fight, and she wasn't backing down.

Ding dong, the witch is dead. Which ole witch? The wicked witch. Ding dong, the wicked witch is dead! Ding dong, the bitch is gone. Which ole bitch? The tricky bitch. Ding dong, the tricky bitch is gone!