Angel sat on the school bus staring out the window, hers was one of the last stops en route and for that she was glad, the further she got from civilization the better she liked it. She was different from girls her age, she didn't fit in and she didn't try to, she kept to herself. The old bus turned and rattled into Tavern Forest Road, it was here suburbia faded away and trees and majestic mountains rose up. Angel closed her eyes and felt the strong urge to run, run into the wilderness and never return, it was a feeling she pushed down knowing it was impossible.
The authorities would just find her again and drag her back to a fresh new hell, she was every bit a child of the system, she knew the drill. At least here she had the forest as an escape from her normal reality, she felt she could breathe here and not be suffocated by the city.
She had been here in the town of Riverhead about a year now with the latest set of foster parents Phil and Alley. No awards for them, they drank any money that came their way and were only too happy to remind Angel of all she owed them. They weren't the best fosters, but far from the worst.
The old bus shuddered to a stop outside the front gate, stepping out onto the dusty drive Angel noted no cars in the drive yet. Angel's heart did a little leap. She would be home first, time to air out the house that reeked of stale cigarettes and old wine. The smell disgusted her, made her feel sick and dirty.
Angel had to run, that feeling wouldn't leave her, going to her room she quickly pulled on a pair of shorts, a T-shirt and trainers. Standing in front of the mirror the words freak and ugly ran through her head, as she silently appraised her reflection. Angel had long raven black hair, piercing green eyes, a mouth that was too wide and lips too full, she easily towered over those her age. I'm such a weirdo she thought to herself, almost pretty but everything just off a little. Her hands flew up to the birthmark on her neck, she used to dream as a young girl that her birth mother would see her in a crowd one day and recognize the birthmark that would show her very own child. It hadn't happened and never would.
Angel took to the tracks behind her house. The mountains would make her feel almost sane again.
Angel ran never breaking a sweat, she was only fifteen years old, yet she knew she could easily pass for older if she wanted to, she didn't. Long ago she had dropped the need to socialize, to be included. She was just biding her time until the day she was old enough to make her way in the world. Running made her feel whole again, grounded, free. For as long as she could remember she had an urge to run. She made her way to the peak of the mountain and looked out over the wilderness, a sense of peace settled in her bones, it was fleeting. Sighing, she begrudgingly made her way back to the little shack on the highway.
Making her way down the track, Angel noticed Phil and Alley's cars in the drive, she crept in the back door and went straight to the shower, hoping they wouldn't notice her. It was too late, as soon as the water hit her face she heard Alley's voice shrieking out. "Dinners ready in five."
Phil was sitting in his favourite tattered old chair, beer cracked open, hairy fat gut spilling out of his shirt over his pants, beady little eyes glued to the Tv. Alley was perched at the kitchen table, wine and cigarettes on the go, gossiping on the phone, so thin she was bird-like. She sat next to Alley for dinner, a la microwave lasagne and frozen carrots. Alley never touched a bite, just continuously drinking her wine barely pausing for breath as she inhaled another cigarette. Phil never left his chair in the lounge, she heard his plate clatter onto the coffee table as he burped loudly, farted, and called for another beer. It was the evening ritual. Angel grabbed a beer out of the six-pack in the fridge and gave it to him. Taking the beer his fat fingers brushed hers for too long, a look of hunger on his face. Angel shuddered inside.
Just lately she had noticed Phil's greedy little eyes studying her more intently, his hands a bit more touchy-feely....yuck. He was disgusting. Alley just sad, true feelings often showed when people were drunk, for Alley it showed she was nasty and spiteful.
Making quick work of the dishes Angel went to her room where she finished her homework and lay in bed planning her future, thinking of her miserable past.
Angel had never known her parents, a true orphan, she had been dumped on the church stairs as a newborn. Baby Angel she was known as the papers had picked up the story but no parents had ever been found. The lovely Pete and Jane had adopted her right away and she spent a few idyllic years with them until a fatal car accident had snatched them away from her she was only seven. Twice abandoned. With nowhere to go, she'd been sent to the orphanage. St Benedicts. She had barely survived that place but with the help of her friend Bam and his dog, they had escaped the horror that was St Bennys. Bam was big brother, best friend, and protector, they had run away and lived on the streets. Together they survived, dreaming of a day when they could rescue all the orphans. The one day Bam promised he would be back with dinner, she waited, her little belly hungry, she waited for days, until Angel eventually realized he had abandoned her, caring for a child was a big responsibility. Thrice abandoned. She was eventually caught stealing food and the slew of foster homes and abuse began again. She didn't belong anywhere and she eventually learned to trust herself only, always moving from one foster family to the next. She stopped seeking approval, stopped trying to make friends. Avoid trouble was her motto. In saying that she was no pushover, no victim. She had never had any trouble standing up for herself, the streets dictated only the strong survive, it was just lately though she had scared herself wondered if she was going crazy. Things had been happening she just couldn't quite understand, and she knew somehow she was responsible.
Angel eventually drifted off to sleep ready to rinse and repeat everything again tomorrow.
1.37 Am
Angel's eyes popped open, something wasn't right, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she saw the door handle turning slowly, heard the heavy breathing of the fat hairy man, Phil. She could see he had his T-shirt on that barely covered his gut and nothing else, his gut hung down low almost covering his flaccid member swaying between his fat hairy legs.
"What are you doing, this is my room, its Angels room, get out", she stammered in shock.
"Ssshhhh, Phil whispered back, shes shleep, don't wake her, pleash help Daddy".
Angel lay there frozen in disgust, he stumbled over to her as his putrid breath assailed her first then his fat grabby mit reached for her hand guiding it to wear his now semi-hard cock hung. Angel had had enough, she grabbed his cock and twisted it, wrenching it hard. He howled in pain reaching to cover his manhood.
"Listen here you fat fuck, you get away from me, stay away from me or I will kill you, understand! You disgust me."
"No, no you have it wrong, he gasped, I didn't mean to do anything, I swear!"
Rage was taking over she got up out of bed and pushed him to the ground with all her might, he was nothing but a disgusting coward. Looking down at him, tears had formed in his eyes and he was wailing, crying. "Help me Alley, the girls gone mad," he was screaming.
He made her sick.
Alley appeared at the doorway bleary eyes turning to shock. "Filthy whore, what have you done to my husband you ungrateful little slut."
Alley rushed away and more anger washed over Angel. She could feel the rage uncoiling in her like a sleeping serpent.
White hot blind uncontrollable rage.
Suddenly the world was shaking, twisting, turning. The door to the bedroom slammed shut. An unknown force was stalking the small home with them, pain wracked Angel's body as she felt herself shifting into the unknown, the lights flickering on and off, Angel let herself go and welcomed the darkness.
Like an out of body experience, she saw Phil's pudgy face looking at her in terror, begging for mercy. She was fresh out of mercy. Leaning down she plucked out his eye in a flash, held it in her hand. Warm, bloody, squishy. Then Alley, like an annoying fly you needed to swat, returning with a knife aimed at Angel's throat.
Fade to dark.
Blackness.
Falling into the abyss.
Then running.
Running through the forest, away, far far away from that place.
Covered in blood and running.
