INTRUDER

10 DAYS BEFORE THE INTRUSION

"You okay, pumpkin?" I ask Ellie.

"Yeah, I guess I am fine."

Ellie was in a bad mood when she woke up today. She didn't have that much sleep last night since she was scared that Garred was going to come in and start slamming everything. Garred was capable of even killing us.

Today was Christmas. 5 days after Ellie's birthday. Yeah, as you can tell, it's really boring in my house.

Garred left... probably spending the day with Lynn. Probably going to spend all day and all night with her.

I didn't care, but Maggie did. She was sitting in the kitchen with a depressed face on.

The good thing about today was that everything was so calm. The day a soft breeze to it and it was very soothing. Ah, how much I love the December coldness. How beautiful was it? Right?

I got one present, that was all. It was a card from Ellie, my sweet sugar pumpkin. How much I loved her, there wouldn't even be a number if you asked me.

Maggie was dead. She was dead inside. You could see it. She was practically living in her own death. She would wake up and then fall. She is so weak because of everything Garred had caused this family. This family is being torn down all because of him. He is killing my mom! How could someone kill someone so much that they can't even walk out the stupid door in fear that that person who is killing them is waiting at ever freaking corner. There is no place to run, how would you feel about that? What would you do if there was no help and there was no escape? How would you escape?

The tears clog up my sight and I wipe to off my my shirt.

"Claire, what happened?"

"Nothing, just a thought that passed my mind," I responded to my mom.

Maggie saw that I did not want to continue the conversation, so she dropped it. I was glad she did.

I storm up to my room and close my door. No phone... No nothing. Freedom. I could escape right now. No one would know. I could grab my mom and Ellie and we could leave forever. But I have to wait until January to escape. I can't wait... It's going to be the best day of my entire freaking life. It was going to be the day where I let my past be the past and live in the present. I was never going to be stuck in the past after that day. I was going to become a completely different Claire Ruhner. I might even change my name... that would be fun. I would be 17, so I might have to wait till I am 18 though.

There was so many things that I could do if I was free. If I was away from the monster that is Garred. Away from the devil himself.

Life will be amazing in Florida.