Friends or Family?

I could hear things moving around me but for some reason I couldn't open my eyes. Footsteps echoed out around me. I tried to open my eyes but they felt heavy and almost glued down.

It feels like years have passed. I fluttered my eyes open slightly but closed them quickly from the brightness. Several times my eyes flicked and fluttered before they eventually got use to the light. I slowly got up so I was resting on my elbows. I scanned the area around me and it all the memories flashed back.

The searing pain in my arm.
The bullet that took Maria's life.
Yale's shock when I slapped him.

My memories took me farther back. Farther then I wanted them to.
To the days when I really didn't know who I was. When I was a nobody. When I was still in a foster home, fighting over bedroom space. Racing to make sure you got enough to eat. Having no purpose to live was my purpose.

There was no "another day, another dollar". Another day was another torture. Just wondering and hoping when you would have a family to call your own.
I remembered the painting in art class that I never finished, or did I? I remember painting an ocean during a storm with a sad person watching the waves crash. I remember I was only allowed to use three or was it four colors? Were the colors blue gray and green? I can not remember. What happened to it? Was it thrown away? Maybe, put in storage? Was it hung on the wall? I doubt that. Who would want to remember the person who never was. The person no one cared about. The person no one knew.

I remember fear and hate I felt when I found out who was my true father. I never wanted to be adopted. I told myself I wanted to. Deep down it all just felt like baggage to me. All I wanted to be was free. Right now I am so close I can almost taste it. I now realize I am trapped here. Trapped under Ace's watchful eye.

I am a toy. Not a human. Not even. I am not even a toy. I am just a tool. A tool for them to get money and some entertainment out of. Do they enjoy seeing me suffer so? Do they notice what I truly fear? Do they wonder? Do they care?

The events that took place seemed to be so long ago. Like a whole other life even. A time when I was watching, not making it happen.

Currently, I felt like I was not even in my own skin. I was a new, different person.

How did I change? I don't really know. It was just something in the air, something in the past that changed me big time. Was it for the better or the worse? I don't really know.

With some sort of new strength I pulled myself up. I noticed I was not in Ace's house. I was not on the lump of shit they called a bed. I looked around in a bit of shock. I was in some sort of hotel room. It was way to clean. I knew I hadn't been here soon. Where was Ace and Yale? What happened to them?

I looked at the clock. It was 1:12. Was it AM or PM? The damn thing didn't say anything. All I knew was I had to get away from here. Far away. This was my chance to escape Ace and Yale!

I looked and saw we were on the first floor. It must be a motel! Praise to the heavens! I unlocked the window and put one leg out when I realized I couldn't go out looking how I looked. I must have looked horrid. I went over the the attached bathroom and saw all the dirt and grime on my face. I washed my face, arms, legs and anything else you could see. I ran my head under the shower and pulled out some knots with a hair brush. I silently noticed how I didn't have much time.

I opened every dresser and found some pants that hung loose around my waist and an over sized T-shirt. I thought Ace was close to my size. Maybe I was given Yale's clothes before. Well their boys so who knows.

Luckily I found one of their wallets and stole a good $200. Plus I had some cash in my other clothes.

This time, all ready I jumped out of the window and flat ran to a random direction.

I needed to find out two main things.
Where I was.
Why I was here.