New Adventures

Not the time. I reminded myself as I hurried away from the disturbing image in the mirror. It was nothing but a figment of my imagination anyway and I needed to get to mum before dad got here. Weird voices and faces that weren't mine would be analysed and dealt with at a later date.

Mother was awake. That was good, and also bad. I'd hoped she would still be asleep when I got here, it would have made my work easier.

"Mum!" I ran over to her and hugged her.

Her eyes looked sallow and tired. She looked tired in ways no woman of her age should be tired.

"Hey baby." Dad had said almost the same thing to his tramp earlier today. I cringed at the comparison.

"What's wrong love?" She asked worriedly, turning my face this way and that to get a better look at my face.

"Nothing. Dad..."

"Shh.. don't say anything. Your dad just lost his composure for a minute okay? He loves me, he loves us."

"Really? Is this what love is to you?" I asked snidely.

"You don't understand. This is a battle. Your father just has some problems with his temper. We need to help him fight through it, with our love and preservarance." Yeah, while he battered the life out of us. I sighed and shook my head. I should have known. She had been defending him since I was a child, why should today have been any different?

Telling her the truth now would destroy her and she probably wouldn't believe me, then dad would find us here, find out what I did....he wouldn't wait two years, he'd kill me today.

Oh God. Oh God.

"Kiera?" Mum called softly.

I did the meditation thing my therapist taught me. Breathe In. Out. In. Out. I repeated it for several more seconds until the haze of panic cleared and I was aware of the things I needed to do. Get mum out of here. Only difference was that she was awake now but the objective was still the same.

"Okay, mum. But dad, he's angry. Really angry. He came here earlier and said that dinner has been moved to today and once you woke up we were to get there but I don't have the clothes here and..."I wrung my hands in distress.

"Where?" Mother shuffled off her bed and gingerly rose. She was hurt, probably had internal bleeding, but her good wife instincts were stronger than ever. Stronger, probably than her sense of self preservation. Lucky for her, she had me.

"In Amtrak. We have to take a train and it's about two hours and it's past six." I murmured. I didn't know what time it was but I could guess and the point was to get her out of there. What was in Amtrak? I had no idea. I'd never even heard of it before.

"Where is that?" Mum asked with furrowed brows. I had no fucking clue. I couldn't even explain how I knew it was a train station.

"Dad gave me the directions. I spied a pen and paper, I took it and scribbled on it before stuffing it into the bag. "Please let's go, before he gets more angry."

"Yes, yes." She wobbled for a second before she straightened and we left the room.

"Mrs Ballad?" Dr Boyle queried with furrowed brows. "You shouldn't be moving. I haven't discharged you yet."

"I'm fine, thank you doctor. I need to leave now if you don't mind."

"I'm afraid I do mind. You were brought here by your husband and I need him to be present before you can be discharged."

"I'm well enough, and I'm leaving now. I need to meet my husband, so if you'll excuse me or we will be finding a new family hospital." She announced firmly. She could be assertive with everyone except the man who hurts her.

We left the stunned doctor in the middle of his half darkened hallway.

Outside the clinic, we found a cab.

"Where to?" The man with yellow teeth asked. I shoved the paper I'd scribbled on at him and hurried mum into the car, just as a police patrol car turned into the clinic driveway.

Damn, that was close.

The nightlife bustled around us as the car zoomed past the streets of Los Angeles, running straight for a new path in our lives. I just set the house I grew up on fire, nearly killing my father and his lover, I'm taking my mother to an unknown destination through deceptive means and painting a big black target on not only my back but hers as well. I expelled tiredly. New paths indeed. How long I'd live to see it through remained to be seen.

The car ride went by faster than I expected and soon, we were at the train station. It was completely dark out by the time we got out of the car. Mum was dozing off again.

"Mum?" I shook her gently.

"Hmm?" She awoke slowly but soon became alert. "Where are we?" She whispered.

"Going to meet dad." I chirped. I threw some cash I found in the bag at the driver and dragged mum after me. I had no idea if the money was enough or over, all I cared about was getting as far away as possible from Frank. At the ticketing booth, I bought two tickets to London in a private car.

That was about two hours away from here and it was in a different country, heck different continent. Good enough for me.

"Kiera? Where are we going?"

"Following dad's rules, mum. Let's go."

The private car in the train was awesome and relaxing. Mum and I made no conversation but we eat four courses. Who knew you could get such fancy food on a train?

That night's sleep was the most restful I'd had in a long time, inspite of the strange and weird dreams I had.

In the dream, I was in a strange circle with several dark figures. We were all sitting around an orange fire, it's origin unkown and muttering strange words.