Dream Journal Ultimate
Date: 1/2/2017
By Ecnelis_Lataf
My name was Maria Karmin and I was 22 by the time the dream ended. I had a brother named Jason who was a year younger than me and a sister named Gracie who was two years older. We all had the same parents so we all had the same last name. The dream did a lot of flashback stuff to show me the backstory I suppose as it continued in the "present" 22 year old Maria's life. Bear with me because I tried my best to remember as much detail as possible. Be prepared for some sappiness as well.... ********************************************************************************** Crash! Boom! Click! Smack! Those were the sounds that I, Maria Karmin, knew all too well. The crashing of a beer bottle as it fell from my step-father's grisly hands. The booming of his footsteps as he came to the kitchen where I'd be cleaning up so that the house would look decent each weekend. The click of him taking the safety off his gun. Then finally the smack of the gun to my head as he made me think he'd actually be merciful enough to shoot me and end my worthless life. I was 17 then. A few days from my 18th birthday. I wasn't able to run away from him though. Not just yet. I couldn't kill myself either. He'd made sure of that. That half-drunken lunatic grabbed his pocket knife and sliced across my arm. Another cut I'd have to hide. Another shirt I'd have to burn. He laughed at me as if I were a pathetic creature and walked up the stairs as if he were god. I sat there and waited for him to close his door. Once I heard the door close I looked around for something to clean this mess up with...only to see the lunatic left his gun on the kitchen table. 'This is my chance. I can escape.' I thought as I picked up the gun and pointed it to my head. The safety was still off so all I had to do was pull the trigger and that would take me away from the hell I'd lived for five years. I didn't do it though. I put the safety back on the gun and headed upstairs to see my brother staring at the top, a proud smile on his face. He had seen me. Jason knew what I had wanted to do and saw me not go through with it. Jason waved for me to follow him into his room and locked his door. He didn't have to worry. Our step-father never came into his room. Only mine. I was the only one who was punished for nothing. Jason helped me rip the sleeve off my shirt and cleaned up the new cut our step-father had put on my arm. "He never goes very deep. That's a plus-side to this." Jason said quietly as he used some bandage wrap to help take care of the bleeding. "Thanks doc. Now I have one more shirt to toss in the fire." I said quietly. I was bitter. Though I was almost always bitter these days. "We need to go. Tonight." Jason whispered. "How do you plan to do that?" I asked him. Jason handed me a bag with some of my clothes, a water bottle, and some snacks in it. The bag, ironically, being my old backpack. He had one for him on his bed that I was just now noticing. "We're gonna run. We'll keep going until we get to Gracie's house. She's got the rest figured out for us." Jason answered me. "You've been planning with her then. Lovely." I said quietly as he tossed a makeshift rope out his window that was tied to his bed. I stuffed the gun in my bag as well. Better to have some form of safety on the streets than none at all. Jason nodded to me and I climbed down. He followed behind me. The two of us dropped the last two feet and ran from our old life...hoping to find a new better life just beyond my sister Gracie's home. **************************************** "So that's how it all started?" Justyn, one of my best friends since my new life began, asked as Jason drove the car to get our little group to our next safehouse. Justyn was in front with my brother while I was in back with my brother's girlfriend Alexis...who happened to be fast asleep. I leaned forward in my seat and just sighed. Justyn's seat was in front of mine and he was a bit of an ass sometimes with how he worded things but...deep down he really was a good guy. "So you all joined the world of street racing so you could have a new life?" Justyn asked me. He didn't know the whole story. Just that we ran away. I never told him about the abuse. I couldn't bring myself to tell him. "Yeah. We wanted a fresh start so we ran away, found this town, and got introduced to street racing thanks to Gracie." I answered him. "You really are an idiot." Justyn told me in his usual snide way. He worried about me and Jason a lot more than he needed to. Jason had learned about a year ago that when it comes to Justyn's way of talking...you just let it roll off your shoulders because he never means anything by it. Not really. Justyn leaned his seat back so that he was practically in my face now. "You shouldn't race just to get a new start because street racing...it can be deadly. Alexis and I know this. So does Gracie. Besides, you can barely control one of those cars." "How sweet Justyn, you're trying to be nice to me." I teased him. His eyes darkened and he leaned his seat back up. He hated to be caught as a kind-hearted guy. Never understood the reasoning though. It got quiet in the car again so Jason put on an old song that he liked. I could never remember the name of the song and the words all seemed jibberish but the music...the music I remembered. It was music our mother had played many times when she was still alive. I stared out the window and watched as the city lights blurred past us. I let my thoughts take me away again. In two nights Gracie and I were going to put on a show to be remembered for. We were going to put on a show that told the truth of what we'd been through. We were headed to the hotel near the theater we'd be performing at now. **************************************** Rage. Fear. Pain. I had grown accustomed to these feelings for most my life. Being on the streets with Jason was no different. I was the protector so pain was inflicted upon me often. Rage was my fuel to fight back when the idiots on the street attacked us. Fear was what kept me alive. Fear of losing my brother. Fear of our step-father finding us. I lost alot of sleep as the days went on. Gracie was about three towns away from where we lived. We were on the streets for quite a few weeks trying to get there. We had ditched our phones the day we ran off so we couldn't be tracked. My brother tried having us sleep in shifts. Once every couple days it actually worked. I would pass out from mental and physical exhaustion. It was bad for me but I couldn't sleep. Too much fear and not enough light. The day we made it to Gracie's house was the best and worst day of my life in a long time. It was great because we had a shelter that we could actually sleep in. It sucked because my step-father was smart enough to know we'd be coming to her. We had to sneak around back just to get inside and she ushered us to the basement where she had a secret room. She managed to get the cops to haul my step-father away but we knew he'd be back. It was only a matter of time. "I'm sorry Maria. I know a place you guys can stay after this week. However...if you stay here any longer you'll be found and I don't want him to take you back." Gracie told us that night. "Nor do I want him getting you back Jason." she said as she looked to him. Jason and I nodded. We knew it was a longshot to be able to stay with our older sister anyway. We had to try though. "I have a friend who knows his way around the underground. He's been helping kids and teens find better homes for years. He can help you as well." Gracie told us quietly. "Who is this friend?" I asked her as I leaned back in my chair. We were sitting at the kitchen table now. She had made something nice for dinner. A dish I swear could have made me die happy. "His name's Kris. He's 100 percent gay...so Jason be kind. He may try hitting on you." she warned and Jason gulped but there was definitely a subtle red to his cheeks. Plus side to having a bi brother I suppose. "Kris is a good guy and he lives with a couple friends of his. He's also indebted to me for breaking him out of a bad relationship so I'm sure he'll help you two if I ask nicely." she was teasing. I knew her well enough to know she was joking about the debt. She hated when people felt like they owed her something for her help. "So what do we do until then?" I asked her. "I teach you two how to drive like me...granted teaching you for only a week will be hard but it's the only way we'll get in." Gracie's words sent a strange chill down my spine. "Drive like you meaning?" I asked as my mind became plagued with horrendous daredevil speeding. "She's talking about street-racing. The only one she needs to teach is you Maria." Jason said and I felt my heart stop a moment. My brother was a street racer too?! What else didn't I know about him?! *************************************** I watched as the car pulled into the hotel parking lot. We grabbed our bags and backpacks. Everything that was ours, and headed inside in pairs. Obviously Jason went in with Alexis. The two went ahead of us and checked in to their room. You guessed it, I was rooming with Justyn. Man was that awkward for me. I wasn't gonna complain though. Jason wanted to make sure his girlfriend was safe. She had wrecked pretty bad in that last race and was still having some issues with the pain. Jason had kept her alive pretty well though. She hadn't had any major injuries just alot of cuts and bruises that he had to tend to. After we saw those two leave the lobby for their room we went in to check into ours. "Do you have a reservation sir?" the lady behind the counter asked. "Yeah, my wife and I made the reservations about two weeks ago. It should be under Mavryk." Justyn said and I couldn't help but blush a tad bit. What the hell was he doing using such a lie? The lady smiled at me as she handed Justyn the keycards. "I'm guessing newlyweds. How sweet. Enjoy your weekend." she said as Justyn led me away. I let my hair fall to hide my face. I really didn't need him to see how I had reacted. That would just be more fuel for his sarcastic remarks. We got to our room and set our bags down next to the closet. When I looked in the room I felt even more uncomfortable. Only one bloody bed. That bastard! "Will you relax Mar." Justyn said as he shut the door behind us. "I can sleep just as comfortably on a chair or the floor as I can in a bed." I was surprised. He was actually being sweet in his words as well as his meaning. The rare occasion. "Yeah yeah. I don't care either way as long as you don't try anything." I told him and dug some clothes out of my pack. "I got dibs on the shower." I headed that way and shut the bathroom door. In truth, I just wanted out of that awkward moment. ***************************************** Faster! Faster! Faster! My car kept rising up the speed ladder. I had control. I had the lead. Though that was a temporary dream. Another car flew by me and in it was a driver I had never met. Some new guy to our streets. I continued on and caught up with him. We were practically neck-and-neck as we approached the finish line. My heart pounded inside my chest. I had to win. I had to prove that I was good enough to Gracie's friend. I had to beat this new guy. The crowd roared behind us as I hit the brakes and slowed after passing the finish line. I parked my car, shut it off, snatched my keys, and climbed out. I had to see who that new guy was. "Well done Black Rose." I heard Gracie say to me. The Black Rose is what she chose for my car to be. Thorn-covered vines wrapped around it with the bloomed black rose petals up top. "Not well enough. That new guy beat me by a couple inches." I told her but I had to smile. It was a good race after all. "You wanna know who he is, don't you sis?" Jason asked me as he came over with a young man who looked like he was about five years older than my brother. "I wouldn't mind finding out." I told him and looked for the car with the awesome black tribal flames on them. "Though first I'd like to know who this guy is." The young man smiled and I saw a glint of humor in his eyes. "I'm Kris. Gracie's friend and Jason's mentor. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Maria." he said as he held out his hand. I shook it and grinned. "Likewise Kris. Heard some stories about you, though you seem a lot cooler in person than Gracie described." "You aren't the first to tell me that." Kris said with a smile now teasing at his lips. "Gracie said you and your brother need a place to stay. I've given Jason my address. I hope to see you later." With that he waved goodbye and headed off. "Well you sure made an impression on him." Gracie said teasingly. I rolled my eyes. I went back to searching for that car but I didn't see it anywhere. The bastard must've left already. Dammit all! "You'll run into him again. I'm sure that he'll want to race you again after that last one." Gracie said as if reading my mind. I just nodded and went with her and Jason to join some of our fellow street racers before we headed off to Kris's house. **************************************** I tossed about in bed that night as I saw the memories from my old life flood my dreams. I woke up to someone shaking me and saw Justyn staring at me with the most worried expression he's ever shown. For once I didn't care that he was there. I clung to him and cried against him. He tensed for a moment, not used to me doing this, but then wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. "I'm not sure what you saw Mar, but it was just a dream. Whatever you saw isn't here now." Justyn whispered to me. His voice was almost soothing. With his arms wrapped around me I felt safe. Guess that's how friends make you feel. Safe. Secure. Home. "Justyn...w-will you stay with me?" I asked him quietly as I tried to wipe my tears away. He looked at me in confusion a moment and smiled sincerely. "You really are hopeless Mar." he told me as he kicked off his shoes and climbed in the bed next to me. He held me tight still and I closed my eyes. "I know I'm hopeless. I'm sorry for that." I whispered to him. "Don't be sorry. I'm sure you have your reasons." Justyn told me just before I drifted back to sleep. *************************************** We parked our street cars into an abandoned warehouse that my sister bought recently. She used it to help out some of her fellow street racers. They take their street cars and leave them there till the next race while they pick up their normal cars. We did that very thing. Piled into my sister's nice cougar and headed off to Kris's house. "So is it rare he opens his home to people?" Jason asked as we continued on the drive. I'm sure he just wanted to kill the silence. I know if he didn't I would have somehow. "Not really. He just likes to see the type of person they are. The way you drive and act in a street race tells him the type of person you are. Don't ask how because he hasn't even explained it to me." Gracie answered as we turned onto a new street into a town that I didn't quite recognize. "How close are we to his house?" I asked her. It felt like we'd been on the road for a couple hours now though I knew I was exaggerating. In truth I was just tired, both mentally and physically. "We're almost there." Gracie said as we turned onto another street and then into a driveway. A very long driveway that led up a hill to a big house. "Holy hell..." I whispered in surprise. Gracie parked in a big carport and smiled. "Hop on out and grab your stuff. I'm sure he's still up." she said. That was her way of saying she was leaving us here and heading home. I understood too. She had to watch over those cars and help out others like us. It was something she and Kris both did. Jason and I piled out and grabbed our bags but as we closed the trunk another car pulled up into the carport. The same car I raced against earlier. That red car with the sweet black tribal flames. Jason went on ahead of me and I went over to the car. I could almost hear my sister's distinct laugh just as she pulled out of the carport and turned around to leave. "You want something?" I heard a guy's voice say from inside the car. "I'd like to see you." I told him as I stepped back enough for the car door to open. I heard a slight chuckle as the door opened and revealed a young man who was probably about 3-4 years older than me. He had a smirk plastered on his face too. "You like what you see?" he asked me and I smirked. "I just wanted to finally get a chance to properly introduce myself." I told him. He raised a brow at me. "Why? Have we met before?" "I'm Maria Karmin. I'm the driver of the Black Rose." I told him. His eyes lit up with recognition at that. "Pleasure to meet ya. Name's Justyn Mavryk. I'm the driver who plans to stay at the top. Prepare yourself kid." he had a very cocky attitude about it but something seemed almost...playful...about how he said it. I just rolled my eyes and headed to the front door. Justyn was just a bit of the way behind me. That was the day our friendship began. **************************************** I felt my mind start to awaken before my eyes fluttered open. Though when my eyes opened my first reaction was to heat up and turn as red as a cherry. There, holding me close, was a quite shirtless Justyn. 'What the hell?!' I thought as I felt him start to wake up. "Morning Mar." he said sleepily. "M-morning." I stammered and he really woke up then. He took in the scene before him and a smirk crossed his face. Oh that bastard was plotting something, I could just tell. He rolled us over on the bed to where he was on top of me and kissed my cheek. He was teasing me. "What're you doing?" I asked him, finally able to speak right. "What? Don't you like me?" Justyn asked, feigning hurt in his voice. "You sure seemed to like me last night as you curled close to me in your sleep. It was almost cute." I felt my face turn bright red again but this time I wasn't sure if I was embarrassed or just plain pissed. I smacked him and watched that teasing smirk vanish real quick as shock crossed his face. As he stayed stunned I rolled out from under him. Moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "You bastard...don't joke about that." I told him quietly. Tears fought to fall from my eyes. "Mar...I'm sorry. That was out of line." Justyn whispered from behind me. "Yeah. It was. I was in a vulnerable state last night." I told him as I hugged my knees to my chest. "You don't know what my life was like before I ran away. I went through a lot of shit back then." "I would know if you'd tell me. I'm walking on eggshells trying not to turn out as an ass to you. I'm your friend and you haven't even told me why you wake up screaming every night or why you panic whenever someone tries to get close to you." Justyn said as calmly as possible but you could hear some anger rising in his voice. I rested my head on my knees and let traitorous tears fall. "I'm sorry Justyn. You're the last person I want to hurt...with how much you've done for me I do owe you an explanation." "Then why won't you tell me?" He growled quietly, annoyance starting to win. "Because it'll change how you see me." I told him truthfully. "I don't want pity and I don't want you to think I'm a lost cause. I don't want things to change between us but if I told you what happened...it would change so much." I could hear Justyn trying to calm himself. It was almost as if I could hear the gears in his head turning as he tried to figure out what to do or say. "I'm your friend Mar. You may have gone through some shit in your past but it doesn't change who you are to me." Justyn told me in a slightly annoyed tone. "I'm heading out for a breather. Get ready for your show. I'll be back in the room by the time we need to leave." Before I could protest he had already left and I felt alone again. **************************************** "Welcome to my home." Kris said when Justyn and I made it inside. The house was just as amazing and big inside as it was outside. This guy really knew how to live life to the grandest and fullest. "Thanks for having my brother and I." I told Kris as I saw Justyn raise a brow at me. "Jason's a great guy to have around and I've seen how good a person you are. You two are more than welcome here." Kris told me, his eyes showing a true kindness that I had only ever seen in the eyes of my brother and sister. Kris then turned to Justyn as Jason came out of pretty much nowhere. "You and Jason will be sharing a room. I hope you'll understand not to start any fights." Justyn rolled his eyes at Kris. "Yeah yeah. I guess you've shown the kid to the room then." "The kid's got a name." Jason told Justyn coolly. "And the name is Jason Karmin." "Yeah. Ok Jason." Justyn said and grinned. "I can tell we're gonna be great friends." Kris looked back to me. "You're room is next to theirs. Gracie uses that room on her visits but right now it's vacant. I can promise you that you'll be safe here." I nodded and followed Kris up the stairs as he led us to our rooms. The room I was going to occasionally share with my sister was very nice and homey. I enjoyed it...but I only enjoyed it when I was awake. I changed out of the clothes I had been in during the race and slipped into some shorts and a tank top to wear to bed. I tied my hair back and curled up under the covers. As warm and soft as the bed felt, it took me forever to sleep. When I did...it wasn't pleasant. Inside my dream I could see the day my sister Gracie, at 15, ran away to her safe haven. I could see when my step-father first started to beat me and when I first learned not to fight back. I could see the day he raised a glass bottle to smash against Jason's head just as I got in the way and knocked him back. I saw the day he first pulled his gun out on me. My dream world was nothing but pain and fear and misery. I bolted awake to see Jason and Justyn both in my room and my light blindingly bright. "Did you dream of it again?" Jason asked me and I knew he meant our old life. I nodded as Justyn looked between us a moment then looked to me. "You gave us quite a scare with all your screaming. I thought someone had come in and tried to murder you." I looked down and then, out of the corner of my eye, noticed the crowbar in Justyn's hand. He was prepared for the worst after all. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I fall too deep into sleep and get stuck in night terrors." I told him as I kept the covers up over me. I didn't want him seeing my scars or burns right now. I didn't need the pity. "Try to sleep sis. I'll see you in the morning." Jason told me before giving me a gentle hug and leaving the room. Justyn stayed for a moment and sighed. "Get yourself enough together then meet me on the balcony." he told me and walked away. I didn't answer. I just waited till I heard his footsteps die out a bit and threw on some pants and a jacket. I knew it would be cold out. It was winter after all. I put on some socks and shoes and headed down the hall to the balcony. Justyn stood out there and glanced my way when he heard me. "Why'd you want me out here?" I asked him as I stood in the frame between the balcony and the hall. "Just get out here and close the door." Justyn told me and I did as he said. I went to the balcony rail and stared out to see a beautiful forest and starry sky. It was a sight I had only ever dreamed of. "It's a breathtaking view isn't it?" Justyn asked and put a hand on my shoulder. I tensed a moment but got myself to relax a little. I knew he felt it though. "Look, I may not know what happened to you and your brother, honestly I don't need to seeing as how we just met...but if you need someone other than family, I'll be here for you. Ok kid?" He told me with a small smile teasing at his lips. I looked up at him and felt something from him I hadn't felt in a long time. For some reason, his words made me want to trust him. "Thanks." I whispered. That routine happened alot for about five months of living in Kris's home. My nightmares would overwhelm me, I'd wake up after screaming in my sleep, Justyn would take me to the balcony to get some air and calm down. Usually with some form of teasing but he always was sincere at heart. **************************************** I slipped on the black jeans and the black open back spaghetti strap top. I put my leather jacket on over that and smiled when I heard a knock come to the door. I looked through the peephole then opened it to see Kris standing there, with Gracie right behind him. The two came into the room and put a small makeup bag down on the bed. "You should take the jacket back off. We're giving you a fresh start right?" Kris said sternly. I took the jacket off and he sat me down on the hotel's chair, putting a towel around my neck. "What are you plotting now?" I asked. Without any warning he started cutting my long hair down to where it was just an inch below my ears up front and it was cut down to where it was just maybe an inch or two left in the back. Surprisingly enough, I enjoyed it. I really looked like a new person. "Wipe the stray hairs off your back and clothes before you put that jacket back on." Kris told me before he got to work on my sister's hair. I did as he said and headed to the bathroom to wipe off as many of the stray hairs as I could. I finally got them all off and brushed my hair out one last time to make sure I had gotten them all. I smiled and headed out of the bathroom to see my sister looking like a beautiful golden phoenix having risen from her ashes. "You've outdone yourself Kris." I told him. "That's quite the appraisal. I'm glad you think so Maria." he said and then I let him get to work on my makeup which wasn't much. Just subtle rosy colors and a thin amount of black eyeliner. He smiled when he finished up. "You think we'll make it out there alright?" I asked him. "Yes. Justyn, Jason and I have the place guarded in secret so no one will be able to hurt you." Kris said sweetly. I looked down when he mentioned Justyn's name. "I haven't been the fairest to him. I don't see why he still stays by me as such a good friend." "Maybe you'll learn after tonight. He'll be seeing your performance after all." Gracie told me smiling. "Love is such blissful torment after all." Kris told me and I raised a brow at him. "Something you aren't telling me Kris?" I asked him. "Not at all Maria. Well Gracie and I will go ahead of you." Kris told me as he packed up the makeup bag and led Gracie out the door. Some days...I swear those two are together and Gracie lied about him being gay. However, knowing him as long as I have now...I know that isn't the case. I grabbed my pack and put everything back in it. The door opened and I saw Justyn walk in. He glanced at me and grabbed his pack as well. "Well, guess it's time to go." he told me as he headed to the door. He was upset with me. Our earlier conversation had taken a toll on him and me. "Justyn I..." "Don't Mar. You have your show to worry about." he told me before I could finish what I wanted to tell him. I sighed and hushed up. He was right after all. I followed him out the door and gave him the keycard to hand off to the lady at the front desk. She waved to us with a genuine smile. She had no idea that what he had told her was a lie. We climbed in back of Kris's corvette, he and Gracie were up front. Meanwhile Jason and Alexis were in Gracie's cougar next to us. Kris grinned at me in the rearview mirror before peeling out of the parking lot and onto the road. The car ride was awkward and silent for a long time before Kris flipped on the radio to some techno music station he liked. I let the music drown my senses as my thoughts ran off again. I glanced over at Justyn who was looking out the window on his side. I sighed and looked out my window again. 'He's my best friend and I keep him in the dark about some of the most important information in my life.' I thought as I felt myself wanting to cry. 'I don't deserve his friendship. Not with all he's done for me. Not with how little I've told him. He deserves to know.' *************************************** "Mar, can I talk to you?" I heard Justyn's voice ask in the hallway. It was late night and my bedroom door had been left open for my sanity. By the sixth month of living in Kris's home he learned that if my door was kept open I tended to sleep easier. We still don't know how it works but it does. "Come in." I said sleepily. I was tired. I had been in a major street race the night before and my body was still a little exhausted from it. Justyn came into the room and I pulled my hoodie back on. I usually had it near my pillow in case I had a nightmare and had people come check on me. I flipped on my lamp so there was a bit of light in the room and gave him a weak smile. "What's wrong?" I asked him quietly. "Do you ever wanna just...I dunno...quit street-racing for a while?" he asked as he sat on the bed next to me. "Not really. I like having the adrenaline rushing through my veins. It makes me feel alive and free." I told him, a little confused by this. "You could find other ways to feel like that." Justyn whispered, his voice seemed far away. Like he was somewhere else yet I could see him sitting right next to me. It worried me. "Like what?" I asked him calmly. "As far as the world knows, Maria Karmin doesn't exist. In the underground however, I do exist. I'm a high-powered street racer that has alot of respect because win or lose I'm always a good sport about it." "I know you exist. You know I exist. That's all that should matter in my mind." Justyn said and shook his head. "No...forget about it. I guess I'll see you on the road tomorrow night Mar." I sat there quite confused as he got up and walked out my room. What had he meant by all of that? **************************************** I watched as we pulled into the theater's parking lot. There were reporters out there and other media idiots. I got out of the car and Justyn was by my side almost instantly. It felt like he'd gone from my friend to just a bodyguard. It was a lonely feeling. Gracie and Kris stepped out next with Jason and Alexis behind them. The media people tried to ask some questions but Kris hushed them by telling them they should just come in and see the performance themselves. Time felt like it dragged on as we went backstage and Alexis smiled to me and Gracie. She went ahead of us and began the weaving of our tale. She introduced the characters, who were truly me and Gracie, and the type of story the audience would be hearing. She explained that it was no tall-tale but a true story of heartache, betrayal, and salvation. Soon Gracie and I took our places on stage and told our stories of how our mother had passed away and soon after our step-father had turned on us. How he started with Gracie. He beat her and raped her and treated her like she was worth nothing. She tells the story of how she ran away at 15 and was saved by Kris who took her in and helped her find a safe haven. Though she didn't actually mention Kris's name. The story then turned to me and I let out a steadying breath. "Crash, boom, click, smack. These four sounds. I grew so used to, it was maddening. I became the obedient dog that let you beat them, slice them, burn them, and bruise them...all to get some kind of attention. There were times I snapped back and that half-drunken man known as my step-father would have to put me in my place. He'd threaten to harm my brother if I misbehaved again." I looked over to Jason who stood on the sidelines and nodded for me to continue. "He knew that threat worked. Slowly he broke me, but the fire raged in my heart and I waited. I waited for that day to come when I could get out of that house." At that moment I removed my leather hooded jacket and my gloves to show the burn and knife scars all over my arms and hands. Gasps went across the audience. "Faster, farther, freedom in my grasp. My brother and I ran as far away as we could till we got to my sister's home and then to her savior's home. But before we made it to either we lived on the streets." I shook my head to clear the raging fire in my heart. "The streets aren't always bad but...some areas. Well you're lucky if you wake up the next morning. I had a gun, it was the only thing keeping my brother and I alive. We learned to fight. But sometimes that isn't enough. You can't just fight. You need to survive. Food, water, that stuff is necessary." I finished telling them how we nearly died on one of the streets before we found our way to our sister's and how our step-father almost caught us. I told them how we lived life now as best as we can but how the past still plagued me in my sleep. When I finished my tale the spotlight returned to Alexis who concluded the story and told them that she would handle all questions. I headed to the sidelines where Gracie, Jason, and I all hugged each other tight. This was probably the hardest part, reliving the memories inside our stories as we told the media. However, the hard part was over. Now it was just moving forward. "Mar...can I talk to you?" Justyn asked me, his voice coming from behind me. I gulped as my brother and sister smiled to me and headed to find Alexis and Kris. Probably to help save them from the media vultures. I turned to face Justyn who had sympathy in his eyes. A strange thing that I hadn't seen from him for a long while. "What is it?" I asked him kindly. Justyn pulled me into a tight hug that made my heart race so fast I thought it would burst from my chest. I wasn't really sure how to react to this. "Mar forgive me. A past like that...I understand why you didn't tell me." he whispered as he kept me close. I wrapped my arms around him and felt a soft smile cross my lips. "It's alright Justyn. You deserved the truth a long time ago. I was...I was just afraid you'd treat me different." I whispered to him as I buried my face into his chest. "Mar...I would never treat you different. You're too important to me." Justyn told me quietly and kissed my cheek for the second time today. My heart raced again and I didn't understand why. "Justyn...thank you for always being here." I told him quietly as I felt a subtle blush cross my face. I was starting to realize what had happened between us. He had fallen for me. The one thing I had never thought about but he apparently had. 'How did that go so unnoticed? Better yet, why was I feeling like this?' "I'll always be here Maria." Justyn told me and looked in my eyes. He then smirked at me and took my hand in his. "We should probably get back to the others." I almost nodded but instead, without really thinking, kissed him and felt his arms wrap around me again. That was what I had been feeling, what I had been wanting. To be with him always. To love him the way some part of me had known he loved me. I awoke right after this.