"Girls like you don't deserve to have nice things Alexandra Blackwood, my parents buy me everything I want." Amelia's voice was scathing, and her words made me furious.

I glared, hateful fire in my eyes "Amelia you don't know a thing about my family!" And I punched her in the face.

She screamed bloody murder, going on about how I had probably broken her nose. The teacher ran over, scolding me while she checked Amelia's nose.

"Call your parents....Suspension, possible expulsion...."

"Did you see her? She exploded!"

"That's the fourth time she's punched Amelia!"

"She shouldn't be allowed near us, she's dangerous."

"She's crazy, should be locked up in a 'sylum"

Everyone's voices were a blur around me. I had had enough, I was sick and tired of being made fun of because my clothes were always dirty, ripped, and several sizes too small. They didn't know, they didn't have a clue what it was like. Everything was my fault, everything. At home I was blamed for things as simple as a missing sock, to as bad as my father getting fired from his job. I was beaten if I kept my mouth shut, or if I spoke, no matter what every day was the same. I wanted to run away, I hated my life, I hated my school, I couldn't bear staying here another day. And tomorrow, tomorrow was my thirteenth birthday, and my parents would take every card I got sent from the rest of the family, and burn them. Well I'd had enough, I wasn't going to take it anymore, and maybe, just maybe, by running away, they would see that they really did love me, and want me. Maybe they'd see that I wasn't just a mistake.

********

My eyes flew open. God I hated that dream, that memory. Amelia Raymond, my best friend turned worst enemy since the age of seven. Half of me missed her, the other half was glad she was gone.

Pain shot through my body like a knife, and I cried out. That had happened a lot in the last few weeks, getting more and more frequent. But it caught me off guard every time. One month, twenty eight days. And only two left.

I hadn't seen Isaac since telling him to leave that day after my birthday. Which was something I was thankful for, I don't think I'dve been able to be near him without snapping. I hadn't really left the cave since then either, I felt sick constantly, and so weak most days that I could barely stand. My mind had been split in two, one being my normal self. And the other was something else, that I had caught glimpses of when I was angry, it let out an animalistic quality, and it scared the hell out of me.

It was still very early in the day, I didn't want to be up yet, I let myself drift back to sleep.

*****

Say hello to the night,

Lost in the shadows,

Say hello to the night,

Lost in the lonliness.

The song blared through my radio, making me laugh, it was just so perfect. I dropped the note on my bed, ignoring the part of my mind that was saying that if I ever came back, even years from now, that note would still be there, gathering dust. And my radio would still be on, because they wouldn't care about me any more than they did now. My window was first floor, easy to climb out of, I grabbed my bag and slipped out. I hadn't taken much, my savings, hard earned from odd jobs, and babysitting around town for the past six years. One change of clothes, thankfully I'd managed to find some that fit at least slightly well (Which was rare for me) and had only a few holes. I couldn't afford to bring much food, so I brought what I could carry. I would take my mountain bike, ancient though it was, it worked well. I hopped onto it, riding quickly away, I didn't look back, there was no reason to. The only thing I was leaving behind was pain, and that was something I could live without.

*********

My eyes fluttered, and I pulled myself into a sitting position. Stupid dreams, guess I wasn't getting any more sleep today. I glanced at the clock, yet another thing I had salvaged from the shelves of junk. six o'clock, late enough, it gave me time alone.

Or not.

I heard a small crash out in the main room. Getting up quietly as I could I peeked out from behind my curtain door. Three people, all teenagers, one girl, two boys. The girl was tall, skinny, built like an athlete, with her hair dyed a pinkish red. The shorter boy, brown haired, stocky, looking around warily. The taller boy. Was Isaac, of course. I came out of my room, watching them for a second before clearing my throat.

"Looking for something?" I asked.

The girl whipped around and shot at me like a bullet, wooden stake in her hand.

"No, Carrie, she's okay!" But I had jumped out of the way. The girl, Carrie, was glaring at me.

"She's a night crawler Isaac, none of them are 'okay'." she said, her eyes glaring.

"She's only half Car, she's okay." Isaac assured her.

"You shouldn't be here Isaac, I told you you shouldn't." I said stepping away from him as hunger shot through me again.

"Alex, let me help you." he started forward again, the other two were watching me, ready to move if I tried to attack.

"You can't!" I shouted, my eyes seemed to glaze over, and my vision was tinted red. Isaac stepped back a foot or so, looking startled, the other two gasped, eyes wide and fearful. My face had changed, I knew it had. So easy, the girl was closest, I could get to her before they had a chance to react. My mind played no part in this, the monster had taken over, starved near the point of death, I couldn't hold it back. I lunged at her.

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Chapter seventeen, comment and vote, hope you liked it!

Luna