Two

"No! Let go!" Haven screamed. She bolted up, her face damp with sweat and her eyes blazing with raw terror. Her heard was racing and her teeth were chattering together in the cold.

Covering her mouth with her hand, she sank back onto the ground and sobbed into the dirt. She shivered harder, the cold rattling her to the bone. She tried to control herself, but found it impossible. The fear of him was still to close and she expected to see his face lurking in the darkness at any minute.

The possibility of him finding her was real. Of him hurting her. Or worse. Because he would do worse to her. After what she did. After she dared to leave him.

Yeah, he'd make her suffer and enjoy every minute of it.

For what felt like an hour, Haven couldn't move. She let the tears flow down her face in a steady stream as she sobbed and sobbed. The pain in her ribs grew, making it difficult to breath.

Finally, after she had cried all the tears she could, Haven forced herself to stand up. Her knee still hurt and she couldn't put much weight on it. It had been three days since she'd left—since he almost killed her with his latest beating—and she hadn't had much time to stop and rest and give her poor body the time it needed to heal. But she couldn't stop running. Not until she was far, far away from that horrible place and there was no way he could ever track her down.

For hours Haven alternated between walking and running through the woods, putting as much distance behind her as she could. She wished she didn't need to stop every so often but she couldn't risk collapsing and giving him the chance to catch up to her.

Only when she reached a neighboring city, a good seventy-five miles from Damien's factory did she dare slow down. She kept moving, hiding in the small crowds of people milling around. The early morning risers were already yup and bustling around. She easily blended in, moving with the flow of traffic.

Haven stepped inside a small café and was able to slip into the restroom without catching anyone's attention. Alone for the moment, she tried to clean herself up as best as she could. She brushed the dirt from her pants and shirt, shook out her sweatshirt, and washed the sweat and grime from her face. She pulled her hair from its braid, letting it hang in loose waves down her back and simultaneously hiding the bruise on her jaw.

Studying herself critically in the mirror, Haven stood up a little straighter. At least now she didn't look quite so bedraggled and homeless.

Thrusting her hand into her pocket, she counted the money she had. Before leaving the factory, she had ransacked Damien's office, as well as his room, and taken everything she could find. Now she had a decent chunk that would get her a ticket out of Chicago with some to spare. She just had to be careful.

Stepping back outside, Haven rounded the corner of the café to the dumpsters. Making sure no one was around, she stole a glance inside and managed to grab several perfectly good breakfast rolls. She stuffed them in her pocket and darted back onto the street towards the closest train station.

As much as she wanted to pull her hood over her head and hide from the world, she was afraid that would only draw attention to herself. The flow of traffic grew thicker the closer she came closer to the station.

Haven quickly scanned the list of destinations, looking for the farthest and cheapest. A place called Nebo looked to be the winner.

"Name?"

Haven tensed, hearing the woman behind the counter asking for names as she sold people tickets. What did they need a name for? She couldn't give them her name! Damien would be combing all outbound trains and would easily find her.

A false name, she needed a false name.

"One ticket to Nebo. Please," she said, trying to sound confident.

"Name?"

Haven cleared her throat. "Angel."

"Have a safe trip."

Stamp. Click.

Haven was holding a ticket, walking through the gate and weaving her way through the crowded terminals towards her train. Seated towards the back, where she could see everyone who came on board, she started to feel the smallest sense of relief. She'd almost made it.

When the last of the passengers had been seated, Haven leaned back in her seat. Bringing her knees to her chest, she let herself calm down. Only now, seated safely in the train did the full impact of the past few days begin to sink in.

Damien had forced himself on her. Countless times. He had been for nearly four years, but something happened.

At some point, she could feel something move inside her.

Damien noticed it and put the pieces together before she did.

There was a baby. There was a baby.

Haven's chest started to ache; her throat tightening. Resting her head back against her seat, she tightened her sweatshirt around her shoulders. Turning to gaze out the window, Haven realized for the first time that she was alone. She'd never been alone before; at the very least there was always Damien. He'd given her shelter and food.

Now she was alone. Totally and completely.

She must have fallen asleep at some point as she was jolted awake several hours later when the train reached its departing port and several passengers rose to depart. Haven's heart automatically started pounding at the unseen danger she knew lurked everywhere. Her stomach rumbled a moment later so she dug into one of her rolls, splitting it in half and telling herself she'd eat the rest for dinner.

When they came to a stop, Haven slowly made her way through the crowds of people and out into the cold, moist air of Nebo. A steady stream of rain was falling, puddles of water gathering on the ground.

Traipsing through the rain splatter pavement, Haven caught sight of a suitcase on the ground right behind a young woman. As she passed, Haven smoothly took it in her hands. Shaking, she took off running though no one seemed to notice.

Slipping into the station's public bathroom, Haven took the largest stall in the back and undressed from her wet and dirty clothes. Her shirt had blood of on that had partially dried to her skin and was a little painful to take all the way off. Almost violently, she threw them in the trash. They smelled like Damien.

Haven involuntarily glanced down at her stomach, still protruding quite a bit. When would it shrink back to normal?

A fresh wave of sorrow caused tears to spring to her eyes. She slid against the wall to the ground and cried, glad the bathroom was empty at the moment. Shivering from the cold Haven rubbed her hands up and down her arms to generate some heat. She forced herself to get back up after only a few minutes, then unzipped the suitcase and pulled out a fresh pair of clothes. They were a little big, but at least they were clean. There wasn't much else in the case safe for a few travel size toiletries and a handful of cash. She stuffed everything in her shoulder bag and left the empty bag behind.

Moving back out into the main terminal, up at the list of destinations, Haven's first inclination was to go to the farthest, most opposite place she could find. California was the first place she thought of, but, she realized, if Damien managed to track her here that was probably the first place he'd think to look. So she closed her eyes and picked a number—twenty-five—a random number and then looked up at the board and found the one closest to hers.

Maple Valley, Washington State. She'd never heard of it before, but it didn't matter. Slowly, so as not to draw attention to herself, Haven marched up to the counter to purchase a ticket.

"You alone, sweetheart?" the woman asked.

Haven shook her head. "No, but I wanted to buy my ticket myself so my mom said I could."

"Ah. What's you name?"

Quick. She needed another name. A different one; any name, it didn't matter. Haven glanced down at her old ticket stub, upside down in her hands.

"Legna," she murmured, reading Angel flashing backwards.

"Pretty name," the woman smiled.

Haven forced a smile, though she felt like fainting with pure anxiety. The woman handed her a ticket and buzzed her through the entrance. Haven instinctively cast a glanced over her shoulder, making sure she wasn't being followed.

Once she reached her gate, and realizing she had thirty minutes or so to spare, Haven broke out another roll. Hunger gnawed at her stomach and she ate the last two, effectively ending her food storage.

Her train was announced and Haven stood up. She lightly frowned, something moving in her stomach. As she walked on board, she thought it must have been the roll she just ate moving through her system... but it felt different. More pronounced. Familiar.

Haven took a shaky breath, nervously looking for her seat. She rested her hand over her stomach. It still felt so pronounced. Shouldn't it have been getting smaller? Softer?

As soon as she'd sat down and was relatively alone, Haven gingerly pressed on and around her bump, something butted up against her hand. She sucked in a breath.

She couldn't still be pregnant, could she? No... it wasn't possible. Damien had made her lose the baby. There was so much blood there was no way the baby could have survived.

Right?

Haven glanced around for a bathroom on board, but seeing none she pulled her arms through her sweatshirt so she could feel her bare stomach without anyone else seeing. There was no doubt about it—her bump was bigger.

The baby... the baby was alive. He or she was still alive! Still there, still growing.

Haven covered her mouth with her hand, not sure whether to feel terrified all over again or relieved. Happy, even. Maybe a little bit of both. Scared that she was in fact still pregnant and would have a baby, and relieved that Damien hadn't taken the one ray of light she had away from her.

Shoving her arms through the hoodie's sleeves again, Haven let out a shaky breath. Don't get ahead of yourself. The baby might still be dead. It might just... still be inside or the fluids haven't drained. She told herself, shivering. Of course, she knew absolutely nothing about pregnancy or what should or shouldn't be happening. As soon as she got to Maple Valley she'd—

What? She's what? She couldn't go to a real doctor. Aside from having no money, a real doctor would need her real name. Somehow she suspected that a pregnant fourteen-year-old would result in the police being called.

"Attention passengers. Train shuttled A22 is now departing from terminal E15."

Haven drew a shaky breath. They were leaving. She was on her way to Maple Valley. Drawing her legs to her chest, Haven leaned her head back. She sat up again as a woman started down the isle and took the seat beside her.

"Hi." The woman smiled, stashing her things in the overhead compartment.

Haven nodded, but didn't reply. Curling up again as best as she could, she forced air into her lung and let the hum of the train lull her to a calm daze.

"I was going to get something to eat but I don't think I'll eat a whole meal, do you want to share?" the woman beside her asked.

Haven managed a nod. She started rustling around in her bag, scrounging for enough money to split a meal. About to hand over the last of her money, she hesitated. What if the woman just took it? Then what? She couldn't demand it back and she wasn't strong enough to forcefully take it.

The woman either pretended not to notice Haven's hesitant or genuinely didn't see. Either way, she counted enough of her own money and handed it to Haven.

"Here, will you pay the man when he comes around? I need to run to the ladies room."

Haven nodded. She was tempted for a split second to take it all and move to a different section of the train, but the pain in her stomach reminded her she was too hungry to pass up the opportunity for food. Fresh food, no less.

Plus, if—if—she was still pregnant, the baby would need food too.

Blinking back tears, Haven fumbled through the menu-booklet. Her mouth started watering just reading what was being served.

"What'll you take miss?" a man asked as he passed through the isle with a cart loaded with good.

"Um, the grilled tuna melt."

"Good choice. Fries or fruit?"

Haven swallowed. "I'm sorry?"

"On the side, what do you want?"

"Oh, uh, fries please."

The waited nodded, handing over her meal and moving on down the isle. A few minutes later the woman returned, asking what she had decided on.

Haven repeated her order and the woman smiled her approval.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. After Haven had finished half of the sandwich and fries, forcing herself to eat slowly so she didn't look like a complete barbarian, she drifted off again into a light sleep.