Chapter One: The Escape

(Bella POV)

The bus is filled with the stinking scents of old coffee and nasty gasoline, creating a strange but familiar smell that brings back old memories. It wraps around me like an old blanket.

I'm sitting in the back row, really tucked into the corner. It is like I'm trying to hide, which, face it, I am. My backpack is pushed up against my chest, giving me a sense of protection. A barrier against the outside world, so to speak. The bus's engine softly hums beneath me, and the vibrations remind me that I'm finally on my way, about to start a new life. It is fucking with my head, and my stomach is so empty, reminding me I have yet to eat anything. But with a bunch of butterflies fluttering around in it, I doubt I would be able to now. I am filled with too much fear and excitement.

I keep my eyes straight ahead. I fight the urge to check out the scenery outside. My reason for that is just stupid fear, but that fear is why I am here right now. It also keeps me focused. Cause if, on the off chance, I see even a glimpse of a cop car, or if I spot a cop, I will flip my shit. If they even just casually stand around, looking over a crowd, I would crack, thinking it is because they are looking for me, ready to drag me back to him.

I'm worried I might lose this stint of bravery I have left. It is already hard to keep my shit together as it is. I cannot let that happen, especially now that I have taken this big step to run in the first place. I've finally grabbed a hold of my guts.

I drift into sleep.

It all started with a knock one late night. Just a quick tap, tap, tap on my bedroom door. I was so busy that I never considered looking at it and seeing who it was and what I found. It sent a chill down my spine. When I swung open the door, I could feel the weight of something pressing me down: fear, a deep fear that I felt in my gut. This is trouble. Looking at the visitor, I wished then that I had ignored that knock and stayed wrapped in my cosy blanket, pretending to be asleep. But instead, I made the stupid mistake of opening the door. Cause right then, there he stood.

A real fucking monster disguised as a so-called family. "You don't look happy to see me, Bella," he said, his voice creepy. He leaned against the doorframe like it was no big deal, like he had a right to be here, and his police badge was a constant reminder of why I moved away from his home. He agreed but made sure I was still close. Close enough for him to still keep an eye on me. Knowing that he is a cop and reporting him would lead to nothing. Nobody would believe my story; he is the law. I was only allowed to do so because my mom told him it was time for me to leave the house.

My damn mother. She, till now, remains blissfully unaware of the nightmare I endured. She had to know, I am sure of it. But she ignored it. Because she was blind to everything that he did wrong, he leaned in to kiss me, but I stepped away, trying to slam the door in his face. His hand stopped it before I could, though.

"I know you want this. Stop pretending," he murmured, his breath warm as he stepped closer, cramping my space. Fuck. Then, I screamed so hard he had to leave, especially once my neighbour's door slowly opened. But that was my breaking point. Cause that night, I decided to leave; fuck this, it is time. Deep inside me, I knew that staying would be stupid. Next time, I won't be lucky enough to escape him. This was not his first time trying.

So, as my adrenaline kicked in, I did not pause to think. I gathered all my stuff I could throw in a backpack.

I grabbed my wallet, grabbed my birth certificate, and then I ran. The very walls of this shithole town were closing in on me. Desperate to escape it and all the bad fucking memories it holds.

For two days, I barely paused even to breathe. Those days went by in a blur. I stole motel soap on the run and battled an ever-present shit fear of a vehicle slowing near me.

Sleep slipped through my fingers like grains of sand after that first time. I don't want to dream of it again, but I know it won't be the last time. I need a fresh start; staying would have made things worse. He's a cop; he has access to resources beyond my reach. So, if I don't vanish entirely, I know the danger would only sharpen like a blade waiting to strike. I was ready to disappear, to reinvent myself.

In a dingy Walgreens restroom, I changed my appearance. With trembling hands, I dyed my golden-brown hair a deep, obsidian black. Looking back at myself in the mirror, I saw no reflection of Bella Delaney. It revealed someone new: Mila Hart.

I carefully concealed the small heart-shaped birthmark on my neck with thick layers of makeup. In a final act of defiance, I tossed the jacket he had once gifted me into the trash, wanting it away from me. Everything of Bella Delaney needs to vanish, for she had to become Mila Hart.

As the Seattle skyline appears in front of me, I see my perfect escape, a distant place far away from the chains of my past. Elena and Sienna, my childhood friends, moved here a few months ago. They are my only hope and will help me gain this freedom. Should he ever find my location, he would find a way to make me go back. He said as much before. I know they will fight for me, cover my ass, so to speak. We are that close. They won't betray me ever.

As the bus pulls into the station, it shakes me out of my thoughts. My heart is full of newfound excitement and fear as I tightly grip the strap of my bag, my lifeline to everything I own now.

For just a moment, I stand still. I inhale deeply, filling my lungs with more air.

Knowing that this is my new beginning. There will be no turning back, not that I want to anyways. And if I embrace every moment ahead of me, even if I am fucking scared. But I sure as fuck won't look back, ever.

Time for a fresh start.