(Flashback)
Four years ago....

I ran and ran and ran away from that grave. The grave I had just dug myself out of, and then hurried as I piled the dirt back into it, and covered it as if nothing had been disturbed. As if nothing happened, although a nightmare had occurred. I ran as fast as I could, not caring what direction this time. My legs grew cramps real quick, however I did not stop. I kept on going, and my legs felt like they would give out. But they didn't, and I kept going. I tried to make as little noise as possible, but that was quite hard considering the crinkled leaves and twigs surrounding me. I can't remember how long it was, but eventually I began to slow down, coming to just a short jog, and then I walked as I gasped for air. I don't think I ran like that ever in my life. But this situation was life or death, and you could bet I wanted to live. However, there had been some days I just wanted to die. Die down in that hole of a basement I was being kept. But I would snap out of that real quick as I knew I didn't want to die in a dimsey old basement, full of cobwebs and dust, being pushed out of the world. I did not want to join those things.

It was dark by then, much darker than before. Mud and dirt stains covered me, as I could still taste it in my mouth and my hair was more of a mop. It didn't look all that different though, considering my hair had always been very dark, it was just a big rats nest now though. But I didn't care at the moment. It was only hair. If I had to, I could just chop it off. I didn't care about my appearance anymore. My clothes were all dark now, as the stains seemed to be unremovable. But that didn't bother me none.

As I kept walking, the feeling of weight and soreness consumed my arms and legs as I collapsed onto the forest floor, completely exhausted. I wanted to sleep, and I was almost asleep as I could feel my eyelids shutting automatically. But before I gave in to the tiredness, I scooted over towards a large tree that was near by, as I settled underneath it and curled up into a little ball, as I shivered and clenched, until I fell fast sleep.

***
"I will find you, Jaycee. I will always find you. You can never get away from me. You. Can. Never. Get. Away. From. Me."
***

I bolted awake as my eyes shot open and I sat up in an instant. My heart pounding by the second. Slamming against my ribs. I inhaled and exhaled in a hurry, as I felt my breath was slipping away from me. Just breathe. It was only a dream. You are ok. You are ok. Just. Breathe. I spoke out loud to myself as I placed my hand onto my chest, almost as if my hand would slow my heart down. But it did not.
I sat there for another few minutes as I realized how bright it was. It was in fact already morning, as the warm sunlight shone on me through cracks and slits from the branches of the tall trees above. And after another moment, I looked all around me, looking for any sight of another human, or him, before I then began to get up and head off into the bright forest.

My eyes were still heavy as my sleep was interrupted, but I didn't not want to fall back asleep. I had to get going. I had to find my way out of here. Get back home. I walked at my own pace through the woods, knowing by now I had to of been far away from that make shift grave, and I hoped from him too. My hope was that he had buried me, thinking I was dead and then he took off. Out of that forest so no one could trace me back to him, if they found out I was dead soon. But something I could not figure out was how I ended up in that grave. I remembered running, fast, but I didn't know what from. Did I see him? Is that what I was running from? I know I was running when I got out of the cabin. When I escaped, but I remember I was running a lot faster than I was before, I was running for my life. But why? I couldn't remember for some odd reason. It must have been from him.
And then, the next thing I knew I was waking up in that grave, buried alive. But I don't remember getting there. Did I perhaps hit my head and black out? Did I run too fast and fall? But as the more times I tried to think of it, no use came out of it, as I could not remember.
Maybe one day I will remember, and I will figure that out. Although I didn't know at the time, that day would come to me, but four years later.

As I continued on the path, I had no idea where I was going. I was not familiar with my directions, like north and south. I could have been walking in a circle this whole time, and not to my knowledge, but that was exactly what I was doing.

The days seemed to drag on and on when I was stuck in the prisoning forest, trying to escape and be freed. But that did not come easy. Hours turned to days, and days to weeks, and perhaps the weeks to months. I didn't know how long it was, at least not in the forest. It felt much longer than it actually turned out to be. But I didn't know that, until I found the town. But I will get to that in a bit.

And during my trip through the woods, I came to the conclusion that I would not be returning to Dalyville. At least not any time soon. Sure, if I found my way out of those woods, and it so happened to be Dalyville I was back in, I would have stayed. I would have thought of it like it was meant to be, and I would have stayed there and returned. But if I found another town, I would stay there, and not make a fuss about going back. It would have been meant to be there as well. I was just scared to go back, knowing he would most likely be back there. After all, he had been watching me the weeks before he grabbed me, he most likely lived there as well. Easier to keep eyes on me. If I returned so soon, he would see me, and he could try and kill me again. After all, that was his intention in the first place. Nothing was stopping him again. Unless, unless he was smart, and left town right after he buried me, hoping no one would notice him gone and he could get away with murder, literally. That was what I was hoping for, if it did so happen that I returned to Dalyville. But, as I would find out later, wouldn't be the case.

As the weeks continued to go on and pass by, I eventually learned my way around the forest, picking up my direction a lot more. And eventually, they helped me out as the day came where I found my way out. I remember it so completely, as it had become dark one night. Growing darker and faster by the minute. But I wasn't tired. Not yet. And for some reason, I felt as if I was traveling somewhere, walking straight ahead in search for something. Although I didn't know what at the time. And then, it hit me as I could see the faint twinkle of lights ahead of me. And as I came upon those, I began to pick up my pace as I then turned to a light jog. A dim hope feeling began to grow bigger and bigger inside me the closer I came to the lights, as it confirmed what I thought they were. They were street lights, shining in a town. And then suddenly, I found myself at the exit of the forest, and at the entrance of a town. A town I had not been to before.

'Welcome to Jackville'

  The sign read as a city, or small town, laid directly behind it. It looked very much like Dalyville, however later I would find out it was much different. I stood there for a few moments, a small smile lit up on my face as I began to step into the town. I lifted my hood up onto my head as I entered, knowing most people back home would think I'm missing, and for all I knew there could of been posters put up around here as well. So I kept my head down, but at the same time tried to look around, exploring the town with my eyes.
Man, did it look like home. Except for some of the street lights and shops were different, but other than that it looked the same. As I came closer to others, I would lower my head more, and then place it back up as I looked around. And as I took another look, that's when I decided I would stay here, or at least for a little while. But I need a place to stay. Just, where?
I looked around the streets and allies, in search of a place to stay. To sleep, like a hobo. I would have never of done that back home, but here, I didn't have to be Jaycee Thompson, I could be whoever I wanted, unless people knew who I was already. But as I passed by people, while I looked up, it seemed that nobody looked at me. Stared at me. Like nobody noticed. The people here seemed to look right on past me, which was what I was looking for in a town.

  As I wandered around the streets a few more times, my eyes were caught by a group of buildings, which stood about fifty feet away. It seemed nobody was around there, as no lights were lit and no cars were parked. There. That's where I will hide. I began my short journey over to the tall buildings, as a sliver feeling of fear ran through me. What if someone is already living in there? What if someone else has already made that a home? Their home? Perhaps another person who is on the run? Or perhaps just hiding out? I won't know until I get there.

I crossed the dead road in a hurry, although I knew no cars would be coming by. As I stepped up onto the large cemented sidewalk, I ran between two of the buildings as I was in search of an entrance. And as I stepped through the ally in between the two, a thought crossed my mind I had not thought about before. Or at least not yet. I'm walking out at night. Alone. In a dark alley. In a town I have never been before. What if someone saw me, or, maybe, a man who saw a young girl walking in the dead of night, down a street where there were no lights. No cars. Nothing. No one to hear me. No one to see me if something.....
NO! Stop it Jayc! Stop thinking like that! Just calm down and just focus on finding the door. Sooner you find that, the sooner you can get in and away from this pitch blackness, and to somewhere safer than here. I listened to the second voice carefully as I continued to search for a door. And low and behold, as I turned the corner to the back, it was right there. No lock on it, nothing. I opened it in a hurry as a loud crack noise came from the hinges, but I still went through and inside.

  As I walked through the first steps, the dim light that came from the windows was the only thing lighting up the dark building. The full light coming from the moon which shone full and bright outside. Right in front of me, there was a stair case going up, and then another after than, like a spiral. And then to the right of the stairs in front of me, was another case of stairs that went down. To the basement I presumed. But I stook to the stairs case going up, thinking that would be less dark and scary than the basement. I took a few steps forward, and then began to climb the five stairs, until I got to the second level. The railings to the stairs were covered in rust and dust, along with dirt, like no one had used them in years. I didn't want to touch much in that place.

  As I got to the second level, a whole floor stood in front of me along with a big open area. The stairs going up again we're to my right, but I stayed on the second floor. And that night was my first night in that abandon building. One night out of the three I would spend. The place was covered in dirt and dust along with bugs and rats, but I tried not to dwell too much on it. And as the third night came, I knew I did not want to spend the rest of my time in that place, not to spend my time hiding in a gross building along with the mites, like I was some criminal hiding from the cops. Technically, I was hiding from the police though, but I did nothing wrong.

  As the third day came along, I had begun to feel gross and nasty, being stuck and hiding in a dimsy old building amongst the dirt and rats. And on that day, I begun to realize I couldn't stay there any longer. I couldn't take anymore of it, but I did not want to return home. Not back to him. I knew I had to get a place of my own, an apartment maybe. But considering I had no belongings with me, or money I knew I had to get it somewhere. A job. And so, on that day, the third day, I picked myself up and headed out the door, hoping to find some place where I could wash my hair and tidy myself up.
Perhaps a bathroom in some store.
And that very thought made me feel homeless. Which I technically was, but never, ever thought I would turn out like that. I need to find a job, and get a place of my own. I can't live like this. I don't want to live like this. I don't ever want to feel like this again. Like I have no where to go, and have no meaning. No place.

And little did I know, on that day I would meet someone who would change my life for the better, and helped me in more ways than I could have asked.

I quickly got out of the ally and towards the dead street I had walked onto three days earlier. It was much brighter out then, probably being noon. As I stepped onto the road, I looked back and forth for cars, although I knew none would be coming by. I lifted my black hood as I put my hands in my pocket and kept my head down. I probably looked as bad as I felt. Maybe worse. After the road passed, I stepped onto the taller sidewalk, and looked down at my feet as I turned the corner. And just like that, I ran into someone with great force as I stumbled to the ground.
*Smack!*

"Ugh," I head the other small voice gasp out as it must have surprised them two. I touched my head where I made contact with the other person as it throbbed. I was stunned for a moment, and then realized it had been my fault and I should apologize.

"I'm so sorry," I began to speak as I looked up as I could no longer hide underneath my hood, for it had fallen off in the process. I made eye contact with the other girl who was now on the ground as well. She rubbed her head too, before getting up and lending out a hand.

"No, it's alright. I wasn't looking where I was going either," she spoke before I grabbed her hand and she pulled me up. She seemed rather nice, with her short dirty blonde hair and green eyes that looked like they matched mine. And as I got up, she made me feel a lot shorter than I was, considering how tall she was. I stood up straighter, forgetting how I looked as she scanned and looked at me in shock and with worry written on her face, as she looked at my clothes and hair. I gave her an odd look as I thought she would have recognized me and know who I was, not even remembering I still had dirt stains on my clothing, my hair probably a mess as well. I was almost waiting for her to say my name, but she never said anything about it. "Oh my god. Are you alright?!" she asked me another question as she picked a piece of my hair up and looked behind me. I didn't understand what she was doing.
Why is she looking at the back of my head?

"What? Yeah I'm fine, I just fell it's no big deal," I spoke back to her as I spun around to face her.

"Ugh, that's not from the fall. That looks like an old wound. It's all dried up," she spoke as she pointed to the back of my head. I was confused. What the hell did she mean? What was dried up? What wound?

"What are you talking about?" I asked as my face furrowed and I touched my hair.

"The wound on the back of your head. There's blood all in your hair," she spoke as she picked up a long piece of my hair from the back and pulled it to the front so I could see. My hair was just long enough for me to see pieces of the back, and that's when I saw strands of my dark hair, as I could tell the blood was darker. As you could see the red tint to it, and feel the stiffness. What? What the hell happened?! Is that from when he buried me? He hit me over the head? Is that why I don't remember blacking out? But why hadn't I felt it during the time I got out of the grave or the time in the woods. Surely I would have felt the pain or at least the stinging.

  I touched the back of my hair more and along the top, as I could tell it came from the top of my head, around the crown. It was all dry now like the girl said, but now it was all sticky and stiff. "Did someone do that to you? Did someone hit you?" she asked another serious of questions as she examined me further, but I tried to pull away.

"What? No. No, I just...." I stammered as I tried to think of an excuse, but none came to mind at first. Not until something came around in my head a few seconds later. "I just fell this morning down the stairs and hurt my head. I guess I didn't realize it was bleeding," I finished as I hoped she would drop it, considering she was only a stranger and not some family member.

"Well I have to take you to the hospital. It could get infect—"

"No! No we can't go to the hospital," I interrupted as it startled her, thinking I wouldn't have responded like that.

"The police?"

"No, I can't go there either," I told her with anxiousness in my voice and a guilty but worried look on my face.

"Ok.....well I'm not just going to let you go. Come to my place and I'll help clean that," she spoke as she waited for my answer, although I could tell she wasn't a person who would take no for an answer. So I nodded my head and we walked towards her place.

She lived only a block away from where we were. As we got close, I could see a building which had windows with signs on them that said, 'For Rent'. She lived in an apartment. As we got up to her place, I could tell by the surroundings and the main entrance that it was a nice place to live. The building looked up-to-date and new. All of it looking as if I just stepped into one of those catalogs that showed off new homes and house decorations and designs. As we got to the stairs, it wasn't far up, considering there was only two floors and she was on the second. I felt very out of place, considering how I looked. The girl I ran into was dressed nicely, looking like she was about to go on a date or something, as she walked in her cute little white flats and baby blue dress. And then there was me, wearing the same clothes I had on the night I was taken, which had to of been at least five months ago. And then to add onto that, I had dirt and mud stains all over, along with dried blood and dirt in my hair. I probably looked like a treat. Considering there was no mirror anywhere, and I could not look at myself.

As we got to the second floor, we turned the corner and she held the door open for me as a long hallway was out in front of us. We walked about ten more steps until we came to a door with the numbers '213' nailed onto it. She pulled out a key from her purse, and then unlocked it for us. As we entered, her place looked exactly how I thought it would. With the kitchen to our right, as it was rather large for an apartment. Marble counter tops contained it, along with white cupboards and other items like the black fridge and stove. The living room was right ahead of the kitchen, as a dark brown sofa was sitting over by her window, which held a balcony that gave off a view of below and the street. It was a rather nice view at that. A single glass coffee table sat in front of the sofa, as a TV sat in front of that. And to the left side, opposite of the kitchen, was a tiny hallway with the bathroom straight ahead, and two other bedrooms to the sides of it. The whole flooring was hardwoods, which looked exactly like the ones we had at my house. My home.

"Take a seat," she offered me as she pointed towards the sofa, and I followed her nod that lead the way. She followed behind me, as she