Running

Prologue

Rowen ran as fast as she could from the arched place that held her family, her feet pounded against the ground at a fast pace as she skidded around the corner. Tears streamed from her eyes and into her hair in the cold night, her heart had finally torn, only two thirds were left in tacked, but she could feel it starting to rip, only a sharp tug will pull her to pieces.

The streets were lit up with street lights and cars stood alone and off, lights were off in the houses, only a small rectangle of yellow light streaked across the perfectly manicured green grass of the cookie cutter houses flickered by every now and then. Rowen ran faster than ever before as she looked for a place to go, someone to go to who didn't know. Rowen needed people who had feelings in this numb moment, people who weren't her cheating and heartbroken father, or her bothersome older brother who never truly cared for Rowen's family, his step mother was always annoying to him.
A sob broke lose from Rowen's chest and her lungs couched up their pain with it, Rowen dried out and clutched at her chest, she tripped over a rock and toppled foreword, she flung her arms out in front of her to catch herself and felt an immense amount of pain. The concrete graded the skin all the way up Rowen's forearms, blood pooled to the surface before she slid to a stop. Rowen knew that her last pair of good jeans were ripped and her chin was shredded just like her arms but she couldn't feel it.
Rowen jumped to her feet and kept running down the winding streets, the air got colder and the sky darker as she flew past the houses that slowly became brighter with light and shabbier with age. The houses were more spaced out, the porches rotted through after years of use, most of the driveways only had one car parked in it, the car was always on the scraper side. Rowen pushed herself faster, past the druggies and the creepy old men when knew were watching her bloodied body running as fast as she could down the middle of the empty and dark road.
Finally, her lungs full of fire and her legs screaming with every twitch of a muscle she stopped in front of the only house she was able to feel comfortable in. Even though her life had come crumbling down only hours before, Rowen felt warmth envelop her as she dragged her legs up the pathway. The driveway had three shabby cars parked in it, and the yard was full of toys, lights were still on inside but Rowen knew there was only one person still awake.
Rowen was still breathing heavily and tears still coated her face as she slammed her fist against the door. The pain was finally sinking in, Rowen could feel the dried blood and ragged cuts all over her limbs, she felt the rocks stuck in her skin with every inch she moved and fought back a cry when she tried to move her left hand, something was out of place. Dizziness washed over her and her head was full of fog.
The door swung open and Rowen only caught a glimpse of the tall dark boy in front of her before her vision snapped out of focus and she felt herself falling.