Prologue

Explanation of Angel's past.

For you to completely understand my life's story, we must first go to the beginning. My name is Angelina Springwater...well, back then it was. We'll get to the name thing soon, I promise.

            I was born in New Haven, Indiana. My mother, Pamila Springwater, passed away while giving birth to my brother, Jacob. I guess that's when my life went to s**t. My father grew very angry. He began drinking and was willing to sleep with everything that walked. Jeffery Springwater went from being a good, church going, loving father, to a hateful, man-w***e. 

It was easier, for my brother, Jacob. He grew up with the newly transformed Jeffery so he never knew what he used to be like, or what our mother was like. After about a year, surprisingly, Jeffery remarried an amazing woman named Grace Spell. 

Grace changed him. She made him the father I used to have. Things started looking up so I thought everything was going to get better. I missed my mother yes, but Grace became my mom, and she made Jefferey my dad again. I loved her if only for that, but it was all short lived. Soon my father fell back into his old habits while also acquiring new habits. Now, he was back to his old ways--drinking, sleeping around, and even doing drugs. I don't mean he was smoking pot, I mean he was doing drugs, like the hardcore ones. 

His favorite became meth. He hid it all from mom for a while but it got worse and worse until she caught on. One day, when she came home, he was seriously messed up. He was screaming at Jacob for killing the love of his life. When he noticed, mom standing there crying, he tried to explain. I guess she didn't want to believe she'd married a monster so she believed everything he told her. Honestly, I think that made him more enraged. 

I will never understand how he could ruin what he had with mom. She did everything for him, she cared for him so much. Things went back to "normal" after that incident. Jeffery made sure not to slip up around mom, and mom ignored all the signs. Looking back, I think mom had had a plan the entire time. Jeffery must have noticed it also because he stopped hiding his problems. 

He made mom quit her job and didn't let her leave the house without him. He would try to get her to partake in the drugs, but she always refused saying: "I need a clean mind for the children." I was about eight and Jacob was seven. Jacob and I grew close during the bad times. We would hide in my closet or lock ourselves in the bathroom when Jeffery was having a fit. Mom would sometimes hide with us, but she couldn't always get away. I still have night-terrors about her screams. Now, I know what you’re thinking, ‘Why didn't you call the cops?’ or ‘Why didn't she?' Well, the answer is simple. Jeffery. He had the only phone in the house and never left it where we could use it. Life had become miserable, terrifying, and I was only 10. I can only imagine how it was for Jacob. 

Jeffery got tired of seeing Jacob, so he let him out of the house to do whatever he wanted. But he couldn't say anything about what happened at the house, Jeffery would have killed him. He knew better. Jacob started staying out most days, but he would come home every day to make sure me and mom were okay. If Jeffery was out for blood at the time, Jacob would take the hits. He was only nine.

Jacob had friends he'd stay with. He'd hop from house to house so none of the parents got suspicious. This went on for about two years. One day, Jacob stopped coming back to check on us and that hurt me more than anything HE could do to me. Jacob was my best friend, the only person who kept me sane during those rough times. 

I still saw him at school of course. One day, he told me why he didn't come back anymore. He said, “Dad said if I come back again he won’t let me leave. I'm so sorry but I can't live with that monster. You and mom need to get out now. He's really lost it." Then he hugged me and walked away. That was the last time I saw Jacob as my best friend. 

That night after HE passed out, I talked to my mom. I told her what Jacob told me and she told me she already had a plan. She had put sleeping pills in my dad’s drinks! She drugged him so we could get away. She had a lot of money saved up from dollars she'd find at the house, or that she kept from him, telling him prices were just going up. We had enough to get away. Now we just had to pack some clothes, get Jacob, and leave. 

The packing and leaving part was easy, but we had no idea where to look for Jacob. We didn't know where any of his friends lived. So, we went to the one place I thought he would be, the basketball court outside of the school. When we got there, I saw some of his friends, but when I asked them where he was they said they weren't allowed to say. We drove around for as long as we could, but eventually we had to leave. We started driving and didn't stop for hundreds of miles. 

This next part is mostly my imagination, or what I think happened. Jacob would always find me and hug me at school. So, my guess is when I didn't show up to school for a long time, he went back to HIS house to see what happened to me. Somehow, my dad must have gotten him on his side, because since then they have been trying to track us down, well, track me down. 

The reason I have been to so many schools is because when we finally think we are safe, they find us, and we must leave again. I went through this most of my life so I never got past my freshman year in high school. Now I am 17 and getting ready to start a new school, three years behind where I should be...

Reviews

[Tony Jordan]

A very pertintent topic (for these days where such 'crimes' are widespread and well told Jamie-Lynn.

[pia]

This is well written!!! Im hoping for more development and characters!!!

[Fabian G. Franklin]

This sounds like a great story...horror story that it may be. I was just zoned in after the first few lines and interested until the end. Great job! I hope you continue the story and write the novel. This was excellent.