As the wind blew past her face she ran home. The cold October air was blowing in from the east as if tomarrow there would be a big blanket of snow on the ground. Luna always liked to run, to her it was an escape of the terrible life she had. Her mom had left when she was three, and her father had a drinking problem. When she ran it was as if she had a different life, a better one. The cold air rushing by her face was a new beginning a new start.

“Where have you been girl? You should’ve been home thirty minutes ago! Dang it, I work my butt of and you don’t pay me any respect at all! GET OUT!” her dad yelled at her from across the hallway.

“But pa my bus was late and you promised that you’d wait at the bus stop this time but NO! Why should I ever trust you! You’re mean and what would you care if I jumped off a bridge in fact all you would say is can I have another drink!” Luna screamed at her father.

Luna ran down the hallway her eyes filled with tears and slamed the bedroom door behind her. What did her father care about her? Why did her mother have to leave?

“Maybe they just don’t give a dang about me and my life. Its as if I’m strapped down and they throw the knives at me only making the wounds feel worse.” Luna thought out load as the tears ran down her face.

It was getting late and Luna was going to head off to bed but then she heard someone talking. It seemed as if there was another person in her house. This didn’t make sense to her because her father was always gone at this time of night. Out with his friends.

“No take that, that looks like it might have value. Lester put the frame down. No one is here.”

It seemed as if there was only one person in the house but soon enough she heard a soft whisper.

“There is a girl in this picture. Maybe she is in the house. Maybe we can snatch her.”

“Perhaps if we can find her but now we have to move. That drunk guy will be back soon and we don’t want him to know that we were here.”

Luna’s father was back within the ten minutes and he was intoxicated. She prayed that he didn’t know that she was awake but then she heard some thing . Something that wanted to make her run away and keep running forever.

“That little brat needs to get a job. She is costing me money and is way to over emotional. I hate her, but you will take care of her right? Meaning well you actually don’t have to take care of her in fact you could kill her and I wouldn’t care.”

“Well she will have to move to Russia and trust me you will earn money off of her!”

Luna was packing up some stuff to take with her when she ran away but before she departed her father walked by and stopped in front of her door. Quickly she slid under her bed and waited, waited for her father to leave, but he didn’t. In fact he opened the door and let the stranger in.

“Well were is she? I thought we had a deal.”

“She is probably running but even if it takes me years I will get her and give her to you. You can trust me with that!”

When her father left the room Luna could hear him swear and curse because he didn’t want Luna. What did he care?

Luna opened the window jumped outside and that was that. But sadly for her Luna’s father saw her jump out of the window and start running.

“Hurry get into the car I just saw her jumping out of her window. Come on!”

“When we catch her I will give her to a hard labor family so your suffering can stop.”

Luna ran, she ran for her happiness. Down the trail leading to the forest she ran. Into the trees, the thick pine smell was always welcoming to her, but this time she didn’t stop to smell the aroma, instead she ran. When she was out of breath she decided to stop. But then she heard her father yelling at her.

“Luna we have a present for you so get your little butt up here!”

Even though she was tired she kept on going fearing that her father would catch her and send her to Russia. She knew what she needed to do she needed to find her mother and at least stay away from her no good dirty rotten father. She kept on running down the forest into the darkness and shade. Her life was miserable, she was running again. When she heard tree branches cracking right behind her she decided to change directions. Then she came upon this shelter. It seemed as if someone was living there.It was located by a river so there was water.

“I could live here. I mean its not too bad. There is creek were I can swim, bathe, and drink water. Like I said its not too bad.”

“That’s right!” replied a shabby voice from behind her.

Luna jumped around and to her surprise there was an elderly man standing right behind her. He was stareing right back at her. He smiled, stuck out his hand and said.

“Hi, my name is John. What is yours?”

“M-m-m my name is Luna.”

“Nice to meet you Luna and may I ask what a girl such as yourself is doing in the middle of the woods at this time of night? Don’t you have a family that’s worrying about you?”

“No my dad doesn’t care about me in fact he wanted to sell me to a family in Russia as a domestic slave. What does he care about me?”

“Well, let me tell you something little miss. My parents left me at an orphanage and I’ve never saw them ever again, so I say stick with me and you’ll survive.”

“Sorry, but my father will be patrolling the woods looking for me so I have to go to the city. I’m going to find my mother. I know I will.”

“Well for now stay here and sleep, get some rest for tomarow we will set out into the city.”

So Luna and John sleep through out the night. Luna was restless, shifting, tossing, turning, she slept through out the cold dark night. Luna kept on thinking that her father would find her sleeping and take her away, force her to Russia to be a slave. Just for a drink for that god forsaken beer.

When morning came around John and Luna were on the go. It was about five-thirty but Luna wanted to get a head start before her father started looking again. But she was to late. Her father was already in his pickup truck or at least attempting to start his truck.

“Is that your father? The one yelling at the top of his lungs at five-thirty in the morning?”

“Yeah that’s him and he is going to find me.”

Luna started running back into the woods but John caught up with her.

“Luna if we run down into the forest we will have to spend our time walking back up to the road, and if that happens your father will for sure find you. I will walk on the road and you walk parallel to me accept in the woods. Got it?”

“Yeah just please don’t give me away. PLEASE!”

Just as Luna was starting to walk into the woods her father came speeding by but stopped when he saw the man walking alone.

“Hey you old guy have you seen a younger girl about yeah high and her name is Luna?”

“No sir I haven’t but can you please let me on my way I’m headed to the city.”

“Well I can give you a ride if you wish.” The father replied staring at the old man knowing that he knew something about Luna.

“No I’m fine.” Then he started running, running so fast the Luna had trouble keeping up with him.

John couldn’t run any longer and the father had caught up to him.

“Run Luna don’t worry about me I will catch up to you! RUN!”