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Soft grass brushed against her bare legs as she ran towards the boy calling her name, strawberry blonde curls bouncing as she went. The smell of wild flowers in bloom filled her nose as she climbed up to sit beside him on the swing. A happy squeal escaped her as the flower crown he'd made for her was placed atop her head. She turned her face up to him, her cupid's bow lips curled into a bright smile as his lips brushed against her cherubic cheek.
She was a quiet child, rarely speaking, and when she did it was barely more than a whisper. She was happy enough to let him do the talking, following him around like a puppy, just glad for the attention he gave her…the kindness he showed her. "Thank you…" her little voice was so faint it would have been lost had they not been sitting as close as they were.
Her entire face fell, the smile gone as she saw his father appear. She knew that meant he would be leaving, and she would have to stay behind. How badly she wanted to beg for him to take her with him, but it wasn't allowed, and she didn't want to get in trouble with father again. Her little hand curled around his holding it tightly, wanting at least one more brief moment of basking in his warmth before he left.
She gave him another small smile, one that didn't quite meet her eyes and nodded as he said his goodbyes. She would wait for him, she would always wait for him… even if it was forever. Her doll-like eyes squeezed shut as she hugged him back, lingering there in his embrace until he pulled away. Only after his back was turned did the tears spill down her cheeks while she watched him disappear from view.
The haze of her dream slowly faded as Quinn woke from her slumber. It was always a disappointment when reality set in, and this morning it was even worse. The left side of her face throbbed as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, her eyes squinting against the rays of sunshine filtering into her room through a gap in the curtains. Tentatively she raised her hand to touch her cheek, wincing from the pain. She didn't need to look in the mirror to know it was bruised and likely swollen.
Hopefully makeup will cover it, she thought to herself as she reached for the bottle of pain relievers that lived on her bedside table. She washed them down with the last sip of water from the bottle that sat beside them.. She let out an audible groan as she forced herself out of the bed and on to the bathroom so she could fully assess the damage that had been done.
The old man had gotten sloppy last night. He was usually careful not to leave bruises where they would be seen. She had sort of goaded him into it, though. She knew he was drunk and knew how much shorter his temper was when he'd been drinking. Of course, a bruised cheek was worth it, in her opinion. She’d gotten to tell him just what she thought of him before he’d shoved her out the front door. Her mother had defied him enough to push enough money for a motel room into her hand before slamming the door in her face.
Quinn stood there looking in the mirror for a long while, though in truth she was somewhere else…or more accurately in some other time. Her mind had returned to the dream she'd been having, though it was really a memory. A memory she had been playing on repeat for nearly twenty years. She missed him… that boy from her dream, but it was the man that he’d become she was going to see, and he’d changed. Though, if she were honest with herself, no… she couldn't allow herself to get lost in sentimentality.
She had no choice but to go to him, to ask for his help… This last attempt to run away had been the last straw with her father, he’d made that very clear. She was cut off, and from previous trial and error… She knew getting a job with no previous experience was near impossible. She had nowhere to go… well, nowhere other than running to him.
Quinn stood at the gates to the compound, pushing a few strands of strawberry blonde tresses from her eyes as she looked up into the camera. Someone was watching, someone was always watching. The make up she'd had with her hadn’t done as great a job of covering the bruises as she’d hoped for, but the swelling had gone down quite a bit. It didn't take long at all for them to swing open, two guards meeting her at the entrance to escort her up to the house. The men towered over her as she walked between them, though it was something she was used to. Standing just a bit over five feet tall, she had grown accustomed to being the shortest person in the room… unless maybe there were children present. Here, there was just her and them, though.
Reaching the main house she paused, her pale green hues taking it in. She had fought so hard not to end up here, yet… here she was. It was like it had all been for nothing. All of that fighting against fate… pointless. One small foot in front of the other carried her up the front steps and that much closer to him.
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Take my breath away
And make it last forever
Do it now or never
Take my breath away
Nobody does it better
Bring me close to heaven
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