• Chapter 1: A Close Encounter

    Kari’s heart raced as she ran through the back ally. As she jumped onto the fence and began to climb, she could feel them approaching closer. The dogs’ barking began to get louder. Her clothing got caught on the fence when I was halfway up. Great! Just my luck. The dogs jumped onto the fence, trying their best to grab a hold of her ankles as their owners quickly approached while she struggled to free my clothes from the hold of the fence. Kari could feel the breath of the dogs, getting free just soon enough to avoid a bite on the ankle. She got over the fence and fell with a thud. Wow, I’m just full of poise, aren’t I? She quickly got up and began to run. Her heart pounded as the only thing she could hear was the sound of her own breathing. As soon as she was sure they had been lost, she turned around to check. No one was there. As she walked the rest of the way home, she stopped behind a dumpster to make a quick-change of clothes. She quickly changed from my black ‘uniform’ to jeans and a yellow shirt with tennis shoes. She fixed my hair, stuffed her other clothes into her backpack, and continued the long walk.
    “Where were you at?” her father demanded as soon as she walked into the door.
    “Out,” she replied, trying to be as vague as possible.
    “Melanie,” my father said, looking somewhat angry with the response, “Where were you ‘out’ at?”
    “Don’t call me Melanie! How many times do I have to tell you? I’m changing my name to Kari, and you’re going to have to get used to it. Anyways, I was out working. I told you that I have a job, now.”
    “What job doesn’t tell you what hours you’ll be working? I know you’re lying. You’re not going to this ‘job’ anymore, either. You’re grounded for 2 weeks, and I’ve been waiting for you to get home so I could tell you that you’re going to a public school, starting tomorrow.”
    “What?” Kari said, completely surprised by this piece of information. She had been home schooled for her entire life, and she enjoyed the seclusion it brought her. She liked being able to ask her parents for help and them actually knowing what she was talking about.
    “Well, since your mother died, I have to work extra for the extra money to spend on you, since you refuse to get a job for yourself.”
    A few months ago, Kari’s mother had gotten cancer. The treatment had been very expensive, and that had been one reason they needed extra money. Kari hated it when her father blamed things on her that not only were not her fault, butt they had nothing to do with her.
    “I told you, I have a job! What will it take for you to understand that?”
    “Well, you’ve never brought home a paycheck, refuse to talk about your job, and won’t even tell me what you work as!”
    Kari stormed into her room. “Maybe there’s a reason that I won’t tell you what I work as, other than me not having a job.” Kari grumbled to herself. Then she remembered the other thing her father had said about her starting school tomorrow. That’s a little short notice, isn’t it? Maybe he couldn’t get the nerve to tell me earlier. Dad always has these things planned weeks before they happen. Suddenly, pain shot down Kari’s leg. She looked, realizing there were dog scratches bleeding on the bottom half of her left leg. She wrapped it up in the bandages she kept in her room, hoping it would get better before anyone noticed. She laid down on her bed and quickly fell asleep, since it had been a very exciting, yet tiring day.