Anastasia used to have a normal life. Normal, that is for someone who lived in fear of her step-father. And that was until her best friend dragged her out of the harmful environment and led her on the best life changer in the history of life changers.

Anastasia ran, she ran as fast as she could. Who knew that she would eventually run to school and not from school. Heretofore, she would jump up at the bell and run out the door, down the street and to her home where she would forget about anything school wise for the rest of the day. Now she will stop at the library, chat with her friends and walk as slowly as she can back home. Hopefully that will take her at least four or five hours. The school library doesn't close until three and from there she will go to the public library, which does not close until five.

Anastasia sighed, this was going to be a long day.

Despite running all the way to school, Anastasia was still late to her first hour class. She slid into her seat only two minutes after the bell rang. Some of her classmates glanced her way before getting back to work on the warm up Mr. Readson had put up.

"Hey, Ana," the boy to her right said, "what took you so long?" Normally she was at school well before the bells started ringing, hanging out with him, and her other friends.

"I just had a little distraction," she answered, flipping her raven-black hair behind her. She pulled out her note book and started to get to work.

"What is that?" He pointed to her neck.

"A neck," she turned away. She silently cursed herself, she forgot she had wanted to keep her hair in front of her for the time being.

"No, what are those from?" He pressed. 'Those' were long, deep gashes all along the right side of her neck.

"I-a cat," she turned again, hoping he'd drop the subject.

He didn't.

"You're lying again."

"When did I lie?" Anastasia demanded.

"When you told me what that was the first time," Cameron answered.

"I didn't lie, I just...didn't tell you the answer you were looking for," she corrected.

He didn't answer. She realized he was waiting for the reason why the scratches were on her neck, she sighed resolutely.

"I'll tell you later," she said before Mr. Readson shushed them.

The bell rang and Anastasia dashed out the classroom. She wanted to avoid telling Cameron how she had gotten the nearly scabbed over gashes on her neck as long as possible. She did pretty well too, until she got to third hour. But fortunately for her, they were seated too far apart for them to talk without being over heard.

By the time lunch came, she had made up her mind to avoid him completely, going to the computer lab to have her meager lunch instead of meeting up with him like usual. She sat in the far back, not completely out of the line of sight from the door but close. The lights were off and she kept them that way, giving her a sense of security.

The door opened and she groaned inwardly as she recognized Cameron.

"You should have known better, Ana," he said, smiling a little. "You can't hide from me."

Anastasia sighed, knowing she won't be able to get out of explaining the source of her injuries to Cameron. "Now tell me where you got those," he continued firmly. "It's been bothering me all day."

She dropped her head into her hands, finally giving up her mask. All day she had been hiding her true feelings behind a false show of detachment. Anastasia allowed tears to fall now, slowly cascading down her cheeks. Sobs began to shake her body as she continued to weep.

Cameron did not say anything, he just waited. He knew she would eventually tell him.

"Last night, my step-dad was drunk," she started, "I didn't realize in time so I didn't get to hide like usual and he started dragging me all over the house, shouting about how my cleaning was unsatisfactory. Soon that turned into, 'you're a mistake,' and 'you should never have been born,' and so forth. I got these from the edge of the coffee table. Cameron, is he right?" She turned her still terry eyes onto him. "Am I really a mistake?"

Cameron gasped and hurried to say, "No, Ana, don't you dare even ponder thinking like that!" He grabbed her shoulders gently, pulling her into his chest. Rubbing his hands softly up and down her back. "You may have been unexpected but you are special and a miracle."

Anastasia used to love the story of how she was born. Her mother, now dead, used to tell it to her every night. "Your father and I loved each other dearly," she used to say as she started the story, "so much so that one day, we created you. We didn't mean to but it still happened and when we found out, it was on Christmas Eve. Still, to this day, it is my favorite Christmas present I could have ever asked for. I love you so much my heart."

"Where did Daddy go?" Little Anastasia would then ask.

"He had to leave," her mother answered sadly. "His job required for him to go on a very long business trip. He will come back for us, sweet, don't you worry."

Anastasia thought back to all those nights when her mother would tell her that story, smiling sadly before Cameron's words registered. "Cameron?" Anastasia asked timidly. Something in his voice suggested that he wasn't concealing his true feelings too well. She could feel his hands clench then unclench on her back, as if he was making a conscious effort to control himself for her sake.

Suddenly, he stood up, holding her hand and started to walk out the door.

"Cameron, what are we doing?" she asked, getting a little concerned.

"Come on, Ana, it's time we end this," he siad.

"Cameron, no!" She exclaimed, pulling back on his hand. "He was just drunk! He didn't know what he was doing."

"Ana," he said slightly scolding. "Don't. Stop trying to protect him when you know that is not true. Everyone sees the bruises you come to school with every day. The words are the last straw."

"Words?" Anastasia tried to think back on what she told him but her mind was too fuzzy from exhaustion. She hardly slept a wink the night before. She shook her head. Cameron was right, this needs to end, up until that point, she was trying to convince herself that it wasn't that bad. However, if she was being honest with herself, it hurt. It hurt to be told those things every day and forced to be put through 'punishment' for forgetting a spot on the kitchen floor.

She pulled her attention back her her friend who was leading her off campus the back way. "Cameron, school isn't over yet. We can't just leave."

"I'll make it work," he said. "Right now we need to get your things."

"We're going to my house?" She squeaked.

"Yes," he said firmly. "Just to get what you need, then we are going to my home."

"Your home?" Anastasia said even quieter.

"I'll arrange it so we won't be missed," Cameron continued. "Don't worry, Ana, I'll make sure you get treated the way you deserve."

Cameron from her to her house, down a couple houses at her request. She snuck in around the back and into her room through the window. By now, Tom, her step-father would be plopped down in front of the TV in the front room but it won't hurt to be safe. She listened at the door for any movement. Then hurried to the mattress that was her bed, lifted it up and pulled out a leather journal that belonged to her mother.

Next to the bed was a pile of little trinkets form other people. Things that have no value in money so Tom won't take them and sell for drinking money but they had tremendous value to Anastasia. One was a book the librarian gave her, another was a bracelet Cameron had given her and the last was her sketchbook.

In the closet was a worn leather satchel, she threw all her meager belongings in and climbed out her window. The second her feet hit the ground, she raced back to Cameron's car.

On the drive to Cameron's place, Anastasia was almost bouncing in her seat, she was so excited. Cameron was chuckling slightly until she realized something.

"What are we going to do when Tom finds out where I've gone?" she asked. "And what about school? Are we going there tomorrow?"

"No," he said firmly but not unkindly. "We're never going back. Hopefully we will be gone before Tom realizes that you are gone."

"Gone?"

Cameron didn't answer but that was fine to Anastasia. She would happily move to China to get away from the monster that had married her mother.

By the time they reached Cameron's house, Anastasia was beaming.

Cameron's home was a luxurious two story mansion. It had high double gates and beautifully trimmed trees in the front lawn.

Anastasia hoped out of the car and followed her friend up the steps into his home.

The door opened for them just as they came up to it and she greeted the butler. "Hi Stiffs," she said.

"Miss Anastasia, good day," he acknowledged. He narrowed his eyes. "Miss, where did you get those gashes?" Despite his name, Stiffs was not stiff or strict. He was generally easy going. And sometimes very bold.

Anastasia looked down at her worn shoes. "Tom," she answered.

Stiffs looked at Cameron. "Sir, this cannot go on," he said, rage evident in his face.

Make that extremely bold.

"You should have heard what she said he told her," Cameron grunted, "go prepare a room for Ana, she will be staying with us for the time being."

Suddenly the butler's face changed from rage to joy. "The usual room, sir?" He asked. Ana had sometimes taken residence at Cameron's house when Tom was too much for her to handle and he had come to enjoy having her visit.

Cameron nodded. "She will be staying with us for a while so make sure she has all the necessities."

"Yes, sir," Stiffs said, pure joy radiating from him, albeit his face was expressionless.

"For now, Ana, why don't you come with me and we can get something to eat?" Cameron continued.

"Okay," Anastasia said happily as she followed her friend down the hall to the kitchen.

That night, Anastasia was sleeping peacefully and free of worry about her step-father for the first time in ages.

As she strode down the elegantly decorated spiral case from her room the next morning, she heard shouting. Having a strange feeling she would regret leaving her bag where it was for the next few minutes, she ran back in her room and grabbed her unpacked bag from the chair and raced back down the stairs.

"Cameron!" Anastasia shouted, Stiffs was trying to force the door closed in the entry hall. Suddenly, she was jerked to the right by her hand. Cameron was dragging her down the hall to the back of the house. "Cameron, where are we going? What's happening?"

"Tom is here," Cameron said, "I think he knows you don't intend on going back."

Anastasia was quiet until they reached the door she knew would go into the basement. But then she was trembling violently.

Cameron stopped and turned to face her. "Ana, calm down, I won't let him get you, but you are going to have to trust me," he said, embracing her tightly. "Do you trust me?" He continued, pulling away.

Anastasia nodded. "I trust you."

"Then follow me," her friend took her by the hand again, opened the door in front of him and entered just as Anastasia heard the front door bang open.

Cameron began to close the door but before he could, Stiffs came running around the corner. He saw the running butler and shouted, "Meet us there, Stiffs!"

Anastasia saw him faintly nod before Cameron closed the door.

"Where?" She asked.

"You will see," Cameron told her as he put a hand on the wall. He flipped a switch.

A bright glowing wall suddenly appeared in front of them, blinding Anastasia momentarily.

"Follow me," he said again as he stepped into the wall. He was not holding her hand any more but she followed close behind him as if he was.

The view behind the wall was not of stairs leading downward, as it had been before. Now it was a spiral stair case going up.

"Before we go any further," Cameron said, stopping Anastasia from going up the stairs. "Anastasia, you need to understand that this world is completely different form the one we just left. Your life will never be the same."

Anastasia? This must be serious, he only ever called her Ana. Ana was Cameron's pet name for her ever since she met him. For him to use her real name meant that she should pay attention closely. She nodded, she was anticipating this new life with eager but nervous excitement.

"Just," Cameron sighed, "keep and open mind about this okay?"