Young Writers Society

My name is Alaska. For three years I had been locked inside a tiny room. I was only fourteen when They took me; all for a stupid little robbery that cost in total, five bucks. And a little bit of blood loss from the shop owner. Apparently They had to take me in. I was a danger to the shop owners, or more like they feared me; writhed in their pathetic little skins as I would saunter pass their shops, shooting sly grins into their windows. So I was a bit of a bad person, but I didn't care.

I have a father and a mother, and three little sisters: Tony, Abba and Davis. Luckily I wasn't given a male name at birth. Alaska's weird-I know, but at least it wasn't a guy name. Who would seriously name their daughter Davis? My parent's were completely nutty. And terrible. Sometimes I would fear for my sisters' lives. My mother and father, Jenny and Bat(The craziness is inherited, I swear), would usually beat up on whoever was around after they'd had an argument or had come home pissed as usual. I didn't really hang around home anymore. Not since I was twelve. Abs, Dave and Tony were all young. Abba was four, Davis was six and Tony was ten. Now they would be a lot older, I suspect. I hated being in this room. They said it was a 'holding home for girls', because it was risky putting me into a normal juvie, with boys there. Hah, yeah right, like that would be any trouble.

For about six months I had been planning my break-out. My parents and my sisters would come to see me every few months or so. One year they completely forgot about me, well, at least Jenny and Bat did. I didn't really call them mom or dad, why should I? They didn't act like parents. Normal parents. Anyway, they would come to see me on November 4th, between 2pm and 6pm. Jenny and Bat would leave at about three, taking Abba and Davis home. Tony would stay till 6, because she was older, and could walk home herself. I really, truly loved Tony. More than Abba and Davis, but don't let them hear me say that. It was because out of all of my family, Tony took after me. She was a bit naughty, sly and rebellious. She knew what she was doing, how she was going to do it and what the result of doing so would do. She was perfect to help me. Plus she sort of looked like me. Pale skin and wavy, creamy colored hair, with dark brown eyes flecked with blue. We were both beautiful, undeniably. I was proud of her. As for the others, Abba was ginger, with green eyes and Davis had straight brown hair with round blue eyes. Davis took after Jenny, and Abba after Bat. They weren't so pretty.

When November 4th came, I was led into the Meeting Hall to see them. "Hi Jenny, hi Bat," I said cautiously.

"Darling, call us mom and dad. You know how much we hate you using our first names" Jenny said, smiling. The bitter tingling sensation coursed through my body in waves of anger. How could somebody so evil and unloving, expect me to call her by a name that she didn't deserve? Bat didn't either. He was cruel, with a fierce heart and an even fiercer back hand. I knew they didn't love me. They had stopped loving me after I was born. Once I became an independent child, they loathed me. I wasn't eager to be their stress-relief, and I had retaliated. I hit Jenny one time, and Bat spazzed. I got kicked out for almost a week, wandering the streets and pondering my life. I hadn't always been a bad kid, no, I had been good. But I wanted revenge. I wanted the public to know what type of monsters had raised me. I had become the baddest girl in town, and nobody understood why. They blamed it on hormones. Until I stabbed that girl. It was only in the leg, and I got harassment and attempted murder printed on my permanent record.

Alaska Finity. That was who I was. I was a caged soul, reckless and hurt, trying to capture something I would possibly never attire: freedom. True freedom. Rolling hills and warm sunsets freedom. A freedom without the rest of the Finity family. Except maybe Tony.

"Hey Abs, Dave" I said, flashing a smile in their directions. Abba managed to wriggle from Jenny's grip and pounced on my leg, hugging it tightly. I patted her head and hugged Davis with one arm. Tony sat, sitting darkly, beside Jenny and Bat. I shot her a look that said "You know I've got to pretend like nothings wrong for them." She regarded me coldly. As she always did until the rest of the family left. Time flew quickly, almost quicker than it seemed, and before long I was hugging Davis and Abba goodbye.

"Miss you" Abba cried. Jenny tugged her away, gave a disapproving look then strode off, in tow with Bat and Davis. Davis turned her head around and smiled at me.

"See ya Lasky, love you." A chilling feeling broke down inside of me, spreading like wild-fire through my veins. Love you. I realized I'd been holding my breath, and let it loose. Pain was measurable inside of me as I did, almost punishing me for breathing again. Scowling, I turned to Tony and sat down on the seat in front of her.

"I need your help, Tony. I'm breaking out" I said solemnly.

"What do you need?" Her eyes remained emotionless, but for a sweet second I saw a glimmer of something, a happiness, that I was finally leaving. I smiled.

"I knew I could count on you. You're the best ten year old in the world," I told her. She smiled at me.

"You know it, Lasks. I'm glad you're leaving. You don't deserve to be in a place like this," The way she said it was almost painful, as if I wasn't just leaving the Home, but something much bigger...

"Well I'm glad you feel that way, because Jenny and Bat certainly don't feel the same, neither do these people that have me here." It was true, though. Jenny and Bat had allowed me to be here. They could have signed a slip that said they would watch over me carefully, so I wouldn't make another mistake again, and yet they didn't. They already had my bag packed and set to leave when I got home from the court ruling.

"You want freedom. You get it. What do you plan on doing? Where are you going to go?" She asked me, almost excited for me.

"You know the place I told you about. Far from here. Where there is only the sky in the distance. I'm going to be free, free to be myself and to do what I want without being taken down by another. You could come, you know" I said wistfully. She shook her head.

"No thanks, Alaska. Freedom's your thing. I'd rather stay here till I'm old enough to move to the city. That's like what? Fourteen, fifteen. Your age." I nodded. It was fair enough. Freedom wasn't everyones game, but I needed it. Every moment of my life was just another picture of my misery, every second I was constantly reminded by the aching in my bones, of the cage I had been locked inside. Nobody would miss when I was gone. Abba and Davis would, just for a little bit. Then they would soon forget I was ever a real person in their life. A sister. Tony, I knew, would always remember me.

"So, what do we have to do?" Tony asked, breaking the thoughtful silence. I looked up at her, my eyes gleaming with a plan. I let the words spill from my tongue, and I grew joyful as the plan merged inside my head, creating an ultimate break-out.

"It's settled then. Goodbye Alaska Finity. I love you" Tony said, standing up. I stood up and embraced her in my arms.

"Love you always. Thanks for helping me." She nodded, then turned swiftly and was off. I waited all night for the plan to be set into action. At exactly 11:53, the guard patrolling our dorms would go into the Lounge for the supervisors, and steal some coffee. He always did that, every night. He'd drink his coffee for about ten minutes, satisfied that everyone was asleep and he could do as he pleased. Silly man. At 11:56, Tony would appear with the spare keys she'd stolen, free me, then be off like night. And I would escape. The plan went smoothly and brilliantly. Silently, Tony's small figure lurking in the shadows slipped away, and I slowly opened the door to my room. It fell shut the moment I was out of it, and I could hear the guard fall quiet for a moment, trying to listen to any sound he could pick up that might suggest somebody was up. I tensed, and dropped to the floor, my body invisible in the darkness.

Finally I heard the guard relax, and I darted away, down the corridor.

There was fourteen other girls in my corridor, and sixteen in the other one. The other sixteen were the one's who were locked up for less serious stuff. The fourteen in my corridor were the one's with marked permanent records that screamed of our worthlessness as humans. The laws we'd broken. That was the reason I wanted out. I didn't want to follow any laws of living, it was my life, so why did I have to? Freedom was the only option. It took six stealthy minutes to finally reach the back door of the establishment, which was unlocked by Tony, who was now long gone. I clicked the lock then ran through the door, and it shut behind me.

The midnight air was cool and chilling, and there were a few murky clouds gathered in the sky, that promised rain for me. I breathed in, then exhaled. Sweet victory. I had broken out. I was free, but freedom wasn't mine. Not just yet. My journey took three hours, and by the time I had reached the station on the other side of North, the place where I lived, I could see three directions. Wind clawed at my ears, creating white noise, nothing but silence. I stood on the railway tracks, alone and numb. Behind me was the town I wanted never to see again. To my right, in the far off distance, was the city, glittering beautifully as the sun rose up behind it's tall scrapers. And to my left, there it was. Freedom.

But I didn't see the train coming.