She arose with a gasp. Cold sweat was sticking to her forehead and her breathing was ragged. She puts her hand on her chest and forces herself to calm down. She doesn't want her parents to wake up, she doesn't want them to see her like this. It would only raise questions she doesn't want to answer.

It was only a dream, she fine. But she knew this wasn't just a normal dream. Her fear filled days caused these nightmares. When her breathing slowed down she let her head fall back against her pillow. She looks up to the ceiling and feels new tears escaping her eyes.

It has been going on for years now and she was getting more desperate. How long could she still do this, how long could she take the insults and the physical pain? When will she reach her limit? And what would happen to her when she reached it? Questions like that haunted Regina every night. Mostly after she had woken up from her latest nightmare. She wondered when the day would come that she wouldn't think about those questions but that she would act on the answers. It took her an hour to fall back to sleep and she wished she could at least get a few hours of dreamless sleep before she had to wake up for church and school.

In the morning Regina woke up by her mother entering the room and opening the curtains. The first streams of sunlight shine through her window on her face. Regina blinks trying to let her eyes adjust to the brutal awakening. She had slept a few hours but it wasn't enough to feel fully rested.

"Get up Regina! We are going to mass in ten minutes and will have breakfast after with pastor Gold." Her mother Cora said sounding like military commander. She walks towards the bed and pulls the sheets of Regina's body. She doesn't register the red eyes of her daughter or the fact that she looked completely exhausted.

Regina flinches because of the sudden cold air on her body but didn't say anything to displease her mother. She gets up and starts to get dressed, her mother leaves her room and goes downstairs. Regina quickly brushes her hair and puts on some clothes. She looks into her mirror and sighs. It was like she was the only one whom could see her red eyes, why was she so invisible to everyone. She puts on her classes and takes a moment to gather herself. When she finally puts on her mask so no one would know she was slowly dying inside she leaves her room and goes downstairs.

When she's downstairs she sees her mother and father already waiting for her by the door. "Good morning sweetheart." Her father greeted her and gave his daughter a kiss on her forehead.

"Good morning father." Regina greets him in return and gives him a smile. Her mother scoffs at the little display of affection before opening the door and leaving the house.

They walked towards the small church and Regina puts her hands into the pocket of her coat to protect her from the cold. It was almost march but the mornings were still really cold. Especially if you were walking down the street at six in the morning without much sunlight.

They arrived at the church and found themselves seats at the front of the altar close to the pastor. Only a few people would come to church at this hour in the morning. And Regina's family was always present. Regina could see her mother smirking at pastor Gold who started the service.

Gold had been pastor of their little church and community for as long as Regina could remember. Regina personally didn't really like the man. She didn't like how aggressive some of his preaching's were. Her mother on the other hand adored pastor Gold and listened to his every word.

"Good morning to you all. I would like to start the service by thanking the Mills family." Gold said and pointed to Cora who was smiling even brighter. "They have again help spread gods words by picketing the funeral of miss Edna's Smith's son. He went to war and served a country that has lost his way, supports and tolerate a lifestyle that is a complete sin, Homosexuality. The poor man is in hell now and thanks to the Mills family they know it. His soul is doomed because he did not fear the wrath of god." Pastor gold opened his arms and looked up at the ceiling.

"Let us pray!"

Regina looked down and closed her eyes. She blocked out pastor's Gold's words and remember the picket at the funeral last Saturday. So many people had shouted at them, thrown stones and had even physically pushed them. Regina hated it, every minute of it. She didn't want to do it but her mother and father expected her to and Regina had to obey and be the perfect daughter.

She could still see Edna's Smith's face filth with tears and anger in her eyes when she saw Regina holding up the board telling her that her son was in hell. Sometimes Regina didn't understand why they were so angry and she didn't understand where the anger was coming from. They were only trying to help by warning them that their way of living is wrong and God's wrath is real and they should fear it. But they never saw it that way. They just kept hating them.

After an hour, mass ended and they went to breakfast with the rest of their little community. Her mother and father talked happily with pastor Gold while Regina sat alone and ate her breakfast. When it was a few minute before eight she kissed her parents goodbye and headed towards the school.

School a place of education or the way Regina saw it her own personal hell on this earth. She walked inside the building and was happy that she was early and most of her fellow students weren't there yet. She walked with her head down to her locker gathering her books and making her way towards her first class of the day.