A/N: Last updated: 9/20/06. I just completely revamped this story. Edited grammer, switched a bit of the story line around, split a few chapters to make them shorter, rewrote quite a few scenes. It should be much more readable now. For the record, parenthesis ( ) are used for thought-speech until I figure out how to use the normal brackets. Please R/R, this has been a work in progress for years now and I really would like some feedback!

Story Began: 10/23/03

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Teresa Rerin shuddered, holding her twin sisters hand tightly. Outside of the house thunder rumbled threateningly and lightning flashed. The steady beat of the rain mixed with the roar of the wind was enough to frighten any ten-year-old child. However, the storm outside was nothing compared to the one in. Huddled in the corner of a kitchen littered with beer bottles and food remnants, the two sisters were in the shadow of a middle-aged man, blind with rage. He was tall, and sported a large belly that was the result of too many years of drinking. His straw colored hair was curly, flecked with gray, and bald on the top. Beady little owl-like eyes glared at the girls from their sockets. The man's pale skin had a purple hue to it, and when he spoke his words were slurred.

"What do you think you two are doing you little bitches!" He roared, bits of spittle flying from his mouth, "I told you to clean up the kitchen!"

"Frank, they're tired. Please, let them go to bed." A timid voice said from behind the man. He whipped around to face a tall slender woman in her thirties with white-blonde hair and tired blue eyes. She bit her lip nervously and seemed to shrink backwards when speaking to the man.

"Bed? How the hell will they learn anything asleep!" Frank roared, "Do you want them to grow up to be slobs? They'll be worthless helpless little whores, just like you!"

"Frank, please-"

"Don't please me Nadia, all I do is give to this damned family and it's never enough! You two babies want to go to bed? Fine! Get the hell out of here!" The two girls moved instantly, scurrying on their hands and knees over broken beer bottles and decaying food. As they left the room they could hear Frank turn on Nadia. It wasn't until they were safely in the room they shared that they would utter a word. Teresa slammed the door in defiance and collapsed on her bed in exhaustion.

"Are you okay Tammy?" Teresa asked, looking over at her twin sister, whose identical blue eyes were bloodshot with the beginnings of tears. Tammy nodded fiercely, blonde hair bobbing.

"Do you think Mom will be alright?" Tammy questioned in a meek voice.

"He didn't drink that much tonight, she'll be okay." Teresa felt hot with anger towards her father, and it took all of her will-power to keep from crying. Instead, she got up and moved to a white wicker dresser that stood against the opposite wall. She pulled open the drawer and began throwing the clothes out of it.

"What are you doing?" Tammy asked.

"Leaving."

"What? But you can't…what if dad catches you?"

"What if I stay? I'm sick of getting hurt. I'm sick of being scared. I can't stand it anymore. I'm going away." Teresa reached under her bed and pulled out a backpack. Stuffing her clothes in it, she looked up at Tammy. "Aren't you coming too?"

"No. I don't want him to hurt me for trying to leave." Tammy said, looking at the door warily, as if expecting Frank to burst through it at any moment.

"He'll just hurt you for something else next time."

"Maybe this will be the last time. He's trying to quit…"

"No he isn't. Don't be an idiot. He's lying. He always lies." From her closet Teresa pulled out an unopened box of Oreos and shoved them into her bag. She zipped the bag and stood up, moving back to the bed.

"Please come Tammy…I want some company." Teresa pleaded, grabbing a tattered brown teddy bear from her bed.

"No…why don't you ask Lizzy or Danny to go?" Tammy asked.

"Neither of them is home, and I want to leave now. If your not coming fine…but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Teresa, come on…where will you go? Plus it's raining outside, you'll get all wet. And how will you get past them?"

"This isn't a secret. I'll just run out. I want them to know I'm gone, and glad I am. I don't know where I'll go…maybe I'll stay in that cave we play hide and seek at until Sara gets home from her vacation. Then I can stay there. See? I'll only be alone for a day, two at the most." Teresa hoisted up her book bag and headed for the door.

"Won't you stay a little bit? When will I see you again?" Tammy looked terrified at the thought of being alone, and her eyes had begun to overfill with tears.

"No. You'll see me at school Monday, I promise. Stay away from dad if you can. Goodbye." Teresa gave her sister one last smile before opening the door and walking out, head held high, backpack on one shoulder and teddy bear in her arms. As she passed the kitchen she paused for a moment, to take in the sight of her mother weeping on the cold linoleum with her father standing over her menacingly. Frank looked as if he was about to hit Nadia, but he stopped when he saw Teresa.

"What do you think your doing?" He sneered, taking a staggering step towards her.

"I'm going away. I hate you. I hate you and I don't want to live here anymore." Teresa said, keeping her eyes even on Franks. He stared at her a moment, as if he were having difficulties comprehending what she had just said. For a moment Teresa feared that he would hit her, but instead he threw back his head and let out a roar of laughter.

"Going? Where the hell will you go? There's nowhere for a ten-year-old!" He cried. "Go on, get out of here! See how long it takes until you come crawling back like the little slime you are! You'll see how worthless you are out there! Worthless! Never going to amount to anything!"

"I am not worthless!" Teresa cried, and she turned, ignoring the laughter that followed her into the night.

The rain poured down, pounding against Teresa's back as she walked down the street, clutching her soggy teddy bear close. Cars sped by on the road, temporarily blinding her with their lights and spraying her with water as they ran over puddles. Freezing and soaked, with only her stubbornness and fear of returning to keep her moving, Teresa turned away from the road, and headed for the woods. She walked for a great deal of time, an hour, maybe two. She made about half the distance in twice the time as she normally would have, for the trail was always at a slight incline, and slick with mud and wet leaves. The rain began to let up just as the trail began to get even rougher. Rocks jutted out of the ground like jagged teeth, and the slope of the land increased further.

Tall rock walls of limestone loomed threateningly, a few harboring narrow alcoves and caves that stared blankly at her, dark and unseeing. Teresa went to one of these caves, slipping and sliding over rock and mud as she went. As soon as she entered the cave the noise around her dulled, a mere echo of its former might. In exhausted relief she threw her book bag down near the wall and lay down, using it as a pillow. She fell asleep in moments, clutching her teddy bear tightly and breathing in the dank smell of water and rock and mud. Outside the thunder rumbled in discontent as the storm began to pass.

It was still early when Teresa awoke. The sun was just beginning to cast a golden haze over the forest, and dewdrops mixed with water from the previous night's rain, making the world sparkle as if it were faceted with diamonds. Groggy, dirty, and feeling utterly alone, Teresa crawled from her cave and set out to find a stream to wash the grime from her. As she walked she munched on the Oreos she had brought, allowing them to fill her grumbling stomach. Her thoughts went back to home, and she wondered what ill-faced promises her father was making to Tammy and Nadia at this very moment as he sat in a sea of his own tears and vomit. Teresa sighed and shook her head. Despite everything she missed her sisters and brother. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to Lizzy or Danny. Don't think about it, Teresa thought fiercely, just find some water.

A short time later the sound of water running over rocks caught her attention, and she began to follow the sound. She happened upon a small brook that chuckled at her as it ran over pebbles. It was relatively shallow, so Teresa took off her shoes and waded in. The water was icy, and her feet went numb almost immediately. She walked to the center of the brook, taking care not to slip, and began to walk upstream.

The trees began to grow progressively thinner, and Teresa saw more and more meadows filled with deer and rabbits and other wildlife. Teresa stared at the creatures in fascination – she had always loved life, and to see these animals so close was an amazing experience that almost made her forget the increasing hunger pangs she felt. Almost.

As midday approached Teresa grew tired. She sat down on the waters edge in the middle of what seemed to be another large field. The field itself, however, was not visible to Teresa, for a steep embankment rose on both sides of the stream, at least six feet high.. For a while she simply sat there, eating the last of her Oreos and skipping rocks. Boredom, however, got the best of her, and she began to crawl up the embankment that surrounded the brook, leaving her backpack behind.

The embankment was muddy, and it was hard for Teresa to pull herself up. As soon as she managed to hoist herself over the lip of the hill she rolled over onto her back and stared up at the clear blue sky. Teresa simply lay there for a moment, Allowing the sun to warm her skin and gathering her energy. Finally she sat up and looked around.

The field looked almost like every other she had come upon, although it was eerily silent. The long unkempt grass waved in response to a gentle zephyr, and wildflowers were everywhere. However, there was not a squirrel or a rabbit in sight. It was as if something had scared off all of the life in this field. The "something" in question was quite apparent.

About a hundred feet to Teresa's left was a huge object, as large as a school bus. It was shaped a lot like a legless insect, with windows for eyes. Serrated spears adorned either side. There was an open doorway with no apparent door on one side. Curious at this strange contraption she stood up and inched closer. There was no one around, and the inside of the vehicle appeared empty, so slowly, cautiously, she climbed into it.

The inside was small, with barely enough room for more than two people comfortably. The back half of the ship was loaded with cardboard boxes and other boxes made of some substance that looked like rubber. The front had a panel on it that looked like pictures Teresa had seen of the dashboard of an airplane, covered in buttons and switches, with two joysticks. Not touching anything Teresa looked over the panel in awe until a noise outside startled her. She dove behind the boxes and waited, listening intently, crouched down out of sight.

Heavy footsteps thudded on the metal floor as someone entered through the door. A slithering noise followed, bringing with it a stench that almost made Teresa gag. She heard a sliding noise as a door shot out from the wall and closed securely. Uh oh Teresa thought, I should probably let them know I'm here before they leave…Teresa inched her head up over the box slowly so that she could see the backs of the other occupants. What she saw made her clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out.

Two things stood with their backs to her, but they were nowhere near human. They looked like something out of Teresa's worst nightmares. One was reptilian, with dark green skin and a long tail. Blades stuck out of its knees and elbows and wrists and ankles, and two were on its head. Its tail had several spike-like protrusions at the end. The other creature looked like a centipede. It was yellowish in coloring and about ten feet long. It held about a third of itself off of the ground, and the rest of it was supported by hundreds of tiny cone shaped legs. On top of the things head was a wide gaping mouth with serrated teeth along it. Every once and awhile a long tongue protruded and seemed to taste the air like a snake. A sickening stench came off of the centipede-like creature in waves. Both creatures wore nothing but a belt that held various objects that looked suspiciously like guns.

Teresa took an involuntary step back from the hideous creatures. As she did so her foot caught on the corner of a box. She stood, pin wheeling her arms for a moment, before she lost her balance and toppled into the boxes. They spilled open around her and metal bits cascaded to the ground. This all caused an incredible racket that made Teresa's heart practically screech to a halt, and the two creatures to turn to the back of the ship. The reptile-like creatures yellow slitted eyes looked Teresa with surprise that quickly turned to aggression. The centipedes' four red eyes were emotionless, but it began to screech in a high-pitched sound.

"Gerfash glutnat haff human ghafrash." The reptile said, looking pointedly at the centipede. He then turned around and went back to the controls without another look. The centipede pulled the gun from its belt and toyed with it for a moment. Teresa let out a yelp of fear and ran for the door. When she reached it she began to bang helplessly on it, trying to figure out how it opened before the centipede shot her. The door however, was unyielding and had no handle or other way of opening that Teresa could see. Out of the corner of her eye Teresa saw the centipede raise the gun at her. As if in slow motion his clawed finger pulled the trigger. There was the loud noise of an intense energy release and a red light lanced from the gun and hit Teresa with enough force to knock her into the wall. She hung onto consciousness for a desperate moment before the world went black.