Wowohwow. 5 chapters, 9 reviews. Not a lot but I'm still very happy. I want to thank Twilight-Adict1918, VampiresandHorses4ev3r, and .Cullen for being my faithful reviewers. I'm dedicating this chapter to you. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING. Except MY made-up characters.

Dinner on a merchant ship wasn't all that bad. There was a lot of laughter and drinks were being passed around. I, of course declined. Rum didn't really satisfy my tastes. I knew that soon I was going to have to taste some of the dreaded drink to avoid suspicions, but that time wasn't now.

Emmett had led me to a spot on the bench and I was currently wedged between him and a sailor named Broc. Broc's voice was raspy and he smelled like a drunk.

I wasn't having a swell time.

The food wasn't half-bad either. It consisted of raw fish and stale bread. Okay, so it was terrible but who was I to complain? I was lucky to just be on the damn ship. Anything else would just be pushing it.

After a while I became overcome with drowsiness and quickly excused myself. I felt Broc's eyes watching me as I descended the steps to the cabins and wondered if it was obvious I was a girl or if he was just gay.

It was dark in the corridors and I blindly felt the wall for the door to the cabin. Instead I touched a hand. I muffled a scream and jumped back.

"Who's there?" I tried to make my voice not quiver.

"Relax," said the voice. "It's just me, Jacob."

I relaxed against the wall. Jacob. The boy who made me feel like I was glowing and at the same time made me feel insignificant.

"Jacob," I whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"Same thing you're doing. Going to bed."

I mentally smacked myself for my stupidity.

"Oh," I said, dumbly.

He reached for the door handle and pushed it open. Then he looked back at me. "After you," he said, stepping aside.

It was too much. I felt my disguise slipping. I felt so alone and so scared of being found out. But I kept my composure and stepped into the cabin room. I was so thankful that it was dark and that Jacob didn't have an oil lamp handy because it would be sheer embarrassment to undress in front of him. I went to my hammock and slipped of my clothes. I heard him doing the same and an unwanted mental picture entered my mind. Not that he wasn't supposedly beautiful when he was naked, because I was sure that he was but that I didn't want to let in any feelings that weren't supposed to be there.

I heard him lie down and I did the same. We lay there for awhile, neither speaking, listening to each other's breathing. Finally he cleared his throat.

"Well, goodnight."

And with that he turned over and went to sleep.

I was stunned for a moment but then I whispered, "night," and went to sleep also.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

It was nightmarish.

The dream I had, I mean. Nothing made sense but then everything made sense. I got what was going on but I had had no idea what it meant.

The night was really dark, windy, and cold. I was staring up at the sky which was covered with clouds and the moon just peeking through. I felt like I was being carried because whoever was holding me was hurrying and breathing fast. I looked at the face of my carrier. It was a woman. She had long mahogany colored hair that was blowing wildly and brown, determined eyes. It was then that I noticed I wasn't a normal teenage girl. I realized that I was me but in the body of a baby.

What?

It was strange, to be carried in this terrible storm, by a woman I didn't know, in a body that was not my own. I turned my little head and squinted out in the now drizzling rain. I saw we were headed towards some lights. They belonged to a sturdy looking building made out of red-brown bricks.

The woman walked even faster and dashed up the stairs. She placed me gently on the porch near the door, took one last look at my face and went away.

Wait, I wanted to call out, don't leave me.

But no words would come out. I just stared at the darkening sky, wondering why the woman left me. I waited a while until the door next to me opened. A plum looking woman with a very kind face stepped out. She saw me and stifled a little gasp.

"Oh, you little baby." she spoke in a voice that was sweet like warm honey.

"C'mere, baby." she picked me up and cradled me to her large bodice. I felt safe and warm but I still wanted that woman to come back. I remembered her gentle, doe-like eyes and began to cry.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

I woke up to the sound of someone crying. Big choking gasps that sounded like the person was in need of air. These sobs went on for awhile until I heard Jacob speak.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" I heard him right next to be, voice anxious and not knowing what to do. I then realized that I was the one crying.

I wiped my tears and got a hold of myself. I looked up at him. His face was a mask of worry and concern for me.

"What? What happened?'' he asked me again. He sat down in the hammock with me. "Did you have a bad dream?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I had a bad dream..." It all seemed so foolish now. The dream was nothing really horrible. Just me as a little baby girl getting left behind by her mother-

Mother!

Could it be? Could the woman in my dream really be my mom that left me? I guessed it was possible.

I noticed Jacob was speaking to me. I tuned back in.

"What was it about?" he asked me.

I shook my head. There was no way I was gonna let my problems pour out to some stranger.

"C'mon, L.B. It helps to talk about it."

"Oh, so now are you some sort of psychiatrist?" I snapped.

He smiled. "No, but I know it helps to talk about things. I have had bad dreams, too, you know. And I talked to my dad about them all the time."

I stared. Then sighed. "Okay, I guess. It can help." I sighed not knowing where to start.

He waited patiently. It didn't help that the moonlight shining from the cabin window was playing on his features making him look dangerous and exciting. I gulped.

Jacob noticed my discomfort. "Are you alright?"

I nodded woodenly. "Yeah, I'm just-" I stopped. "Did you know I was left an orphan?" That seemed like a good place to start.

He looked taken aback. "No."

I closed my eyes and lay back down. "Yeah, I was. I don't know why and I don't know by whom but I was."

He blinked and nodded.

I smiled. "Do you want to hear my story?" I asked.

"Sure."

I took a deep breath. I never told anyone and know I was going to tell him. All of the darkness that was in my heart was going to be split out. You see, I wasn't only orphaned. I was hurt, abused, kicked around, and yelled at. I was forced to do things I didn't want to and I learned to never trust anyone at all. And now here was a boy who made me feel funny and giddy and I was going to tell him my story.

Ah, hell.

I took another breath. "Okay, Jacob. I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to speak or interrupt. You can't say anything at all. And if I don't sound like-" I gestured to myself, "me, then don't be surprised."

Jacob nodded. He looked wary. Good. What I was about to tell him wasn't pretty.

"I don't remember anything from when I was seven years old. It's as if my memory has been erased before that point. But everything after that is etched in my mind. No matter how hard I try to forget, it stays." I shuddered. "I was sent from house to house, feeling confused and alone. Some of the times the people there were kind. Some were distant, not really caring what happened to me. And others," here I stopped. "Others weren't even people. They were monsters.

"They hurt me. And not just slapping me around. I mean really hurt me. With metal things and sharp wooden sticks. Belts, pokers, stuff that made me feel like my heart was being ripped out. It was no joke. I felt like I deserved it. They told me my parents left me because I was a wicked child and deserved everything that I got. I screamed and begged for forgiveness and mercy but no mercy came."

Jacob looked horrified.

"That's not all," I warned him. "They didn't just hurt the outside of my body. They hurt the inside, too."

"You mean..."

"Yes, Jacob. I mean they raped me. Several times. All different people. I felt disgusted and dirty. And for a long time I wouldn't talk to anyone. I kept hidden, afraid they would come for me. Even when the monsters were found out, I never felt safe. I was sent from one house to another, over and over. I finally ended up at one where I thought I would finally be safe and loved. Boy was I wrong.

"They were a very kind couple. The woman was imposing but she treated me like her own daughter. The man was scary too, but he never touched me. Of course, I did feel distant anger from him but I never would have guessed that it was directed towards me. They bought me nice clothes and gave me food, a room that was all my own. We even had a dog that I named, Josh. I felt at peace and was so sure that everything was going to be alright.

"I was lying in my bed one night, trying to fall asleep when I heard the man come home. He worked in a manufacturing factory and always came home late. I heard his staggering footsteps and heard things crashing and breaking downstairs. I knew someone was wrong and had the good sense to pretend to be asleep."

I stopped and felt my cheeks. They were wet with salty tears and I hastily wiped my face. Then, without looking at Jacob, I continued.

"He came up the stairs. I heard him muttering under his breath and smelled a rotten stench coming from him. I knew he was drunk. He drank frequently but it never affected me. This time it was different.

"He went passed my room; into his own bedroom. The one he shared with my adoptive mother. I heard shuffling and then a loud, piercing scream. At that moment I knew he had killed her. I don't know why but I knew I had to run. If he killed his wife, who said he wouldn't kill a little girl that meant nothing to him? I got out of bed and opened the window in my room. Just as I was climbing out he came into my room. I should have kept going but I made the mistake of looking back. I noticed the large, bloodied knife in his hand and that glued me to the spot.

"He came after me like a drunken man. He grabbed my hair and made for my neck but the knife got my hair instead. He cut it short, the dead pieces lying on the floor. I knew that I had to do something in order to avoid being killed. I leaned my head out of the window and screamed bloody murder. He jerked my head back inside the room and made an attempt to stab me again. He grazed my side. I still have the scar."

I lifted my shirt and showed him the long, red gash that had split my skin open. He recoiled.

"I screamed a lot that night, you know. I screamed from the near death experience. I screamed when the police came. When they tried to touch me. I screamed for my mother even though she wasn't there. I kept on screaming and screaming until my throat hurt and then I cried until my eyes ran dry. It was a terrible night. I was only ten years old. After that night I was sent to an orphanage. They didn't try to find any more homes for me and I was glad. I didn't think I could handle the torture anymore. So I lived in a crummy orphanage until I was sixteen."

I stopped and waited for him to say something.

Jacob stared at me. "What happened after that?" he finally said.

I shrugged. "I ran away and came on this ship.''

"You ran away? And stowed away on this ship?"

I raised my chin, defiantly. "Yes. Are you going to turn me in?"

His eyes narrowed. "No. But if you're done with your story, I do have some questions."

Here it comes, I thought, he's going to think you're a liar. That you made everything up.

But that never came. Instead he asked, "If you're a guy, how did you get raped? And I noticed you called yourself a girl. Care to explain?"

I grinned wickedly. "I was wondering when you would realize that. You see, Jacob, I'm not really who you think I am."

His eyes followed my hand as I reached up and pulled the bandana off my head. My bronze colored curls tumbled all over my shoulders and my chocolate eyes watched as Jacob's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened.

Wow. I felt like that was a good chapter but that, my dear friends, is up to you. Review and tell me what you think. Also, go to my page and check out my other story. Please read and review that one. It would mean so much to me.

Elizabeth Triheart