1 Chapter 1

Isabell watched out the window in stone silence. Corn fields, owned by farmers she's known for years, rushed past her in a blurry haze. Row after row of corn passing the car in a dizzying blur. Her eyes tracked them intently, taking in everything she could to remember her home. Isabell's parents sat in the front seats and from time to time, Isabell would catch one of them looking back at her. Their eyes alight with concern before they would hurriedly look away. Linda, Isabell's mother, turned around to look at her solemn daughter.

"Isn't this exciting," Linda asked, "We get to explore new places and people. Experience new things."

"Oh yeah sure, let's leave everything behind, AGAIN, it's so exciting," Isabell said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, but there's more out there for you. A new start that you need, and you deserve."

"Could it possibly have occurred to you that I don't want a new start," Isabell snapped.

"We're trying to protect you from, talk," Linda said "Oklahoma is like one, big, small town. Please try to understand."

"Honey," Mark, Isabell's father, said firmly.

Linda glanced back at her husband before turning back to her daughter. Mark watched his wife for a moment before giving a heavy sigh and turning back to the highway. Half expecting his wife and daughter to start their bickering again. Mark himself was a man of few words, and when the two started in on each other, he tended to stay out of it. Mark was a man of few words, and when the two started in on each other, opted to stay out of it. Figuring they would resolve it between themselves without him putting in his two cents. There were, of course, the rare occasions where he would intervene when the two women started to move into dangerous territory.

The same territory his wife was starting to enter. Linda couldn't grasp the concept of what Isabell wanted, and needed, at the moment was space. Mark gave his wife a pointed look, trying to make her see the argument she was about to start. Realizing her mistake, Linda sighed and turned back around. Putting a reassuring hand on her husbands to silently tell him that she would leave her daughter alone for the time being. Isabell waited a moment before turning to her window. Grateful that her father made her mother drop the conversation.

All Isabell could see for miles was a sea of concrete and cars. Like a school of fish darting back and forth in the open ocean. If she concentrated hard enough, Isabell could almost pretend they were going to the next town over. Where she would be another face in the crowd until the rumors caught up with her again. It didn't seem to matter where she went, people always figured out about her past, and the whispers would start up again. How could they not? She had been plastered on every news paper in the state. Her smiling picture broadcasted on every television screen in every home. The departure from Oklahoma should be exciting. For once, she wasn't going to have to ignore the whispers. Pretend not to notice the low, pointed fingers in her direction. Everyone prattling on about who she was and looking at her with pity in their eyes. In all reality, she was furious. Oklahoma was her home, the place where she was born and grew up. Where her school and friends were and now they were all gone with one word from her parents. True she moved around a lot and had to get accustomed to new schools. Try to make new friends even with her history. In the end though, it didn't matter where she moved to. Oklahoma had always been her home and no matter where she went everything was the same. The towns small, the people kind enough, and no big bustling crowds to get lost in. It always felt like home and knew she would be safe. Or at least she thought so before everything had happened.

Isabell didn't feel like she was home anymore. As much as she wanted to turn around, there was no way she could go back, and the drive continued in silence. Linda glanced back at Isabell, trying to catch her daughter's eyes, but Isabell refused. Turning her head so that her vision was filled with the view of the highway. As the car ate up the miles, the sun rose higher into the sky. Throughout the day, Isabell watched it's ascent as the clouds danced around the suns glowing beauty.

"If only I could watch the suns flames dance across its surface without burning my retinas," Isabell couldn't help thinking.

Eventually, the soft and gentle moon came up to join the dance. It was beautiful watching the moon rise and chase after it's counterpart. Always seeming to get close but never quiet reaching the sun before it dipped past the opposite horizon. The moon's light was much softer, allowing Isabell to gaze upon its serenity. As the sun dipped towards the horizon, so did it's light. Allowing the sky to darken, and the stars to shine through. Adding to the soft glow of the moon and changing the world around her.

Isabell pulled out her iPod and her headphones, pushing each bud into her ears. Scrolling through her music, she settled on Icon for Hire and pressed play. Her headphones sprang to life and music swirled in her head, making her feel a little more at ease. Turning her music up as loud as it could go, she turned back to watch the stars. A single shooting star shot across the sky as if the very universe was weeping for her loss.

"That creep took everything from me," Isabell thought angrily, her fist balled up in her lap.

Memories from that horrible time flashed through her mind.

Why?

Why did it have to happen to her?

Why did he have to violate her in the worse way possible?

Isabell forced herself away from her memories. Angry tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Each time she started to go back into that dark place, she would mentally slap herself. Reminding herself each time there was no use thinking about it again. It was done and over with, there was no need to dwell on the past and let him hold any more power over her.

"He's the reason why we're leaving after all. It's just a shame that I won't be around to see that bastard get everything that he deserves".

Linda turned around about to ask if Isabell needed them to stop for a moment. One look at Isabell's face and the question died on her lips. An angry scowl dominated Isabell's face, and rage burned brightly in her eyes. Clearly not in the mood to be talking to anyone. Linda already knew what caused such anger to appear out of nowhere. It had only been a few months since the incident, and it was a forbidden topic. Believing that if they didn't talk about it it would seem like it never happened. The man who had done such horrible things to her didn't exist and they were moving away for different reasons. Without looking Isabell knew her mother was watching her, but choose to ignore her in exchange for the stars. Linda turned back around to face her husband and shook her head. Mark glanced in the rearview mirror at his daughter and could see the anger and pain in her eyes. A pang of guilt hitting him in his heart as he focused on the road.

He did nothing but search day and night. The day his daughter was found he was over the moon with joy, but when he heard what that bastard had done to her, he wanted nothing more than to kill the monster who had the gall to do those atrocious things. Mark controlled himself though and instead focused on his daughter. She was his little girl and after facing such horrid events, the only need he felt was to protect and comfort Isabell.

Every day he did everything in his power to make sure things were better for his daughter. Isabell would always remember what happened to her, but he tried his best to make her forget anyway. Linda always felt guilty for what happened to Isabell, and every day, Mark told her it wasn't her fault. It made him feel like a hypocrite. Mark pushed it aside though, vowing to be the strong pillar for his family. Isabell knew that her parent's felt guilty, but it wasn't their fault that those things had happened to her. It was better it was left in the past where it belonged.

Exhaustion started to pull at Isabell's eyes, making them feel like they were weighed down. She shifted into a more comfortable position to rest that still allowed her to stare up into the sky. It's always comforting to her that the last thing she saw before she fell asleep was the night sky. After only a few more seconds to observe their beauty, Isabell closed her eyes and sank into a restless sleep. The stars above her, like guardian angels, watching over her on her journey.

Isabell opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the bright sunlight. Her hand shot up to shield her eyes while the other wiped the sleepiness away. Stretching out her body, several spots along her neck and spine popped from sleeping in an awkward position. Looking up at the blue sky Isabell could see the stars had hidden away to give the sun and clouds their chance to dance. Turning her gaze back to the earth, Isabell could make out a green sign begin to crest the horizon. Isabell was just barely able to read it as it sped past.

Welcome to Los Angeles.

Shortly after the welcome sign, small business' started to appear, scattered across each side of the road. Ten minutes later and the car was surrounded on boy sides by both buildings and people alike. The sheer amount of people was overwhelming. It was like three of her towns in one little area alone, and there was still plenty of more city to cover. Becoming to inundated, Isabell turned away from the window, opting to stare at the floor.

"This city is too crowded for my taste," Isabell thought.

Isabell forced down the feeling of anxiety and claustrophobia and took in her surroundings. In her experience, it was good to get a bearing on your surroundings. Even if your surroundings were so twisted, it was hard to get a good sense of direction. The businesses turned into an expensive looking neighborhood. There was no doubt in Isabell's mind that the houses were expensive. Pulling into the driveway of one of these houses, Isabell examined the house that would begin her so-called new life.

"Isn't this nice," Linda asked, leaning forward to look up at the front of the house through the windshield.

Isabell rolled her eyes and exited the vehicle, dragging her small duffle bag behind her. The front door was a soft robin egg blue, and the rest of the house a pristine white. Isabell reached out and silently opened the door. Quietly walking into the house, Isabell examined the area around her.

The entrance was a white, pristine foyer. To the left was the living room with white carpets and beige walls. On the right was a dining room with the same colored walls and dark oak wood floors. Through the dining room, through the archway, leading to what she assumed was the kitchen. Directly in front of her was a large winding staircase leading to the upstairs. Isabell mounted the stairs and found the expanse of the house continued. At the top was a large loft with a more plushy carpet than downstairs. The walls were a soft white matched with light grey carpet. Directly in front of her was a balustrade that surveyed both the living room and kitchen, providing a secret perch for any future spying eyes. To her left lay, a small hallway leading to what Isabell assumed were the bedrooms. Peering inside the hall, Isabell could make out five different doorways lined against the walls, two on each side and one at the very end.

Isabell turned to the closest room on the left to start her exploration. Opening the door revealed the first bedroom. The walls were colored a light grey with short black carpets. In the back corner, a door was opened to show a large walk-in closet. Moving into the room, Isabell located another doorway to her right. Upon her entry was a fully furnished bathroom. Complete with a large spa tub and a stand-in shower with a glass door. Each one painted a pearly white and sparkled from the sunlight streaming into a single window. Isabell backed out of the bathroom and found a set of french doors behind her. Allowing her curiosity to best her, Isabell opened the door and got blasted with a wave of fresh air. Isabell was outside on a terrace with small stools to sit on. The sun once again dancing across the sky with the clouds as it made its ascent, warming the air around her and causing a small sheen of sweat to prickle her skin. Isabell swiftly retracted back into the chilly house, not caring too much for the heat.

"This has to be the master bedroom," Isabell thought, going towards the exit "Which means it's already off limits."

Already feeling like she was invading their space, Isabell promptly retreated from the room and into the next across the hall. Isabell had expected it to be another bedroom. In a house this large there had to be at least two more. She was surprised to find it was a bathroom instead. This bathroom was set up exactly like the one in the master bedroom except the color scheme was different. Instead of the walls being a pearly white, they were jade green, and the appliances were an eggshell white. The shower had the same frosted glass walls as the shower in the master bedroom. The longer she examined the bathroom, the more that she started to think it belonged in ancient China. Perhaps in the palace of a high lord. Beautiful and ornately designed, perfect for someone of higher stature rather than someone as lowly as herself. Shaking the self-demeaning thought out of her head, she closed the door and continued on her exploration.

Crossing the hallway, Isabell entered the third room. This room was by far the smallest so far. The walls were a light tan, matched with dark wood floors. The floors had been polished and shined in the light. The room didn't have a closet and no other doors besides the entrance. There were, however, to large windows that overlooked the rest of the neighborhood.

The people who lived in this neighborhood were already out and about for the day. Some were still in their pajamas or robes and grabbing their morning paper or mail. Others were dressed in formal business attire and heading towards their cars to get to work. All of them looked like they had money to burn. A sneer began to cross her face at their snooty faces, and the greedy looks in their eyes. There would be no real friends here for them.

Turning her back on the people below, Isabell exited the room. Deming that it would be a study for her parents and herself for work and school. Continuing to the left, Isabell opened the door at the very end of the hallway looking for another bedroom but again was wrong. It was a rather large linen closet. Isabell closed the door and turned to the final door.

"If this isn't a bedroom I'm in trouble," Isabell thought.

The knob in her hold felt colder than the others. It imparted a delightful shiver down her spine. There was a string of hope that stirred in her chest at the hope that this room would be colder than the rest. Twisting the knob, she opened the door and peeked her head inside. Finally, the bedroom she knew was running around here somewhere. The walls were a soft robin egg blue paired with light brown hardwood floors. Two windows rested on the far side of the room on either side of another set of french doors, with a walk-in closet on the far right. It dawned on Isabell that this room was an exact copy of the master bedroom. On the left was a closed door and Isabell assumed it was another bathroom. Approaching the door, Isabell opened it but was surprised to find a set of stairs that lead into darkness.

Isabell first tired the light switch on the wall, but only a soft dim light flicked on at the top. The air leading up those stairs gave off a creepy aura. It almost reminded Isabell of those situations in horror movies where the dumb, ditzy, blond starts doing something that you know is going to get her killed. For a moment, Isabell had to remind herself that this wasn't a movie, and she was fine. Tentatively, she climbed the stairs and found herself in the attic. The room was empty, except for a bunk bed that the previous owners had left rusting in the corner. The mattresses on the bed looked like they were rotting and had been moth-eaten and cobwebs hung in every nook and cranny. There was another door, and upon opening it, showed another balcony. What made this balcony so special though, was that it gave the room roof access if climbed carefully. If this was going to be her room, it also meant that attic and roof access was her's as well.

"At least one good thing is coming from this move," Isabell thought.

All in all, she liked it. At her old house, she would often find herself climbing up the side of the house to get to the roof, only to stare gaze into the late hours of the night. It was peaceful and made her feel calm until her parents would come looking for her. When they would find her, they would reprimand and scold her on how dangerous it was to be on the roof. Going on and on about how she could slip and fall, or a shingle would come loose and send her hurtling to the ground. Then she would respond with not being a child, and she could take care of herself. It was one big cycle of them going back and forth on the issue. Maybe she could get some privacy from that cycle here though.

At least this town was too big for the rumors to follow her here. It would definitely surprise her if someone found out who she was and the whispers followed her everywhere she went. Walking back inside, Isabell closed the doors behind her and tramped back down the stairs.

Isabell made up her mind that this was going to be her room. The room next door was far too small and the first room she checked she was sure was the master bedroom and automatically her parent's room. Isabell wandered back to the top of the stairs and looked down into the main foyer. Already, boxes were starting to accumulate and were commencing their climb up the walls. Taking a deep breath, Isabell screamed down the stairs hoping her parents would hear her where ever they were.

"I found my room."

"Okay," both parents yelled from the direction of the kitchen.

Isabell climbed down the stairs and rolled up her sleeves to begin her hunt for her things. Collecting the boxes with her belongings, she started the painstaking process of bringing her stuff upstairs. After all of her possessions were collected, Isabell walked back into her new bedroom and surveyed the room. The room was large; huge actually. Dust bunnies were floating around the room and were trying to cling to the plush carpet. Everything was going to need cleaning up.

"Better get started before I'm stuck doing this all night," Isabell thought.

Isabell turned and fled down the stairs to retrieve the vacuum cleaner and other cleaning supplies. After moving so many times, Isabell and her parents have become experts in the art of packing. By the time she made her way to the main foyer, all the things she was going to need were already out and waiting for her. Empty boxes were scattered around the room and waiting to be picked up by whoever her parents called to do the job. Grabbing what she would need, Isabell trudged back upstairs and closed her door with a soft click. After setting everything down, Isabell pulled a speaker out of her pocket and set it down on the stairs leading to the attic. Pulling out her iPod, she started scrolling through her songs until she found one that caught her attention. Music drifted through the speaker when she pressed play and began her work.

The next few hours were nothing but vacuuming, mopping, and scrubbing. Starting in the attic and slowly making her way down the stairs, through her room, and ending in her closet. On more than one occasion did she have to kill a spider or some other creepy crawly that had made it's home in her room.

When she had finished, the walls were spotless, the floors in the attic had a soft shine to them, and the carpet was soft and fuzzy. The bugs were gone, and the dust bunnies were no longer in sight. Feeling proud of herself, Isabell walked out onto the balcony to expect the paint on the wood.

As she expected, it was faded and chipping in most spots. It was going to need a new coat of paint along with the balcony in the attic. The doors that lead out to them were going to need to have locks installed on them along with her bedroom door. The bathroom was still needing cleaning, and her things unpacked and put away.

At some point, her parents had come upstairs with the pieces of her bed and set them aside in the far corner, waiting to be put back together again. Isabell had had the same bed for the past five years, so it only took about ten minutes to put it back together. With practiced hands, Isabell quickly reassembled the pieces before wandering to a stack of boxes. Shifting through the mounds, Isabell was able to locate the one marked bedding and pulled it out. Tearing the box open, Isabell drew out her bedcovers and pillows and tossed them on top of the bare mattress. She collapsed the cardboard down and threw it aside to be brought down in the morning. Isabell quickly pulled the soft, blue sheets onto the bed, placing her pillows towards the headboard. Isabell looked towards the boxes that were labeled clothes. It felt like too much of a hassle to pull them out to change so instead Isabell just stripped off her clothes. In just her bra and underwear, Isabell crawled into her bed and warped her comforter around her like a giant cloak. Isabell stared at the empty walls knowing they'd filled with her things in the morning. Even with all of her belongings here, this place wasn't home.

Yes, the place was beautiful, lavish and held it's own charm. Regardless of that, it wasn't home. Nowhere could feel like home besides Oklahoma. Isabell couldn't find it in herself to give the place an honest try. A wave of homesickness washed over her, and all she wanted at that moment was turn around and go back to those corn fields that she loved so much.

"I guess this place will have to become home now," Isabell whispered to the empty room.

Those same thoughts swirled in her head as she drifted off to sleep to a place that would destroy the very foundations of her world.