Home
“Home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling”
Home isn’t always where you live, it’s where you feel like you belong, it’s where you can be yourself.
I didn’t find my home until I was 15, so let me tell you my story.
It all started on May 14, 2019; I was sitting in my bed reading my favorited book ‘The Darkest Minds’. My door swinged open so quickly, I threw my book into the air in shock. I stare at Greg, my foster father, as he blocks my door. “Hi Greg, what’s up,” I say in my nicest tone. He grunts at me and starts to rummage around my room, I yelp as my pushes me off my bed to look under the mattress. “What are you looking for?!” I exclaim.
He turns to me and says, “I am looking for money, I need the money you earnt this month, I need it now!” I look at him confused and tell him that it is my money and he isn’t allowed to take it and that was when he stormed out. I relaxed back down on my bed, thinking that he had just given up but seconds later he comes crashing into my room throwing all my belongings in a big black plastic bag. “You wanna playthings like that? FINE, back you go!” I shudder, why would he send me back, I have been so good! But I don’t have a choice, once he has put all my stuff in bags, he leaves the room to call the agency who’ll take me back. I sit on my bed and cry.
Here I was, sitting on my bed, holding myself, my dark hair hanging sprawled on my shoulders, my cheeks wet and eyes red from the tears. But all of a sudden something clicks in me. I DON’T want to go back, I WON’T. I leap up, a new feeling ignites in me. I don’t know what made me do it but I grabbed my backpack, filled it up with a pair of clothes, a torch, some food and all my life savings. I see the government cars and I know If I was going to go it had to be now, I sprint out the backdoor and I don’t turn back.
I’ve been running for 3 weeks now and I’m starting to get the hang of it. Dress like a guy, never make eye contact, only buy home brands, never use cards, never tell someone your name, try not to go out in the day. I also learnt that I can be whoever I want to be and I can do whatever I want to do. I love it, I’m free. Now I’m sitting here, in my alley, knees to my chest, the cold breeze blowing around my hair, I can’t help but think it would be nice to have someone with me, someone to enjoy life with, someone to love me, a family. As if on que a group of teens -3 boys and 1 girl- walk up and stop beside me. “Hey, wanna join us?” The tall one asks in a husky voice. I don’t know what made me do it but I stand up and reply with, “Yes, I’m Rain.”
“Well Rain, welcome to the group. This is Jayden,” Jayden was a tall dark haired boy with tan skin, his eyes were a beautiful green, he nods his head at me, “this is Ace,” Ace is smaller than Jayden but very muscly, he has bright orange hair like fire and gives me a little smirk, “then we have Sage,” Sage was so beautiful, she had long blonde hair and big blue eyes, she was wearing a big hoodie and very small shorts, she smiles at me, “and I am Axel,” he concludes, Axel is obviously the leader in the group, he also looks the eldest, he has a big smile and brown hair with mud brown eyes. I didn’t know them yet, but I knew, they were going to be my family.
They took me to a small house on a farm, I followed Sage into what was no our bedroom. She begins to make a room for me. Throwing the