I awoke the next morning from my master kicking me in the stomach. I doubled over as I fell from the bed and landed on the floor. "What is this doing in here?" he barked, picking up the red rock. He kicked me again, harder. "I told you no!" Again, he kicked me, but this time in the face.
I groaned as I rolled away and crawled to a corner of the room. "I'm sorry!" I cried, though I knew nothing I said would persuade him to do otherwise.
I stood up and was prepared to defend myself if he went too crazy. But he went to the window and threw it out. "No!" I ran and somehow, I jumped gracefully through the window, caught the rock, flipped myself around in the air and landed on my feet.
I stood up, holding the rock in my right hand. How had I done that? I had never tried that before, and I wasn't able to do flips and jump like that. I wasn't that graceful.I turned and looked at my master who was sneering down at me. He left the window, probably to come outside and get me. I took the opportunity to climb back up to my room. I needed to get my stuff. I locked the door and shoved a chair in front of it.
I grabbed my small pack and grabbed a change of clothes, dressing myself as I did so. I grabbed my pocket knife and shoved the rock into my pack as well. I grabbed all the money I had stolen and saved up and looked out the window. My master was looking for me; he had yet to realize I was in my room.
I stuck my tongue out as I called out so he would come back inside to get me. That roused him and he stormed back inside. I waited until he was pounding on my door to get in before I jumped back out the window.
I took off, running down the street. I didn't know where I was going; all I knew was that I had to get out. I touched my face where I had been kicked, dried blood from my slit lip and I could feel the side of my face swelling. Nothing to serious, just not easy on the eyes.
I wandered around, contstantly looking over my shoulder. Master could not find me or I was as good as dead. I made my way into a neighbors pasture and headed into a forest and decided I would wait the day out and figure out what to do tonight. I took out the rock and held it in my arms. It was like my security blanket.
I sighed. I had a long wait ahead of me, but there was nothing else I could think of doing.
