FLASHBACK 3 YEARS EARLIER > >

Danielle looked around the house at her sisters and her mother. They all >seemed happy, but Danielle knew that it was all a lie, at least for her >sisters it was. Tonight was going to be the night that they left. The six >of them had been planning their escape for months, knowing that if they >didn't leave soon something terrible was going to happen. Looking over to >her stepfather, Danielle cringed. It was because of this man that the girls >were leaving their poor mother behind. Their mother, who was so blindly in >love with the man, that she didn't see that he beat her children. > >

Danielle eyed the half empty bottle of Jack Daniels in the mans hand and >knew that there was going to be trouble that night. He was going to take a >swing at one of them and she only hoped her mother would see it. Danielle's >sister Paris was sitting near the fireplace lost in thought. Danielle and >Paris had been the ones who had planned the whole thing. As the oldest they >felt that it was their responsibility to take care of the others and getting >them out of the house was the only way they could accomplish that. > >

Walking over to Paris, Danielle looked at her sister and motioned for her to >follow her upstairs. "I don't think we should wait, Paris. He's been >drinking, which means he will go on a tirade before he passes out and I >don't think the girls should have to go through that tonight, especially not >Deanna," Danielle whispered as they walked up the stairs. > >

"You're right, let's get the stuff in the car as quickly as possible and >then we can get the girls. You have the gun and the money we saved up >right?" Paris asked her sister as they entered Emma and Brooke's room. > >

"Yeah the money is in my suitcase and then I also have some in my pocket. >The gun is under my pillow, I'll grab that when we go to leave," Danielle >said as she opened the closet door and pulled out four suitcases. Handing >two of them to Paris the girls quietly walked down the stairs and out the >front door. > >

It took the two of them only 10 minutes to get all of the girls stuff into >their mothers Ford Explorer, that Danielle was going to drive, and into >Paris's Saturn SL. As they walked into their mother's house for the last >time, their stepfather was waiting for them at the door. > >

"What in the hell, do you two think you are doing?" he slurred. > >

"We're leaving here. We 're taking the girls and we are getting away from >you and your abuse," Danielle said as she tried to pass him and go up the >stairs. > >

"Oh no you're not," ha said as he slapped her across the face. > >

Danielle brought her hand up to her cheek to check for blood, glaring at the >man in front of her all the while. > >

"You think that we are afraid of you? You think hitting me now is going to >make a difference? It's too late asshole, we are already through with you. >You can't scare us any longer," Danielle screamed. > >

"Is that so?" He asked as he looked around the room at all of the girls. >The youngest still looked a little frightened, but Danielle and Paris kept >their heads high and looked him straight in the eye. The man then looked >at his wife who was standing in the doorway confused. Smiling he looked >back down at Danielle and balled up his fist. "I think I can change that." >And then he punched her in the face causing her to fall to the ground. > >

"What are you doing? Why did you just hit my daughter?" Their mother >screamed. > >

"Mom, he's been doing this for years, but you were too blind to see it," >Emma yelled back. > >

"Yeah bitch, your lucky I wasn't hitting you, but now that they're leaving >you might be next," he said as he walked over to his wife and grabbed her >hair. > >

"Don't you ever fucking lay a hand on my girls again," she said through >clenched teeth. > >

"And what are you going to do about it?" He said as he slapped her. > >

By this time Danielle was back on her feet watching the whole scene. Paris >was ushering the girls out to the cars so they wouldn't have to see the >situation that was going down in the house. Running upstairs Danielle >grabbed the last of her stuff and the gun that was waiting for her under her >pillow. The gun had been given to her by her real father before he had died >5 years earlier. He had taught her and Paris how to use it and told them to >never let anyone hurt them. > >

"Don't you dare hit her again," she said as he came into the living room, >the gun pointed straight at him. > >

"You little bitch, you won't shoot me remember what I did to your little >sister Deanna, I'll do the same to you," the man said coldly. > >

"What did he do to Deanna?" Their mother asked looking first to Danielle and >then to Paris who had come back into the house. > >

"He raped her mom, he fucking raped her," Danielle said as tears welled up >in her eyes and then she shot him in the chest. > >

"Girls go," their mom said as she ran towards them. > >

"But mom, why don't you come with us?" > >

"They will look for you if I go with you, if I stay here I can take the >blame and pretend like you were never around. I have something for you that >I have been saving for awhile," she said as she grabbed a vase off of the >table in the hallway. Pulling out a box, she handed it to Paris. "There >should be close to a million dollars in that box, it should help you find a >place and get you situated." > >

"Where should we go?" Danielle asked her. > >

"Anywhere, my beautiful girls, anywhere. Where ever the car stops you'll >live there," she answered. "Now go before he gets up. We will meet again >girls, I promise. I love you and I am sorry I brought this upon you." > >

The girls got into the cars and drove off. > >

END FLASHBACK > >

I remember we drove nearly non-stop for five days until we came to a little >town named Cameron, North Carolina. It had been Paris' idea to come here. >

She had read a lot about North Carolina and had always been interested in >visiting there. Plus it was far enough from California where he could never >find us again. We took the money that mom had given us and bought a house >in the small town, one that could fit all six of us no problem. Things were >looking brighter for me and my sisters and I could only hope that it would >stay that way. >