The Breaking Point
Layla had been in the Harris house for three weeks when she realized she couldn't take it anymore.
Kevin's whisper — "You're not family. You're just here until they get tired of you." — replayed in her head every night.
She tried being the good girl. The quiet one. The perfect guest. But it never felt like enough.
And through it all, she missed Jayden so bad it hurt in her chest like a bruise.
One night, staring at the ceiling in the dark, she made up her mind.
She wasn't going to wait to be moved again. She wasn't going to disappear into another house where nobody really wanted her.
She was going to find her brother.
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The Escape
The house was quiet after lights out. The older boys were asleep, their snores echoing faintly down the hall. Mrs. Harris's footsteps had faded an hour ago.
Layla slipped out of bed, heart pounding, clutching her stuffed bunny in one hand. She put on her sneakers and tiptoed to the window. It stuck at first, but she pushed harder, teeth clenched, until it creaked open.
Cold night air rushed in. The street outside was dark, only the faint glow of a streetlight on the corner.
She hesitated, legs trembling. Then she climbed out, dropping softly onto the grass below.
Her chest thudded with fear — and a spark of freedom.
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The Walk
She didn't know where she was going. She just walked, bunny clutched to her chest, eyes darting around the empty streets.
"Jayden," she whispered, as if saying his name would guide her.
She passed closed shops, rows of dark houses, a barking dog behind a fence that made her jump. Every shadow looked like a threat. But she kept walking.
Her plan was simple: keep moving until she found him. She didn't care if it took all night.
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The Reality
But the world wasn't safe for little girls wandering alone.
A car slowed as it passed. A man leaned out the window. "Hey, kid, you lost?"
Layla froze.
Her heart leapt into her throat. She shook her head fast, backing away.
The car rolled a little farther, then stopped. The man's door opened.
Panic shot through her. She turned and ran.
Her sneakers slapped against the pavement, breath ragged, stuffed bunny banging against her chest. She didn't dare look back.
---
The Return
She didn't stop running until she saw the Harris house again. Tears blurred her vision as she scrambled back to the window. She shoved it open, climbed inside, and collapsed on her bed, clutching her bunny tight.
Her body shook. She buried her face in the pillow to muffle the sobs.
She hadn't found Jayden. She hadn't escaped the system.
She was still trapped.
But in the dark, she whispered anyway:
"I tried, Jay. I really tried."
And with that, exhaustion dragged her into sleep — the stuffed bunny wet with tears, the memory of headlights burned into her mind.