No Where to Run

  No Where to Run

  The Story of Alexis Rose

  Book One

  By: Raven K. Asher

  Copyright ©Raven K. Asher 2014

  Published by Raven K. Asher at Smashwords.

  This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights: you are not allowed to give, copy, scan, distribute or sell this book to anyone else.

  Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if we use one of these terms.

  Any people or places are strictly fictional and not based on anything else, fictional or non-fictional.

  Other Books by: Raven K. Asher

  “No Where to Run”

  (The Story of Alexis Rose)

  Book 1

  “No Where to Hide”

  (The Story of Alexis Rose)

  Book 2

  “No Where Left”

  (The Story of Alexis Rose)

  Book 3

  “The Invisible Butterfly”

  “When Worlds Collide and Stars Align”

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  To my loving husband who always supported me, and to my two beautiful daughters, who put up with “hold on mommy’s writing”. This is for you.

  Chapter 1

  Monday, August 26th

  Lying in bed from another sleepless night, I reach over to shut off the alarm that is screaming some popular country rock song.

  I don't know what the name of it is, or who it’s even sung by.

  That is how things have been, since my dad had left us.

  "Alexis!" My mom, Kathy, screams from downstairs. Oh hell, it seemed she was going to be in a mood this morning.

  Jumping out of bed, I rush out of my room and down the hall to the bathroom. Hopping into the shower I scrub myself down quickly, washing my hair and rinsing it.

  Minutes later, I turn off the water and towel myself dry, and then rush back to my room to get dressed. Grabbing my brush on the dresser I begin the arduous task of brushing out my long golden blond hair.

  Catching my reflection in the mirror, my jaw drops in shock, I couldn’t believe how long it had gotten. It was clear down to my waist!

  It's amazing the things you don't take notice of when you lived as a shell of yourself.

  Taking a deep breath in, I let it out slowly to calm myself.

  The last thing I needed to do is have a panic attack.

  Looking at my reflection in the mirror once more, I had to admit that I looked sad, and that was putting it nicely. I actually look downright depressed, which I guess I am.

  I sigh roughly and force myself to smile, but it quickly turns back into a frown.

  Again I force myself to smile since today is going to be my first day back to school since the accident. I had to try and be happy or at least appear that way.

  It had been a full six months.

  Six months of hiding from everyone, and everything. The cuts and bruises had healed earlier on, but my heart is still left broken. It still feels as if I lost a big piece of myself, and I’m afraid that I will never get that piece back.

  I’ve prayed and asked God day after day why I survived and dad hadn’t.

  I still haven’t gotten my answer, and I’ve all but given up. Sometimes I think I should have given up on praying to a God who doesn’t seem to listen a long time ago. But now, I mostly do it out of habit, hoping that maybe someday my prayers will be answered.

  I had just turned eighteen, and I had decided that today was going to be my day to get back to life.

  To living the way my dad would have wanted me to.

  I just wish it wasn’t so darn hard.

  "Alexis, you’re going to be late!" My mom screams again.

  "I’m coming, mom!" I yell out my door. I curse softly as I finish getting myself ready.

  Quickly putting on my clothes, and then sliding on a pair of sandals. I run my fingers through my still wet hair, deciding that I’ll have to just let it air dry, since I don’t have time to blow it dry.

  I groan loudly hating to have my hair wet.

  Promptly taking one last look in the mirror, I look closely at all five foot, six inches and one hundred ten pounds of myself.

  I’ve got curves in all the right places that most girls would kill for. I have an hour glass figure, as my late grandmother use to tell me, and my eyes are a deep blue, like my dad’s. My golden blonde hair is much like my moms.

  I glance down at what I’m wearing, a pair of tight, dark boot cut jeans and a plain black v-neck baby doll shirt make up my ensemble. It’s not much, but then again I haven’t cared much for fashion like I did before.

  I had always been known for my up to date look and my interest in the newest fashions, but since my dad died I didn’t see the reason in caring about how I looked.

  There were so many things that were more important in life. It’s just too bad I didn’t realize that till after I lost one of the most important things in my life.

  I guess that my loss of caring about fashion was a good thing though, and that I didn’t worry about what I wore, at least no one would notice me as much.

  "You can do this, Lex." I mumble to my reflection as I smooth out the invisible wrinkles on my shirt.

  "Are you talking to yourself again, sis?" My fraternal twin brother Duncan asks from the doorway.

  I shake my head no, and grab absently for my book bag. As I try to push past him he stands unmoving in the doorway watching me.

  Looking up at him I force myself to smile.

  He is only a few inches taller than me, has dark brown shaggy hair that is a lot like our dads had been, and his deep blue eyes are just like mine.

  I notice that he’s wearing his normal light gray tee shirt and dark wash boot cut jeans, with a few tears in them, along with his favorite dark brown cowboy boots.

  It sends a jolt through my heart as I study his features.

  It’s almost as if a younger version of our father is standing before me.

  "Are you going to be ok today, Lex?" My brother asks softly as his eyes continue to study me.

  "Yeah, I’ll be ok." I reply, finally pushing past him.

  I had to get away before I broke down.

  My brother had been my best friend for the past few months, my shoulder to cry on, and he was the only reason I kept on living.

  He alone had taken on the job that my mother should have.

  Instead of caring for us, our mother took to drinking and staying out late. She was hardly ever around, and when she was, it always meant trouble for Duncan and me.

  "Alexis Rose! Did you not hear me yelling?" Mom shrieks and glares up at me the moment I take a step into the kitchen.

  She’s sitting at the table with a mug of coffee and a bottle of Jack Daniels next to it.

  She drank it in almost everything she has, and I would even bet that if she could somehow inject into food and still get drunk, she probably would.

  "Yes mom, I heard you, and I’m sorry. I was getting ready and came down as fast as
I could." I sigh in relief as Duncan comes into the kitchen and stands by my side.

  He was always the one who had been able to easily diffuse our mom’s anger. I tense up as mom gives me another angry glassy eyed glare while taking a sip from her mug.

  "I don't want to hear your excuses, Alexis. You never would have given you father excuses. You were always his favorite, his good little girl. Now, you are nothing but a smart mouthed brat." My mother barks out, she looks at me with so much anger, like everything that went wrong in her life was somehow my fault.

  I feel Duncan’s hand brush against mine, giving me the tiniest amount of comfort.

  "Mom, why don't you go to bed, and get some sleep. Lexi and I are going to get to school before we’re late." Duncan states in a stern, no nonsense voice, as he grabs my hand pulling me to the front door.

  I suck back the tears that are quickly forming in my eyes.

  I wouldn’t let myself cry today.

  I didn’t fully understand why she was always so mean to me.

  Duncan glances to me before pulling me in for a quick hug. “Don’t let mom get to you, Lex. You know deep down she still loves you.”

  I nod absently.

  "I can do this. I can do this." I whisper to myself over and over as we continue to walk over to his big, black lifted F-150 truck.

  Dad had gotten him this truck on our last Christmas together.

  I had gotten a newer red Mustang. It's the car that I wrecked, the car that ruined our family.

  I quickly shake those awful thoughts from my head immediately, and climb into the passenger seat. I run my hand absently along the soft gray leather seats to calm myself as Duncan starts the truck and backs out of the drive.

  Looking back at our house I take in its entirety, it’s a large two story home with four bedrooms, two and a half baths. Being a ranch style home it has light tan siding and dark brown shudders on the windows. It even had a fancy red front door, and an attached garage to the side.

  The front porch runs the entire front of the house and has two large comfy swings to sit on. We had spent a lot of time on that porch as a family when my dad was around.

  There was also a large barn located farther behind the house. It had matching siding and windows along with big red barn doors.

  The house and barn sat directly in the middle of twenty acres of land, so there were no neighboring houses to be seen, only a dense forest of trees.

  The seclusion had been one of the many reasons my parents, mainly my dads, had bought it when we had still been kids.

  I take notice of the overgrown bushes out front.

  They looked badly in need of a good trim.

  Dad had always been the one to do that, he had always kept the house in tip top condition.

  I also notice that the grass is on the shaggy side too, and I instantly feel like a horrible, lazy, sister. Duncan must have been struggling, trying to keep up with everything by himself.

  I silently vow right then that I’d be a better sister and help him out more.

  ****

  After a short drive we pull into an empty space in the student parking lot.

  Our school was a typical large brick two story building, with smaller wings on either side. It was a small town school where everyone knew everybody, and everyone’s business.

  Sitting in the passenger seat I stare out at the building and the kids roaming around the outside. Now that we had arrived I didn’t know if I could actually go through with getting out of the truck.

  My breathing becomes heavier, and I place my hand to my chest as it starts to feel like someone is squeezing the life out of me.

  I’m having a panic attack.

  I quickly glance to Duncan who has thankful noticed the panic written on my face.

  It had been a while since I had had one of them, but he knew the warning signs.

  My vision and head begin to feel fuzzy, and I feel as if I can’t get enough oxygen to my lungs as I continue to pant for my next breath.

  Over and over in my head I keep telling myself that I must have been crazy to think I could do this.

  I couldn’t even sit in the parking lot without panicking.

  "Lexi, just breathe. Just take a deep breath. You can do this, I know you can." Duncan's words and his hand grabbing mine, swiftly pull me out of the fog.

  I take a deep breath in, and then let it out slowly.

  I repeat taking in a breath and letting it out slowly.

  "I can do this." I agree as I take another deep breath in and let it out slowly once again.

  I can feel myself finally calming down.

  "Lex, I know this is hard, but this will be good for you. It's a step in the right direction, and Dad would have wanted you to go on with your life." There is so much conviction in his tone that it gives me strength and as he watches the students wondering around, out the front windshield I wonder how I had gotten so lucky to have a brother like him.

  "I know, Dunc. Let’s go get this over with." I sigh as I open my door and leap out of the truck before my nerves can get the best of me again.

  Shutting my door, I sprint around the truck to my brothers’ side, and as I look up at him, he gives me a quick wink.

  "You got this, sis." He smiles brightly, before walking toward the school.

  His friends from the football team flock around him along with his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Becka.

  She smiles at me and gives a little wave.

  She hates my guts normally, but she’s always overly sweet to me, especially when my brother is around.

  She’s a very pretty girl, with short shoulder length light brown hair and bright brown doe eyes. She has the curves just like me, but she has the worst personality.

  She had always been jealous of the attention I had gotten.

  I was the kind of girl who most guys typically went for, blonde, curvy and sweet. I had been the cheer captain, straight a student, and a bit of a teacher’s pet.

  I had been friends with pretty much everyone, and she hated it.

  Giving her a small wave back, I continue on my way towards the school.

  My gaze quickly slides over to the group of tables near the front entrance and I notice my friends watching my approach.

  Melody “Mel” had been my best friend, before the accident. She had short dark brown wavy hair, brown eyes. She was short and thin, and had more of a boyish figure, but she made up for it with her larger than life personality.

  I smile nervously as she waves me over. Pausing I began to feel myself panic again.

  I was completely terrified that they would act differently around me.

  Taking a deep breath I remind myself that they were still my friends, and that I could do this.

  I continue to take deep breaths as I gradually walk toward them.

  Lucy and Katie are there along with twin brothers Kane and Kale.

  Unlike me and Duncan, they were identical twins. Both of them had jet black, short cut hair and emerald green eyes.

  The only way you could really tell them apart was by their hair, Kale’s hair was kept a little longer and he always looked as if he just rolled out of bed, and Kane had more of a styled perfection to his hair.

  Both were tall, at six foot, two inches, tan and physically fit. They turned girls into mush everywhere they went.

  Both are wearing their normal tight white tee shirts and low rise worn out jeans along with deep brown work boots. It was unusual to see them in anything else, since both of them worked hard on their father’s farm when they weren’t in school.

  Then there is Lucy and Katie, they were the two lucky girls that had caught Kane and Kale’s attentions.

  Lucy was more of a Goth type chick. She was a tiny bit taller than me, but had a slim body with smaller curves, long straight black hair, and dark charcoal around her light blue eyes. She wore black skinny jeans and a deep red baby doll tee with deep red wedge heeled sandals.

  Lucy was outgoing and always dramatic, wh
ere as Katie was more like me, blonde hair, blue eyes, short and curvy, but she was super quiet and shy.

  Katie was sitting between Kane's knees, and she was wearing a short black skirt with a low cut white shirt. She also had on white sandals with at least a three inch heel, and they laced up her legs to her knees.

  Glancing up shyly she gives a small shy smile and wave.

  Lucy is sitting next to Kale on the top of the table, I watch on as she leans in to whisper something to Kale.

  Nodding, he proceeds to then jump off the table to jog over and greet me.

  Kale had always been like a second brother to me. We had been great friends even before kindergarten.

  As he reaches me, he grabs me into a big bear hug, and then as he pulls back he scuffs up my hair much like an older brother would do to a little sister.

  "Hey!" I yell trying to be angry, but I fail to hold back my growing grin.

  "I knew I could get my monkey to smile." Kale laughs out.

  He had called me monkey since first grade, after we went on a field trip to the zoo. He had said I smiled like the monkeys, and since then that had always been his pet name for me.

  "You’re never going to stop calling me monkey, are you?" I mock pout as I roll my eyes.

  "Nope, you will always be my monkey." He replies with a goofy grin before scuffing my hair again. Good god by the time he’s done it’s going to be a wreck.

  Smiling ever so sweetly at him, I raise my hand behind his back and smack the back of his head. I giggle loudly as I take off running toward our friends.

  It was just like old times.

  He had completely gotten me to forget about everything else.

  I skid to a stop right before approaching the table, my nerves suddenly getting the better of me, yet again.

  I felt horrible that I hadn't talked to any of them in months, and I felt like an awful friend for shutting them all out.

  I smile timidly as I walk the last few feet to them.