have you ever just turned off all the lights in the house, turned off the TV, shut down the music coming from your room, and just sit on the couch, listening to what can be heard?

Probably not, but when Stacey Varco's home alone, it's exactly what she does.

She isn't allowed to go outside, and when she does, she has to have every inch of skin covered.

This rule has nothing to do with religion, but more so just her parents making unnecessary rules.

1. No going outside

2. Go to bed at 7:00 PM

3. Never talk back/ always do what your told

4. Act like a lady

5. School six days a week

6. Marry who we tell you when the time comes

7. You MUST have a boy when you are married to out choice of groom for you

8. Tell us you love us 3x a day

9. Wake up at 7:30 AM on school days

10. Follow these rules

Those were the rules she followed, and hated.

She got up from the couch, going over to the large bay window. She pulled back the curtains, peeking out.

'Tree, tree, tree, clearing, tree, tree, tree...' she thought, looking at her never changing- 'wait. Clearing?'

There had never been a clearing before.

She ran over to the front porch, grabbing a coat and slipping on a pair of combat boots.

She paused for a second. 'Should I be doing this...? ... yes. For... uh... Science!' she reassured herself, before swinging the door open and running out.

She jogged over to the clearing, seeing that it looked forced and unnatural. Branches, trunk, leaves, roots, bushes, ground, all of these looked torn and jostled and broken.

'Maybe it was a UFO' she humored, continuing down the path.

She saw smoke as she walked further down the path. She began to believe it really was a UFO.

When she was a good six miles away from her home, and the smoke had increased (making it hard to breath), she saw something.

It was the size of her hand, shiny, and circular.

She bent down, picking it up.

She felt need to protect the object, and held it close to her chest.

As she un-bent her left knee, ready to stand, the small (possible) UFO began to shake and glow and radiate heat.

She set it down, backing away from it.

Suddenly, the air stopped moving. And after a few seconds, it began to blow again. And all the smoke vanished into the (now probable) UFO.

She began to hyperventilate. Falling on her back, scratching at her neck for breath.

Stacey was more scared then she had been when her mother said she had to marry a groom of their choice. More scared then when her father said he'd beat her if she didn't do what was asked of her. More scared then when her brother said that he loved her more than he should. More scared than when she left the front porch earlier that day.

Soon, Stacey was seeing stars, and had black spots in her vision. Everything was spinning and she heard a car pull up in the distance.

As she took what she thought would be her last everything, a small, cold, hand touched her forehead.

"it's not your time yet, miss." An equally small voice spoke, it barely above a whisper.

"you have things to do, and people to take care of."

Soon, there was a face. brown curly hair that reached just above her ears, soft, kind, green eyes and tan skin. The face, which Stacey identified to be a young female girl, had a kind glow.

The girl helped Stacey sit up.

"Why are you here?" The girl asked.

"I saw a clearing... and wanted to check it out."

"Why do look so pale?"

"I almost died?" Cocking one eyebrow, and knitting them together she said.

"No, I mean in general."

"I haven't been outside for a while."

The girl didn't say much more after that. They sat there and stared at each other.

"Stacey!? Where are you?!!" Voices called, belonging to her parents.

"I need to go," Stacey said, her eyes dropping to the forest floor.

"No,"

"What?"

"Stay with me. We can play and laugh and be happy," The girl said, standing up and reaching out a hand.

Stacey could hear her parents getting closer. She knew she had to make a decision.

"I don't know..." She muttered. The urge to go with the girl was strong, but she was unsure of weather that was a good idea or not.

"There she is!" her father screamed.

Stacey whipped her head around, eyes wide.

"Run away with me..."

"Alright."