I've been sleeping soundly next to a random stranger's home. Where it is just across the fence, they haven't seen me sleeping on the ground there. If I'm covered by my blankets, my pillow, and my fox plushie, it can't be a problem. I ate the food that was still in the foil, which made me thirstier. Maybe I should visit a restaurant to ask for a free bottle of water. My best guess is that they will see images of me with my face printed on them on the TV or on the walls. The red and blue lights startled me as they passed me. When it was moving in the direction I had left the condo, it scared me and made my heart race. My eyes were burning, I must've not gotten enough sleep ever since I left. I really hold my regrets against my actions.

When my angel appeared next to me, I immediately felt protected. I wish I could have been on the same train before all of this. The angel knelt down next to me and gave me the signal to start walking. It's time to gather my belongings and go to the church where I belong. Without her, I'll be so lost.

"I can't move anymore, I'm tired."

Once I started moving while carrying my bookbag and duffle bag, my entire body gave out on me. When I moved forward, the bottoms of my feet had the sensation of a needle. As I moved up, my knees felt like they were made of jelly.

The angel extended her hand and beckoned, "Come on, you can do this."

"I told you I couldn't do it."

"Try."

I obeyed and raised myself without objecting. "I'm up."

"From where you are standing, it is much farther away." She says it with dignity.

I took off my poncho and replaced it with my long gray hoodie to blend my bushy red hair inside it. I began to sprint away from the scene after hearing a dog bark from the other side of the fence. An officer who was looking for me was asking some of the citizens' questions. I came to a stop and sat down to take a look on a bench at a bus stop. It was the same person who asked Achilles if he had ever seen me before. Bells from twenty minutes away were ringing for some reason. It's obvious that's the church. I can arrive in time for it to end before the search party arrives for me. On a Wednesday, the church would end around ten o'clock, according to Achilles.

Time Skip:

When I saw the elderly people coming out from the front, I hid behind the church building as the church bells rang again. I had to wait until everyone had left and gotten in their cars before I could enter. I saw my angel emerge from behind me and use her special telekinetic power to unlock the back door.

"What the heck?"

How can a ghost or a paranormal activity figure unlock the door like this?

"Enter from this way." The angel told me and vanishes.

As I climbed the stairs, I peeked around the back to see if anyone was watching me. When I opened the door, it was completely dark. I shut the door behind me and turned around to face the light. It was another room known as the nave, which is the main body of the church I was going into. I can be sure that I will be safe in this place because it is the house of God. I have been very religious ever since I was born and realized how strong my faith was.

It was incredible to see the sanctuary in person; Patrick and Hope had never taken Josh and me to church. I would need to ask Mr. Freeman or my aunt and uncle if I went. I made my way all the way to the back down the aisle, starting from the front. For tonight, I made the decision to use a bench as my bed and a duffel bag as a pillow. I didn't need the blankets since the room was warm.

"My phone is freaking gone, and I can't use it at all now." I looked up at the ceiling with my arms crossed. I fumbled below the foot for my bookbag, unzipping it, and took my Walkman and headphones out. "At least I have this."

I heard a frequency playing the song "I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe" as I turned the Walkman's knob. I hummed along with the song while closing my eyes. This must be one of my favorite songs based on the music I've heard.

It wasn't long before I was dozing off, and this time I had a dream in which I was once again seeing the train. The train began to move after I boarded it. It was warm, like being by a fire or at a campsite; it wasn't freezing. I could see myself telling ghost stories while camping with friends. It felt like heaven as I drove through fields of white flowers and trees. Real life simply left me; I never tried to leave it.

"The landscape is very peaceful out there." I turned around when I heard the angel's voice speaking from behind me. I'm not sure how many times this can go on.

"And never forgetting it." I chuckled.

"What's on your mind?"

"I'm sick of..." I find it difficult to express how I feel because it hurts me terribly. "I'm sick of running. I'm sick and tired of abandoning those who have supported me." I found that by expressing my rage and grief, my guardian could better understand me. "It just seems like every time you try to find happiness in your life, you want to keep it all for yourself and spread it around to everyone you care about. I never had that when I left. Josh took some time to apologize to me: Those monsters are in jail, and my entire family is being affected by my issues."

The angel gave me a hug. "They care enough about you to tell you themselves."

"I just want to find my parents; I want to know what home is like to me without running." Wiping my tears away, I breathed in and out to regain my thoughts. "Why can't you tell me your name?"

You only need to be aware that the solutions are right in front of you. She speaks as if she has patience. "I promise you'll know who I am."

"I wish... I wish you were my mother."

"I know."

"When will I be able to find my parents? How much more can I do?"

"Child, have faith. You'll recognize them."

The dream came to a close when I opened my eyes to see that it was already daylight outside. When I lifted my head to see the image of Mary and the baby Jesus, I turned to look at the windows all around me. Inside the nave, the hues of red, blue, and gold shimmer.

"Pretty." My head snapped behind me when I heard someone inside. "Shoot."

The mysterious stranger who is currently walking down the aisle caught my attention, so I jumped under the pew to hide. I held my breath as I heard a man humming what I thought to be a spiritual song. He came forward, saw me hiding, and his feet stopped exactly where I was in the row.

I promise not to hurt you; all I want to know is your name. He warned me not to run while looking at me.

I felt like such a fool for being a fool as I stooped down to crawl out of the pew.

"If you didn't already know, my name is Elora. My name is advertised in the media and on store bulletin boards."

The man did recognize me; now, my only guess is that he might turn me into the police. Which he didn't.

The preacher shakes his head as he tries to make sense of what is happening. "You're the missing girl who has been on the run?"

I nodded.

This kind of behavior from a young girl is not what I would anticipate. The preacher was moving. He waved his hand and said, "However, if you tell me the reason for this." "...deed you've acted out, I'll think about trying to keep you safe here."

It's not a bad choice to make; my thoughts might as well run wild "Since the day I was born, my adoptive parents have abused me. Before coming here, I used to live up there in Michigan. All the places I went with them, they always claimed I was their daughter, never letting on that I was an adopted child." I settled into a pew to feel more at ease. "When I turned twelve this year, in September, I went into their closet after overhearing them talking about me. I could see the papers inside the orange envelope."

"Adoption papers?"

"Yes, it had my biological parents' names on it. I can't remember their names."

I'm sorry, Elora, that you had to experience that. The preacher spoke with solid empathy.

"They're already in jail, and I'm trying to avoid the police,"

"Keeping you here alone without an adult or babysitter is wrong, but I'll help you." He concurred. How about staying put while I go get breakfast?

"I appreciate it."

The preacher smiled as he walked past me and removed his preacher attire. As he exits the room, he says, "By the way, it's Jacob."