It was late at night. Everybody in the house was asleep and silent, but me.

I had been packing a backpack. I had money, my phone, food, and a blanket. I looked around my room and in the corner of my spotted the last thing my aunt had given to me before her death.

It was a huge stuffed animal, took up almost all of my mattress. I decided there’s no way for me to take it.

I stared at it, memories of my aunt flooding my brain. My heart started to burn. I grabbed my bag made my way towards the window beside the mattress, and the stuffed animal.

“I’m so sorry, aunt.”

I stared at the lifeless stuffed animal one more time. Tears swam in my eyes, dripping down my face. I had to leave it. There’s no way I could carry that thing down the streets.

It continued to stare back, the brown fur and black beady eyes reminding me of when I received it.

She held it out to me, excited. It’s name was Brownie but I changed it to Pancake. I was only 5. I am now 14, running away.

I reached out for the window latch and began to push it open. The cold wind blew against my short hair, and almost froze my fingers.

“Goodbye, Pancake, and aunt.”

“Goodbye”

I jumped, and fell back into my room.

“Who said that!” I whispered, trying to not wake up my family and receive a punishment.

“No time. Go,” The voice called out.

“No who are you?”

“We will meet again.”

Suddenly I felt a little push towards the window. I looked around my room and to the stuffed animal.

“Thank you.”

I climbed out the window and fell onto the grass. It was time to leave everything behind.

The pain, the sorrow, was all going to the past. Tears fell down and face and onto the ground and I started to run. I ran though the cold air, cutting through the smells of grass and wet dirt.

I didn’t look back this time.

And I won’t ever again.