My bedroom door flew open.

"Salina! What are you doing?" Mrs. Dorsey demanded.

I put my book down and sarcastically answered, "Snowboarding."

"Don't you use that tone with me! I came up here to tell you that Mr. Dorsey will be taking you to your new foster home tommorrow morning at six A.M. sharp!" She shouted.

I wasn't very shocked. I'd been through dozens of foster homes throughout my life.

"Why?" I asked

"What do you mean why?" She questioned.

"I want to know why I need a new foster home."

Her expression changed from annoyed to outraged.

"You're unwanted here! You're unwanted everywhere! You're such a little lost girl!" She screeched while storming out of the room.

I won't lie, she was telling the truth. I'm just an unwanted and unloved lost girl.

I felt a warm, wet tear slide down my cheek

"No Salina! You can't cry! That shows weakness!" I mentally scolded myself.

That's when the thought entered my mind. I could run away.

It would be easy, just wait until everyone's asleep, grab some clothes and money, hop out the window, And tadaa, I've made it!

Just thinking about it made me squirm in anticipation.

--------------------------------------------

Packing List

*Clothes

*Shoes

*$210.00

*Instant Camera

"Why do you need a packing list?" A high pitched voice asked, causing me to jump.

I picked the little girl up and spun around.

"I told you to knock Martha May!" I scolded jokingly.

Her blonde pigtails bounced as she shook with laughter.

"Sorry!" She managed to say between laughs.

I put her down and she continued to beg, "Please tell me, pretty please with a cherry on top?"

I sighed and said,"You can't tell anyone, but I'm umm.." I trailed of trying to think of something, " Going to Neverland."

"With Peter Pan and the Lost Boys?" She asked with wide, wondrous eyes.

"Yes, but if you tell anyone I won't be able to go, so you have to promise not to tell anyone ok?"

"Ok!" She agreed cheerfully.

She began to walk out the door when she turned around and said, "Oh and Mommy wanted me to tell you it's time for dinner."

"I think she means eat the leftovers from the meal they already had." I thought.

I unwillingly walked down stairs and sat at the table.

"Took you long enough you brat." Mr. Dorsey mumbled.

I ignored him and looked at my "plethora" of food items, a half slice of ham, bread crumbs, and a tiny helping of green beans.

"Eat up pig!" Mrs. Dorsey shouted.

I quietly gobbled up the food and attempted to sneak back upstairs.

"Wait! Come back here" Mrs. Dorsey squawked.

I slowly shuffled back down the steps and stood in front of her. I refused to meet her gaze.

She smirked and said, "I can't leave you without a goodnight hug."

I stood stiff as a board as she wrapped her disgusting tentacles around me.

The only reason she did that was because if child protective services would get involved they would think she was a loving foster mother. Obviously she would be payed better too.

"Goodnight Salina!" She hollered as I sulked up the stairs.

The second I reached my room I shut the door and locked it. It was time to get down to business.

I stuffed my clothes in my little backpack. It was mostly flannels and elbow length button up sweaters. Then I grabbed my bright orange camera.

I held it in my hands and tried to remember the moment I got it, but I couldn't. I was too young. All I remembered was my Mother gave it to me when I was around two years old. It was the only possession I truly owned.

I placed it delicately in my bag. Now for the money. I had it stashed away in a little shoe box under my bed. Little did anyone know I had been stealing money from all of my foster families. It took me a while, but dollar by dollar, I gathered the money I needed.

Finally, my shoes. I put my Chuck Taylors and flip-flops in my bag and slipped on my Nikes.

Then I waited.

I decided to look at the little bracelets Martha May gave me. One was a braided leather bracelet that had a charm on it that said "I Believe." The other was a silver chain with a little bottle on it that had a little printed out piece of paper that said, "Second Star to the Right." both were references to Neverland.

It seemed like hours, but at 3:00 in the morning I heard no movement around the house. Finally I slid out my bedroom window with my backpack and said goodbye to Philadelphia. Except that's not what happened. Not at all.

The second I opened my window a dark, shadowy, figure grabbed me and before I knew it I was flying high in the sky.