The bell rang, dismissing the students from class. Jiyeon and Boram walked outside and started on there way home. While all the other students were overjoyed to leave school and go be with their families, Jiyeon walked silently, a sense of dread surrounding her.

Boram nudged her friend in a attempt to make her feel better.

"Is my Snow white sad about having to go home?"

"I am not snow white.." she mumbled.

A sly grin slid across Boram's face. Her friend was denying the fact that she was indeed a living breathing Snow white.

"Yes you are. You have a dead father and a evil, not to mention abusive, stepmother. Of course in the story Snow white's stepmother never beat her the way yours does but.... im not making you fell any better am i? Sorry..."

Jiyeon let out a big sigh as she realized that they had arrived at her house. She waved goodbye to her friend then quietly went inside. 

Having made it upstairs into her room without drawing any attention to herself, she sat down and began studying for a upcoming test.

                                                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a good 30 minutes and Jiyeon's mother had not bothered to check on her. Jiyeon had begun to relax. She the radio while she studied. Then Jiyeon's mother barged in.

"PARK JIYEON! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!" 

"Mother i was just-" She tried to answer. but was rudely cut off.

"WHY ARE YOU SITTING IN HERE?! DID YOU FORGET YOU HAVE CHORES!?" Jiyeon was surprised. She had no chores to do today, but her stepmother continued to yell at her.

"GET YOUR LAZY A$S OUT OF THIS ROOM! YOU HAVE TO WASH THE DISHES, CLEAN THE CLOTHES, WATER THE PLANTS, WASH THE CAR, CLEAN THE FLOORS , AND IF YOU DONT GET UP IN THE NEXT 10 SECONDS IM GOING TO BEAT YOU!"

"But mother.. i did all that yesterday. Do i really have to do it all again today?" Rage covered her mothers face as she stormed out of the room and came back with....

the belt.

The same belt Jiyeon had been beaten with many times before.

  "I'LL TEACH YOU NOT TO QUESTION ME!!" Her mother yelled as she pulled on Jiyeon's wrist, bringing her closer, then lifted the belt up high.

                                                                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jiyeon laid on her bed and nursed her wounds and marks. She had gotten yet another undeserved beating. Tears started flowing down her cheeks, then she broke out into a fit of tears. She laid there in the darkness of her room and sobbed into her pillow. She rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. She had stopped crying, but her cheeks were wet and her head throbbed.

"I wont take this anymore..." She whispered to herself.

She stood from her bed and the lamp. She walked of to her dresser and searched through it until she found what she was looking for. She puled out a knife and held it up to . She had been thinking about doing this for along time, but had finally made up her mind. Just before she slid it across , her eyes fell upon something else in that drawer. A picture of her and her parents. She was a baby being held in her mothers arms.

She dropped the knife and stared at the picture. She couldn't do it. Her parents wouldn't want her to. Instead she picked up her school bag and dumped everything in it on the floor. She then began filling it with clothes. She put all her money in a hidden compartment then slung the bag over her shoulder. Jiyeon tucked the picture into her pocket, then quietly made her way down stairs.

                                                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jiyeon stood there in front of the door. With just the turn of a handle, she could be free. She reached out to grab it then froze in her track as she heard a familiar voice. 

"What do you think you are doing Jiyoen?" 

It was her stepmother. Jiyeon was no idiot. She knew her own stepmother, and she knew if she turned back now then she would only receive another beating. So instead, she ran. Out the door and down the street, all the while she was being followed by her mother. Jiyeons's step mother yelled and called after her, but turning back was not an option now. Jiyeon dodged into the forest and she ran. She ran as fast and as far as she could, but to no avail.

Her stepmom was still trailing behind her. Her chest constricted, she could hardly breathe, and she had started to cry again, but she kept running.

Then finally her mothers yells faded, she turned around and was relieved to see no one was following her.

Out of breath she laid at the base of a large tree and began to cry herself to sleep.