Heated Abscondment

Chapter Two

7 years before

A young woman sat behind her table in front of the judge. She answered his questions. There should be no reason he won’t grant this. He had indicated during their first court date that if she follows the directions dictated, he’d grant it.

But it didn’t change how nervous she was or scared it would be denied.

She wanted this more than anything.

It was the last string to her foster family to cut. The last bridge of the horrors from her past to burn.

And one of the first steps she’s taking towards her new, her own identity.

“If I remember correctly, you said the name you’re changing to was the name you had prior to your adoption?”

“The last name, yes sir, It was my birth last name.”

“But you’re changing your first name, too, it looks like?”

“Yes, sir. It was a name my mother wanted to name me.”

“But you said your parents died when you were young. How do you know this?”

“I was able to keep a baby book of mine and she had written in it.”

The judge nodded understandably. What she hadn’t told him was exactly how her parents died, and what exactly was written in the baby book. Her mother had left her a stack of letters with the book. Those written words by her mother’s hand along with the few bright and warm memories of her mother’s love, are the most precious thing to her. While the name her father had given her and the name of the family that adopted and abused her was a reminder of her most hated memories.

Which was why she was here.

In court changing her name.

The judge didn’t need to know why she hated her foster family.

That her foster family hated her and abused her. That when she went crying to her so called “parents” after their oldest son r***d her, they laughed at her. They told her that she shouldn’t dress the way she does if she doesn’t want male attention. Jeans and hoodies made up most of her wardrobe, but that still didn’t stop Joel from forcing himself onto her. Which he did regularly. One time she couldn’t take it anymore and got a lock for her door. Ben, or “Dad”, made her take off her shirt and lower her pants. Her pants wrapped around her ankles while he whipped her bare back and ass with his belt.

Ben never forced himself on her like his son did, but she’s pretty sure when he hit her was what did it for him. He’d take his hand, a belt, or wooden spoon to her for the smallest infractions she did. He’d always take a shower afterwards and she’s pretty sure she saw his crotch be wet a few times.

When she got her acceptance letters for college, it was the highlight of her life. The Smith’s tried to force her hand to stay and sabotage her attempts entering college, like throwing away any letters she tried to mail off.

Thanks to the school counselor and her math teacher’s help, she did her paperwork at and sent it from the school. She ended up with a full ride scholarship at a small junior college. Her counselor helped set the paperwork up at the college that nothing will go to the Smith’s. That as far as the college is concerned is that she will be an unsupported adult. Her math teacher helped her get a part time job as an office assistant of sorts to the math professor. Her plan was to then to transfer to a state university after she finished and saved some money at the junior college. She was enrolled, had a dorm room set up for her, and a part time job.

The Smith’s were still trying to prevent her moving out and keep her from going to college.

With some help of friends, she gathered her things in two laundry baskets, a duffle bag, and a few trash bags. In the middle of the night, with each carrying an armful, they carefully tread down the stairs, skipping over the creaky stairs they were warned about. They tiptoed through the house and out the door to the friend’s compact suv. They loaded up their friend’s things, piled in, and drove off with whoops of glee.