Today is the day I’m going to escape and finally leave this hell hole. My foster parents will be gone for at least twenty more minutes so I have some time. I could hear my heart beat in my ears as I shuffled through my dresser drawers and shoved clothes in a duffle bag. This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been through this. At my old foster home, every day was a battle. I ran away to my hometown for a few days until the police found me and I was placed in a new home. This time I was determined to succeed and be free of the system. I collected my few belongings, most importantly the picture of my mother and I was she was still alive, and flung the bag over my shoulder. I put my hood over my head and walked out the door, never looking back.