Em ran. She was built for running with her long legs. Thankfully right now she wasn't running from something but if she needed to she could. It was her last few hours in the Stratford House and as run down as the place was and for all its problems Em still thought of it as home. She'd awoken at five thirty this morning which was unusual even for an early riser like her.

Unable to fall back asleep Em had gotten up and changed from the jeans that she'd fallen asleep in into a pair of sweats and a T-Shirt. Every morning Em would go for a half hour run but today she didn't follow her normal route or a time limit. Em ran past all of her old haunts that she wouldn't see for a long time. She ran through the park and the forest that edged it, then she went down 1st street past a couple of name brand stores that she "frequented" only the ones that were to oblivious to catch her though. She wouldn't be seeing them for a while either.

When Em finally slowed down for air it was nearing seven O'Clock. She should get back to the house soon and start to pack. The place didn't have running water so Em had taken to grabbing showers at the local pool or gym when she could. Em started to run again taking a U-Turn through one of the suburbs on her way back. Em started down a street thinking about how it would be a long time till she saw any of this ever again. She stopped dead. She must have come her unconsciously, not really thinking about where she was going cause if she'd been thinking about it Em would have given this place a wide berth. This was where her old home was, her last foster home before she'd taken to the streets.

Em started running again fast, picking up speed as she ran no longer thinking about conserving her energy. She crossed the street as the house approached and she pushed herself harder feeling like any second one of them would come out of the house. About how it might turn out like the old days. If the cops would send her back there. Finally she was past the house but Em kept running and this time she was running from something, a memory.

When Em got insight of the Stratford House she collapsed in the grass of the park across the street tears streaking down her face. Even all these years later she didn't even know if they lived there anymore but the sight of the house still filled her with dread. Like the days when she was return home so late and he'd be waiting for her. No, she was done with that. She wasn't going to be that weak, scared little girl anymore.

Em used the water from one of the park's water fountains to wash the dirt off her hands and the tears from her face before she returned to the Stratford House. She was glad that it was shrouded in trees and unmanaged hedges because it provided her cover for how she entered. Even from the inside Em had never been able to get the doors of the house open therefore she turned to her gift.

As Em approached the door she let the cool wonderful feeling wash over it. It was like having cool clear water wash down her body, it felt so liberating. She made sure to maintain the density of her feet above the rest to stop from sinking into the porch though it was more feeling than thought really. Em walked to the door but didn't stop. She just kept walking and her body passed right through the door. It almost hurt. It was never quite like that with anything else but whatever lined the walls of the house was incredibly dense. The first time that Em had done it she'd been sore and covered in bruises for the next week. She'd gotten some practice since then.

The lights above flicked. Well at least the emergency generator was working. Most days it was a fifty fifty shot at whether she'd have electricity or not and it wasn't like she could call someone to have a look at it.

Em walked up the rickety stairs to her bedroom. It was the only room in the house where everything hadn't degraded and Em had made an effort to fix it up nicly. It had an ancient four poster bed that through some miracle had not started to rot. She'd had to get a new mattress and curtains for it which hadn't been easy but she'd pulled it off. The wall paper was peeling but Em thought it gave the room character.

She pulled a very old suitcase that had been in the house when she'd arrived out from under her bed and put all the things in the world that she owned into it. Two changed of cloths, a handful of on the go snacks just in case, her toiletries, a very precious sketchbook, a single book that she'd read numerous times and the supplies that she'd need for university (books, paper, pencils etc).

Em was ready to go but the bus didn't leave for another hour and that was getting her there early as it was. Em spent the time at the local pool washing the sweat and dirt from her run off of her body. Then she retrieved her suitcase from the House and went to the bus stop. Her shower had run long and Em only just made the bus. Good, it wouldn't do to be late on her first day.

When the bus finally arrived Em thanked the driver and walked up to Stalwart University. It was a beautiful place with lush lawns and old styled buildings, like Hogwarts she thought. She asked a passerby the way to the girl's dorm and he pointed it out. She presented her student card to receptionist. The woman smiled and handed Em her card. Em took the elevator to the second floor, her room was 205. Em plugged her card into the slot and it beeped and flashed a red light. Em tried it again with the same reaction. She glanced down the halls, both empty, good. She looked for camera's just in case, nothing. Then she turned to the door concentrating Em stepped through it. The inside was comfortable but like with every building Em entered she scanned for the exits first. There was a balcony with a couple of tall trees near that she could scale if necessary but it looked like the door she'd just walked through was the only way in. It didn't matter particularly with her gift but it was an old habbit Em had picked up and besides at some point she might need to make an escape without tipping her hand.

Em collapsed on one of the beds. "Welcome home Em, you're going to be here for a very long time. " She siad to herself dejectedly somehow not feeling as excited as she felt she should.