Right here, in this moment with Ivy, I've never felt more free. We're going one hundred something on the highway, there's police sirens hot on our tails, and two months ago I wouldn't have imagined I'd be here. I think I see a curve up ahead…

But this is the end of my story. I'll bring you to the start of Annie and the end of Annabelle. I'll bring you to where I met Ivy.

-One Month Ago-

I had a hot, creamy and sweet Starbucks' coffee in my hands. I sat in a back corner by a huge, open window to watch the birds. Ever since I was old enough to dream, I wanted to fly. But then I grew older and was told I couldn't fly…

"Hiya, Blondie, what'cha lookin' at?" I looked up to see a tall, dark-skinned and dark-haired girl standing at the edge of the table. She has these stunning bright green eyes that make you feel like she's looking straight through you and into your soul.

"…the birds. And my name's Annie," I replied, pushing locks of my sandy blonde hair out of my face, "What're you lookin' at?"

"A girl my age who likes to look at birds and drink over-expensive coffee. I'm Ivy," she said, with a smirk on her dark pink lips, and sat down across from me, "Why do you like to watch birds?"

"I want to fly. I want to be free…don't you wanna be free?" there was something about Ivy that made me trust her. Maybe it was her eyes; the warm, green eyes that contrast with her sharp face.

"I think everyone wants to be free, Annie," she laughed. I just shrugged in return.

"I wanted it more than most people, then. I…" I cut myself off, shaking my head. Ivy smiled knowingly and took my hand, urging me to stand up.

"Let's be free,"

"…okay."

We left that Starbucks coffee shop together, and the rest of my life began.

I ran away from home, just a handful of days before. My dad's wallet in my pocket and destination being away, I took the first bus out and landed at a Starbucks hundreds of miles away.

Ivy took me to art museums and airplane museums and we went on walks through nature parks every day. She took me to see the birds I so desperately wanted to be like.

All things must end, though. I learned that the hard way. I learned that Ivy was a runaway too, and we bonded. I fell in love. I think she did too.

Then we started seeing missing person's posters all around, with our smiling faces staring at us in every city we ended up in. It was inevitable.

A policeman saw us walking down the street and it was all over. We ran, stole a car, and drove off into the sunset. The police trailing behind us, hunting two 16-year-old girls who wanted to be anywhere and everywhere but home.

"Drive faster!" I shouted to Ivy, turned around in the bright red convertible that I had chosen, and looking at the legion of cars behind us.

"I'm going as fast as I can. We'll lose them, Annie. They'll forget about us in time,"

"What if they catch us? I can't go home, Ivy. I can't fucking go home," I could feel tears filling my eyes. Just the thought of having to go home, having to face my parents, the authority…I'd rather die.

"You won't have to. They won't catch us, babe. I won't let them," Ivy turned her head to look at me. She took my hand, like all those times before.

This is where our story ends. I can see the curve ahead, but on looking back once I can see there's no way we can get away. The fuel tank is running low, and who knows what they've set up farther along the road?

"I don't think we can outrun them," I tell Ivy, she knows it's true, too. So, we nod to each other and I take one last glance behind us, then I turn back and kiss Ivy one last time. She jerks the wheel to side as we come up to the curve.

I close my eyes, I know Ivy does too, and hand in hand…we fly.