"Little Bird, Little Bird, where are you going to fly away to?"

Her father had always been a bit egotistical. She was now 20 and stuck. Stuck living as a wife to a man that was so abusive to her, but her father only looked on with pride at her husband. They had married young, she had been 16. Pregnant.

Looking down at her dusty clothes, and the pack she had placed on the bed.

"Anywhere else," she muttered in response.

It had been stupid to leave a note for her father before she left town. Stupid to think that he would sleep in after all he drank the night before. He wouldn't touch her though. How long did she have before her husband came home? Checking the clock, she had an hour. Shayna knew that her father would try to keep her and her daughter here until her husband came home. She couldn't let that happen.

Wouldn't let that happen.

Quickly she was tossing a few items for herself and most of her daughters clothing into the bag. They didn't have much in the way of belongings so it was fairly simple. Grabbing a jacket, she quickly put it on the little girl. She was four years old, and already had tasted what cruelty felt like. Shayna would be damned if it happened again.

"Out of my way, dad." She snarled at the big man. The man she had never been more than meek with. There was a flash in her eyes, and he moved. Maybe it was her finally deciding to get away that had given her the courage to stand up. Maybe it was the little girl, whose hand she was holding, that finally gave her the back bone she had needed. Whatever it was, Shayna had changed.

Storming out the door and into her car, she had just readjusted the mirror when her husband pulled in.

"Shay! Come on baby.." He tried appealing to her soft side. She pressed the brakes and rolled up the windows. Locking all the doors. He tried every single one of them, before coming around and banging on her side.

"Get out! You won't get away from me! We're married. Come Little Bird, we can work this out."

Almost unlocking the door, pausing just over the lock, that was when he started banging on the window. The noise making her jolt out of it, step on the gas and hit the road. What had she almost done? Poor Faye didn't need to see that.

The road was safe. She would keep driving until she could get no further.

Little Bird.. Little Bird...

Those words taunted her. They stole into her dreams, and took away any pleasure she had of being free. Was she such a little bird? Did she not just fly the cage? Turning her head in the dark, she watched her young daughter sleeping in the back of the car. How would she feed her? How would they ever be safe from her husband? In that small town, he had been the big shot. She had been so lucky to be married to him.

Lucky? Yeah, right. He was always out drinking, out with other women while she was home with Faye. Did he really think that she didn't notice the lipstick stains when she did the laundry? That she couldn't smell the unfamiliar perfumes when he crawled into bed with her? Trying to get sex from her when whomever was teasing him all night wouldn't give in. That was how it started.

It had been just one of those nights, normally she could fake sleep and he would leave her alone. Not this time though, this time she had to stifle screams as he had held her down. She thought it was a one time thing. She let it go. That was her mistake. Letting it go. Letting the men in her life walk all over her.

Soon he escalated to hitting her. Claiming it was for her own good, except what had she done? She stayed home, took care of their daughter. The house always had to be clean, and it was. Dinner was always on the table, even when he didn't show up. It was there. Thinking that since it wasn't so bad, she could ignore the infidelity.

When her father showed up, it was like he knew what her husband was up to. Always taunting her. Calling her a caged little bird.

Maybe she was.

Still Shayna stayed. Nothing had touched Faye, and why would she rip her child away from the father she adored?  But that changed the day she decided to leave. He had hit Faye, without warning, without cause. It boiled Shayna's blood. Now it was no longer her. She could take anything as long as the little girl was happy but to see what he had done. Something she could not stop. Helpless. Little bird was helpless.

She spent the entire night writing a letter to her father, slipping out at dawn when her husband left for work to leave it, only to come home and start packing. Only to have her father try to stall her. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she remembered wondering why he couldn't understand the need to protect Faye. How he could watch his only child suffering and do nothing.

Was she merely a toy for their amusement?

Tossing, she closed her eyes. Letting out a breath as they opened. She decided since she could not sleep, she would drive. Starting up the vehicle, checking to make sure Faye was asleep, she drove, putting more distance. Driving until her car broke down in New York City.

Faye was still asleep, so she turned over and tried to rest her eyes a little.

"Mommy, I'm hungry."

Just like that Shayna's eyes flew open. Rubbing the sleep out of them, she rummaged in the bag she had brought with them. Coming up with only one granola bar, she held it out to her daughter.

"Here you go sweetie. Eat up and we'll go into the store for a drink."

While Faye ate Shayna went through the last little bit of money she had. Counting the change, she would only have enough for a drink for Faye. A sigh escaped her lips. Once she was finished, she put Faye in her jacket and they walked to the store.

Letting Faye use the rest room as she paid for the juice. Once they were back outside, she turned to her daughter and smiled.

"Want to stretch your legs?"

Faye eagerly nodded her head, so Shayna took her hand and they began to wonder around the streets of New York. Carefully she kept track of every turn, as her eyes looked for job openings. Spotting a motel, she decided to go inside. Settling Faye on a chair, she walked over to the desk.

"Excuse me, would you happen to know of any work opportunities?"

The man at the counter eyed her up. Shayna brought her jacket closer around her, feeling a little uneasy.

"What would you do for a job ma'am?"

She considered the question carefully. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to answer that. Looking back at her daughter, she settled her mind. Faye would need to eat, and they would need to get off the streets.

"Anything."

Faye whispered the words. Tears were welling in her eyes, but she brushed them back.

"Anything? Hmm. Well I might just have a job for you. It will not be easy for someone like you, but I can offer you a small room and some food. You seem like you would need it. The pay is good, but it will be a lot of work for you."

"Are we talking about like housekeeping? What exactly am I doing?"

He looked at her. Beckoned her into another room, taking care that Faye would be alright Shayna followed him.

"Look you are a pretty girl. We need pretty girls to keep men company..."

He trailed off, and she looked at him wide eyed. Waging a war in herself but it settled when she remembered the little girl in the other room. Shayna did not lie when she said anything. For her daughter, she had already been through the worst hell.

"Fine. Show us to our room."

With that, he led them to a small room.  Once she had the key, she took Faye to go grab what little belongings they had. Ditching the vehicle, they settled into their room. After a hot meal and a shower, it was time for Shayna to start her new life in the city.