Caught
The air smelt fresh and humid, the rain having broken only
ten minutes ago, and the warm summer caused the ground to smoke as the moisture
on the ground began to vigorously evaporate.
I stood in my bedroom looking out of the window at the houses that
overlooked me. All those people looking at me, I needed to leave this place. I
hated it. And it hated me, and what I was. My mother was scared for me and had
bought me some time before my father came home from work. She knew what his
reaction would be, as did I.
My small rucksack was on my bed, packed full of what I thought I might need
but knew it wouldn't hold everything I needed. It looked lonely on my single
bed, a bed I wouldn't sleep in again; in a room I wouldn't call my own anymore.
The tears that rolled down my face had long since dried up and I was
resigned to loosing my family. When I woke this morning, I never thought the day
would end like this.
I, or I should say we, had been caught and a phone call was made to our
mothers. It was a phone call that would end our old lives.
Checking my watch, it was time to leave, I threw my suck sack over my
shoulder and walked deliberately down the stairs. I couldn't see where my mum
was and I didn't try to find her. I just opened the front door and left.
Walking down the street I burst into tears and ran like my life depended on
it. I ran out of the estate and down the muddy path into the local woods. I
didn't care about the wet and damp from the rain.
I found a fallen tree and sat on it, my tears not
stopping and my breathing becoming irregular. I was as scared as hell.
When my digital watch beeped at the top of the hour I started walking the
path to meet him.
He stood waiting for me and I ran over to him. We hugged each other hard,
not wanting to let each other go and a few more tears strayed out of my eyes. I
thought we'd be together forever but this was really goodbye. He was staying for
he wouldn't get the bruised ribs or the black eyes from his father. He would
just get a lecture and subtle re-education until he finally left home.
I begged him to come with me but he was too afraid to lose everything he
had. For a brief moment I hated him for his cowardice but knew how difficult it
would be for him to leave.
© October 2010