CHAPTER 2

I don’t know how long I’ve been walking for but I can feel my legs start to give out. My silvery hair falls out of the messy bun it’s in and I sloppily put it back.

I left the house as soon as I got the second message from my mother. I packed as lightly as I could, only filling my bag pack with the essentials.

The sun is high up in the sky once again. I check my watch and it’s actually 2pm. I’ve spent a night on the road so that means I’ve been walking for well over a day, only stopping 3 times – to sleep, for a bathroom break and to eat the last of my food.

I left my old town a few miles back and now all I can see is empty, green land. The only people I’ve seen in the past few hours are bikers. A few have asked me if I needed a ride but I declined every time.

“Don’t trust anyone.” I repeat to herself for the umpteenth time.

I struggle to lift my feet as they start to feel heavy but I still push on. It’s not like I have a choice.

“It’s only been a day. I can’t just give up. He’s definitely going to catch me at this rate.” I stop to rest again.

I look back at how far I’ve come from home, if I could even call that place home. Sneaking into town ever so often to gather as much food as I can, from trashcans, stores and shelters. At first I felt disgusted with myself for the things I had to do but after a while, I realized that above all, I needed to survive and that was what really mattered.

I remember the nice ladies at the homeless shelter who fell in love with me the first time I went there, that was my first year on my own. I lied that I wasn’t alone so they wouldn’t force me into an orphanage or foster home, I lived by the notion that no one could be trusted, except myself.

“I have to keep moving. Looking back is useless now.” I dust off my clothes and get moving again.

Another group of bikers pass by but this time they slow down a few metres ahead. Looking up, I see them getting off their bikes. I ready myself to fight them off but they don’t head in my direction, they walk ahead and turn right behind a wooden fence. I follow to find them entering a small building with the words ‘Diner’ boldly written on it.

My eyes widen as I make a run for the building. I bump into someone heading out on my way in and mutter a ‘sorry’ without looking back.

The stench of beer and sweat knock me back but I hold it in, already feeling my stomach grumble. The place looks more like a bar than I diner but I don’t mind, as long as they’re serving food. Taking a moment to study the place just to be safe, I slowly scan the building for places I could escape through if anything suddenly happened.

Then I move on to the people, my eyes bouncing from one person to the other, taking into detail their appearance, if they looked suspicious, which everyone does. As I stare at the small crowd, they pay me no mind. I grip my bag tighter and proceed into the diner.

I head over to the counter and take a seat on a stool, waiting for the waitress to notice me. As I stuff my hand in my pocket to get out the last dollar bills I have left, I feel eyes on me. On looking up, I find the waitress and the guys sitting on stools to my left looking at me with strange looks on their faces. I start to feel a little shy but decide to order now that I have the waitress’s attention.

“Hi. What can I get for $7 and a nickel?” The lady just keeps on looking at me with the same look on her face. After a few minutes, she looks at the boys and steps out from behind the counter. The three of them surround me and pick me up from the stool.

“What’s going on? I just need to order. What are you doing?” I struggle in their grips and to my surprise, I can’t get out; they’re quite strong. No one around us even pays attention to the situation.

They lead me outside through the back door and stand by the door all staring at me.

“I didn’t do anything, I just need food.” I start to feel lightheaded and my legs start to wobble.

“Who are you and where are you from?” The waitress asks.

“I’m just passing by and I need food.” I struggle to keep myself on my feet let alone understand this sudden interrogation.

“Who are you?” This time it’s one of the guys who snarls at me.

“I told you, I just need fo-” My legs finally give out and I land on the ground with a heavy thud.