Runaway

No Turning Back

Jess looked out the window of her bedroom to the dark street below. It was after midnight and the neighborhood was still and quiet. She gripped the straps of her backpack tightly. This was her last chance to get out.

For months, the fighting between her parents had only gotten worse. Raised voices, slamming doors, her mom's muffled crying at night. Jess felt trapped, like the walls were closing in on her. She couldn't take it anymore.

She had made up her mind last week after the worst blowup yet. While her parents screamed at each other downstairs, she stuffed clothes, money from her babysitting jobs, snacks, and few mementos into an old backpack. Tonight, she would leave it all behind.

Slinging the bag over her shoulders, Jess opened her bedroom door a crack. The hallway was pitch black. She tiptoed down the creaky wooden stairs, avoiding the spots she knew would make a noise.

In the livingroom, her parents' loud snores overlapped. The shouting match had clearly worn them out. Jess felt a unexpected sad pang seeing them passed out on opposite ends of the couch. But she couldn't go on like this.

She made her way to the front door, carefully unlocking it. A rush of humid summer air hit her face as she eased open the door. Checking behind her one last time, Jess stepped out into the warm night.

She didn't look back as she hurried down the dark street, getting as far away as possible. Freedom stretched out before her, but she didn't know what lay ahead. All she knew was she had to get away, away from the fighting, the sadness, the tension at home. She could figure out the rest later.

For now, with the weight of her life lifted from her shoulders with each step, Jess ran.

She walked quickly down the tree-lined suburban streets, not having any particular destination in mind. She just needed to put distance between herself and that house.

After a couple of miles, her neighborhood fell away. The houses became less tidy, more run down. Graffiti covered crumbling brick walls. Stray dogs roamed the streets.

Jess shrank her shoulders inward, trying to look inconspicuous. This wasn't the direction she meant to go, but she didn't want to double back. She picked up the pace, walking purposefully.

Up ahead, she saw a weathered gas station, its bright fluorescent signs buzzing in the night. A few souped-up cars idled outside. Her throat tightened but she strode forward, keeping her eyes down.

One of the car's engines suddenly revved, making Jess jump. She tried not to react as the headlights seemed to follow her. Sweat beaded on the back of her neck.

"Hey baby, where you going?" one of the guys called out in a jeering tone.

Jess swallowed hard and kept walking, her heart pounding. She shouldn't have come this way. A pit formed in her stomach but she willed herself not to run, confident that would only provoke them.

More lewd comments drifted from the idling cars. Resisting every urge to break into a sprint, Jess finally made it past the gas station onto an abandoned road, the jeers fading behind her.

Only when she was a few blocks away did she allow herself to look over her shoulder. No one had followed her. She leaned against a brick wall, sucking in gulps of the humid air, shaken.

Where was she going to go? What was she thinking, wandering out here alone at night? Doubt started creeping in for the first time since she'd left home. This reckless decision was seeming more and more precarious.

She'd have to figure out a plan before daylight. But she'd made it out and wasn't going back. She pulled her bag up higher on her shoulders and mustered her resolve. No choice now but to keep going forward into the night.

Jess kept walking, her steps feeling heavier with fatigue and uncertainty. She stuck to dimly lit residential streets, avoiding the main roads. The quiet suburbs eventually gave way to a more urban landscape - apartment buildings, convenience stores, vacant lots.

Dawn was starting to give a gray tinge to the inky black sky when Jess stumbled upon a 24-hour diner. The bright fluorescent lights and the smoky aroma of greasy food made her stomach rumble. She realized she hadn't eaten since yesterday's school lunch.

After a moment's hesitation, Jess ducked inside, the door letting out a jingle of bells. Her sneakers stuck to the sticky tiled floor as she slid into a corner booth. An overworked waitress in a hairnet slapped a laminated menu in front of her without a word.

Jess picked at a hole in the torn vinyl seat while she scanned the menu. Most items seemed overpriced for a 17-year-old runaway's limited cash supply. She'd have to make her money last as long as possible until she could figure out her next move.

"You know what you want, honey?" The waitress returned, cracking her gum loudly.

Jess looked up with tired eyes. "Just...a coffee please. And an order of fries."

The waitress cocked an eyebrow at her but said nothing, scribbling down the order before shuffling away.

Jess watched through the grimy window as the sun began peeking over the rooftops outside, streetlights flickering off one by one. Exhaustion was seeping into her bones after the long, anxious night of walking.

She jumped slightly when the waitress plunked down a steaming mug and a greasy basket of fries. "Anything else?" she asked flatly.

Jess shook her head, wrapping her hands around the warm ceramic mug. She had no idea what her next step was or where she'd go. But she was out and away from home, from the fighting, the tension. For now, that was enough.

Taking a sip of the bitter coffee, Jess stared out the window at the awakening city streets. Her new life, whatever that was going to be, started now.