The Platform

2

It was a normal summer when I met Alice. A normal, boring, hot, humid, mosquito filled summer. With iced lemonades and normal family dinners.

Normal, Normal, Normal seemed to echo through my mind all throughout July. 

It was too normal. Perfectly normal. 

I should've known something would happen but I was 18, and didn't think much of normal circumstances.

I'd just been taking a walk around my neighbourhood when I saw her. 

She had the look of someone who you felt like you'd seen before but couldn't place from where. A familiarity that seemed so real, so perfect. 

She was wearing overalls on top of a white shirt, with a green corduroy hat, but somehow it didn't seem like the basic outfit you see in advertisements, for some reason she made it look like the most beautiful combination in existence.

Meeting her didn't make me feel fireworks or make my heart skip a beat. It made me feel like I had a grenade dropped in front of me. I completely froze, just a small smile stuck on my face while I saw her with a yellow backpack, climbing out that window.

She had a bow in her hair, a lilac coloured one, that fell off as she ran by me at the end of the driveway.

I barely even noticed my neighbour's house alarm going off because of that stupid bow- i'd picked it up and glanced back up, only to see her abruptly stop in her tracks to grab my arm and chuckle "Well, are you gonna run with me or just stand there?"

I, still confused, muttered a quick, "huh?", still holding the bow in my hand.

"Are you coming or not?" she repeated, glancing around anxiously.

"I- what do you mean am I coming?" I stammered.

"Look- I know your type, boring family life, itching for any form of adventure, wanting to learn, maybe become a doctor?" she glanced back behind her before continuing,  "But let me guess: you probably get stuck with getting dragged to the same Sunday church service every week by your parents. You won't get out of being a perfect little girl, you'll turn into a respectable young lady, then get married off to a respectable young man, and ultimately become a housewife, leaving behind adventure for the life you were always told you should want."

I didn't want to tell her then and there that she was spot on, but there was probably a reason for that. How she knew exactly what I wanted, and more importantly, exactly what I didn't want, seemed like fate to my 18 year old self. It wasn't but her little speech made me do what was probably both the best, and worst decision of my life.

"I-, what- I am not going to just magically run away- I can't just drop everything and run!" I proclaimed, despite wanting to take her up on her offer.

"Well-" she said, "how about this- i'll be back in the area in two days, if you want to get out meet me in the park, the one with the oak trees."

I was so taken aback by her offer that I didn't say a word. Just nodded and stared after her as she jogged lightly down the street before she glanced back for a second and shouted, "I'm Alice, by the way".

After standing there for a few seconds, still hearing my neighbour's alarm blaring, it finally occurred to me that she was running- but from what (other than the authorities, I assumed climbing out a window with a chunky backpack, all while setting off an alarm wasn't exactly legal) -I didn't really know.

To be fair, I would've felt worse about her stealing if the house she climbed out of belonged to good people. They always went out of their way to make everyone else in the neighbourhood miserable. Their daughter Amy had run away a few years back, and honestly I didn't blame her at all. My sister, Ella, and her had always been close. At least they were until Amy left, and then a few months later Ella disappeared.

I had basically run out of friendly faces at the moment. Leaving the neighbourhood behind didn't seem like such a bad idea.

Walking back down the street towards my house, I slowly began formulating a plan: I'd have to figure out what to pack, probably fit some clothes and a couple important items in my school bag. I could ask Alice if she could help? She'd at least know how to get out of a house? Probably.

A few moments later I reached my house: a typical suburban bungalow, already hearing my parent's arguing as I opened the front door. Stepping through the threshold, I tried to close the door silently behind me, slowly, like I was performing a surgery. 

Unfortunately I wasn't exactly successful; a soft click echoed through the foyer.

Oh great.

Maybe if i'm quiet I can sneak upstairs?

"Ivy?" my mother asked, "Come here.", she then motioned to my dad, who was standing defensively, leaning against the grey wall, "Tell your father he is being ridiculous"

"I am not being ridiculous, I told you-", he emphasized, running his hand through his hair then gesturing with both hands outstretched, "-I saw her"

"He is insisting he saw your sister at the supermarket the other day."

"Oh well I-"

"You're delusional Matthew" my mother snapped- interrupting me, "She's gone. You of all people should know that. God." she sighed before sitting down at our kitchen table and rubbed her hand along her head, as if she could wipe away her anger.

"Beth, we've never found her. You never listen to me" he replied, frustrated. 

I started to make my way towards the staircase.

"No- no Matthew you never listen to me- and where do you think you're going Ivy? It's 40 minutes past your curfew. This is unacceptable." she got up, fully shifting her attention to me, momentarily giving my dad a break.

This would be fun.