Running from the life that was.

Chapter Four

Mia had only been away from the Bishop household for a mere hour and a half, but she had never felt so free.

Her walk to get food was painfully slow, yet in a strange way, she enjoyed every minute of the journey.

The cool breeze brushed against her face as she walked, and she began to dream about all the possibilities that could now shape her future. While her nerves were still in full swing, she finally had a moment to breathe after the day she had experienced.

Her stomach was finally full, helping her feel a little closer to her normal self.

She had chosen a large burger meal—one that would have sent her father into a furious rage. Lane would never allow her to consume any kind of 'unhealthy' food, insisting it would diminish her performance and contribute to weight gain, which he deemed unacceptable.

A couple of years ago, Lane had caught her eating a chocolate bar in her room when she was around twelve years old, and she would never forget the week that followed. He had made her run to and from school every day on top of her regular training, all while reducing her meal sizes.

If Lane had inflicted that punishment on her today, she knew it wouldn't seem too severe compared to the much worse punishments he had subjected her to since then. But as a twelve-year-old, it had felt like pure torture. From that day on, she never once repeated the act of putting "unhealthy" food into her body; it simply wasn't worth the risk.

Just the thought of her past punishments and knowing how angry Lane would be about her food choice made that first bite even more satisfying. She had not enjoyed a meal so much in what felt like her entire life.

Now that she could think more clearly, Mia began planning the next leg of her journey and made her way to the local bus depot.

She felt her nerves begin to grow in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed them down, trying to reassure herself that everything would be okay.

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An hour later, Mia stood outside Station 19. It was now the middle of the night, but she could see some lights on and noticed movement inside the building, signalling that someone was awake.

Now that she was finally there, Mia began to second-guess her decision to come. Her nerves were worse than they had been all night, even more intense than when she first snuck out of her house earlier.

It felt as though her body had been frozen in place for what seemed like hours, though she was sure it had only been ten minutes. 'Maybe I should wait and come back tomorrow. I mean, it is the middle of the night,' she thought, her mind racing.

'But where would I go? I have nowhere to go right now.' It felt like her mind was battling a chess game, trying to determine her next move. She couldn't stop overthinking, and panic began to rise within her. 'I only have $17 left. That isn't enough to pay for a place to stay for the night.

'What do I do? What do I do?' As the panic continued to swell, she felt lightheaded and moved from the pavement to a nearby tree, where she sat down to regroup.

It only took a few minutes for Mia to ground herself and ease the panic. She was prone to panic attacks and had learned how to combat them, though it didn't always work.

Fortunately, she recognized the signs early, allowing her to bring herself back to a calmer state.

Lane had witnessed a few of her panic attacks, especially when he had started to push her training schedule to extremes, and he always responded by belittling her, telling her how pathetic she was. This forced Mia to research strategies to prevent and manage her panic attacks, reinforcing the reality that she could only rely on herself.