Fast Car | Escapes #1

Chapter 30: Jenny

My feet were beyond sore. My legs felt like jelly. My body was near collapsing.

How many miles had it been so far? 

I was panting, barely able to move. I hadn't quite made it to the next town. At the rate I was going, I wasn't sure if I would even make it. According to the sign I had recently passed, there was still about twenty miles.

The day was transitioning into the afternoon. While summer was generally mild, the sun was uncomfortably hot on my red and aching skin. Either I was going to get a killer tan, or I wouldn't be able to sleep because of the burning. I made a mental note to check the next store I came across for sunscreen or sunburn gel. There wasn't much money left in my pocket, but I was sure I at least had enough for one of those things. 

Brayden was going to be worried about me. I was sure of it. My phone was off, and it had been since the incident. After the police let me go and they left, I turned it back off. That meant that I was honoring his wishes, but also left him unable to contact me. Did he have a backup plan that he didn't tell me about? Was he going to come looking for me when night fell? What if I didn't show up at the hotel he picked? Where was he even staying at? 

Was there more than one hotel?

I was so tempted to turn the phone on and call him, but he said the phone was traceable and the cops were looking for me. What did they want again? My thoughts felt as muddled as the shadows cast by the tree leaves. Ever since I began working and going to school, I had always felt a type of exhaustion. Sometimes I would barely be able to keep my eyes open, other times I would barely be able to get my body to move after a delivery, and still other times my mind would feel like jelly. 

At that moment, though, there was a type of exhaustion I'd never felt before. Or maybe I should say I hadn't felt it as strongly. I wanted to lay down in the patches of grass next to the highway and nap. Fall asleep and not get up.

The fantasy disappeared as a car roared past me, much too close for comfort. I jumped closer to the edge of the road, my tired legs not holding me up properly. All at once, I realized I was falling. I hit the gravel hard. My knees and hands immediately began protesting the impact. My breaths were ragged as I tried to calm the panic from nearly being run over. 

After a few moments, I sat back on my feet and dusted off my hands. The rocks hadn't broken the skin, which was a relief. The last thing I needed was blood exiting my body. It would inevitably end up smudging on my clothes, and I didn't have the money to buy what I needed to get the blood out.

I watched as a car in the distance drew closer. Just like all the others, someone in the car stared but no one stopped. I sighed and pushed myself painfully to my feet. There was no point in staying there or lying down in the grass to sleep. I could sleep when I reached Brayden. Then I'd be safe enough to allow myself to be vulnerable. Sleeping near the highway was something that would leave me wide open to all kinds of disasters. 

Suitcase rolling behind me, I kept going. 

---

Light was fading as the sun set behind me. Darkness was falling as I neared a town and saw the lights of the houses. I couldn't tell how far away I still was, especially since it was in the distance. Still, it gave me hope and motivation to keep going. Even though my hands were scraped, my knees bruised, and my feet like bricks. It felt like the bones in my legs were the only things keeping me upright since my muscles felt like they'd stopped working a few hours prior. 

I pulled out my phone and turned it on. The screen lit up and went through it's little routine. When the lock screen finally came up, the device froze. I couldn't unlock it. While I was trying to swipe, the phone began buzzing. Instead of prompting me to hang up or answer, however, the screen began to fill with notifications. They were for missed calls, texts, a couple of apps, and a calendar notification.