Chapter 2 - Tears
Daniel ran aimlessly. He had nowhere to go at this time of the night. Tears were streaming down his face, mixed with rainwater. His hair was plastered to his face and his damp clothes clung onto him like an annoying second skin. Raindrops on his waterproof backpack glistened every time he passed under a streetlight. Finally he stopped, hands on his knees, breathing heavily and took in his surroundings.
There was an old bridge next to a river in the distance and Daniel decided to spend the night there. He found pieces of cardboard and empty food wrappers on the gently sloping ground. Apparently he wasn't the only one who had ever decided to spend the night there. He sat down to think, amid the dusty, sandy ground and tiny pebbles, listening to the raindrops pattering on the bridge above him and the river gushing and churning not far away.
It was a Saturday night, about 10pm. He had about $36 in his wallet, some food, only a change of clothes and his phone. No doubt he couldn't return home that night, for, judging by the number of missed calls he had on his phone, he would be soundly thrashed if he returned home anytime soon. Better to let his father cool down a bit.
Daniel reached into his backpack, feeling for a packet of biscuits to eat. His hand brushed against something and he pulled it out, squinting to see what it was in the dim light provided by a street light above him.
It was a forgotten notebook that had lain in his backpack since three weeks ago. Daniel remembered it vaguely as an early birthday present for his thirteenth birthday. He opened it. Only the first few pages had been used. Across the first page was scrawled, 'Happy Birthday, Daniel! From your sister, Rebecca."
Daniel fought to hold back a fresh wave of tears. It had been his eleven-year-old sister who had given him the chance to escape, who had provided the distraction in the kitchen barely half an hour ago. It had been her who his father had been caning. It had been her screams ringing out as he packed his bag to run away. It had been her who he left behind to be caned by his father.
Daniel cried himself to sleep that night.
YOU ARE READING
One Last Chance
Adventure"A normal life. That's all I ever wanted..." When Daniel goes on the run, his life turns upside down. He's seen strange men following him, been chased across town by gangsters, made friends with a homeless girl and saved his enemy's life. Then he fi...
