So I ran...

I ran as fast as I could. All I wanted to do was put as much distance between me and life itself. Everything was becoming more and more stressful and I was at the point where I just wanted to give up. In school all my teachers were bugging me about my grades, and I realize that it’s their job but sometimes I just need a minute where no one bugs me so I can think. At home, there was constant fighting and arguing with me and my mom or with my mom and my brother. There wasn’t one quiet night in my house, and we would argue about stupid, little things that just annoyed everyone. Lastly, with my friends; again more constant drama or fighting, there was always something going on and I feel like I have to be the one to fix things. Sometimes it’s just nice to be by myself and think.  The best way for me to think and just forget about everything was to run. Run away from everything, it seemed like such a good idea. But I know that wasn’t an option at the moment since I had nowhere to run to and no money to get there. The last place that I thought of was my school at night, that was when we had drama rehearsal. This is always made me happier, I loved spending time with the people in drama, they just made my problems go away, which is what I needed. But I had to come to some realization that drama club wouldn’t last forever, especially with the amazing people in it. After this year ends all the seniors will go off and have their own life and I’ll be back here doing the same thing I was the previous year and struggling with the same things. So at the end of the year, on the last day of school...I ran.

I didn’t tell anyone, I just ran. I headed towards New York City, the place I always dreamed of. By the last day in June I was in New York, Manhattan to be exact. It was all hitting me that I had finally made it to where I belong. I went to Times Square and just stood in the middle of the crowd for a minute to let it all sink in. I headed to the nearest restaurant and had lunch, I looked at  the map of New York and was trying to figure out where I was going to go for the rest of the day and where I was going to stay. I remembered my uncle Carl lived somewhere around Manhattan. I walked around until almost 10:00pm when I finally made it to 23rd street. My uncle was just getting home from work and pulled into his apartment driveway, I ran over to him and he was shocked  to see me there, alone. I explained to him what I did, he had never looked so surprised. I hadn’t checked my phone since early in the morning.

I had all these messages from my mom, other family members and all my friends. My uncle called my mom and told her where I was and told her I could stay here for a few weeks without a problem. I could hear her voice through the phone, she was furious; but I didn’t care. I was finally where I belong and I wasn’t going to go home now, it was too early to leave. I spent the night at my uncle’s house and explained everything to him again, he said he would let me spend as long as I wanted here and he would give me money to go anywhere I wanted to. I got up early the next morning and walked around to all these different stores, it was my first time walking in Central Park, I met a few people that helped me around the city.

It was almost night time, I decided to walk home. I saw these group of guys walking behind me, they were walking closer and closer to me so I crossed the street but they followed me,  they grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth so no one could hear me. They started beating me and going through my stuff. I kicked and screamed and started scrating the guys arm arm but he wouldn't budge. Then I thought of all the times at home where I was being screamed at and how much I just wanted to punch everyone, I took all that rage and kicked the man in the gut, and he fell onto his back. I ran over and grabbed my bag from the guys. I stumbled home and once I got inside I found that no one was home. I waited a good two hours and still no one showed up, I started cleaning up my cuts and Carl walked through the door, he saw me leaned over the sink cleaning up my cuts and bruises. "What happend to you? Where have you been?" he said.  I told him that I got attacked in Central Park, I spent the rest of the night talking to Carl about the attack and what I was thinking during the attack.

I went to sleep that night thinking about the attack and all the things I was thinking about during the fight, it reminded me of home, it reminded me that no matter where I go I will always have problems and then I thought of all the times at home where there was constant fighting with my family and friends and how if I didn't go back and fix any of it, it would never go away. 

I asked my uncle to bring me to the train station and I will arrive back in my town by 5:00 pm tonight. I said goodbye to my aunt and uncle and got onto the train, my mom and my friends don’t know I am coming so I have to walk home from the train station. I get to my street by 7:00 pm and walk up onto my porch and open the door. Well my house hasn’t changed much, I walk up the stairs and see my mom in the bathroom, I sneak up behind her and drop my stuff on the ground.

“Hannah! Wha- What are you doing here? I don’t understand.” She said.

“I got a train ticket and left New York at 5:00 pm and then I walked home from the train station to surprise you.” I said.

“I thought you said you weren’t coming back?” She said.

"Something happened when I was there and it made me realize that I can't run away from my problems. I decided to stay here and fix things. Don't get me wrong I LOVE New York and I will go back but I want to fix things here first." I said.