Running From Him

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

I woke up feeling stiff from sleeping on my makeshift bed. My pillow was a crumpled up newspaper wrapped in an old curtain that I found in an old, abandoned shoe factory I was living in. The only blanket I had was also an old curtain, it had the least amount of holes in it compared to the others in my hiding spot. That was my bed. I had to sleep on the hard wood flooring, but it was something I was used to.

As a runaway, I had to appreciate what I got. There were some days where I would have to leave a hide out, only to go to another town where there wasn't a hide out I could use. I would be sleeping out side, under some trees, which wasn't the most fun, especially when it was winter.

Being able to stay at the shoe factory was a blessing really. For one it was abandoned, which meant that no one would accidentally find me. Also it was insulated, which was very helpful when it came to the cold. Lastly, if by chance someone DID find me, I had a quick, easy exit. I was in the last room, so it would take awhile for someone to get to me, which would give me time to grab my bag and climb out the window. It was perfect and convenient.

I got up and stretched, causing my back to pop, and I sighed in relief. Grabbing my backpack from the floor, I searched through it and took my second pair of clothes from it. I lifted them up to my nose and took a big whiff. My nose scrunched up and I thought that it would be best if I went to the river a couple miles out of town to wash the two outfits I had. Plus I knew I hadn't bathed in a while so I thought it would be a good idea if I did that as well. 

After I packed up my bag I threw the strap over my shoulder and climbed out the window that was above my bed. Before getting all the way through the window I checked both way to make sure that no one would see me leave. Once I was satisfied I lifted myself out of the window and jumped down to the ground.

I quickly ran behind the shoe factory and into the woods. Today the sun was shinning bright, but there was a cool breeze which made the day perfect for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, which was luckily what I had on at the moment.

It was Spring, which meant that there was Spring Break for school. I had to make sure I was even more careful that there wouldn't be any teenagers lurking around. Every little noise I heard made me hide behind a tree and then carefully look around to see if anyone was there. Which of course there never was, but in my case, its better to be safe than sorry.

After about a half hour of walking I finally made it to the river. Before stepping out in the open I peeked out to see if anyone was around. Luckily no one was, and I was hoping that since it was only Spring, no one would want to go swimming.

I left the woods with a guarded expression and headed straight for the water. I glanced around once more before I took off my close until I was in my birthday suit. I quickly grabbed my shampoo from my bag and eased my way into the river. It was colder than I would have wanted, but I had to appreciate what I was given. Not wanting to be in the water for longer than needed, I washed up in a hurry.

Once I was satisfied with my cleanliness, I went back to my bag and grabbed my two outfits. They both stunk horribly and I couldn't wait until they were clean and fresh. Since I didn't have enough money or room for laundry soap I was stuck with using my shampoo to clean my clothes. Finally, after a lot of scrubbing, my clothes were clean and no longer had a horrid stench.

I got out of the water dripping wet. Finding a long branch, I threw my clothes over it, and hoped that it would dry fast. Meanwhile I was stuck laying out in the sun, bare butt, as I and my clothes dried. I always felt self-conscious, but I kept reminding myself that no one was out here but me. 

I laid back and closed my eyes. The bird chirped, squirrels chattered, and bees wheezed by all making a beautiful melody. It was the only music I could listen too, but I didn't mind. It was too beautiful not to appreciate. I stiffled a yawn, but I slowly fell into darkness.

~~~~~

SNAP!

I bolted up and looked around breathlessly. I couldn't believe I fell asleep! It was completely reckless and irresponsible. I made a dash for my clothes and threw a pair on, and thankfully they were dry. Grabbing my bag, I stuffed the rest of my clothes in and started to run.

I knew I couldn't run back to the factory, just in case someone was following me. Making a quick right, I continued running until I was out of breath. Slowing down, I took deep breaths as I glanced around to make sure no one did follow me. Not seeing anyone, I continued my journey until I was on the outskirt of town. 

I usually don't go into the town I have been hiding in, until I have been hiding there for at least a week. To me its just a precaution. Once I am forced to leave a hide out, I make sure that once I get to the next one I stay on the down low. Plus, the longer I stay hidden, the longer I can stay in that town and hide out.

I counting the days that I have been hiding in this town. I remembered back to the day I had to leave my old hide out, all because a certain police officer found out where I was staying. But I didn't want to think about him right then. I figured it was about two weeks, which should give me plenty of time left before I would need to leave again.

Stepping out of the woods, I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. It was a long time since I been inside a town. About a month maybe. But it was an even longer time since I had an actual meal. When I am staying out of town I tend to eat berries I find in the woods or sometime I sneak into someones yard to take some fruit from their trees. My stomach growled, making me realize how hungry I actually was. With that I set off to find a small cafe I could eat at.

 As I walked into town I realized how small of a town it actually was. On the main road there were about 10 businesses total and a school. Other than that, there were smaller roads that had houses on them. For me, this was a disadvantage. If I ever needed to hide while I was in town I wouldn't be able to hide easily. Also, since it was such a small town, I knew that basically everyone knew everybody. I was hoping that no one realized I was an outsider and starts to ask questions. 

It was a beautiful day and everyone seemed to be out an about. There was a cute elderly couple that were walking, hand in hand, crossing the street. There was a father with his daughter sitting on his shoulders while he held onto her hands to keep her from falling. On the sidewalk, there was a woman who was fast walking with her headphones in as she walked her dog. In one of the parking lots there was a group of teenagers sitting around their vehicles as they enjoyed their Spring Break.

All of those people mad me slightly upset. I just wished I had all of what they had. The elderly couple had love and a relationship. The daughter had a father who was around and showed how much he loved her in his life. And the teenagers showed how they had friendship and freedom. I had none of that. 

I sighed and shook that thought out of my mind. I didn't have that type of life, and I chose to have it that way. I have to deal with the choices I made, and this happens to be one of them. I would forever be a loner, and in some ways I was okay with that, but others, like now, I wasn't. But what else could I do? It was too late to change any of that now.

Just as I was about to cross the street, I saw something that made me freeze. My stomach dropped as I saw the familiar model of the police car. In all of the empty spaces of the letter "O" in "POLICE" was a black spot that made the "O" completely filled in. It was the one officer that never left me alone. He seemed to have been obsessed with me ever since I ran away 5 years ago. He was the reason I had to leave hide outs and relocate in different towns. No other cops followed me like he did, they all gave up after the first year. Back then, I was afraid of any police cars that I saw, but once I realized that he was the only one left that followed me, I spray painted the letter "O" so I knew that it was him. It gave me a chance to run away, and not be fooled by another cop. 

Without another thought I made a quick dash for the woods. I knew he would see me, since I was right in line of his vision, but the only thing that would shake him was the woods. He was new to this area so he wouldn't leave the roads, plus he was in his patrol car and wouldn't get out to chase me. I would be able to get away for now, but I knew that since he saw me, he would try to find me. 

I knew that it would be only a matter of time before he found my hideout. He always found it sooner or later. Right now, I hope it was latter. At least it would give me time to leave. And once again, I found myself running. Running from him.