Birth Right

Not quite as I Imagined

Chapter 5

I decided to move myself away from the city. Thousands walked round them every day and that meant there was more chance of me being seen. I couldn’t risk that chance. I can remember picking up newspapers in the first few days of me running away. My disappearance was front page news for the first week. It is not every day that it comes to light that a 13 year old girl deliberately runs away. The public seemed fascinated how it seemed like a pre-planned thing with the evidence of the bed sheets and then the money going missing from the safe. This baffled everyone the most. I read the police statement and social workers statement in the paper.

The Police Stated. A week ago, Alexandria Burton ran away from a care home in East London. It is clear it was pre-planned. There was evidence of bed sheets that had been tied together to climb out of her window. We are currently investigating into how she obtained her money and police are actively looking for her. If you spot her please contact the police and keep her in your sight.

The social workers said. We are very upset that Alex has run away. We didn’t realise that she would do such a thing and that she had this planned. We have no idea how she got into our safe but we wish we would come back so we can help and sort her out.

Inwardly I laughed to myself. It was weird how they suddenly took a real interest in me now that I had gone. They never listened when I said I was being bullied all of the time. No matter how hard they pleaded I would never come back. I would only find myself back where I started in some horrible kids’ home being bullied and called names with a boring and tedious school life. It just didn’t sound appealing. I couldn’t go through all of that again.

I seemed to have my own little routine they I did every day. I lived in my hoodie, I always kept my hood up and pretended to be just your normal overly stereotyped youth. As it covered my face I knew people would find it hard to recognise me. With my back pack over my shoulder and the smart phone in my hand I used it to guide myself out of London to another county somewhere a bit more secluded. Each day I just walked and walked some more as that is all I could really keep doing. Every day I made it further and further away from the home. I was never noticed in the street. Nobody even gave me a second glance; to them I was just another youth that you should avoid eye contact with. I didn’t like them thinking of me in that way but it meant they left me alone.

For the first time I really appreciated having the mind reading ability. It was such a benefit. If anyone got too interested in me then I knew to turn the other way and walk a different direction. It also allowed me to avoid people. Not everyone in the outskirts of London are nice people, gangs and drug dealers. I knew from their thoughts I needed to avoid them.

In the evenings I found hotels or youth hostels to stay at before making my way out early in the morning. Sometimes I wasn’t lucky enough to find places and ended up sleeping somewhere with a vent sticking out of the back. However, these were often fish and chip shops so it was warm but it smelled too.

For three months, I seemed to do well. I was always well fed and most of the time I had some where to sleep. I had managed to make it into Hertfordshire. I didn’t really know exactly where I was but I knew it was this particular county. I kept walking. I didn’t really know where I was going but I was safe at least on my own.

However, when I got into my forth month things soon got much worth. I was still wandering round somewhere in Hertfordshire but all my money had run out. I could no longer afford to stay in a hostel and resorted to sleeping on park benches or behind shops. This also meant I had to start eating through my reserves of food but even that didn’t last half as long as it needed to. I couldn’t risk getting a job because someone would recognise me instantly and even though I did look a couple of years older for my age I still wouldn’t look old enough for a job. I didn’t know what to do.

I was getting hungry. Water wasn’t a problem I was surprised at the amount of drinking fountains I had found. I could feel myself getting really hungry. Day by day, I felt it grow stronger, the hunger, the need, the want. I knew I had to get food and fast but I had no money. I had sold my phone long ago to get money and now as I was left with barely anything. My clothes were wet and dirty and the winter was drawing in. I didn’t know how much longer I could last.

One morning I woke up. I needed food soon I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten. I grabbed my back pack and decided to find a small shop. I was going to do the unthinkable. I found this small corner shop in a town. I made sure that my hoodie was well up. I walked in. I carefully went to the back of the shop and grabbed some bottles of water and began stuffing them into my bag. I went round and found some food. I didn’t really pay attention to what it was but shoved that into my bag too. I felt sick at what I was doing. I had never dreamt of doing any of this in my life. That was when I noticed the thoughts of the shop keeper. He was getting suspicious. I knew it was my time to leave. I made my way towards the door.

“Stop right there. I know what you are doing. Put the stuff back now and we can leave it at that,” The shopkeeper ordered, stepping towards me.

“I’m sorry. I can’t. I don’t want to do this but I need these things,” I whispered back.

The shopkeeper was taken back. He was in his 30’s but looked quite fit and healthy. I read his thoughts.

A girl. I didn’t expect a girl. I thought it would just be a normal thug. She hasn’t stolen anything like chocolate, crisps, sweets. She sounds young. Why is she stealing food meals? Does she have anyone? She looks awfully thin.

“I can help you. You look like you need food,” He pleaded, stepping towards me.

He was now in reaching distance of me. I don’t know why I didn’t move. He pulled my hood down.

“Oh my god. You are Alexandria Burton the girl that ran away. Stay. People are worried about you. It has been about 4 months. Let me help you,” He spoke.

“I’m sorry. Nobody cares about me. That is why I need to go,” I replied.

I pulled my hood up and ran. I ran through the door and didn’t stop. I just kept running. I heard him running behind me. I saw the look of disgust as I ran by people. I kept my head down and kept running. I heard this faint shouting but I didn’t register it. I can’t remember how I did it but I managed to lose him. I felt so guilty. I have never done a thing like that in my life but what I did manage to get lasted me another two weeks.

Police began searching the area trying to find me but I had long since gone. I knew I couldn’t steal again. My life hadn’t really got any better. I kept walking. I felt myself getting thinner. I grew weaker and weaker. I couldn’t take much more of this. It was getting close to December and the weather began to get cooler and rainier. I couldn’t survive any more of this.

I seemed to stumble through this park one morning, I was faint. My feet kept on tripping over things that weren’t there. I hadn’t eaten in ages. It was a posh park. It had a huge water fountain in the centre and an elegant fence was around the outside lined with what looked old and historic houses. Trees dotted the rich green grass and the water in the fountain was a glistening blue. People in the park walked past and looked at me with disgust. Their thoughts echoed their expressions. I could begin to see black in my vision and I kept on stumbling. I tried to keep moving forward. I took a few more steps before stumbling to the ground. I heaved myself up but that was when everything went black. I felt myself fall to the ground. I could feel the cold hard floor against my face but my eyes just wouldn’t open. Maybe this was it. Maybe it was finally time for me to go. I just couldn’t fight anymore.

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I put a lot of time and effort into these stories.

Thanks,

Chloe x