Run Away

Chapter One: One Last Kiss

"Hey, Damien. Listen, I have to see you. Right away. Meet me at the field, I'm already there. Bye."

Damien Lucas dialed his girlfriend's number back, cursing himself for missing her call, but the phone didn't ring. All he heard was her cheerful voicemail message; "Hey, its Avaline. Leave a message so I know why you called. Bye!" He locked his phone, slipped it in his pocket, and shoved his shoes on. He knocked on his parents' bedroom door. "Mom?" He slipped inside quietly. "I'm gonna go out for a drive. Okay?

"Sure. Don't be long. It's getting late." She looked up from her book and met his eyes. Concern contorted her face. "It's almost dark."

"Of course, Mom." They exchanged a quick hug and Damien retreated down the stairs. He pulled the door shut and walked quickly to his car. The only field Avaline could've been referring to was the one down the road from her community. There's no way Avaline's mother would've taken the time to drive her there just to see Damien. Not this late, anyway.

The drive was quiet aside from the sound of the engine. No radio played to distract Damien from his busy mind. What was wrong? Why did she call? How did she get there? He pulled into the parking lot with a million questions and no answers.

This baseball field was well-kept by the local quarry, however, it was hardly ever used. Damien came here all the time to talk under the stars with Avaline. The fence of the field ran just short of the cracked pavement of the parking lot.

Sitting under the fence was Avaline Keegan. She appeared to be writing something and didn't notice Damien. As he exited his car, Damien saw a bulky black backpack sitting on the ground by her. He stepped a little closer, watching. The wind blew, chill biting at his exposed skin. Winter would be coming soon, you could smell impeding snow in the air. Avaline continued writing, her chocolate brown curls shielding her face, her glasses pushed on top of her head. Her dark gray sweatshirt pronounced some event he had never heard of and her jeans displayed a large leather cross on the hip.

"Babe?" He whispered. She looked up, closing the small journal on her lap and putting her glasses in place, and smiled, her gray-blue eyes sparkling. She dropped the book, pushed herself to her feet, and ran to him, wrapping her arms around his body. They were about the same height, but right now, she seem small, frail, like a child who needed to be comforted after a nightmare woke them from their sleep.

"Damien!" Avaline mumbled into his shoulder. "I didn't think you'd come."

He hugged her tightly. "What's going on?"

She pulled back and smiled at him. "Nothing. Just wanted to see you."

Liar, he thought. "Your mom drove you here?"

She fell silent, her smile slipping. She kissed him, avoiding his question.

"Avaline, you did not walk here." He held her with strong arms a distance away to keep her from kissing him again.

She answered with silence.

"Avaline." He repeated her name several more times, each time getting angrier.

Finally, she responded with a quiet, "Maybe."

"... I... I can't believe you would... Avaline, so much could have happened..." Damien turned away, furious. He was considering what to do next, take her home or hear her out. Taking her home might make her run off again, without calling him first this time. But he was very angry with her, he wasn't sure he could listen with a clear head. They've been together a year and a half and she does something stupid like this? What if she had gotten hurt or kidnapped? He always tells her to be careful, always. Every time she leaves her house, every time they are separated. The mountain was crazy in the day, people went missing too often.

"Damien, wait." Damien's body stiffened when he heard the desperation in her voice. She was so pained, so lost, so scared. He wanted to hold her, make her feel better. But she had to know that this made him angry, that she upset him. She endangered herself. She couldn't keep doing this.

"What?" He said icily, without looking at her. If he saw her face, the pain he could hear in her speaking, he would never be able to stay angry with her. He would bring her into his embrace and hold her until the pain faded.

She hesitated to answer. "Damien..." He bit his lip to control himself until he tasted blood. She was hurting. What kind of man was he to ignore her? He had to teach her a lesson, he reminded himself. Finally, that soft, pained voice responded to the harsh question. "Nothing. I love you. Goodbye, Damien."

He didn't move until he heard her enter the forest. Damien turned, prepared to chase after, making up his mind to take her home with him. However, something over by the fence caught his attention. Something that wasn't usually there. It bothered him, distracted him long enough to convince himself that she would most likely return to her house and he had no reason to worry.

Her journal rested in the grass, metal letters reflecting the fading sunlight. A smaller block-like object rested on the ground near the book. Slowly, Damien pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Avaline's number, staring at the abnormal block thing near the fence. The phone was ringing this time, and the thing on the ground was lighting up. Damien hung up and ran to the phone, dropping to his knees. He picked it up, shaking, not believing she had forgotten it. How could he call her? How would he know that she got back to her house okay? He unlocked the screen with the intent to call her mother, and read the note it was opened up to.

I just wanted one last kiss. Just one. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I love you. –Avaline Jessica Keegan

Damien picked up the other discarded item, her journal. The hard blue cover declared DREAM in metal letters. Avaline had scribbled quotes on both sides of the journal. He opened to the first page and read:

BEFORE I DIE I WILL... My name is Avaline Jessica Keegan. If you're reading this, that means that I completed number one on my list, or finally died. Well, either way, enjoy.

Number one: Run away. Very VERY far away.

Damien's breathing sped up. He looked around for anything else to give him a hint. Anything that told him this was a joke, preferably Avaline returning with a smile to laugh at him for freaking out. Gathering her belongings, he ran into the woods that led to her house. He checked as far as he could see before running out of breath. His chest burned, desperate for air and even more desperate for Avaline. He needed to get her back. He'd do anything.

He pulled out his phone and pressed the keys in sequence; 9-1-... His thumb froze over the final digit. What if this journal was all he would ever have left of her? He tucked it inside his coat before pressing the final 1.