Chapter One*
It was raining, the beads of cold sweat were forming on my forehead. Crouching behind a dumpster in a lonely alleyway, I felt a buzz in my back pocket and panicked before I remembered it was my phone. I leaned back and pulled it out of my back pocket quickly. The text message read:
We know you killed him! Just stop and come home, we will try and straighten this out before you do something else stupid. -Mom
I can't believe she believes it. My own mother thinks I killed the only boy I ever loved. Tears start to form in my eyes, I wipe them away. I'm tougher than that.
Sliding the phone back in my pocket, I glanced back to see if the car was still following me. The road was barren so I jumped out of the ditch and ran across the street. I tied up my hair with a hair band and pulled the hood over my head. I stumble upon a four-way road and glance in both directions. Once I step onto the curb, I hear the sirens blaring. Oh, god.
Quickly, I run out of the light and disappear into the darkness. I can hear the sirens getting closer and closer. A police car pulled onto the road where I was walking. The engine cuts off and the door opens and closes.
"Excuse me miss? Have you seen a girl who looks like this." I hear the rustle of paper, knowing he is holding up a picture of me. I know better than to engage with him, the second I start talking is the second that I get caught.
I slowly start walking backwards until he starts to notice, "Hey, you can't go anywhere, stop!" I turn around and run, as fast as I can. He chases me until he's panting and out of breath. I know these streets a million times better than him so I manage to lead him away and then sneak back to his car.
I get in and start to drive away. Oh, shit. I just stole a police car.
I'm not an idiot, I know the first thing they will do is come after me, I practically just put out a red alert when I stole this car. I press harder on the gas pedal, 60.....75......90 miles per hour. I don't stop until I'm far out of town.
*****
I stop the car by the body of water, Old Winchester Lake they used to call it, before it was closed for health and safety reasons, that is. I open the door and place a medium sized rock on the gas pedal. I quickly jump out of the way as the car speeds down the hill and plunges off, into the abandoned lake. I stand there solemnly watching the car sink down....further.....and.....further until not a trace of evidence is left above the surface of the water.
Seconds later the rain starts up again. My shivering body continues walking forward into the darkness that seems, with every step, to get even colder and lonelier. After walking half a mile or so in this miserable weather I come across a small gas station just a few yards away. Before entering the store, I notice a board with the title of WANTED. Most of the pictures were of dumb teenage boys who were wanted for something stupid like robbery or destruction of property. I was about to rejoice in not seeing my picture on the wall until I finally notice the small piece of paper in the corner.
WANTED FOR MURDER. TEAGAN MILLS, 18, IS WANTED FOR THE MURDER OF A TEENAGE BOY. IF YOU KNOW WHERE SHE IS OR HAVE SEEN HER, GO TO YOUR LOCAL POLICE STATION OR CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY.
That's when I made my mind up, I am going to fight. Fight and fight until they clear my name. I know I am innocent. He knows I am innocent. I just have to prove it. I'm not going down without a fight and I won't stop till everyone knows what really happened. I can do this.
I pull my hood even further up, covering my eyes. I quietly walk into the gas station without being noticed and head to the food isles. I grab a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter and three bottles of water, I only have $40 so I can't get much. I avoid making eye contact with the man as I place my items onto the check-out counter. He has dark, evil looking eyes and piercings and scars everywhere, I wonder how I'm the one getting blamed for murder when there's people like that out there. It sends chills down my spine.
