Running

Chapter Six

Monday, June 2, 2014

By the time I arrived at the tent, I guessed it was probably about 2 am. I wasn't sure what to do since it was so early in the morning, so I sat down on the grass, leaning against the metal chain link fence that surrounded the property. I felt my eyelids lower and my head fell against my chest as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

*****

"Hey! Girl! Wake up." A gruff voice woke me up, and I realized that there was a large hand on my shoulder, gently shaking me. I slowly opened my eyes and groaned. I had a headache, my body was sore and I couldn't remember where I was for a few seconds. I looked up to see a tall man wearing a fancy English suit, a top hat, and sporting a tar-black handlebar mustache. He looked to be about 50 years old. He looked nice enough. His smile was warm, gentle. "What are you doing here, darling?" I heard the faintest hint of an English accent in his voice.

I rubbed my eyes. "I-I... I tried to... I tried to h-hang... I tried to kill myself." As soon as the words were out of my mouth I started to cry at the realization of what I had almost done last night. Why did I just tell him that? He's a nobody to me.

His brow creased. "What? Where? Why? How old are you?"

Through tears, I answered each question. "My family doesn't love me, in fact, I'm pretty sure they hate me. I thought- I thought it would be better if I wasn't here. It wasn't for them, it was for me. I tried to hang myself on the bridge over there," I pointed to it, then added, "I'm fifteen."

It took him a while to answer. Finally he choked out, "You're only fifteen?"

"Yeah."

"Do your parents know where you are?"

I shook my head. "No. And I don't care! I don't want them to ever find me. Father would kill me. He beats me, and he-" I couldn't get the next part out. I felt like throwing up. I'd never told anyone what he did to me. I was scared.

The man looked worried. "Did he molest you?"

I looked down, my face flushing with embarrassment. "Yes. Since I was 12."

He sighed. "If I asked you what his name is, would you tell me?"

"Are you going to call the police?"

"Yes. This is something that needs to be taken care of."

"But that means that they would arrest my family, right?"

He studied me. "No, just your father." He paused, "Did your mother or siblings do anything to you?"

"My brother raped me once and my mother verbally abuses me."

"It's likely that your father would end up in prison, your brother in juvi, and I'm not sure about your mother."

"But then what would happen to me? Wouldn't the police take me? I don't want to go into foster care. I thought maybe I could... I wanted to join the circus."

He laughed. "What's your name girl?"

I debated telling him a fake name. I didn't want to be me anymore. I wanted to be someone new. But, if I told him a fake name, and then decided to give him my father's name, it wouldn't match up. "Kenna. My name is Kenna O'Hare."

"Well, Miss Kenna O'Hare, let's see what we can do for you."

At that moment, I decided I liked this man. Maybe things could get better.