Runaway child

2: Run

I start to create a plan of getting out of the apartment. The front door is almost always locked and makes loud noises when someone enters, my parents would surely notice. The only other way out is my window. If I escape that way i will have to climb down five flights of stairs without getting noticed, but it seems like my best shot. I plan everything on my notebook and wait for nightfall.

I wait till I hear the snores of my dad to make my move. I grab my brown plain backpack, dump all the items out onto my bed and start to fill it with clothes, not caring if they look good on me or not, and also other stuff I might need. I sneak into the living room and go in my mom's snake skin purse and pull out fifty dollars out of it. I start to head to my room when I bump into one of the chairs at the table, making a loud creaky noise. I expect my dad to come out and yell at me for making noise or for my neighbors to start yelling through the wall, but nothing happens. I start to carefully walk to my room again and then close the door gently. I then go into my closet, get a shoe that I haven't worn since fifth grade, and pull out the three hundred dollars that I saved in it.

During the summers I would secretly get a job and raise the money. My parents have found the money two or three times, but since I have been hiding it in my old shoe they haven't found it for five months. Three hundred dollars is all that I have left for money and I'll have to use it carefully. I'll have to get a job to support myself. I heard strippers made good money? I laugh quietly at the thought that entered my mind.

I strap on my backpack and walk towards my window. I try and open it as quietly as I can and pop the window screen off. I pause, I think about leaving a note for my Mom and Dad. They would at least want to know if I'm alright. I should at least say bye to them in the note, right? No. They don't care. They won't even know that I'm gone until I'm supposed to come home from school. I looked at myself in the mirror, the only thing I see is a girl who needs to go. Go and live her life. I step out of my window onto the fire escape. That's when I heard the footsteps. All I can say is "shit, shit, shit."

My door starts to rattle, and then my Dad started banging. "OPEN THE DOOR YOU TWAT, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING MAKING ALL THAT GOD DAMN NOISE?" He screams. "Please don't look out the window." I say to myself. I hurry and climb down the rusty staircase not caring if anyone sees me anymore. I hear that Dad has broken down my door cause his ear piercing screams are louder as he curses at me. I hear him leave my room.

He's going to try and catch me. I can't go back to living like that, I'd rather die.

Hearing that thought in my head I try to climb down the stairs faster, almost tripping and ruining the plan. I get to the bottom realizing that there's at least a eight foot drop and the ladder that is supposed to reach the ground is rusted shut. I have to jump. I can almost hear my Dad stomping down the apartment stairs. I have no choice but to jump. I get to the lowest point and fall.

I'm falling in slow motion. Everything moving slowly. I feel the weak wind in my hair as I fall. If I don't land I might split my head open and never wake up again. I could break my leg and be back right where I started, not being able to run from my Dad. I could get knocked out and also be back where I was. I look around at my world falling in slow motion. I see the leaves as I travel past them. Maybe this plan won't even work, even if I land safely my Dad still might catch me. I have to try, almost anything is better than being cooped up in that hellhole. I have to ru-

Before I can end my thought I hit the cold hard pavement. My leg is in intolerable pain. I let out a painful scream before I make myself get up. I realize blood is coming from my mouth as I come up off the floor, I can even taste the bitterness of it. I look at my leg, it doesn't seem broken, I think it's just twisted, at least I hope. I hear the entrance of the apartment building slam open.

Run Dee run.

I try to run as fast as I can but my leg is burning with the pain from the fall. I can hear my Dad starting to chase after me shouting "GET BACK HERE!". There's a chain link fence I know he could never climb. I hear his footsteps getting closer "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, GET THE FUCK BACK HERE, YOU BRAT!" shouted my father. He's right behind me. I start to climb the fence as fast as my muscles can take me. As I climb my dad grabs ahold of my hurt leg. "You're not going anywhere bitch." My dad said calmly. He smiles like he's enjoying this. I gather all my strength and kick him hard in the nose. He lets out a painful shout as I make it over the fence. I look back for one second at my dad sprawled out on the grey concrete, his nose bleeding heavily. I turn and run. Knowing he won't be able to catch me I let out a small smile.

I run for about ten blocks before the pain in my leg makes me stop. I can feel it throbbing and I sit on an old bench outside the florist. It's already starting to bruise. I try and touch my leg but as soon as my fingers graze the surface my leg burns with pain. I have to keep moving, my dad might have called the police or he will be running around the city. I stand, trying to ignore the pain in my leg, and start walking. I walk for what seems like hours and before I know it I see the bright sun.