Dying to Live

Is it freedom that I hear?

<There is indeed, a certain beauty found in every act of rebellion> - ✿

"Can you bring me a cup of coffee?" she asked the nurse. Then she stuffed two pairs of pants, her favorite maroon shirt and the money that she had stolen from her mother's purse into her golden backpack. Charity tiptoed out of the hospital room, her surgical mask in one hand, and in the other, the firm strand of courage that she would be needing in a few moments.

"Dear Mom and Dad, please forgive me, I just wanted to see the world one last time." This is what the yellow post it stuck to her hospital bed read.

She walked silently past one of the hospital's guards sitting down at the front office. The loud noise coming from his mouth almost made her shriek. Taking quick glances left and right to make sure that there would be no one to witness what she was about to do, she stopped in front of the fire alarm located near the hospital's exit. Quietly, she counted to three, and closed her eyes. Once she pulled down the handle, there would be no turning back. She stuck out her hand, and before she could catch her breath, a loud ringing noise filled the hospital's halls. Moving her feet faster than she could think, she bolted towards the road without looking back. The strapped bag on her back bounced up and down with every step she took. As she progressed in her stride, the thought of her parents holding each other tight as they cried upon the discovery of the short note that she had left them crossed her mind, but she quickly pushed it away. They'll understand, she reassured herself, before continuing along the highway. She had previously read a lot about hitchhicking online, so she proceeded smoothly. She first took off her backpack, and began searching inside for a pen and a piece of paper. Then, with her left hand, she wrote "ORCHID TOWN" in capital letters; she lifted the sign up and waved it in the air. Moments later, a navy blue jeep stopped next to her, and she peeked inside as a brown haired middle aged man gazed back at her.

"Hi sir," she smiled.

"Hi yourself," he waved, "hop in!"

Getting into a stranger's car was something she would've never done before, but now, she was dying. If he kills me, it will just fasten the process, she thought as she sat down.

The car's radio was blasting out A day in the Life by the Beatles as the man smoothly moved his head to the rhythm of the music. "Here!" she yelled out, her index finger pointing at a green sign hanging high above.

ORCHID 10 MILES, it read.

"It was nice riding with you Charity," the man smiled as he parked the car alongside the road. "Thank you," she said before getting out. She grabbed her golden companion and began walking towards a large gathering uphill. Upon her arrival, her hazel eyes widened and her mouth hung down in disbelief. Hundreds of hot air balloons had embellished the sky's surface, each of them a breathtaking blend of multiple colors. She put up her hand above her forehead to shield herself from the fiery sun, and smiled as a hoard of young boys fought over a soccer ball, all of them laughing in unison when one unintentionally tripped down. She had never seen so many people assembled together in one place before, and as she tried to make her way through the crowd, elbows and shoulders pushed her around, sometimes hitting her in the face. But finally, she managed to reach the end, and let out a loud sigh before starting to eagerly look around for the Ballon Rides station.

"Are you lost?" A deep toned voice made her slightly jump up.

She looked up and her gaze fell upon a tall dark haired boy, his almond brown eyes were staring right at her, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable. He took a step closer and snapped his fingers in front of her eyes as to wake her up from a day dream.