Summer

Runaway

Passport in hand, credit card, phone and a few items of clothing shoved into a large slouching bag that Summer slung across her shoulder. She stood still and silent in her room for a moment, memerising the smell, the sound of her clock ticking away the seconds softly, the very essence of the room that had been her sanctuary from the world for so long. She suddenly opened her bedroom door and padded across the hall, coming to a stop at her parents bedroom, the door slightly ajar. She stayed there, invisible to them for an immeasurable amount of time before backing away and fleeing back to her own room, dropping off of the balcony and swinging down to the soft grass below, her goodbyes hanging on her lips.

    Her little red mini cooper was parked at the end of the street where she had left it. She pressed the button on her key and the lights flashed, welcoming her back. She loved that car. Summer sunk into the worn leather seat, nestling her face into the headrest and breathing in the musky smell that had come with the car when she bought it second hand and never left. She shook herself, straightning up in her seat and readying herself for a long drive. She adjusted her rear view mirror, catching a glimpse of herself as she did so. Her hair was floating around her pale shoulders in a wildly tangled dark curtain, her eyes bright, pupils huge, lips red and cheeks flushed. She looked about the same way she felt. Uncertain, desperate...excited. It was there in her eyes, she reflected, as she drove away from her childhood house that had never really felt like home. The eyes of a runaway.

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Seven hours of driving later, she arrived at her destination. She had driven methodically for the long hours, the road flashing by in a rush of black with a white streak running along, mesmerising her. She had driven through the sunset, only stopping once for a bathroom break, tank re-fill and coffee, and again a few hours later, near dawn, as her stomach began to protest in hunger. She quickly purchased a large bottle of strawberry flavoured water, a roll and some sugary snacks to stick in the glove compartment to keep her going for the rest of the drive. Summer was all too aware of the curious stare she received from the cashier behind the counter as he took in the wild appearance of the young girl darting in and out of his shop at that hour of the morning, walking stiffly from driving for too long, eyes darting around her uneasily. It made her uncomfortable to stop, to feel like she wasn't making any progress.

Now, she sat in an empty carpark facing the airport, people in suits striding past her car sipping out of styrafome cups, eyes bright as though they woke up this early all the time. Which, Summer acknowledged upon consideration, they probably did. With a determined nod of her head that sent her hair cascading in tangled curls down her back, she exited her car and gave the bonnet a reasurring pat, saying a silent goodbye to her old companion. She marched into the imposing grey building, realising she was the only one around without luggage and not really caring, and strode straight up to the nearest available check in counter.

"Where to, ma'am?"  the bored looking woman behind the desk cocked her eyebrow slightly at Summer's baggage-less and young appearance. Summer cleared her throat, raw from so many hours without use, and smiled softly at the lady behind the glass, not daring to believe the words about to escape her lips.

"One-way ticket to Thailand, please."