Running to Willow

Chapter 5: Living On the Run

"Pack everything honey!" Nicole said at her daughter on August 6, a day with a shining sun, birds chirping and a slight breeze. The same day the Pollocks family would split apart. The explanation from Nicole to her daughter was complicated, but a simple word convinced Faith to leave. Through the eyes of a 5-year-old girl the word adventure meant the world, so when her mom told her to pack everything, that was what she did. A few minutes later six suitcases of clothes were packed in the 2090 Lexus, and the trunk was piled high with Faith's favorite toys. With Faith in the back seat and Faith's mom in the driver's seat, the first stretch of their journey began. Nicole knew they would have to drive extra fast for the night before she had stolen her husband's credit card while he lay knocked out on the couch. He would soon realize it when he tried to buy more booze. So, driving over the speed limit Faith talked with her mom. Soon bringing the subject to her father Nicole explained how they would most likely not see her husband ever again and her daughter's reaction was the exact reason why she was worried about doing what she was doing when Faith was so young. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to replace that fatherly role, and Faith's mom knew that. Thus, the only reasonable solution she could think of at that moment with Faith hysterically crying in the back seat was to explain why her husband or Faith's father, Robert was suddenly so 'sleepy'.
    "Faith, sweety," Nicole cooed as Faith wailed, "we have to leave."
    Faith cried harder, wailing, "Why?!"
    "Your father it seems has developed a bad habit of drinking too much liquor," Nicole said calmly.
    "What's lick-her?" Faith asked, suddenly wiping her tears from her eyes.
    "It's a bad thing, Faith. It makes parents forget their jobs as parents. It makes parents sleep too much, and it makes parents act like different people."
    Faith thought back to when her dad had yelled at her about a reason she couldn't understand when she woke him up to ask if she could have something to eat. "We have to help!" Faith said faithfully.
    "Unfortunately only your dad can fix this, and I don't want him to hurt you any more then he already has." Faith's mom explained. As the answers she had wanted for a year settled in, a dreadful feeling of despair replaced her wanting to know what was going on. The car went silent for about 45 minutes until Faith's mom's phone rang. It was Robert. Declining the call Nicole started to talk to Faith, "I know how hard this must be for you because it is for even me. I really loved your father, but people change, and unfortunately, your dad's change was not a good one. The one thing I can promise is I will try my best to make this as fun as I can." The phone rang again, and Nicole declined it. By the fifth time, her phone rang Faith's mom was getting annoyed. Pressing down hard on the decline button, her finger slipped, hitting the accept button. Hearing her husbands slurred words, "I got her." Nicole had no emotion but hatred. Declining immediately after that everything seemed to be fine. The only problem was Faith's mom worried that her accepting by accident had given her husband some information on where they were somehow, and she couldn't have been more correct. Only a couple of miles away government cars raced down the highway using a tracker that through the call had gotten Faith and her mom's location. Within five minutes sirens were telling half the Pollock family to pull over, but Nicole refused and sped up. Having no mercy, the government cars encircled Faith and her mom. Holding Faith's hand, the mom had no choice but to pull over. Nicole couldn't even say goodbye to her daughter before the bullet hit her head. Faith fainted before her father took her to a hospital near his office. Waking up in a hospital bed the 5-year-old girl felt as though the world had just toppled upon her. Her first instinct when she saw her father was to scream at him, so that is what she did. "My mom is dead because of you!" she screamed, tears going down her face. "You're evil!"
    "Now, Faith," her father said, dark-eyed and woozy from being a bit tipsy, "I am sure this must be confusing for you at such a young age." Faith nodded. "Truth be told your mother tricked both of us. She was a monster, planning all of these years a day to kidnap you and I guess today was the day. Did you know she was planning to sell you for money?" Robert said slyly, lying. Horrified by what she was being told Faith didn't know what to believe. Looking at her dad who drank too much lick-her and looking back at her dead mom, the reasonable choice seemed to be to believe her dad. After all, he was alive to tell the tale. With her confusion clarified Faith could only think of one thing to say to her dad for saving her from being sold, "Thank you."