The Girl Called Trouble
The Great Escape

It isn’t time yet. I still have several hours before I should arrive. I wander the streets thinking about why I came here. I start thinking about the story I will tell everyone. There is no way to know for sure if I can trust any person with the real story. After all, who can I really trust? People are evil, and no person can surprise me with their actions. As long as I keep my expectations low, I can never really be disappointed.

Flashback:

I listen behind closed doors as my grandmother is talking to somebody.

“I think it’s better if she lives with her parents. She needs to get over it. Her parents are coming to visit, and she will be going with them, she just doesn’t know it yet.”

I knew she was up to something. I need to leave here. This place is not where I meant to stay. I can’t take much with me, but I must escape. I start to plan my great escape. I have done this multiple times. This time must be my last. I can never return here.

Two weeks later:

Tonight, is the night. My grandmother had surgery this morning. I spent that time preparing for my escape. Unfortunately, I cannot bring much. I grab masks from the closet. At least with all of this covid stuff going on I can hide my identity better. I just have to disappear into a crowd.

When I am sure that I am the only person awake. I grab the bag I packed and the sandwiches I made, and my laptop. I will need it since I don’t have a cellphone. I already know where to go but I must walk all night.

I walk for nine miles before I stop to eat at a small restaurant. I then look up the bike trails. I can follow the Underground Railroad bike trail. After I finish eating, I walk nearly twenty more miles. My feet were sore and blistered by the time I made it to the path. I don’t stop walking.

I walked on for nearly two weeks. The best thing is with Covid, there wasn’t anyone around. I slept in the woods and picked food and drinks where I could. I walked through three days of constant rain. Yet, I finally made it to Columbus. When I got there, I was able to get a taxi to the Greyhound station.

Tomorrow. I will see my future tomorrow. I slept for most of the ride. I have a challenge ahead of me. I would need my rest in order to face my next obstacle.

Present Day:

Every person seems to defend my parents, but their actions were inexcusable. It isn’t even about forgiveness. Even if I forgive them, I can never trust them. I can never feel safe around them and it’s their own fault. They caused it. Not me. The people I can never seem to forgive are the people who defend them. People who defend evil are evil themselves.

I am better off without any of them. I am better off taking care of myself. I am better off alone. That way, the only person who can hurt me is myself. The sad part is, that I am the one they call trouble. Yet what trouble have I actually caused? All I want is to be free of them. As far as I am concerned, I have no parents.

I have finally arrived. I walk into the hotel knowing full well that I cannot get a room. I don’t have an id. Even if I did, I don’t want to be easily traced. I tell the receptionist that I am waiting for someone. I know this is where he replaces me.

Around fifteen minutes later a tall black guy walks in and sees me. “What are you doing sitting here?” He asks me.

“I left my id, so I can’t get a room. I have to go back to get it.” It seems like I am always lying. My situation is complicated I never know if what I’m doing is right anymore. Honestly, maybe I never knew the difference between right and wrong in the first place. Afterall, that was something my parents were supposed to teach me.

He looks outside at the rain. “Do you want to come with me?” I agree and he goes to get his room. Perhaps someday I will tell him the truth, I think to myself as I follow him to the room. Then again, maybe the truth isn’t important. Nobody really cares what I do anyways.