Luna In Denial

2

She had promised herself she would run as soon as she turned eighteen. That way if she was caught, no one could force her to return to her horrible home. Today was her eighteenth birthday, and now it was time to run. She had tried to convince her mother to go with her, but it was to no avail. Her heart picked up speed as she thought of her step-brother, Alec, and his two friends who had cornered her before she went to bed last night. They had made all sorts of crude comments and suggestions, knowing she was turning eighteen the next day. Emersyn realized she could no longer wait. She would have to leave and she would have to run by herself, leaving her mother behind. Emersyn pushed her feelings of guilt aside or they would paralyze her. She blinked back the tears threatening to fall. She hated leaving her mom, but she didn’t know what else to do.

Hearing sounds behind her, Emersyn panicked and turned around. She saw a guy with a leather bag slung over one shoulder coming her way. Emersyn lowered her eyes, not meeting his. She held herself stiffly as he came closer. She tried to keep calm, even though her brain was screaming at her to run. She tried to take deep breaths and forced herself to think rationally. She didn’t recognize him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t part of Alec’s group, or gang as she called it. He looked about the right age, and her brother had no shortage of friends, even though he was a selfish, brutal bully. Why anyone wanted to be friends with him, she had no idea.

She tried to calm her breathing and willed the bus to hurry. She wasn’t sure how long she had been gone because she didn’t own a phone or a watch, but it felt like the bus should have been here by now. She chanced looking up for just a moment and caught her breath when she saw the guy looking right at her. Faster than she could track, he held up a phone and she heard the sickening sound of a picture being taken. Horror filled her, and she felt her heart drop. Adrenaline coursed through her as she spun around and took off running.

She could hear him giving chase behind her. The only advantage she had was that she knew these streets in downtown Atlanta in and out. She threw herself into an alleyway and pulled down a couple of trash cans as she flew past. She glanced back briefly to see if he followed and was shocked to see him jump, clearing the trash cans in a single leap. This guy was fast. There was no way she was going to get away from him.

She rounded the corner, threw her bag as far as she could in one direction, and ran in the other. She glanced over her shoulder to see the guy had gone for her bag first. She heard more noise behind her and the unmistakable shout of her step-brother. Fear ripped through her so strongly, it made her stumble. She almost went down but was able to right herself at the last moment. Panic flooded her as she tried to think of how to get away. At least two people were chasing her now, if not more. She knew Alec was athletic and fast and so was this other guy chasing her. There was no way she could outrun them.

She only had a slight lead on them. Her solution came a moment later when she cut through another alleyway and saw a bus pulling out from a bus stop. She ran as fast as she could, waving her arms. It was slow taking off, and she was able to catch it. The doors opened and she threw herself inside. She quickly pulled out the wad of cash that she was incredibly thankful she had put in her pocket and not her bag. The driver must have seen it because he took off a moment later.

Emersyn paid the fee quickly and ducked into a seat, pulling her hoodie low. She turned and looked out the window. She saw her step-brother and the other guy with her bag arriving at the bus stop just moments after she left. She knew Alec could easily catch the bus—he was that fast. But the other guy grabbed his shoulder when he started towards the bus. She watched as Alec turned and yanked the bag out of the other guy’s hand and threw it on the ground in anger. He looked towards her, and Emersyn couldn’t look away. The hatred in his eyes burned into her. He pulled a wicked-looking knife out and pointed it at her. Emersyn didn’t miss the threat. She watched until the bus turned a corner and she could no longer see him.

She put her head against the seat and tried to still her racing heart. She knew she needed a plan and fast. She looked up to the front of the bus to see where the bus was headed. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Alec would be at the next stop, and if he caught her, she was as good as dead. She had less than twenty minutes to make a plan.

Her brain scrambled to come up with an idea. She looked up towards the bus driver and knew she had to try something. Gathering her courage, she stood and approached him. Knowing her step-brother already knew she was on the bus, she pulled her hoodie down and pulled her hair free of the rubber band, letting it fall around her face. She hoped that would make her look younger and more vulnerable.

She moved towards the driver. “Excuse me,” she started.

The driver didn’t let her finish. “Ma’am, you need to find your seat. If you need to stop, just pull the chord and I’ll stop at the next bus stop.”

“Oh, um,” Emersyn stumbled with her words. “Listen, I really need to stop and get off before the next bus stop. Would you...”

“Lady, I can’t stop until the next scheduled stop. Now please take your seat,” the driver said sternly.

“But it’s an emergency. I,” Emersyn pleaded her case.

“You had better find your seat or I will call this in and the police will be on-site when we stop,” the driver said angrily.

Emersyn blinked back tears of frustration and made her way back to her seat, avoiding the stares she felt on her. She was too scared to be embarrassed. She sat down and immediately started thinking again, but panic was closing in and she was having a hard time thinking clearly. If she didn’t come up with something, she was only minutes away from being found. She couldn’t let that happen.