Jessica
She ran away at 17.
Getting her saved stash on an old gray sock and her mom's worn-out photo under her pillow, she was convinced it was time she left her father and his new family. She sneaked out of her bedroom and tiptoed her way out of their house. "Good riddance," she whispered, gently twisting the doorknob open. Without any plans of shedding even a single tear, she ventured the silent streets of their city - the lamp posts the only witnesses of her escape. Everyone was asleep, but her heart was an owl wide-awake at two o'clock in the morning.
"Hey Mom, we'll go to Vancouver. You like that place, right?" she said, looking at her mom's photo. "Maybe we'll get some real family time there." She pulled her sweater closer as a cold drift blew.
She bought herself a train ticket and helped herself with a sandwich and a can of soda at Platform 12. At around half past two, she rode the train and stumbled her way across a guy reading a book on architecture, she thought, basing on the buildings on the cover. The guy peeked out of his book, smiled at her, and went back reading.
"Nice guy," she thought as she dug to her bag for her earphones. Staring outside the window, she drowned herself to the drums of Muse and wondered of what she'd do upon reaching Vancouver.
In the end, she thought it didn't matter. She was free.
Cyrus
He was 18 then and like most guys of his age his being sought for adventure.
That night of October 17 he decided he'd explore the world without telling anyone. He packed his things and grabbed his architecture book, then silently entered his sister's bedroom and left a letter on her bedside table. Everyone was asleep, or so he thought. Downstairs, he found Sid blocking his way out.
Seeing him, Sid stood and walked between his legs, shedding cat fur on his pants.
"I'll miss you too, buddy. Look after Mom while I'm away?" he said, patting the cat on the head. "And don't touch Mary's aquarium." The cat purred and went back to licking itself.
It was a bit cold when he went outside. Drizzling, actually. He didn't pull out an umbrella though. Instead he faced the sky and let the rain bruise his face and calm washed all over him.
He arrived at the train station around 2:15, bought himself a ticket and rode the train that will take him to Vancouver. While waiting for the train to leave, he pulled out his book and started scanning the tallest and grandest buildings to rise on this planet.
A girl went and sat across him. Peeking from his book, he saw a green-eyed girl with a disheveled - but not messy, he thought - brown locks and heavy luggage.
"Looks like I'm not the only one to sneak out tonight," he thought.
The girl looked to his direction. Meeting her eyes, he smiled. The girl smiled back and started digging inside her bag. He went back reading and wondered on what sorts of adventure he'd find in the city of Vancouver.
It didn't matter, he thought in the end. He was already on one.
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The Runaways by KASH
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