Luck was on my side.

When it latched closed, I held my breath until I reached the end of the driveway. Then held it again until I reached the next drive. Each step towards town made me breathe a little easier. Walking alone in the dark didn’t scare me, but picturing my father’s face around every bend did.

I hoped that he wouldn’t try to come after me. Being eighteen gave me some shred of hope. But he was wicked. I wouldn’t put it past him to lay some kind of claim over my life once he found out where I was. All I wanted was the freedom, and no matter how many miles I put between the two of us I wondered if I’d ever really be free.

The edge of town was eerily quiet and pleasant. For miles all I saw was emptiness and the night air was still warm against my skin. Leaving at nighttime was the smartest thing for me to get a fresh start. No one seemed to be creeping around, so I wouldn’t risk the chance of someone seeing me. At least not anyone I knew. The folks that I had been acquainted with wouldn’t be out this time of night. They were early risers.

The streetlights paved the way to the bus stop. My family and I passed by it every time we went to town so I knew exactly where it was. I had purchased my ticket there last Sunday while Mom was inside the grocery store next door.

The sign hung low and very few people stood around as I crept up the wooden steps making my way inside. The station was older and had a pungent smell of Old English polishing oil. It was the same stuff my mother used on the wooden bench that sat on our front porch. Judging by the clock hanging by the door I was just in time, and I wouldn’t have to wait long before my bus arrived. Thank goodness.

I was constantly looking over my shoulder in search of him, though I knew he wouldn’t be there. And every noise made me jumpy. The poor man that collected my ticket probably thought I had some kind of illness or that I’d forgotten to take my medication. He never said a word though, just a skeptical brow and common politeness.

I took a seat and waited for my bus to come.

Aunt Darcy was expecting me and promised that she wouldn’t say one single word to my father. She knew that he was crazy. There was no contact between the two of them besides a Christmas card that came every year. She steered clear of him, like she should. There were times that I wondered if she knew the severity of his temper, but figured if she really knew how bad he was, that she wouldn’t say anything. She’d be afraid of him like the rest of us.

She came to visit us once in all the years I could remember. She drove hundreds of miles, and wound up staying for dinner, and leaving soon after. Dad’s intense glares, and lack of conversation had everything to do with it. He was not gentle with his words, and sugar coated for no one. Since then all I ever heard from her was –Happy Birthday, in a card.

When I wrote to her back several months ago, I didn’t go into full detail about my situation. I only told her that I was leaving and in desperate need of a place to stay. It would be more of a sanctuary then anything. I told her not to write back, because they would be suspicious. So about a week before my birthday I received a new card. Inside it was money of course, and that little note. It was all I needed. She knew that I had no money, but that I would get a job as soon as I arrived.

That frightened the hell out of me. I had no job experience outside of farm work, and my aunt lived nowhere near any farms. She wasn’t directly in the city, but close enough. After being home schooled by my mother and graduating when I was only seventeen, I hoped that I would one day be given the opportunity to go to school. College I mean. But I was only kidding myself. I could never afford to go to school, and even if I could what on earth would I study? I knew nothing of the outside world beyond my small town, and from the looks of it –outside the bus window, I was probably in way over my head.

My bag was tucked safely into the small overhead compartment on the bus, and my shoulder bag lay across my lap. The very few belongings I had were mine, and I wanted to keep them as close to me as possible. The seat next to me was empty which was comforting, but the heat mixed with all those bodies made the smell unpleasant. It was musty and smelled like old man cologne mixed with one of those green tree shaped air fresheners. Old pine trees and musk. That about summed it up.

Sometime after the bus started to move I curled up against the armrest. I wrapped my white sweater tightly across my body to keep warm. I didn’t want to fall asleep because I was afraid that I would have a terror in front of everyone on the bus. How embarrassing that would be. I tried hard to fight it, but the tiny vibrations of the moving bus were coaxing me into it. The darkness didn’t help either.

Unfortunately my eyes couldn’t hold out any longer. My heavy eye lids slid closed, and sleep found me too easily.

Thankfully I hadn’t been dreaming when I woke some hours later. The screeching of the bus brakes whistled around me, and jolted me awake. The lady that sat a couple of seats over was gathering her things, so I jumped up a little too quickly in my seat. Outside the bus windows was a sign that said Denver Colorado. I knew that I was at my stop. Aunt Darcy lived twenty minutes or so from the city of Denver -just outside of Aurora, but this was the closest stop.

I reached inside the overhead compartment, and grabbed my bag. I straightened my frazzled hair, and patted my long skirt so that the wrinkles weren’t crazy then I tossed my bag over my shoulder and made my way towards the front of the bus.

It was dark when I’d first got onto the bus. I could barely see the other passengers. Now, as I was exiting the daylight let me see clearly.

It also made me hope for the darkness again, as everyone stared.

Of course I was a long way from my home, but there was nothing any different about me then the next person. At least on the outside, or from what people could see. I was just plain old me. Boring farm girl hidden behind a long skirt, laced up shoes, and sweaters. Hadn’t they ever seen a plain Jane before?

The bright light from the sun nearly made me fall over top of the poor woman in front of me. I had to apologize twelve times to keep her from swinging her purse at my head. Darcy leaped in at just the right time to wrap me in the warmest most inviting hug ever. There was a look on her face telling me not to worry with the old lady.

“Oh, I’ve missed you.” She said. She held me tight. Almost uncomfortably tight when you’re not used to being hugged.

“I missed you to.” I smiled and laid my head over on her shoulder. She wrapped an arm around me and led us across the street to her car.

Aunt Darcy hadn’t changed much at all. She was still very slender with long hair, much like mine. Only darker. She wore makeup and jeans like most of the world, but it wasn’t over the top. She was very pretty for an older woman. No husband, and no children, she lived by herself in a two bedroom house in an urban part of town.

I hated imposing on her life, but she accepted me with open arms.

Literally.

“I’m so happy that you are staying with me. We’re going to have such a great time together.”

“Me too,” I answered truthfully. “You won’t tell my father right?” I sent a worried glance in her direction from the passenger seat of the car.

“You have my word. I don’t plan on talking to that man ever, if I can help it.”

I released a pent up breath and watched the building pass by my window. That was all I needed to know. That for once in my life I could feel safe somewhere.

“I am making us a big dinner tonight, and then we can watch movies, or do anything you want. You’re eighteen now, so I don’t want you to feel like you have to answer to me for any reason. You are my roommate, not my child. I hope you understand that.” She explained. Her long red fingernails tapped the steering wheel.