The walk takes forty-five minutes to reach the train station, leaving me with about forty minutes before the first train starts running. I don’t take the train often, so I have to buy a ticket and then I go out onto the platform to wait. I keep my head down and pull out a book so I look like I belong. I’m just a student. I’m just waiting for the train. I’ll get away.
The ground begins to rumble as the train descends upon us and the moment those doors are open, I’m the first person on. I find a seat away from the door, planning on riding it to the end, and settle in.
This is fine. This is easy. I’ll be out of the city before seven. I’ll be gone. They’ll never find me, and I’ll be free of it all.
The train starts to move and while I stare at the book, I never read it; instead, my eyes flicker up at every person who walks through that door as if one of them might be my father.
When the train hits its last stop, I get up, knowing that the bus stop isn’t far from here and will take me to where I need to go. At that point, I’ll be free to leave it all behind.
When I get off the train, I keep my head tucked, trying to look like I know where I’m going, even though I don’t. Still, anxiety eats at me, reminding me that I’m playing a dangerous game running like this.
“Killian!”
Coldness rushes through my body.
No, no, no.
I keep moving. They’ll think they’ve been mistaken. I’m someone else.
“Killian!”
They grab my wrist and turn me around, forcing me to come face to face with a man I vaguely recognize as Officer Davis. He’d been at Father’s house that night of the meeting and I remember seeing him before working for the police department.
“Oh… hi, sorry, I didn’t see you there. You work with my father, right?” I ask, trying to play it cool. Trying to pretend that this is where I’m supposed to be because looking guilty will make him think I am guilty.
He gives me a huge smile but the sharpness to it makes me question how genuine it is. “I do! We’ve worked together for many years. Where are you off to this bright and early?”
“Ah, I’m meeting with a friend and we’re going to a museum together,” I say.
His eyes narrow as he stands tall, like he wants to tower over me or look down on me. “Your dad know you’re out and about?”
“Well… I would assume. I told him all about it.”
“Ah… and you usually take a backpack that full?”
I look at him wordlessly, confused why this man is so fixated on me. Does Father already know I’m gone? Does he already have people searching for me?
Officer Davis grabs my wrist and tightens his hand around it. “And what are you and your ‘friend’ going to talk about? Girls?” he asks before snickering.
“You need to let me go.”
“Nah, not until we call your dad and make sure it’s okay for you to be out. Because I’m pretty sure he mentioned that you have no friends and you go nowhere without him, and that’s how we can be sure you aren’t going to start talking shit.”
I stare at him, unable to understand my luck in this situation. How have I always had such horrible luck? How have I never been able to have one thing go right?
I jerk my arm free and start running, but Officer Davis is instantly after me.
“Police! Stop where you are!” he yells.
People turn to look at us. Some of them leap out of the way, some just watch as I run toward the exit. I just need to get away, I need to get off, I need to—
Someone bumps into me, knocking me off balance and I fall forward. Officer Davis tackles me to the ground and forces my hands down as he uses his weight to keep me there.
“Get the fuck off me. Get off me!” I yell as I twist and turn and fight against him.
“Good morning, Chief. While I know it’s a tad bit early to be calling, I just happened to run into your son… no, no, he’s right here. Oh? You want to talk to him? Of course.”
The man holds the phone down against my ear as I lie there, already feeling defeated.
“Killian?” Father asks, voice almost a whisper that gets