Will you risk your life, or face the consequence?

I pack my travel bag and make my way to the front door leaving my family behind. I stare at the family photo one last time, we are all sitting on the sofa me, my brother, mum and dad. We are all wearing matching t-shirts with Jones written across them to symbolise our last name. We are all cheesing big. I place the picture back down on the table and hear the bathroom door open and hold my breath. They can’t hear me whoever they are, I wait for a few seconds and hear them again shuffling back into their room.

I unlock the front door slowly so I don’t make a noise, I grab my bag and head outside into the garden and look back once more, this is it then. My last time here, I need to get away quickly for myself and help to protect my family. I head towards my car and turn the heater on as soon as I get in, I start to drive towards the train station to start my new life away from crime.

I wake up to the sunshine, I check the time on my train ticket 6 o clock, I have 20 minutes until my train appears. I head into the coffee shop and order myself, milky coffee and a bagel. I eat while browsing my friends social media as I’m never going to see them again. I see the time as turned to 5:50 and I make my way towards the platform. 

I look out the window at the grass speeding past, I’m heading towards Massachusetts know one I know is there so they won’t find me. I rest my head against the window and close my eyes, I will be okay I may not be with my family but I can do it. 

I head to the hotel room I booked for a few weeks until I can find a job and earn my own money, and start looking for a place to live. If I’m still alive by then that is, I shake my head to get rid of the thought in head. I approach the hotel desk and a plump woman wearing a pink dress address me.

“Hi can I help you?” She asks me.

“Yeah, I booked a room for 1,” I tell her while fidgeting with my drawstrings on my black hoodie. 

“Name?”

“Samantha Smith,” I tell her. She starts to type away at her computer. I hope I’m not sweating, I hope she can’t figure out that my real name isn’t Samantha Smith. What if she is one of them? I try to calm, of course not, they are all the way in New Hampshire. 

She hands me the key and hopes I have a great day, I won’t be here long. I need to find a job to earn some money and head out to New York to visit my grandma, to help my out this.

I put my bag on the floor and take a shower washing off New Hampshire, I wrap a towel around me and look at my phone I have 6 missed calls of Lexi my best friends back at home. I re dial her number back and she answers straight away. 

“Clara I have some good news, I need to tell. It’s Corey he asked me out finally, we are having a date next Saturday do you and Robbie wants to join us?” 

“I can’t me and Robbie broke up a couple days ago, but hey you and Corey. I’m happy for you Lexi I really am, I’m out of town for a few days but keep me updated with you and Corey and everyone else.” I tell her.

I make an excuse up and we ended the phone call, I lie down on the plush bed and a tear escapes and rolls down my cheek like a slug crawling along a pavement. I get changed into blue skinny jeans, and a plain white t-shirt, I tie my brown hair into a ponytail and head towards the library to use the computers. 

I’m standing outside of a palace, I’ve never seen a library this big. It is 2 storeys high and it looks like a mosque at the top. I head inside and I head straight towards the computer, I can’t get distracted by all the beautiful books they have on display. I browse for some jobs and see one for Starbucks, I print off my CV which I sent to myself. I grab the application and knock into a boy. He has wavy brown curly hair and ocean blue eyes.

“I’m sorry,” I help to retrieve the books he has dropped and our hand brushes lightly and we look into each others eyes. 

“Don’t worry about,” his voice is soft like cotton candy and I can’t help but smile, he sticks his hand out and I shake it. “I was after my books but nice to meet you, I’m Noah.”

I hand over the books “I’m samantha,” I try to make my feet move but there stuck there.

“I better go, I’ve got lots of reading to do,” he motions to the books he’s holding. “See you around Samantha,” he walks off towards the door and I’m staring at the back of his head while smiling.

I grab some food at McDonalds from the 1 dollar section and eat it back at the hotel, I start to fill out the application form for Starbucks when my phone starts to ring. 

“Clara where are you?” My mum sound frantic.

“I’m staying at Lexi’s for a while mum, but I’ll be home soon,” I reassured her.

“Why are you staying at Lexi’s? Has something happened?”

“Everything is fine, I just want some peace especially since all the family is coming over.” I lie to her, I’m not great with social places even with family. I don’t speak to them anyway so she won’t mind being away for a few days. Even though it’s longer. 

I’m standing at Simon’s house with a group of boys all seated around the room, he gets up in my face and I feel his hot breath hit my face. “How could you lose him Clara?” He roars into my face.

I crumple up into my skin and stutter out, “I’m sorry, I something happened at home. So I took the day off from following him.” I explain to him.

He backs away from my face, I start to lift my head looking into his menacing brown eyes, his chocolate skin shining from the sun light.

“Why are you lying to me?” He says while looking at me.

“I’m n-not” I stumble out.

“They saw you, you were all of each other. How could you?” He sneers.

I thought I could save Noah, I was gonna come back and tell them I did it. I killed him even though he was still alive, I arranged for him to go to New York to live with my grandma and wait for me. But they got there before I did, they made me watch while they stabbed him with a sharp metal kitchen knife. Once they were done they let me go and ran towards him, I placed him head into my lap and cried and cried. Simon called me that following morning and told me I better start to do my job properly or I’m dead. So I ran away from them and their threats, and I’m trying to start again.

I handed my application into Starbucks this morning and they said they will call if I got the job, as I’m walking through the park near the hotel I spotted red hair near a bush. I have a gut feeling that I'm being followed, I gather my speed and walk through the alley way to go back to the hotel. A hand grabs me by my throat and I’m struggling to breathe, I claw at the man but he is much stronger than I am.

He starts to chuckle, “you thought you could get away from us by running away did you?” 

I shake my head, he drops me on the floor and I landed on my back. He gets on top of my and starts to punch my face until I can only see blood, I grab I brick that is laying on the ground and smash it on his head until he goes still and he lands on top of me. I push him off me and run away, I grab my stuff from the hotel and run. I ring my grandma and tell her I’m in trouble, I tell her everything and see tells me to get to New York. 

“I don’t have any money,” I start to get breathless and slow down.

“I will put some in your bank and I will protect you, something your mother can’t do baby,” I broke down crying as I head to the airport with a face full of blood and dirty clothes.