Lucy could have cried on the spot.
“Thank you,” she managed to mouth before heading to a booth in the corner. She sat with her back against the wall and crossed her grimy arms. Every inch of her felt disgusting. She picked at the dirt beneath her fingernails and ran a hand through her greasy tendrils. She was sure she looked and smelled like a homeless tramp.
It tore her gut to think the homeless part was right. Fear swirled though her system every time her mind wandered towards the future and what it held for her. Taking in a few quick breaths through her nose, she kept the tears at bay and jumped from the booth.
She made a beeline for the bathroom and spent a few minutes washing her hands and face. Her movements were frantic and jerky, but that’s all she seemed to manage at the moment. If she stayed still for too long her mind would conjure up crystal clear images that were soul destroying.
Her mother’s screaming would forever ring in her ears.
The way her father’s limp body flopped as he was kicked by his killer had been permanently embedded in her memory.
The sick fear on his face as he told her to hide.
Had he known he was about to die?
Lucy stopped the questions before they could go any further. She didn’t want to think about what he had on the tall murderer. She didn’t want to think about the fact that her father had inadvertently gotten himself and his wife killed. He said he feared the risks and he had every right to.
Lucy shut off the faucet with a sharp snap and gazed at herself in the mirror.
Thirteen.
She was a kid.
A wild-eyed, pale, pasty kid.
Her fingers shook as she rearranged her long tendrils of hair, knowing she needed to get back into the diner before she missed her first proper meal in what felt like forever. She didn’t know how long she’d been running for. She guessed about a week.
The first night was a blur of tears and fear. When her bare feet were near bleeding, she stumbled into a crop of trees on the edge of a park. Huddling against a tree trunk, she disappeared into the shadows, wrapping her trembling arms around herself and praying it was just a dream.
But the sun rose and her haunted sleep was brought to a terrifying end. The light exposed her, making her feel vulnerable. She’d crept through the park, ducking out of sight whenever she heard the slightest noise. Much to her disdain, she’d jumped a fence and pilfered someone’s clothesline. Three houses later, she’d stolen a pair of sneakers. They fit okay considering she was wearing socks that were too big for her.
Adjusting the black T-shirt and straightening the rain jacket, she eased back into the diner, sliding into her booth as the meal was placed before her.
Her mouth filled with saliva.
“Your first since running away, huh?” Sourface’s expression had softened considerably.
“I guess.” Lucy kept her eyes on the burger.
“You look pretty young, you sure you don’t want to head back home?”
“I’m sure,” she croaked.
“I can call your parents or someone else if you need me to.”
“No, that’s okay.” Lucy finally looked up. “I’ll be fine.” She pushed a smile over her lips, but she knew it didn’t even look like one. She was too worn and ragged to pull off anything.
Her last meal had been the scraps from a garbage can. She didn’t think she’d ever smile again.
Why she wanted to even live, she wasn’t sure.
That man had taken everything from her in less than ten minutes.
She was surprised she didn’t feel unguarded rage at him, but it hadn’t surfaced yet. She figured she was probably still in shock or something. Maybe the anger would come, but for now, she was living on instinct and it was telling her to somehow survive this.
The waitress walked away and Lucy gently picked up her burger, her stomach cramping at the very idea of consuming it. It took all her will power not to stuff the food into her mouth. She probably would have if she hadn’t gobbled the first mouthful down so fast and nearly choked. She felt the lump of un-chewed food ease into her stomach. It was a slow and painful process. After that, she took a breath and had a smaller mouthful, savoring the flavors, pretending for a moment that she was a normal girl grabbing a bite to eat on her way home.
Except normal girls had a home and they wouldn’t have been out at midnight in some cheap diner feeling shaky and weak from days of terror-filled running.
Swallowing back the depressing thoughts, she focussed on the burger, taking another mouthful and just chewing.
Chew Lucy. Just chew and don’t think.
She was nearly finished with her burger when she noticed him. He was a lanky boy and looked to be in his late teens. His sunken cheeks were gaunt and his big grey eyes studied her with a haunted look. They almost bulged from his face and reminded Lucy of a fish. She swallowed down her mouthful, looking away.