Mushroom Blood

Chapter 5: Run Away

Chapter 5

Run Away

I had tossed and turned all night, and finally, I just couldn’t sleep at all. Around six in the morning, all I could do was stare at the only thing making noise in the room. My fan. I had to leave. Get out of here; away from my mother. Last night, I saw something in her that I never had before, and I was afraid. I can't go anywhere with her. If I was going to die, I might as well not be expecting it right? Just suddenly leave the world.

            I worked at McDonald’s close to my house, so I had enough money to take a train somewhere. As I gathered my things I had another one of those visions. I looked in the mirror across the room and noticed that my eyes were gray and I was smiling a wicked smile. It was the smile a hunter has when he has his ten point buck within his sights. I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to get the horrific image out of my mind. When I opened my eyes I was normal… I breathed a sigh of relief. I'm not a vampire, I kept telling myself, but I couldn’t help but think that I would be in the future.

            It finally struck me, I was eighteen! I’m now an adult! I quickly did a little happy dance and for that brief moment, I forgot all about what I was about to do. Then reality had to set in… I whispered the Happy Birthday song to myself. That happiness melted away when I remembered that I had to leave… now!

            My tooth brush, hair brush, some clothes, and a water bottle were stuffed into my backpack. I'll take the train the New York, I told myself. It's the city of lights; of course I would like it.

            I opened my door as quietly as I could and checked the quiet hall. No one was there. I didn’t even hear my dad's snoring. Goodbye, Daddy. Good luck. I know I was only talking to myself, but I know that he would have liked me to say good-bye. I don't think I could ever say it to his face, the whole end of the world thing. No one was down stairs. Mom must still be shopping, I thought. I found my bike in our messy garage, it was a purple Shwinn. I sighed, if only I had my own car. Then again, we only live about five miles away from the train. I can make it, if Mom doesn't catch me. I was actually afraid of her. I hitched the cute bike and was off.

            The cold air hit me like a brick. It pierced through my jacket and blew my hair every which way. You'll make it! I kept telling myself. You can do it! But, God, it was so cold! Stupid Pennsylvania winters! You can't even make a productive escape. Ugh!

            After a five mile journey through the cold Pennsylvania snow with a freeze burnt face, I finally made it to the train station, which was just opening. But I couldn’t just leave my bike resting here, mom could see it and I’m busted. There weren’t many people at the train station this early. How can I find someone who wants my bike? After asking everyone present, I decided to ask the girl behind the counter if she would buy it. I bargained with her and she finally gave in and bought it for fifty bucks for her niece who she said was just a little smaller than me. She opened the door on the side of the building that sells the tickets and, as I rolled the bike in, I noticed who she was! She was the girl that I shared my hospital room with! I could see the two little bite marks on her neck, her very pale skin, gray eyes, and her strawberry blond hair!

            "What's your name?" I asked her.

            She considered me for a moment and said, "Sabrina, yours?"

            "Holly," I didn’t want her knowing my real name in case my mother came snooping around. I should be cautious.

            "That's a nice name," she smiled. No fangs for now. "I suppose you didn’t come here only to sell a bike. You want a ticket?"