Foul Is Fair

18 - Compiling A Plan

After the official announcement, I knew I had to bite the bullet and escape. For good. I knew I had to leave for my life to improve; the second I was away from the strobes of cameramen, the better. A fresh start would be the very beginning of my healing process. However, I still had Adelaide's funeral to attend, so I began to pack in preparation.

Whilst cramming my belongings into my suitcase, the whole murder seemed to flash before my eyes in a poor and almost vintage fashion. You could describe my visions as an old film you'd watch at a drive-in on a dark and cosy evening. Except, these visions were real and not of the creative mind. I suppose my head flooded with these memories as I hadn't exactly had the time to recollect and reflect on what I had done. Of course, it was awful. Undeniably. Yet, even with this reminder? I felt nothing but relief. I felt insane. Almost guilty in some sense for not caring. It certainly toyed with my emotions and tweaked at my headspace.

Like a passing storm, my brain seemed to clear up quite nicely, picking up an increased sense of carelessness, yet exaggerated relief. "Just two more steps", I told myself. Two steps until I could finally settle down into a remote and tranquil life elsewhere, away from all of the drama circulating my name. To say I was ecstatic for freedom was definitely an understatement. I couldn't wait. As soon as Adelaide was laid to rest, I could forget it all.

Amidst packing, it struck me that I hadn't exactly forged a plan. I knew I wanted to run away, but where to? And how? Did I even have the funding to support my wish? I began to overthink, dropping a pile of fresh, folded shirts beside my ankles. Clearly, I hadn't thought my impulsive plan out very well.

After formulating a plot for hours on end, I had finally come to a conclusion to my own queries. With many old ancestors of mine originating from Italy, I decided that I should step out of my comfort zone and live abroad. I knew I'd feel like a needle in a haystack somewhere with a large population or frequent tourist attraction, so I searched endlessly for somewhere sparsely populated to move to. With my research, I stumbled across the ravishing town named Scilla in Calabria.

Now, if you're a mythology enthusiast, you probably know the little town as the traditional site of the sea monster Scylla from Greek legends. The town certainly has its history, which is what happened to reel me in like a fish on a hook. Scilla actually has many ancient origins, linking all the way back to the destruction of Troy and, as previously mentioned, links to legends such as Scylla and Charybdis. I spent several hours reading into the town and gradually developed a great admiration for the destination.

My only problem was funding - rather, my inability to fund such a plan. I'm not well-off in the slightest but, instead, in crippling sums of debt with all the wrong kinds of people. I indeed fell victim to loan sharks. On top of that devastation, I've always been exploited to work for a poor wage as my vulnerable position made it easy for employers to do so. A working class male never gets shown any remorse or pity, even nowadays. Really shows you how deeply capitalism can corrupt individuals. Regardless, I've always held my head high and worked for what I strived for - it's never been great, but it's been enough.

Manically, I began looting my own home, gathering any stray coins, notes and possibly even bank cards. I searched high and low; in pockets, in drawers, under the couch, on shelves and many, many more locations. Surprisingly, I managed to end up with a decent sum of money by the end with an extra surprising discovery of a card I forgot I owned. Mission accomplished. "Twenty, forty, sixty, eighty... eighty five, ninety.." I began, delicately placing my notes into a stack. "One hundred and ten, one hundred and forty.. ah." I let out a sigh, realising my counting had came to an end. A decent amount, but not what I had wanted. Certainly not enough. Next, I unlocked my phone and opened my banking app, which I usually only used to pay contactless in stores. As the loading sign twirled around my screen, I waited patiently for the numbers to appear. "Huh?" I mumbled, squinting at my phone in disbelief. Somehow I was in possession of a handy amount of cash. Enough to pay the expenses of a serene escape. "How on Earth... am I really that fortunate?" I doubted, refreshing the page just to double check - the same numbers reappeared. "Wow." I was truly astonished. It may not even seem like a lot to some people and it certainly wouldn't last forever, but it was something. It wasn't life changing, but it was something, and that's all I needed! Out of character, I let a beaming smile break out, causing my eyes to wrinkle softly and my cheeks to puff subtly.

From that euphoric moment, I realised very quickly that I'd be able to fulfil my wish. I'd be moving to Italy as soon as Adelaide was buried and left to rot in Hell for good. Better times were certainly coming my way like the sun breaking through an army of granite clouds. Things were starting to look up for me and my future ahead. For the first time in a long time? I felt happy. I felt hopeful. Incredibly joyous. Genuinely.