The Game Until 18

Chapter 1- When In Hiding, Go Into A Complete Stranger's House

I threw my suitcase in front of me down the steps, the wheels clattering loudly on the cement outside. Instead of trying to avoid my dad like they thought I would, I instead aimed the suitcase towards his shiny black shoes. “Sorry, dad!” I yelled. “Desperate times called for desperate measures!”

Actually, I didn’t even crash it on his shoes. It had stopped short of them, making him jump backwards to avoid it. I tore out into the tiny one-spaced parking lot behind the inn where my silver BMW convertible was. Fumbling with the keys, I wrenched the door open, and went in, cramming my suitcase onto my lap.

I jabbed the key into the ignition, or at least tried to. It hit the steering wheel instead. Damn this suitcase. It was blocking my vision.

I tried jamming it in again, and this time, it hit its mark. The car whirred to life, and the engine started to hum. I backed out of the parking space recklessly, almost hitting a tree on the way.

Shouts were heard out there, and several sleek black cars started to chase me. They had apparently stopped chasing me on foot after I got into the car and decided to also start using another car. I craned my neck to look over my suitcase, slammed my foot down on the accelerator, and shot out into the road, well above the speed limit.

I drove like a maniac, not even hesitating for a moment on red lights or stop signs. It was to either get forced into a marriage I didn’t want or to just get a ticket, right? Luckily, the streets were still empty since it was so early in the morning, and no police cars were patrolling them. The only other cars in vicinity were several parked cars on the curb and black cars that my dad drove.

I raced all the way to Rachel’s neighborhood, where it was slightly busier. However, no one paused and looked at us as if we were weirdoes. Apparently, black SUVs chasing a BMW convertible were pretty common around here. Note the sarcasm.

I stopped in front of Rachel’s house, the tires screeching on asphalt. I climbed out the car hurriedly, and rushed towards her house, but just as I was going to cross the lawn to her front door, I was struck with a sudden realization. If I went into her house, just like that, the men chasing me would definitely know that I was staying there. Uh oh. That wasn’t good at all.

I tried to think of possible ways to divert their attention, and one thought hit me. Of course! I could just go through someone else’s backyard or something so they wouldn’t know that I would be staying at Rachel’s house. Then I could crawl over to Rachel’s when it was safe enough. I was going to be trespassing, but oh well.

I ran to the house next to Rachel’s and scaled the fence, leaping down onto the cement smoothly. I quickly surveyed my surroundings. There was a poorly kept garage with a yard in an even worse shape. The garage’s paint was peeling and chipped, with flakes of wood falling down occasionally. The yard’s grass was yellowing and brown and the poor tree standing by over the laundry machine – don’t ask why there was a laundry machine out in their backyard – was nearly dead. Its trunk had a huge hole in it, and its leaves were brown, despite it being summer.

Before long though, I heard the fence shaking, its metal links clinking together. “Hurry!” one of the men shouted. “She’s in there! I saw her climb over this fence!”

Well, that was a failure. That hadn’t been good enough to divert their attention then.

Without thinking, I quickly crawled through the bushes separating this house and the next, ignoring the way on how the leaves pricked my skin, how the twigs left me scratches, and how webs were getting tangled in my hair. Hopefully the spiders had had enough sense to run away.

I finally managed to crawl through after a bit of struggling with my shirt and twigs. I scanned my surroundings for a good place to hide. I wouldn’t be able to crawl into the next yard anymore – this house was at the corner of the street. Just as I was going to hide behind the trash cans, I heard the door opening, and despite myself, I froze, turning my head towards the source of the sound.