Shattered Glass

The Long Haul- Chapter 15

-ALEX- PAST

 She walks ahead of me a little ways. Always looking around and swaying her head to make sure she doesn't miss anything. We haven't found any towns or houses out here in a while and I think Josephine is starting to notice the worry plastered along my face.

"Alex," she says, stopping while waiting for me to catch up, "Why are you so worried?"

"Because I don't want us to get trapped and be tried for a crime you most certainly did not commit!" I yell out, throwing my hands up. "Listen, Josephine. You're father is a man that doesn't deserve anything good. He's done the bare minimum for you and has never even thought of the fact that you could be out in an alley homeless and dead for the rest of his life. He didn't care. All he provided for you was a dark cloud around your head that has made you into a better person with the most stubborn mind I have ever met in my entire life. You have been the one to provide for yourself and he can't just come looking for you now expecting to change anything!"

She's silent for a moment as she shifts to her other foot and purses her lips. I know that look, she's angry but she's trying to think.

"You're right," she says, which surprises me for a moment, "It's not like just parading around trying to find a way out of this crap of a country is gonna do anything we might as well find him and kill him for all of the wrong things he's done to me and my family," she adds.

I shake my head, "That's not what I mea-"
"Yeah well what do expect us to do? Huh?" she says, in exasperation, "You don't get it. I'm going to stay alive but what else is there to do? We could start running to get out. There's no one around, we could just die right here. We could-"

"Okay," I say, putting my hands up onto her shoulders, "let's think of some logical things." I chuckle a little which I get a sigh in return from my wallowy partner.

"I've tried to get away from him for an entire year," she says, staring at her feet, "I always feel like he's right behind me, watching me, and waiting for me to make the wrong move just so he can tell me what I'm doing wrong. I used to have nightmares about him every night. Until I found you and you were the one to tell me what I needed to do and what would help us the most. You help me stay calm and logical even though my mind is racing."

"I get it," I say, "You're not the only one who feels that way okay? I left everything I ever knew and everything that was mine so that I could find you and bring you back. But when I found out that you were being chased by the police, I- I have to admit I wanted to stop. I saw posters of you everywhere on that wanted sign and I all I wanted to do was tear them all down and bring you home with me. You don't deserve to be on the run okay? But it's something we have to do. And if you want to stay alive, we need to keep going. Okay? No more giving up. We have too much to live for."

Josephine nods her head and turns around to start walking again. "Let's go then."

I take her hand and we walk together.