Distance

Chapter 1- Hazel Drinks

It's funny sometimes, how no matter how hard you try to run away from something, it always has a habit of catching up to you. You keep running and hiding but the moment you relax and glance over your shoulder, you realise your problems were always behind you, that they never left and no matter how far you ran they wouldn't leave as they were now a part of you and the only thing left to do is to face them.

Leiah knew this, she knew it so well but running away felt so much easier than facing all that she refused to accept.

Since she was young, Leiah had always had a desire, a longing to travel and explore. Her eyes had always blazed with passion when she talked about going to different lands, learning their culture, feeling their language roll off her tongue but what appealed to her the most was the idea of being free. She didn't just want to explore new places but she also wanted to explore herself, find herself, understand what she liked and what her mind and body craved.

A part of her knew that what she was really doing was running, pretending that it was all freedom, free will and finding herself but in the end even amidst all the wonder and beauty, that nagging part of her mind never left, the part that called her a coward who could never face the problems that's she'd caused and lived her life running and faking that she was alright.

Her past wasn't grand or broken or overly depressing but instead it was full of mistakes, small mistakes that led to big problems, problems that she hadn't bothered to solve, that she simply ran away from, closing her eyes and hoping they wouldn't catch up with her.

Leiah sighed and pressed her forehead with her fingers as if she could drive her thoughts away. It would happen occasionally, small everyday things would fill her with memories and she'd be overpowered by her emotions. She'd be filled with guilt, regret, sadness and a tinge of longing and all of these feelings would form a sentence in her mind. A sentence that bad been haunting her for five years-
'Am I a good daughter?'

'Probably not' she thought. 'After all what kind of daughter wouldn't visit him in five years. How pathetic.'

She was 23 now, nearly 24, it had been five years since she'd decided to leave it all behind, since she'd broken her promises so heartlessly, so carelessly.

'How ironic, I leave people behind and make dumb choices and then spend hours on end regretting it. How nice.'
Leiah's lips curled into a bitter smile.

She fished out her phone from her pocket.
"Hmm let's see, schedule, schedule, what's my schedule?" She muttered to herself while scrolling through her phone.
'Work starts tomorrow, I'll be busy. Tonight seems like the best time.'

She left her hotel and strolled down the sidewalk to the nearest bar, lightly humming as the wind tugged at her tied up hair making loose red strands flutter in the wind.

Reaching her destination, she entered the quaint pub.
'Perfect' she thought as she took in her surroundings.
Soft music, the constant comforting buzz of overlapping conversations and dim lighting greeted her. She'd always found places like this comforting and perfect. Her lips quirked up to form a soft smile.

Approaching the bar counter, she took a seat and closed her eyes. Many people preferred silence as they sorted out their thoughts but not her. Leiah found solace in the voices that surrounded her, melding together to form a unique symphony. Her heart fluttered, she felt like something interesting would happen tonight. It just felt like one of those nights.