Vinegar 22: Runaway
Title: Runaway
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Vinegar 22 (keep arms and head inside of vehicle), malt (miyabi's easter egg: “I find that I sent wolves not shepherds to govern Ireland, for they have left me nothing but ashes and carcasses to reign over!” -Elizabeth I), pocky chain, hot fudge (Rebecca), rainbow sprinkles (Rebecca).
Word Count: 400
Rating: PG.
Summary: Rebecca runs away.
Notes: Um, yeah. I promise the next one is happier.
It all overwhelmed her one day, in a sudden epiphany like a thunderstorm off the plains, all spiky lightning and a downpour in her brain.
Her son was fragile. Her daughter was rebellious. Her family didn't want to talk on the phone. Her marriage was falling-- had fallen apart. She was trapped in a tiny house in a Texan suburb, and the heat and the dryness seared her heart until it cracked.
Rebecca Sierbenski looked at her life and her town, at the endless plains stretching empty around her, and for the first time in her life she ran away.
--
It was easy. She took her children to the babysitter, locked the front door, got on the interstate, and drove away. She drove north; south, east and west were all Texas and she never wanted to see Texas again. She drove for hours, asphalt ribboned with broken white lines flashing under her car, until the sunk sank and the moon rose and the stars came out, twinkling over her like friendly eyes.
It's all right, they said. We understand.
She pulled over when she grew too heavy-eyed to drive, and watched the stars from her window until she fell asleep.
--
She woke to a police officer tapping on her window, concern on his face. "Ma'am?" he said, through the window. "Ma'am, are you all right?"
Rebecca rolled down the window and stared at him, searching for an answer. No, she wanted to say. No, I'm not all right-- I have to go back, but I want so much to drive away and never look back. And how that longing and that knowledge ate at her-- she had escaped, but she was not truly free, because she had to go back.
"Ma'am?" he said, again.
"I'm fine," Rebecca said. "I'm fine."
--
Frank screamed at her when she got home, demanding to know where she'd been, what she'd done. Her children watched her; Michael with fear, Daniella with a weary contempt. The babysitter refused to take them back without a number where she could reach Rebecca.
I came back, she wanted to scream at them all. Don't any of you care? I could have run away, could have vanished but I came back. Doesn't that count for anything?
It didn't. Not to anyone but herself.
Rebecca looked up at the stars that no longer seemed so friendly, and wished she'd kept driving.
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Vinegar 22 (keep arms and head inside of vehicle), malt (miyabi's easter egg: “I find that I sent wolves not shepherds to govern Ireland, for they have left me nothing but ashes and carcasses to reign over!” -Elizabeth I), pocky chain, hot fudge (Rebecca), rainbow sprinkles (Rebecca).
Word Count: 400
Rating: PG.
Summary: Rebecca runs away.
Notes: Um, yeah. I promise the next one is happier.
It all overwhelmed her one day, in a sudden epiphany like a thunderstorm off the plains, all spiky lightning and a downpour in her brain.
Her son was fragile. Her daughter was rebellious. Her family didn't want to talk on the phone. Her marriage was falling-- had fallen apart. She was trapped in a tiny house in a Texan suburb, and the heat and the dryness seared her heart until it cracked.
Rebecca Sierbenski looked at her life and her town, at the endless plains stretching empty around her, and for the first time in her life she ran away.
--
It was easy. She took her children to the babysitter, locked the front door, got on the interstate, and drove away. She drove north; south, east and west were all Texas and she never wanted to see Texas again. She drove for hours, asphalt ribboned with broken white lines flashing under her car, until the sunk sank and the moon rose and the stars came out, twinkling over her like friendly eyes.
It's all right, they said. We understand.
She pulled over when she grew too heavy-eyed to drive, and watched the stars from her window until she fell asleep.
--
She woke to a police officer tapping on her window, concern on his face. "Ma'am?" he said, through the window. "Ma'am, are you all right?"
Rebecca rolled down the window and stared at him, searching for an answer. No, she wanted to say. No, I'm not all right-- I have to go back, but I want so much to drive away and never look back. And how that longing and that knowledge ate at her-- she had escaped, but she was not truly free, because she had to go back.
"Ma'am?" he said, again.
"I'm fine," Rebecca said. "I'm fine."
--
Frank screamed at her when she got home, demanding to know where she'd been, what she'd done. Her children watched her; Michael with fear, Daniella with a weary contempt. The babysitter refused to take them back without a number where she could reach Rebecca.
I came back, she wanted to scream at them all. Don't any of you care? I could have run away, could have vanished but I came back. Doesn't that count for anything?
It didn't. Not to anyone but herself.
Rebecca looked up at the stars that no longer seemed so friendly, and wished she'd kept driving.