Searching for Home

Another day of torture, no different from any other. His hopes and dreams becoming more miniscule as time progressed, he needed to find somewhere to run away. He could take no more; he would take no more. He didn’t bother going home that day. He told the librarian at school that he needed to stay late and work on a project. She allowed him to do so, and soon after, left the library. He mounted himself on a table, a book clutched in his hands. It was a book he had read before: a story of a young boy looking for a better life as he escapes from his parents in England and stows away on a merchant ship. The boy has some troubles along the way, but in the end, he finds much opportunity in America, leaving behind the neglect he suffered back in England. Collin wished he could be that boy. The more times he read the inspiring story, the more he longed for a new life. This time, he thought of running away to live with his very welcoming uncle in Douglas, Oregon. He imagined how nice it would be to get away from the life of abuse he unwillingly lived today. He began thinking of ways he could get away. These thoughts were interrupted, though, when the librarian walked back in. “What are you still doing here?” she asked. “You should go home, it’s getting late.” Collin looked at the clock. He had been there for two hours after school had ended. “I suppose,” he said faintly. He jumped off of the table and walked toward the door. He muttered a barely audible “Thank you” as he exited the library.
Collin walked outside to pouring rain. “Great, just great,” he mumbled. He took his book bag, held it over his head, and started running. But where would he go? He didn’t want to go home, but, then again, he couldn’t hide forever. Had his parents gotten home yet? Had they even noticed he was gone? Either way, he needed more time away from them. He would take the abuse no more.
He ran through the streets and alleys and eventually made it to his best friend Harry’s house. He knocked desperately on the door, and, thankfully, Harry opened it. “Hey, Collin, what’re you doing here?” he asked. “I’ll tell you, just please let me inside,” pleaded Collin. “Sure,” said Harry. They walked inside and sat at the kitchen table. “So, what were you doing outside?” asked Harry. “And what brought you here?” “I was in the library at school, hiding, basically, from my parents, you know…” Collin began. “And then the librarian told me I should go home, which I certainly would not, and I went outside to the pouring rain and—“ The speed at which he spoke rose and rose until he needed to take a breath. “And I wasn’t going to go home, so I came here. I can’t go home, Harry, I can’t.” “I understand,” Harry tried to console Collin. “It’s all right. You can stay here for the night. I’ll have my mom let your parents know.” Collin was relieved. “Thanks so much,” he said, still catching his breath. Harry led Collin upstairs to his bedroom.
“You’re going to have to sleep on the floor,” said Harry. “That’s fine,” replied Collin. “I’d take your bedroom floor over my prison of a house any day.” Harry laughed faintly, not knowing what else to do, but he knew Collin was not kidding. “I just wish my clothes weren’t so wet,” said Collin. “You could borrow some of mine,” replied Harry. “I’ll take you up on that offer,” laughed Collin. Harry grabbed a shirt and pants from his dresser and tossed them to Collin. Collin removed his shirt first, revealing a number of large, red welts on his back. He glanced over at Harry and said, “Uh, do you mind?” Harry seemed to snap back into consciousness as he said, “Oh, no, sorry.” Collin finished changing and told Harry to come back into the room. He reentered and awkwardly said, “So, what do you want to do?” Collin looked at his friend, stone-faced and said, “Sleep.” “But it’s only 5:30,” replied Harry, confused. “Well I can never get any sleep at home, and the run through the rain to get here didn’t help.” Harry wouldn’t argue with him on that, so he said, “All right. You can go to sleep, but I’m going downstairs. If you wake up, come find me in the living room.” Collin thanked him and stretched out on the floor, his head resting on the pillow Harry had lent him. And it all went downhill from there.
“Why are you so late?” his mother snapped at him. “Were you trying to run? Did you think you could stay at Harry’s house forever?” His father stepped in and said, “You’re an idiot, you know.” “Of all the kids I could’ve had, I had to have you. I tried to raise you correctly, but you just didn’t allow me to do that.” “No you didn’t!” Collin spat back at him. “Constantly beating your son, putting him down, and crushing all of his desires is not raising him correctly!” Collin couldn’t believe he had just said that to his father. He knew, immediately after he did, what would come from it. His father grabbed his golf club and held it high in the air. “What did you say?” he asked in a crazed tone. Again, his mind was not his own, as he said, “You heard me.” Just after he said that, he saw his words being shot back at him as the club swing through the air and toward his back. Anticipating the immense pain that would come from the strike of the club, he let out a shrill cry, “NO!” The club landed a hit.
He sat up, out of breath. He saw Harry standing over him. “What’s going on?” his worried friend asked. “I—I was having a nightmare, I guess,” replied Collin. “Well, are you all right?” asked Harry. “Yeah, I’m fine,” said Collin, panting still. “Well, if you need me, just call me or come downstairs,” Harry said. “Oh, no, I’m not going back to sleep,” interjected Collin. “Not after that nightmare.” “Okay, then,” began Harry, “come with me downstairs.” Collin followed Harry into the living room.
They sat on Harry’s very comfortable sofa, and Harry turned on the TV. Harry changed the channel to a favorite show of his, a show in which celebrities are sent to a sort of boot camp in which they undergo many ridiculous tasks, all for the entertainment of the viewers. What they don’t know, though, is that they are being video taped; they are told in the end. The two sat for a while without saying anything, and finally Collin spoke. “Harry, I’m thinking about running away,” he said. Harry obviously wasn’t paying attention, for all he said was, “Oh, cool,” as he stared at the TV. Collin grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. “I said I’m thinking of running away,” he said in an angrier tone, “and I want you to help me.” “You’re crazy!” exclaimed Harry. “We’d never be able to pull off something like that!” “Yes, we would,” assured Collin. “And I’m not going to stay here. Either you help me, or I do it on my own. Take your pick.” Harry sat in silence for a few moments. “And just how do you plan to do this?” he asked. Collin began, “Well, here’s my plan.” “If we could somehow figure out a way to get me to Oregon from here, I could find my uncle and live with him. I’m sure he’d take me in.” “And how are you going to get there?” asked Harry. “That’s what you’re going to help me figure out,” Collin said. Again, silence. Finally Harry said in a quaint tone, “You’d better know what you’re doing.” Collin smiled. He knew his friend was in for the ride.
They began planning Collin’s escape immediately, but they had come up with no good ideas. Getting from Texas to Oregon isn’t a little stroll, after all. Despite this, they would not sleep until they came up with at least the first step of the escape. Then, as if an angel had come to them, they found the web site for a local train station. “Hey, check this out,” said Harry. Half asleep, Collin walked slowly over to the computer. “What?” asked Collin drowsily. “Well, see, there are two trains that can take you from here to New Mexico. The first leaves at 8:30 AM, and the second leaves at noon.” “We’re going with the 8:30 train, then,” said Collin, sounding so certain of what he was doing. “I want to get out of here as soon as possible.” “Well, all right then,” Harry said. “Let’s get some sleep, we’ll need it if were going to get to that station so early.” Harry set his alarm clock to go off at 5:45 AM. He climbed into bed, and Collin lay quiet on the floor. “Good night,” Harry said. He got no response. He figured Collin had already fallen asleep.
Boom. It was like a huge electric shock went through him when Collin woke up. Eager to get away, he jumped up and woke Harry, who obviously wasn’t used to waking up to his own alarm clock. Harry got out of bed, exhausted. “Could we sleep for another hour?” he asked. “No way,” Collin said. “I could barely fall asleep last night because of how excited I was.” Harry gave up, grabbed some clothes, went into the bathroom, and got dressed. Collin stayed in the same clothes. Both of them grabbed their cell phones, and Harry filled a backpack with different items, including the paper he had printed out from the web site the previous night. They proceeded to Harry’s garage. Harry grabbed a bike and pointed to another. “You’re going to have to use my old one,” he said. “That’s fine,” Collin replied, and he mounted himself on the bike. “You’ve got the map, right?” Harry held it out and said, “Right here.” “All right,” Collin said, “let’s move.”
They made their way to the train station, noticing the sun gradually shining brighter. More and more cars began to zoom by. They noticed people going on walks and jogs. It took them roughly and two and a half hours, but they had finally made it. It was almost 8:30. They dismounted and ran inside. “We made it just in time,” said Collin, excited. “Let’s go, or we’ll be late.” “We?” asked Harry, confused. “Yeah,” said Collin, “you’re coming with me.” Harry was surprised. “Oh no,” he began, “I said I would help you.” “I didn’t mean I’d go with you.” “But I’ll need your help along the way,” pleaded Collin. “And…” He paused. “And, what?” Harry asked. “And I’m scared to go by myself.” Harry didn’t know what to say. “But people will wonder where we went and what we’re doing, “Harry said softly. “Don’t you think they’re wondering that already?” Collin shot back. “I’m sure your parents have noticed you’re gone. Please, Harry, come with me.” Harry hesitated before saying, “I suppose, but I’ll have to find a way back home.” “Fine, that’s fine,” Collin said. “As long as you come with me on the way there, I’ll be fine.” “Then,” Harry said, not completely sure of what he was doing, “I’ll go.” Collin grinned and said, “Thank you so much!” “Now, let’s go grab those tickets, or we’ll have to wait until noon.”
They went to the ticket booth and asked for two tickets for the train that was about to leave to New Mexico. “You’re kiddin’,” said the man at the booth. “You kids’re too young to buy tickets. Besides, that train’s leavin’ right now.” Collin was mortified. He looked at his friend and said, “Well, we tried. Let’s go home.” He walked away and Harry followed. “What!” he exclaimed. “Just like that, you’re going to just give up?” “Of course not,” Collin whispered. “We’ve just gotta pick some off of other people.” Harry wasn’t comfortable with the idea. “You want to steal other people’s tickets?” “Yeah, we need them more than they do,” replied Collin. “But we’re going to have to wait for a while, or else they’ll notice.” “You’re insane!” Harry yelled. “SHH!” Collin put his hand over his friend’s mouth. Harry forced it away and said, “No, I’m going home, you have fun.” He turned away and began walking toward the door. “Well, you do that, but you’ll have to ride back home because I have your phone.” Collin held up Harry’s phone, waving it in the air. Harry turned and was shocked. “But, how?” he asked. “I’m good at this type of thing. Now, if you want it back, you’ll help me. “So you’re blackmailing me,” said Harry, unamused. Collin paused and said, “Yep, pretty much.” “Fine,” Harry said, “but if we get caught, you’re taking the blame.”
They waited outside, getting more and more bored as time progressed, until 11:45. It was time to strike. “I saw that guy over there buy a ticket for the 12:00 train,” Collin said, pointing to a man sitting on a bench. “You’re going to have to distract him while I steal the ticket. Keep him going until I do, or it’s game over.” “I don’t know what to distract him with, though,” said Harry. “I do,” Collin replied. He walked over to Harry’s bike and ripped off the chain. “Hey!” yelled Harry. “Just get him to fix it,” Collin said, “that’s the distraction. Quite unhappy, Harry walked over to the man and said, “Excuse me, sir, but my bike chain came off and I was wondering if you would help me fix it.” The man very kindly said, “Oh, sure,” a wide grin on his face. As he got up from the bench, Collin noticed that the ticket was in his back pocket, as he had expected. Collin walked quietly over to him, constantly looking around to make sure no one was watching. “You know, I used to fix up bikes all the time when I was in high school, “the man said as he bent down to take a look at the bike. Now was Collin’s chance. Steadily, he took his index finger and his thumb and grabbed the ticket with them. He slipped it out of the man’s pocket, and, luckily for Collin, he did not notice. Collin put the ticket in his pocket and nonchalantly walked away. “There we go,” the man said as he finished fixing the chain. “Thanks so much,” Harry said as he looked around for Collin. “No problem,” replied the man, and he walked away. One down, one to go.
“Did you get it?” Harry asked when he found Collin. “Yeah,” he replied, careful not to remove the ticket from his pocket for anyone to find out he stole it. “Great, but we still need one more,” Harry said. “And I’ve found our next target,” Collin said. “See that woman over there?” Collin pointed to a woman in a very elegant coat. “Her?” Harry replied, unsure about this one. “She doesn’t seem as friendly as that other guy, and I’m not very good with the whole distraction thing.” “That’s why I’m going to do the distracting this time, and you’re going to steal the ticket,” Collin said with a smirk on his face. Harry’s eyes grew wide as he said, “No! I can’t do that!” “Yes you can, you just need to be calm and quiet,” Collin assured him. “I’ll keep her busy for as long as you need.” Harry still wasn’t convinced, but he knew he would never win this argument. “I’ll try,” he said faintly. Collin walked over to the woman and began speaking to her. “Hello, ma’am,” he said. “I was wondering if you—“he began to pretend to choke. He fell to the ground, holding his neck. He was shaking a bit, and the woman stood quickly and knelt down to help. Collin glanced at Harry, almost sending him a telepathic message saying, “Now!” Harry wasn’t paying attention. Finally he noticed it was time for him to move in. He tiptoed up to the woman and tried his best to replicate what Collin did. Only this time, the ticket was not in her back pocket, but instead, he saw it was in her front left pocket. Harry sidestepped and tried his best to remain illusive. He reached for the ticket and clutched it, but the woman noticed him trying to steal her ticket. “Just grab it, Harry!” Collin yelled. Harry ripped the ticket from her pocket and jumped back. “Now, it’s time!” Collin yelped. “12:00! Let’s go!” The two sprinted away from the screaming woman as she chased them through the station. The boys wasted no time getting into that train. They were successful.
The ride was somewhat bumpy, but at least they had made it. The bikes had a good chance of getting stolen, though. Collin turned his head to Harry and said, “You know, you’ll give in to just anything.” Harry rolled his eyes and put his head back. “Something wrong?” asked Collin. “I feel a bit sick,” Harry said. “Oh, that’s right,” Collin replied. “You get motion sickness really easily. Uh, why don’t you try going to sleep?” “It’s kind of hard to do that when I feel so sick,” Harry said. Collin didn’t know what to say. But Collin knew something else was involved in his friend’s discomfort besides the motion sickness. “Harry, are you upset that I made you come with me?” he asked. “That I made you help me steal those tickets?” “Isn’t it obvious?” Harry snapped. “Sorry, I shouldn’t act like this. But I kind of want to be home, too.” Collin sighed. He felt horrible. Maybe he could have gone it on his own, but he certainly didn’t want to. The rest of the ride, the two remained completely silent.
The two both awoke to a sudden jerk of the train. Just as they had guessed, they had reached their destination. “Finally, you two are awake,” laughed a man in a seat across the aisle from them. “How long have we been out?” Collin asked, rubbing his eye. “Pretty much the whole ride; fourteen hours,” the man replied. It seemed that waking up so early in the morning, the bike ride, and the entire thieving operation had worn them out completely. Feeling refreshed, however, both Collin and Harry stood up. There was still an awkward tension between them. They looked at each other and quickly looked away. They walked, somewhat stumbling, to the door. When they stepped out, it was basically pitch black. “What time is it?” Harry asked. Collin checked his phone and said, “2:07 AM.” Harry yawned and said, “Well, where to now?” Collin didn’t respond; he didn’t know. He looked around. “That bench, I guess,” he said as he pointed to a covered bench. “We’re going to have to stay there until the sun comes up.” Harry unhappily said, “Seriously?” Collin didn’t hear him, for he had already started off for the bench. Sitting down, Harry said, “Maybe we should’ve thought this through a bit more thoroughly.” Collin was surprised, not by what he said, but how he said it. “What happened to the snappy Harry that got off the train, like, two minutes ago?” he asked. “He got over it,” replied Harry. “No sense arguing when we’re supposed to be working together. Collin smiled. “You’re right,” he said. Harry unzipped his backpack and took out his laptop. “Let’s see if I can connect to the Internet from here,” he said. “Aha. There’s a faint connection, and its coming from…” He paused and looked around. “It’s coming from that McDonald’s over there,” he finished. “Wi-Fi and a place to stay for a while,” Collin said. “Better than this bench, anyway.”
They walked into the restaurant and sat down at a table. “Connected,” Harry said. Collin’s mind drifted off a bit. “I’m hungry,” he said. Harry took a minute to think about his own stomach. “So am I,” he said. He pulled some money out of his backpack. “Go buy us some fries or something,” he said. “I’ll look for our next outlet of transportation.” “Yes, sir,” Collin mocked before walking away. Soon enough he returned with two orders of medium fries. He sat down and asked, “Find anything yet?” “Yeah,” Harry replied, reaching for the fries. “There’s a train leaving at 3:00 PM at the same station we came into.” “No way,” Collin said. “It was my idea, but we barely made it out after stealing those tickets. There has to be another way.” “Unless you want to walk, then no,” replied Harry. Collin wasn’t too happy, but he had to give in. “I guess,” he said.
They waited until the sun came up before going back outside. Collin looked around. “So, what do we do until three?” he asked. “I guess we could look around,” Harry replied. The two began walking aimlessly to different buildings. The whole time, though, Collin was thinking of other ways to get out of New Mexico. “I wonder what are parents are doing,” Harry said. “Yeah, me too,” Collin replied, barely paying attention. Finally, one building caught Collin’s eye. “Harry,” he began, “how much money do you have on you?” “About $400,” Harry replied. Collin pivoted. “Where did you get so much money?” he asked. “I’ve been saving up since I was ten,” Harry replied. “I have more at home.” “Well, that’s beside the point,” Collin said. “Look in there,” he said. Harry looked into the window of the building and saw nothing but sports equipment. “So, what?” he asked. “No, look there,” Collin directed him to the area he was looking at. Harry wasn’t happy with what he saw. “A two-seater bike,” he said. “Really?” “Yes, really,” Collin said. “And it’s only $250. It’s either that or stealing train tickets again.” Harry hesitated. “But I don’t want to spend so much,” he said quietly. “I’ll pay you back sometime,” Collin shot back. “Please, Harry.” Harry thought of how sickened he was by the idea of stealing the tickets the first time. He thought of how difficult it was. He remembered how they almost got caught. “Fine!” Harry said, breaking out of the cage that was his mind. “But they’re not even open. We’ll have to wait an hour.” “So we’ll wait an hour,” Collin said. “We can look around at other buildings, but stay close. I don’t want anyone but us getting that bike.”
Ten minutes went by. Twenty, thirty. By the time they had waited for forty-five minutes, they had made their way back to the store with the bike. “It won’t be long now,” Collin said, obvious excitement in his tone. They spent the remaining fifteen minutes leaning against the front wall of the store. Finally, the owner came and unlocked the door. He went inside and turned the sign that said, “CLOSED,” revealing the other side, obviously saying, “OPEN.” The two boys ran inside. They grabbed the bike and rolled it over to the front counter. “We want to buy this,” Collin said, smiling. The owner somewhat vainly replied, “That bike’s two-hundred fifty bucks, kid.” “You got that kinda money?” “Yes we do,” Collin said. “Show’im, Harry.” Harry reluctantly pulled out the money. “Here,” he said. The owner grabbed the money and held it up to the light to make sure it was real. “All right, then,” he said, “it’s yours.” “Yes!” Collin exclaimed. “Thanks so much!” He dragged the bike and Harry outside. “We won’t have to wait until 3:00 now,” Collin said. “Let’s get out of here!” The two got on the bike and began peddling.
The two were silent for a while as they rode through streets and alleyways, following a map they had picked up at one of the stores. It was a map of New Mexico and Arizona. Finally Collin spoke. “You know, Harry,” he started, “I never really thanked you.” “Thanked me for what?” replied Harry. “For everything,” Collin said. “For coming with me, for helping me get those tickets, for buying this bike…” “You don’t have to thank me,” Harry said. “You’re my best friend.” He paused. “And no matter how unhappy I may seem, I’m glad I came along. It’s sort of like an adventure. I don’t know about you, but I’m having a lot of fun.” “Of course I’m having fun,” Collin replied. “I’ve got my best friend with me, and I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.” It was humorous for him to say that then, for they were riding through a tunnel. Really, though, Collin was referring to the tunnel as his life. Harry knew this. They rode for two hours, joking and laughing the whole time. Finally, they stopped. “Let’s take a break,” Collin said, catching his breath. “Sounds good to me,” Harry replied, doing the same. They walked the bike over to a city bench. “I could use some water,” Collin said. As he said this, Harry was groping through his bag for the two bottles of water they had picked up before leaving. He handed one to Collin and drank out of the other. “Let me see the map,” Collin said. Harry handed it to him. “So we’re here in Valencia,” Collin said, pointing to a spot on the map. “If we take this route, we should end up in Catron. From there, then, it’s a straight shot to Phoenix.” They stayed on the bench for roughly a half hour before getting back on the bike. “Ready?” Collin asked. “Ready,” Harry replied, and they were off. “Maybe it would’ve been easier to take the train,” Collin chuckled. “Too late now,” Harry laughed back. Again they rode for hours, talking. This time they were talking about their parents and friends. “How do you think they’re dealing with our disappearance?” Harry asked. “I’ll be honest,” Collin said, “probably not well.” “Knowing my parents, they’re probably extremely angry, and knowing yours, they’re probably very worried.” Harry froze. “I wonder if they sent someone to look for us,” he said. Collin started peddling more slowly. “No, don’t say that, Harry,” he said. “Just don’t think about that. It’ll slow us down.” Collin was now terrified. Every person he saw now became a potential search party member.
Again, the two rode in silence. They didn’t stop for a break in the next city, though. Collin would not have it. He wanted to get away fast after what Harry had said. Soon enough, though, it caught up to them. They could not go any farther by the time they were less than a mile away from the border of New Mexico and Arizona. An hour break was all they would take. “Let’s go,” Collin said when he felt ready. Harry was a bit tired, still, but he knew he would have to go. They got on the bike and moved fast. Before they knew it, they were in a small town called Safford. Night had fallen, and they needed a place to stay. They found a Sleep Inn and walked inside, not expecting to get far. The two walked up to the front desk and spoke to the manager. “Sir, we need somewhere to rest,” Collin said. “Anywhere, please. Even here in the lobby would be fine.” The manager, startled, said “What?” “Where are your parents?” Collin had to think of a lie, fast. To his surprise, Harry did so before him. “They let us leave on our own to visit our cousin,” he said. “We came here on a bike, and we haven’t yet made it. They live about three hours away from here, and we’re exhausted.” “And how far away do you live that you live that they couldn’t bring you here, themselves?” Collin spoke up, his mind a bit clouded. “Lincoln,” he said. “In New Mexico.” The manager grimaced as he said, “Oh my.” “What kind of parents would let their kids to that? Oh, no offense.” “None taken,” Collin said. “Please, just let us stay here in the lobby for tonight. “Sorry, kid, but I can’t let you do that,” said the manager. “What will guests think when they see two kids crashing in my lobby?” “They’ll think you run a very welcoming hotel that won’t hesitate to take you in,” Harry said, trying his patience. The manager, thinking of the possible praise he could get for making the hotel seem as Harry said, finally said, “All right.” “You can sleep here in the lobby, but tomorrow, you’re out.” “Yes, thank you!” exclaimed Collin. The two ran over the sofas and immediately went to sleep. The manager sighed and said, “Kids these days.”
The next morning, the boys awoke to the manager’s annoying bell. “Rise and shine, kiddies,” he said. “Time for you two to get out.” Collin didn’t like the way he was acting, but he knew he had to go. Heading for the door, he said, “Thank you so much.” He received no reply.
Once outside, the boys found their bike and hopped on. “Ready to do this all over again?” asked Collin, still a bit drowsy. “Sure,” Harry yawned. The two rode off. “You know, Harry,” Collin said, “you really scared me with what you said about our parents sending people after us.” “Sorry,” Harry replied. “Well, even if they did, they wouldn’t think of looking here.” “I suppose you’re right,” Collin said, and the two fell silent.
Not long after leaving, Collin noticed something. The same black car had been following them for a half hour. Collin said, “Harry, check out that car.” Harry looked at it and said, “What about it?” “It’s been following us for a half hour,” Collin replied. “I’ve been watching it. Wherever we go, it goes the same way.” “Collin, it’s all in your head,” Harry said. “I shouldn’t have mentioned that thing about our parents sending people to look for us.” “No, Harry, I really think there’s someone after us in that car,” Collin said, “whether it is our parents, a search party, or some creep.” “We’ve got to move faster.” Collin began vigorously peddling, which was too sudden a change for Harry to keep up. The big stumbled and fell over on the curb. Just as that happened, the car pulled over on the side of the road. “Is it my head now?” Collin shot at Harry. “I hope so,” Harry said, shaking. The two picked up the bike and turned when they heard the slam of a car door. A man walked out of the car. The boys turned back and quickly jumped onto the bike. “Collin, Harry,” he said. “There you are.” Harry knew that voice. It was his older brother, who had moved to Dallas just a year earlier. “Mark?” Harry swept around. “Yeah, it’s me, kid,” his brother replied. “Get in the car; we’ll go for a little drive and just talk.” Harry was relieved that it was his brother and not a stranger that had been following them. The boys put the bike in the back of the car and got in.
“Mom and Dad were worried sick, kid,” Mark said to Harry. Harry hung his head. “And you,” he said to Collin, “your folks are steamed.” “I figured,” Collin said. Collin liked Mark. He was a very friendly person and understood not only Harry, but he knew what Collin went through. He knew Collin’s parents were abusive. “Look, I know you’ve got it rough at home, but you can’t just run away like that.” Collin paused. “I had to, Mark,” he said, “I had to.” “Well, whether you had to or not, the road ends here,” Mark replied. “I’ve gotta take you both home.” “No!” Harry exclaimed. “Mark, you can’t! We’ve come so far!” “I’m sorry kid, but—“But nothing!” Harry yelled. “We’re getting Collin to Oregon, and that’s that! You can help us or we’ll do it ourselves.” Mark glanced over at his younger brother and saw the passion in his eyes. “Listen, I want to help you,” he said, “but I promised I’d bring you guys home if I found you.” “You can bring me home if we get Collin to his uncle’s,” Harry pushed. “Mark, do you want to be the reason why Collin continues to receive such harsh abuse from his parents?” Mark was cornered. He couldn’t do that; he had too big of a heart. “All right,” he said. “I’ll help you. Tell me where we’re going and I’ll take you there.” The boys grinned. “Douglas, Oregon,” Collin said. “All right, then,” Mark said. “Prepare for a long drive.”
They had been driving for hours before they decided to stop and eat at a diner. The three got out of the car and went inside. They sat down and waited for a waiter to come. They then ordered their food and began planning. “So, once we get to Oregon, and when you’re safe at your uncle’s,” Mark began, directing his attention at Collin, “Harry and I will get out of there and go home. Once we get home, we’ll go to the police and get them after Collin’s parents. We’ll tell Mom, Dad, and the others the truth.” “Yes, but we’ll need proof of abuse for the police to arrest Collin’s parents,” Harry said. Just then, Collin got an idea. “My back,” he said. “Your back?” asked Harry. “What about your back?” “You saw the huge red welts on my back when I was changing my shirt, didn’t you?” Collin asked Harry. “Oh, yeah!” Harry exclaimed. “If we can get pictures of your back, we can show the police!” “My phone’s dead, though,” Collin said. “Mine, too,” Harry replied. “Use mine,” Mark said, handing them his phone. “I’ll wait here; you two go into the bathroom and get those pictures.” The boys did as Mark said. Once in the bathroom, Collin removed his shirt. “Well, let’s get a picture of your face, first,” Harry said. Collin turned, and Harry took the photo. “All right, now turn around,” Harry said. Collin did, and Harry took five photos of his back. “All right, done,” Harry said. “Let’s go back to the table.” Collin put his shirt back on and walked out with Harry.
“Did you get the pictures?” Mark asked as the boys returned. “Yeah,” Harry replied. “Awesome,” Mark said, “give me my phone.” Harry handed his brother’s phone back to him. Just then, the waiter came back with their food. The three ate hungrily. After they had finished eating, Mark paid the check, and the three left the diner. There was someone waiting for them outside, though. Collin’s heart sank. It was his father. “Dad!” he yelled. “Hello there, Collin,” his father replied. “So Mark, you’re working with them now? Well, I suppose I’ll just have to take them back on my own.” Collin’s father walked up to them and grabbed both Harry’s arm and Collin’s. He pulled them toward his car and threw them both inside. Mark was chasing after them, but he wasn’t fast enough. Collin’s father drove off.
Collin’s father began screaming at Collin, and he ignored Harry’s presence. “I can’t believe you’d pull a stunt like this!” he screamed. “Did you really think you would get away with it? Well, you lose, and I win. And for old time’s sake,” he grabbed the infamous golf club from the passenger seat. Harry was terrified, but Collin was merely angry; furious, in fact. His father swung the club downward, but it did not hit Collin, for he grabbed it in midair. His father shook it in an attempt to take it out of Collin’s hands. Collin would not let go. He ripped the club from his fathers grip and whacked him in the face with it. “How’s that feel, Dad?” he asked with a sinister smile on his face. He kept hitting him relentlessly. Harry could not watch this anymore. He pulled the club from Collin’s hand and broke the window with it. He then threw it out of the window and out of sight. A turn was coming up ahead, but Collin’s father did not move. Collin had knocked him unconscious. The car crashed through a metal fence and kept moving forward. Collin’s stomach churned as he saw that the ocean lay ahead of them. Quickly, he jumped up to the front seat and pulled his father’s foot from the pedal. He then put the car in park. They had just barely made it out alive; they were about a foot away from the water. Collin and Harry both jumped out of the car.
“That was insane,” Harry said. Collin did not say a word. He stared into the car at his unconscious father. “Let’s go, Harry,” he finally said, walking away. “Go where?” Harry asked. “We’ve come so far, and now we don’t have our bike or my backpack. We’re done. We’re out of options; we’re stuck, Collin.” Collin was staring to the right. “No we’re not,” he said. “Look.” He pointed to a cruise ship that would be departing soon. “How are we going to get on a cruise, Collin?” Harry asked. “We’re going to stow away on it,” Collin replied. Harry’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, no,” he said, “no way!” “Couldn’t we just wait for Mark to come get us here? We can hide from your dad, too.” “No, Harry,” Collin replied. “It isn’t safe here anymore. We’ve got to get on that ship.” “No,” Harry said. “I’ve given in and done some crazy things on this trip, but that’s too much. There’s no way I’m stowing away on a cruise ship. Forget it; count me out.” “Fine, then,” Collin replied. “Go home, then, I don’t care. You have fun. I have to do this, Harry. I’m not turning back now. This is my only option, so I’m taking it. You do whatever you want. Thanks for coming with me this far, I guess.” Collin began walking away. Harry watched him off, feeling guilty. Finally, he ran toward his best friend. “Collin!” he yelled. Collin turned around. “What?” he asked. “I’m coming with you,” Harry said. “We’ve come too far; I’m not giving up now. Lead the way, Collin, I’m right behind you.” “Harry, you don’t have to do this,” Collin replied. “Just go home if you want to.” “I want to come with you, Collin,” Harry said. “I’m not giving in to you; I’m making my own decision. I’m sticking by you.” Collin’s eyes began to water, and he smiled. “Thanks, Harry,” he said. “You’re the only person I know who’d be crazy enough to do this with me. Now let’s go.”
“What’s the plan?” Harry asked. Collin replied by saying, “All right, you’re not going to like this, but…” he paused. “But what?” Harry asked, eager to get on the ship. “Well,” Collin began, “You’re going to lean against the fence over there that blocks the water.” He grabbed a vendor’s cart from the side of the road. “Then, I’m going to push this cart toward you, and I’m going to do it fast. You’re going to have to make it look like you got hit, but, really, you’ll slide under the cart and run away. That should get the guy collecting tickets away from the ship. While he’s distracted, we’ll hide in the bags that are piled up over there to be put into storage. The trick is, though, we have to make sure the last passenger has boarded before we carry out the plan.” Harry wanted to call Collin insane, but he knew there was no time to think of a better plan. Instead he said, “I hope you know what you’re doing.” He ran toward the fence.
Collin watched the passengers getting onto the ship. One by one, they handed the collector their tickets, put down their bags, and walked on. Collin no longer saw anyone coming. It was time. He gave Harry a signal, telling him that he was ready. Harry signaled back, and Collin grabbed the cart. Using all of his strength, he thrusted the cart forward. It came rolling toward Harry. Harry brace himself and waited until the last second to slide underneath the cart. The ticket collector heard this and ran to check it out. He called the luggage collectors to grab everyone’s bags and store them away as he ran. Harry saw the ticket collector looking over the fence. He knew it was time for him to get away. He crept out from under the cart and tried his best not to make too much noise as he ran. He met up with Collin, and they both hid in separate duffel bags. The ticket collector gave up and said, “I hope that kid’s all right.” He had to get back to the ship. He did so, and the luggage collectors came. The bags were taken aboard.
The men carried the bags into a large storage facility within the ship. Collin’s mind harkened back to the story of the boy escaping from England on his own. He finally felt like that boy. He finally felt like he would be free. The men put the bags down, and one said, “Gosh, some of these bags are so heavy.” “It’s like people put boulders in them or something.” “Well, they’ll be checked soon, and maybe that’s what they’ll find,” another laughed. Collin and Harry both heard the door slam, meaning they had left. They jumped out of the bags. “I can’t believe that worked!” Harry exclaimed. “Shh,” Collin hushed his friend. “Keep your voice down.” “Sorry,” Harry whispered back. “Now what? Do you even know where we’re headed?” “Well,” Collin said, “the passengers are headed for the Caribbean, but we stowaways are headed for Oregon.” “And just how do we manage that?” Harry asked. “Simple,” Collin replied, “we jump overboard.” Harry’s face became white. “Jump overboard?” he asked. “And what, swim the rest of the way?” “No,” Collin said. “We just have to steal a life raft.” “Great,” Harry sighed, “more thieving.” “It’s the last time, I promise,” Collin assured him. “Come with me; let’s go scope out the deck.” “Are you crazy?” Harry asked. “We’ll get killed!” “No,” Collin replied. “Now that we’re on the ship, no one will suspect a thing. This then made sense to Harry. “Now let’s go.” The two walked outside.
Once on the deck, Collin looked around. No one else was outside; they all must have been finding their rooms. They would have to wait until nighttime, though, when everyone had gone to their rooms and to sleep, to escape. This was because the ship would have to at least gone somewhere for them to get anywhere. He found the life rafts at the front of the deck. “There,” Collin said, pointing to them. Harry nodded, and they sat down at a table. They waited on the deck for hours, secretly planning their escape. All the while, the ship traveled nowhere but northward, which is what they wanted. They knew, though, that it would make a huge turn soon enough. They needed to get out as soon as possible. Finally, night fell, and almost everyone had resided to their rooms for the night. The rest of the passengers left about an hour later at 12:30 AM. It was time. “All right, Harry, hurry!” Collin exclaimed as they both stood up. They ran to the front of the deck and grabbed a life raft. They threw it down into the water. Collin grabbed two oars and two life jackets, and he handed one of each to Harry. They put on the jackets, and Collin said, “Get ready.” “One, two three, jump!” They jumped into the raft. “All right, now, paddle.” The two began paddling, but neither knew where they were going.
They had paddled for hours that seemed to last a lifetime in pure darkness. Collin then noticed something: blinking lights in the air. He then heard the sound of propellers slicing through the air. “Harry!” he yelled. “Do you hear that? It’s a search and rescue helicopter!” “We’re saved!” Harry yelled excitedly as he looked into the air and saw the blinking lights. The two waved their hands high in the air. Luckily for them, they were spotted.
The helicopter began flying lower and dropped a rope ladder down to the boys. “After you,” Collin said, and Harry climbed up the ladder. Collin then followed. Once inside the aircraft, the two thanked the men inside. “I don’t know what we would’ve done if you hadn’t come along,” Collin said. “What were you boys doing out there?” the pilot asked. Time to lie again. This time it was Collin, “We were on our uncle’s fishing boat, and it was headed for a huge rock.” “We had to jump overboard, but our uncle had to take his own raft because he couldn’t fit in one with us.” “Well, I’m glad you’re both okay,” the pilot said. “I hope your uncle is too. We’ll be landing in Lincoln, right on the coast of Oregon.” Collin’s face lit up. He was so close now. Nothing could get in his way.
It didn’t take a very long time to arrive-only a half hour or so. Once they had landed, and once the door opened, Collin darted out of the helicopter. “I take it he doesn’t like flying,” the copilot said. “No, he’s just excited to be back on land,” Harry said with a smile. Harry followed Collin, running. Collin had stopped and asked an officer if he could use his phone quickly. The officer agreed and handed it to him. “There you are, Harry,” he said as his friend ran toward him. “Here, call M—Uncle Mark and tell him we’re safe here.” Collin handed Harry the phone. The officer asked, “Are you going to be able to get home, kid?” Collin paused. “Not on my own,” he replied. The officer said, “We could have you taken to your home if you need us to.” “That would be great,” Collin replied. “I’ll call over my partner, then,” the officer said. He spoke into a walkie-talkie he had clipped to his belt. “I’m going to need you to get over here,” he said, “there’s some kids that were lost in the ocean and need a ride home.” Finally, Collin thought, he would be with his uncle. Harry got off the phone with Mark and handed the phone back to the officer. “Thank you,” he said. “Yes, thank you,” Collin added. “My partner will be here shortly,” the officer said. He was telling the truth. The other officer arrived just minutes later. “Off you go,” the original officer said, opening the door of his partner’s patrol car. Collin and Harry got into the car, and the door was closed.
“Where are we headed, boys?” asked the officer at the wheel. Collin tried his best to remember his uncle’s address. “119 Winston Drive, Douglas,” he replied. “That’s a bit of a long drive from here,” the officer replied, “but all right.” The officer began asking the boys simple questions, such as how old they were, things they liked to do, and so on. One question got them though. “Where do you kids go to school?” the officer asked. Collin and Harry looked at each other. Collin spoke, “Uh, we’re homeschooled, actually.” “Oh,” the officer replied. “That’s cool, I guess.” After that, the conversation ran smoothly. About two hours later, the car came to a stop. Collin almost jumped out of his seat when the officer said, “We’re here, kids.” The two boys calmly stepped out of the car and looked around. Collin then looked forward. The house he saw was familiar.
They had made it. They had finally made it. After such a long time, such an adventure, they had made it. Collin was so excited that he ran right up the stairs. “He reached out to knock on the door when he, Harry, and the officer all heard a car screeching to a stop. A man wobbled out of the car. “Bravo, Collin,” a familiar voice chimed. Collin took his fist and pounded on the door. “OPEN UP!” he screamed. The man walked toward him. He was holding a golf club. The officer stepped in, “Sir, what are you doing with that?” “Giving this kid what he deserves,” the man replied. “Sir, put the club down,” the officer said. Collin continued to pound on the door, but no one came to open it. Finally he turned to the officer. “Officer, that’s my father,” he said. The officer was confused. “I thought the man that lived in this house was your father,” he replied. “No,” Collin said, “I lied.” “We weren’t fishing with our Uncle—we’re not even related—we stowed away on a cruise ship and jumped overboard. My uncle lives here. I ran away from home in Texas, and my friend Harry, here, came with me. We came such a long way so that I could get away from that.” He pointed to his father, still stumbling toward him. “But there’s no time to chat, just arrest him or something before he comes at me with that thing again!” “Again?” the officer asked. “Yes, again!” Collin yelled. He lifted up his shirt in the back. “See?” “Oh,” the officer said. He grabbed the club in Collin’s father’s hands. “Sir, give me the club,” he said. “You’re under arrest.” Collin’s father tore the club from the officer’s hands and hit him with it. The officer was furious. He then tased Collin’s father. He fell to the ground and dropped the club. Collin ran over to it and grabbed it. He repeatedly whacked the pavement with it, trying to break it. “I want this thing gone!” he yelled. The officer, after handcuffing Collin’s father and putting him in the back seat of the car, grabbed Collin’s shoulders. “It’s okay, son,” he said. “You’re all right now.”
Collin handed the club to the officer. “Take it,” he said. “Burn it, crush it; whatever you do, just destroy it.” Just then, another car pulled up. “Oh, who’s that now,” Collin began, “my mom?” No, it wasn’t his mother. It was his uncle. “Uncle Garrett?” he said. “Collin?” his uncle replied. “What are you doing here?” “I’ll explain later,” Collin replied. “Can we just go inside?” “Sure,” his uncle replied, confused. He walked up the front steps of his house and unlocked the door. He opened it and said, “Come on in, you two.” The officer, still in the street, said, “Well, I’m going to go take him in. Stay safe, everyone.” “We will,” Collin said. “Thanks so much.” The officer drove away, and the three walked into the house.
Collin and Harry told him everything. They told him about the train tickets. They told him about the bike, about Mark finding them. They told him about Collin’s father taking them away. They told him about stowing away on the ship and about being saved by the men in the helicopter. Garrett was shocked at how far they had come and the measures they had gone to. “Well, your father has never been the nicest person in the world,” he said. “You can say that, like, twenty-thousand more times,” Collin replied. “And your mother—I’m sure you won’t mind me saying this; she’s an idiot,” his uncle added. “Yes, you’re right,” Collin said. “That’s why I want to stay with you, Uncle Garrett.” “Well, now that your father was arrested, and since you came all this way, I don’t know why I wouldn’t take you in,” he replied with a smile. Collin stood and hugged his uncle. “And what about you, Harry?” Garrett asked. “My brother’s on his way,” Harry replied, “I called him a few hours ago.” “All right, then,” Garrett said. “Why don’t you boys get some rest? The guest room is upstairs; it’ll be the second door on your left. “Okay, thanks, Uncle Garrett,” Collin replied. He and Harry walked upstairs.
The next morning, the boys came downstairs to see Mark and Garrett talking. “Mark!” Harry exclaimed. “Hey, kid,” his brother replied. “I’m so glad to see you’re both all right. I was scared to death when your dad snatched you away, Collin.” “So were we,” Collin said. They all laughed. “Well, kid, should we get going?” Mark asked Harry. “Oh…” he said. He hadn’t thought of how hard it would be to say goodbye to his best friend. “Hang on.” He walked over to Collin and said, “Well, I guess this is goodbye.” He turned his head. “I guess I won’t be seeing you, huh?” His eyes began to water. “Cheer up, dude,” Collin replied. “We’ll keep in touch. Don’t worry. A move isn’t going to tear us apart.” He smiled. Harry smiled back under the tears and said, “Yeah, you’re right.” “And who knows,” Collin said, “maybe we’ll be able to see each other again sometime.” “But for now,” Collin held out his hand, “I guess this is goodbye.” Harry grabbed his best friends hand and shook it. “Yeah,” he said. “Until we meet again.” Harry and Mark walked out the door, and Collin and Garrett followed. As Harry and his older brother drove away, Collin and his uncle waved. Though he hated to see his best friend leave, he felt quite content. He finally had a place to call home.