Neet's Short Story Collection!

Original - Running Away

I’ve had enough…

For the longest time, I’ve been treated like a criminal. Yet, I didn’t do anything. My friends, my family… they won’t believe me, and they distanced themselves away from me.

I’m tired of being treated like this. I’m tired of no longer being myself.

So I’ll just… end it all.

…

No, I don’t mean by ending my life, at least, not yet. I just cut off everything that I had and instead focus everything for myself.

I don’t care about what they think of me anymore.

The only one who can think of me now is myself.

~~ >> ~~

I started off by cutting my ties with my family and leaving the city. At nighttime, when everyone is dozed off, I grabbed my necessities like money and clothes other than my phone. I sneaked out of the house before looking at the house for the last time.

Thank you for the seventeen years of raising me.

I quickly run off to no set direction. Wherever my leg take me, that’s where I go. Eventually, I found a secluded area behind a dumpster, and sleep there throughout the entire night. It was awful, but it’s better than staying at that place…

The next morning, I woke up and continued my journey to a train station. I bought a ticket to somewhere away from here, and luckily the security didn’t aware of my situation.

Now on the train, I looked outside, seeing students from my school casually talking together while walking… It doesn’t matter to me anyway. I’m no longer a student there. The train then departs, and I close my eyes, thinking of what would I do when I get to the next city…

~~ >> ~~

Now at the new city, I continue my way and grabbed some food at a nearby konbini. It won’t be enough, but It’ll do for now. I continue walking until I found a probably recently opened coffee shop. I know that I need money, so I have no choice but to go there and apply for a job.

Thankfully, the manager ended up hired me even without doing a background check, but only if I do menial tasks like washing the cups and throwing bags of trash. Honestly? I’d do even more than that, even if she don’t say anything about it.

I then found a new place to live. It was an abandoned pile of cardboard, but it’s away from the view of many. I turned them into a makeshift home, and I stayed there from now on. Starting tomorrow, I’ll do everything for my own sake.

~~ >> ~~

Over the next few weeks, I worked at the coffee shop and do everything that the manager asked, but also working overtime without her knowing. I find it quite enjoyable wiping the tables to be honest.

I continue working there, getting payed daily and using them for my daily needs. Everything went smooth for me, and I’m starting to enjoy working there. However, it seems that my body reacher my limit, and I passed out just by the time the store closed…

~~ >> ~~

The next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital room, where the manager were worried sick about me. Even if I told them that I’m fine and I just need some rest, the manager just won’t budge. She even closed the store just to see me. Why? Why would she do that?

“Because I knew of your situation.”

My heart sank. Did she knew about my past in the old town? Did she try to call my family?! No! I’m not going back! I tried to get up, but she won’t let me! Please! I don’t want them to find me again!

…

…

I ended up crying on her. All of my anger on my past finally blew up, and turned into anguish. I’m so sick of the past. I’m so sick of being treated like a criminal for things I didn’t even do…

Please… just let me go…

“You don’t have to worry anymore.”

What does she mean by that?

“I don’t know how bad your past is, but I won’t let you keep living like this. From now on, I want you to live at my shop.”

Even though it sounded stern, the manager is worried about me. She offered me to stay at the shop from now on, and I really wanted to decline that. But she insisted so hard that she even would report me to the police.

In the end, I relented, and let myself rest for the next few days, with the manager visiting me each day. After being discharged, I showed her my living place, and she was horrified at the sight of me living in a pile of cardboard boxes. I took my clothes and said goodbye to my home, and since then, I’m living at the coffee shop with the manager.

Although she often times asked me to tell her about my past, she at least do be considerate and didn’t pushed me to do so. Thus, I just keep on working there, now no longer worried of my past as long as the manager looks after me.

Although, this peace won’t last forever…

(I don't think I would make a continuation of this, but at least I wanted to write a different point of view from the main character's mother and the manager. But please don't keep your hopes up for that.

As always, I hope you guys enjoyed, and Peace Out!~)