Esme Hunt

4

I sit in the dusty house and wait impatiently for his arrival. A soft scuffling makes me turn to the door. There he is. His tangled black hair is billowing in the wind and his eyes bore into me with a look of relief on his chiseled face. I catch my breath and run into his arms. We stand there for what could have been seconds, hours or days in our embrace. Eventually, he pulls away and says, "I've missed you, Esme." A rush of warmth spreads over me as I hear his voice. "I've missed you too."

I show him around my new-found home, and he admires everything in his usual sarcastic manner. "I love the pattern of these drapes, must be 17th century polka dot designs." He says to the grey, moth eaten curtains. "Aha! Premium spiders silk!" I roll my eyes but laugh anyway. I don't think this house has heard such a happy sound for at least 50 years. The buzzing of an engine outside alerts me. "Get down!" We crouch below window level, waiting nervously. I risk a peak out of the window and my heart stops. A coal black Holden Colorado is creeping past the house. This is the one that Rosa Youth used to escape the warehouse that day when she killed my brother, I'm sure of it. Thinking of him brings back painful memories that I push aside, focusing on the danger ahead. "We need to go." I whisper urgently to Alex. I grab my backpack and he follows me silently, not questioning me. 

We climbed out through the back of the house, over fences, in backyards, hoping they have not seen us. After a few minutes of ceouching behind a garden shed, we conclude that they didn't follow us. Alex suggests that we head back to the abandoned house, but I dismiss the idea quickly. If Rosa knows where I am, she could always come for me; I would never be safe.

Trying to find a place to stay is hard, especially when you're a fugitive. Just as I am passing an apartment building, I see something that catches my eye. I turn to the wall to see my own face staring back at me from a poster. 

Esme Hunt

Sex: F

Age: 14

Hair: red

Eyes: green

Complexion: medium

If found, please report to nearest police officer or call 111. Do not approach, considered dangerous and possibly armed.

If my poster was already out on the streets, then I shouldn't be here. What if someone recognised me? I had nowhere to go, and now couldn't even go near people for fear of being caught. I was never known as an optimist, so naturally my mind went to the worst possible thoughts. I was all alone. All I had in the world was Alex, and I could barely afford his company.

I ducked through alleyways, hidden from the view of people until I feel that I am safe, or at least as safe as a fugitive on the run from the police and a criminal can be. Then an idea hits me. The old car dealership! Once, it had been a well known place, selling the finest cars in the city, but they were shut down about a year ago, as the cops revealed that they used plastic as metal for some parts and knock-off paint that needed replacing almost monthly.

I begin the walk to the car yard. When I arrive, the big barbed wire fences make me pause. How will I get over them without injuring myself? My eyes scan the along the grey mesh wall, and finally come to rest on a spot where the wire is hanging loosely. I check for people, and seeing none, grab a coat out of my backpack and throw it over to the other side and begin to haul myself up after it. I lay the jacket along the metal spikes and clambour across then drop down to the ground.