Nowhere with You- Fillie

Small Town Girl

There was not much to do in the small city where Millie lived.
Rutledge, Georgia
She would not even consider it a city, if you asked her.
She would say it was an absolute shit hole. She only really found enjoyment in the simplicity of life there. In the places where she could sneak away and drink bottles of whiskey, to numb herself of her never ending thoughts.
Everything about this place was easy, in Millie's opinion.
With only 780 people living in the same town, how could it not. People here either got married or left without a second thought.
Her parents were the ones who chose to stay.
She so desperately wanted to leave, like so many did before her, but her mom had this weird preconception that she would want to stay and inherit the family bookstore, one that has been there for about 10 years.
'Who the fuck even reads books nowadays?' Was the recurring thought Millie had every time her mom brought it up to her.
But even with this thought, Millie still loved to read, so much so that when she went to college (against her will, in her opinion) she received an English degree. Ironic how things always had to turn out in favor of her mother.
Millie had two older siblings, both of whom were long gone by now. She was left all alone in her shit hole town with her shitty parents and her shitty life.
If there was anything Millie hated the most, it was being lied to, and that is exactly what her parents did to her, time and time again.
They made empty promises, reassuring her that they would leave Rutledge, but never they never went through with what they said. Typical.
She begged her parents to let her leave. To let her go pursue her dreams of becoming an actress, but sooner or later she gave up.
She left for college, thinking that she was done with Rutledge, but her parents had their ways of getting her to move back. They never wanted her to go too far from home, and that worked out perfectly for them. Eventually they convinced her to return.
She gave in to their manipulation and did what they wanted her to do. Sometimes she just wanted to hop on the train running parallel to her town and leave.
Leave and never come back.
Which was precisely what she was about to do.

She walked along the wide sidewalk of the town's main street. The same local shops lined the streets, familiar faces in the windows of each.
With 780 people living in the same town, everyone practically know everyone.
She walked past the small diner which stood right next to the bookstore her family owned.
Rutledge Books read the sign above the small brick storefront. Two large glass doors were at the front, with two large windows on either side. It wasn't anything fancy in Millie's opinion.
She was ready to confront her mother. She was ready to tell her she was leaving for good, at least she thought she was. Millie was going to try extra hard to not fall back into the manipulation. She was tired of being their perfect little stay at home daughter.
She was tired of not truly living.
She opened the door, hearing it make it's usual ringing sound, and letting it close behind her.
Millie watched her mother from the entrance, making no noise.
Her mom had the same face shape as she did, and the same nose and eyes as her, though, the slight wrinkles around her eyes and mouth indicated her age. Her eyes were the same color as Millie's, a plain amber color, and her hair was slightly longer and slightly lighter.
"Oh, hi Millie." Her nagging voice ringing throughout the shop.
"Hi mom." Said Millie quietly. An uncomfortable silence deafened the whole store.
"Do you want to put those books away? They just got here as a donation and I just haven't found the time to put them up." Her mother said condescendingly.
"I'm not your employee." Millie said flatly.
"Millie. Please put the books away." She said, this time in a more annoyed tone.
"No. I'm not your fucking employee." Millie repeated herself, her voice now getting more aggressive.
Her mom now putting the papers she was looking at down and looking directly at Millie, glaring at her.
"Put. the books. Away." Said her mom, her gaze not faltering.
"Or what, you're gonna put me in time out? Send me to my room? I'm not a fucking kid anymore!" Millie now yelled across the room.
"You should be thankful that we even have this shop in the first place. This shop earned your education. It paid for you to fucking go to school!" Her mother now raised her voice as well.
"Why should I give a fuck? I never even wanted to go to school in the first place! You and dad just put pressure on me to go because you wanted me to live out my days in this shit hole of a town to run your stupid book shop after you die!" Millie retorted, her face now getting beet red with anger and frustration.
"You know you are such an ungrateful bitch, you know that?" Her mother said, her voice now quieting down a bit. Millie rolled her eyes to that remark. Deep down, it stung her that her mom said that, but she was kind of used to it by now, her mom always called her a bitch.
"Fuck you. I just wanted to live my life and leave this place behind and you never gave a single fuck! You kept me around because I was your only option. NEWSFLASH MOM! I am not you! And what did you ever do with your life. NOTHING. All you and dad ever fucking do is gamble!" Hot tears now streamed down Millie's face.
"You came back to this place like every single person who lives here because you couldn't do anything with your shitty life!"
Millie's mom only stayed silent as Millie kept going, tears now developing in her eyes.
"Well guess what mom, I came here to tell you that I am leaving! I am tired of living in this shit hole, and there is nothing you can do about it!" Millie was finally finished, as she yanked open the door, and swiftly exited the book store, into the warm Georgia air.
"You'll come back! You'll see you little bitch!" Her mother yelled behind her. Millie only held up her middle finger.

Millie returned to her home for the last time. She entered her small kitchen, which flowed into the living room. Her dad was sleeping on the couch, and her little sister was in her room.
Leaving Ava was going to be the hardest thing she'd ever do.
She knocked on her door, and entered quietly.
"Hi Avs." Millie said softly, in great contrast to how she was raising her voice at her mother.
"Hi Mill." Ava said kindly. They were best friends after all. Millie would always take Ava to school in the mornings, and play dolls with her at night. She would take care of her on the nights when her mother and father were too busy gambling at the local casino. Ava was really the only person Millie felt like she could trust, even if she was just a kid.
"Ava listen to me," Millie said, kneeling down to look at her little sister. Ava looked up at her with her big brown eyes.
"I have to go. Like leave, okay? And I am not going to come back. At least not for a while." Millie said, stroking the blond strands of her hair. 
"Where are you going?"
"I'm not really sure yet. I'll make sure to send you a postcard." Millie said, feeling herself begin to choke up. Millie pulled Ava into a long hug.
"I love you so much Avs." Millie said
"I love you too, Mill." Ava responded back, hugging her a little tighter. Tears began to fall from Millie's eyes as she held Ava for a few minutes, both of them repeating 'I love yous' back and forth, until Millie finally got up, turning on her heel after giving Ava one last smile, and left the room.
Millie packed herself a bag and a backpack with the necessities. Some clothes, both for warm and cold weather, her phone and phone charger, a bag of money she kept with cash she had been saving since she was 16, a small blanket, a flashlight, a toothbrush, and her collection of poems and short stories by Edgar Allen Poe. She put her wallet, a journal, a few pens, and some extra clothing items, her headphones, pepper spray, a pocket knife, her flask, and a small hand mirror into her backpack, ready to head off into the breezy, warm night.

Millie walked along the tracks of the railroad and ended up at the freight station.
Norfolk Southern read the sign next to the gate at the communications building, and each of the trains had a horse emblem stamped to the engine. Shadows of people moved within the small square building and people moved about the station, preparing trains for departure.
Millie wandered aimlessly, making sure she was not making too much noise. She ran her hands across each train car she passed, most of which were covered in graffiti.
Bright colors and distinct designs colored all over the sides of the car. Splatters of reds, blues, yellows, and everything in between made Millie smile and left her wondering what kinds of people designed and drew them, wondering what kinds of journeys they have been on in their own lives.
She hopped on an empty train car, its wood paneled floors making creaks every time she took a step. The rectangular car was only open on one side, on the other was a large rusted metal wall supported by metal beams at each of the four corners. It looked as though it had a door, the opening was much smaller than the car itself, making it easy for someone to sit on the edge and dangle their feet.
She situated herself in one of the corners, making sure she was not seen by any of the employees of the train yard, hearing the whistle of the train blow loudly against her ear drums.
She curled up within her blanket, wide awake as the sounds of yelling and clanking filled her ears. Her heart began to race, and her nerves finally began to catch up with her.
She was finally leaving. Finally breaking away from this town for good. A wide smile spread across her face.
This was the first time in a long time that Millie actually felt happy, and ready to embrace a new beginning.

She felt the train jolt forward, and in that moment, she was sure she had never felt so certain of anything in her entire life.

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This first chapter mainly focuses on Millie and why she left her home. Finn is next!
Hope y'all enjoy! I'm having tons of fun thinking of ideas for this story.