All I Ever Wanted (Available On Amazon snd KU!)

Chapter One.(Edited)

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"Love and compassion are necessities,

not luxuries.

Without them,

humanity cannot survive."

-Dalai Lama

THREE YEARS LATER

I ran until I lost the feeling in my bare feet, until I could no longer feel the small branches prick and dig into my tender skin. I ran until the evening sun disappeared behind the thick underbrush. Until I was left to wander the cold and dark woods alone. With a blend of emotions still ripping through my mind and my heart beating out of my chest, my throat burned as adrenaline drained from my body. I frantically searched for any source of light or sound in the distance. Who knew following the sound of a train's roar would be my saving grace? Pushing passed the browning vegetation I hop the ditch to the pothole filled service road making my hike to the brightly lit gas station across the interstate.

The bell over the door rings as I enter, and surprisingly no one notices. And for that I'm thankful, my face is hot and flushed, sticky from the dried tears, my hair decorated with knots and bits of debris, and the bottom of my jeans are fringed and dusty with a thick dirt ring.

Leaving a trail of dirt on the freshly mopped floors I finally find the store clerk; my voice comes out low and hoarse from my thirst.

"Ex- Excuse me, can I have a key to the restroom please."

Sliding the key over the worn countertop, her head near lifts from her magazine, "Sure Hun, it's outside to ya left." She utters between her chews of spearmint gum.

Closing the door, I lock from the inside, feeling as if for the first time I can breathe. My back falls to the door and my body slides until resting on the floor. With my face in my hands my eyes begin to fill with tears and a heart wrenching sob escapes my lips.

"No no no. Stop it, don't you cry again, pull it together, come on Abagail! There isn't anything or anyone here for you anymore."

A few minutes go by before I pull myself of the floor to the mirror. After I wash up as best I could, splashing cold water on my face I wipe away my tears before running my fingers through my waves pulling out the knots and tucking my long brown hair behind my ears. Plopping back onto the bathroom floor to wash my aching feet with a thin stack of paper towels drenched in "fresh breeze" scented hand soap, each pass stinging my soles as I wiped over each cut.

Locking the door to the restroom before returning the key. I hear a voice from behind, my body stills as my spine and shoulders grow stiff.

"I could tell somethin' was up....ya in some sorta trouble kid? Ya sure have been it there a while."

"I was uh, just fixing my hair is all."

"It's alright kid, I'm here to help."

But I don't respond, only reaching out my arm to return the key.

"It's sad, I see so many of ya kids, walkin' in here broken and lookin' for a way out, I reckon that's why I'm 55 and still working the night shift at this ole place."