I became even more confused, not knowing where to go. I grabbed my bag, packed my important belongings, and left everything to fate. Wherever my feet would take me, I would go. Grandpa Williams was a powerful man—he could do anything he wanted.
After a moment, I stepped out and looked for Katerine in the kitchen, but she wasn’t there. I went to her room and found her tidying up the items she bought earlier.
“Lily, do you need something, dear?” she asked me.
She was surprised when I suddenly hugged her and started crying.
“Thank you so much, Katerine. I need to leave as soon as possible,” I said tearfully.
“Why are you leaving? Is there something you didn’t like about the house? Is there a problem, dear? Are you uncomfortable staying with me?”
I shook my head.
“I have no complaints about you. Violet will explain everything to you, Katerine. If anyone comes looking for me, just tell them I’ve left. I’ll call you, Katerine, but for now, I have to go. Thank you so much for taking me in.”
I kissed her on both cheeks and hurried out of the house.
Thankfully, there was no one outside. A car passed by, and I flagged it down. I didn’t know where to go, so I asked to be dropped off at the bus terminal heading to Alabama.
When I arrived at the terminal, it was crowded. I got off and stayed alert, looking for any of Grandpa’s men. Seeing none, I turned off my phone so no one could call me.
“What time is the next trip to Alabama?” I asked a man.
“Not until 4:00 AM tomorrow, ma’am. The last trip just left,” he replied.
This meant I had to wait until morning. I found an empty seat, put on my sunglasses, and sat down. Thankfully, I had my sunglasses with me.
After four hours, I stood up. Hunger was gnawing at me, so I looked for something to eat. I wandered outside the terminal.
When I saw two vehicles pull up at the terminal, my eyes widened. I recognized them—they were Grandpa’s men. I walked slowly and pretended everything was normal. If I ran, they would catch me.
I reached a bakery with a car parked in front of it. My eyes widened again when I saw Grandpa’s men heading in my direction.
I started shaking. I didn’t know what to do. Without thinking, I hid in the trunk of the parked car, which was slightly open. I adjusted a brown blanket I found inside and covered myself with it.
I was trembling with fear as I heard voices outside. One man asked another if he had seen a girl.
“I’m sorry, sir. I haven’t seen anyone,” the other man replied.
Then, the trunk closed. I exhaled deeply when I felt the car start moving, unsure of where it was going. The scent of freshly baked bread filled the air, making my hunger worse.
My hand searched for a paper bag, and when I found it, I quickly opened it. I grabbed a piece of bread and ate it hungrily while it was still warm. I took another piece, hoping I wouldn’t finish everything.
When the car stopped, I froze and dropped the bread. After a few seconds, the car started moving again.
I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. It felt like we had already traveled a long distance.
