“The bus station?” the cab driver asked, looking at her in the rearview mirror.
“Yes, please,” she said, ignoring the look on his face.
She knew she looked like she was running away. It was the look she had endured many times over the last two years. At least this time she wasn’t fleeing with bruises on her face or her arm in a sling. This time she was getting out while she had time to minimize the damage. She only hoped it was enough to keep Ben from being hurt. When the driver pulled to a stop, she handed him a twenty and climbed out of the backseat. She hated taking the bus, but it was the easiest way to move around without being tracked.
She walked towards the ticket counter, wondering where to go next. That wasn’t something she had taken the time to think about. Her mind had been so focused on fleeing, she hadn’t thought about where she would flee.
“Did you need a ticket?” the woman asked when the person in front of her moved away with his ticket in hand.
Katherine looked up at the board. “Um, yes.”
“Where to?” the woman asked impatiently.
Katherine had no idea. Her stomach was twisted in knots. “Uh, Seattle,” she mumbled, pulling out the cash she always kept on hand for these kinds of emergencies.
The woman took her money and handed her a ticket before directing her to the right terminal. The bus didn’t leave for another hour. The waiting was the hardest part. It always made her worry she would get caught. It was one of the many reasons she always chose to run away at night when most people were tucked into their homes. Katherine wheeled the suitcase along behind her, the wheels spinning in a soothing hum across the tile floor as she headed in the direction of the waiting area. She looked at the two rows of blue, plastic seats and tried not to groan or grimace. No matter what city she was in, the bus stations were never her favorite place to be. She looked around. This was where she would spend the last hour of her life in San Francisco. It wasn’t
the ideal memory she wanted to leave with.
Resigned to her fate, she found a seat somewhat away from the other passengers waiting to board the bus. Her eyes roamed around the gloomy area. Unlike an airport, the bus station always had a much more desolate feeling. There weren’t any happy reunions or people rushing to make their flight. It was a completely different atmosphere—one she had come to dread.
Her stomach was in knots, but she knew she had better get something to eat. The last thing she’d eaten had been that sandwich at Ben’s place. The memory of him watching her stuff her face brought a smile to her lips. People were always surprised at how much she could eat when she was hungry. She made it a point to eat healthy most of the time, so she could pig out now and again.
With another look around at the vending machines she made up her mind to grab some snacks. The bus trips were long and boring with only greasy spoons or gas station stops for food. In her mind, that was one of the worst ideas. Who thought greasy food was a good option for people stuck inside a bus for long hours?
She made her way to the small, overpriced convenience store inside the bus station and picked up a few granola bars, a pack of peanuts and a few bottles of water, shoving everything into her large purse. This was the exact reason she always kept a huge purse on hand. Another trick she had learned from her many escapes.
She made her way back to the chairs and sat down, trying not to think about Ben. It felt wrong to be leaving without a goodbye, but if she told him what was happening, he’d try to convince her to stay. He’d assure her it would all be okay, and that he could afford to be sued by Tim. She shook her head. Ben was convinced that the money was no big deal and he had no trouble writing checks to solve his problems. She knew he would never understand that this would never go away. Tim would keep coming back, wanting more money and demanding more of her.
“You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders sweetie,” a middle-aged woman said, coming to sit beside her.
Katherine smiled, “Don’t we all.”
The woman pulled out a knitting project and began to move the needles without even looking. Katherine watched, mesmerized by the movement before she realized she’d been staring.
“I’m making my granddaughter a new blanket. I’m headed to see my son and his wife up north,” she said with a warm smile.
“How old is she?” Katherine asked in a friendly tone, happy to have someone to chat with and pass the time.
“She’ll be three months in a few days. This will be my first time meeting her.”
Katherine smiled. “How exciting for you.”
“It is. My son is in the military and I don’t get to see him too often. They only recently came back from Japan. I figured I better get up there and see him before he was off to his next destination overseas,” she said wistfully.
“You must be proud,” Katherine said.
The woman beamed. “I am very proud. His father was a military man. I should have known he would inherit the urge to travel the world on the government’s dime.”
Katherine chuckled. “I’m glad you can stay positive about it. I can’t imagine how hard that would be.”
“It is hard, but I know he is doing what he loves and that’s important. I hope he will retire soon. Wherever he finally lands, I’ll move to be closer to him and his growing family,” she said, her hands swiftly moving as she pulled out more pink yarn.
“Is he stationed in the Seattle area?”
The woman nodded her head. “For now. It isn’t his permanent duty station though. He was down here in California, but it seems like he is always on the move. Are you headed to Seattle for a short visit?” she asked, looking at the rather small suitcase propped up next to Katherine’s legs.
Katherine shook her head. “I think so.”