Run Away

The sun was setting across the desert floor. It was another painting-like sunset for which Arizona and New Mexico were famous. That was just the issue, though. Every day just like the last. Same sun, same dead end job, same problems, same boring life. She tried changing things up. She tried finding hobbies. She tried going out more. She tried making new friends. Nothing worked, she kept coming back to the same monotonous feelings of going no where in life.

She had taken the same way home from work every day. Another Saturday wasted at work. Another Saturday spent promising herself things would change. Another Saturday choosing which alcohol would dull the boredom for that night while giving the outward appearance that she had somewhat of a life.

She saw the moving truck driving in front of her and yearned for that to be her. Her soul ached for real change. Change that would guarantee a better life, or at least a different one than what she was forced to live. She didn't know what she wanted, she just knew it wasn't anything she had right now.

As she day dreamed about what a different life would feel like, she suddenly realized she wasn't in Arizona anymore. She saw a sign welcoming her to New Mexico and quickly glanced at the clock. She had been driving for over two hours...following that moving truck. How did this happen? Who does this? How much gas did she have left?

She pulled off of the highway as soon as she saw advertisements for gas stations. As she stood there, pumping gas into her car, she watched the vehicles on the highway as they zoomed passed her. What was she going to do? She could easily get back on the highway and find her way home. Or, she could just as easily get back on the highway and keep going forward. What she should  do and what she wanted to do were two very different things at that moment. Or were they? Should she stay in a life that was slowly killing her? She had tried to make changes in her life, but obviously she couldn't find what she needed. How was going back to a life she hated a good thing...a thing she should do?

She couldn't think clearly. All she could focus on was her heart beating in her ears. Nothing was making sense. She got into her car and got back on the highway. It wasn't long before she caught up to that same moving truck. She knew it had to be the same one because it was pulling a trailer with a blue Camero on it. She wondered to where they were moving. What would it feel like to wake up and not see a cactus? They must have a brilliant new job to make them move. Maybe they found someone to love for the rest of their life and would have to find a job once they got there. Either way, it had to feel wonderful...that promise of a new and different adventure. Waking up and not knowing what the day would have in store.

She noticed that the pinks and blues of the sunset had turned to pitch black as the moving truck signaled off the highway. She continued until she saw a rest stop.


                                      **********************************

He knew he should have left work when he had the chance. After all, when was the last time he actually got home on time? Being a detective, he didn't really have office hours, but on the rare day his cases were closed before a new one crossed his inbox he knew better than to linger too long around five o'clock. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. Just as he grabbed for his jacket, a clerk dropped a file into his box. Should he stop to have a look? Did he want to get sucked into a new case just as his opportunity to be the family man his wife and kids needed so badly could come to fruition? What he should do and what he wanted to do were two very different things at that moment.

He couldn't help it. People didn't go missing on a schedule. What if he lost a lead because he chose to go home a minute early? He would just look the file over and if nothing jumped out at him, he would continue on his way home.

Female...24 years old...last seen at work on Saturday...no show no call for her next shift and every shift since that Saturday...landlady hasn't seen her and her rent is now late. Her work, where she was last seen, was on his way home.

He walked in and immediately asked for a manager. This would be a quick interview, in and out. Probably no leads to be realized, but how could he ignore this missing person and just go home...how would that be something he should do?

"I told the cop who took my report everything I know. I saw her last Saturday when her shift ended. She hasn't been to work since and has missed all of her shifts. No, this is not like her. She's never been late to any of her shifts in all the years she has worked here. No, wait...there was one time when I think she had car trouble, but she called way before her shift started. No, she didn't seem upset or different the last time I saw her. She was her normal, no personality self. No, I don't know if anybody here knows her outside of work, but please, don't give anyone an excuse not to work. Look, I don't have time for this. The only reason I made the report is because I can't fire her and close her employee record if I can't get a hold of her. The way I see it, I'll let the professionals do the hard part. When you find her, I can fire her."

He never got used to it, the callous, unsympathetic human roadblocks who stood in the way of moving a missing person's case along. Every case had at least one person like that. He never, in all of the years he worked in this division, understood why. Why wouldn't someone do all they could to help find a missing person?

"You want me to look in her employee record and give you the information of her 'in case of emergency' person? Is that legal? I mean, I won't get into trouble for giving out information that is supposed to be private? *HUGE SIGH* I mean, it's going to take me a minute to find her information."

He texted his wife to let her know he would be home soon.

"Here's her employee record. I need to get back to work so bring it back when you're done with it."

He left shaking his head in sadness. Was it sadness from the unfeeling interaction he just had with a missing person's boss, or was the sadness caused by knowing that this was going to be an impossible case to solve?

The next day started out the same way the day before had ended. The landlady.

"Don't you people write anything down? I thought you had fancy voice recorders to record everyone's conversations...whether they give you permission or not. Yes, she's always been on time with her rent. Hell, some months she was early. I could count on her check being the first in the rent slot. No, I've never had any issues with her. NO, she doesn't have a lot of people coming and going. Are you going to let me know when I can clean her apartment out? I need to rent it out before I start losing all my money! I can auction her stuff off to recoup this month's rent, or close to it, but I need to start listing it now! What? Who is her emergency contact? Well, I don't know. She must have written somebody down on her application. Her application couldn't have been processed without every line being filled out. You want me to go get it? Right now?!

He watched her limp off in her "Three's Company/Mrs. Roper" house dress. He guessed this human roadblock was about a million years old and probably never once thought to be kind to another human being in all those years on this earth. He started to knock on doors using her employee of the month picture as identification. Certainly someone here must know her. Nobody answered. As he watched the landlady come closer, he mentally kicked himself for not demanding the key, as well as the contact information.

"Here! Now can I list her stuff for auction so I can get my money?! What? Now you want her key? Well, don't take anything. If she can't pay her rent that stuff is mine!"

He prayed all the way up to her apartment that he would find something of use...and no dead bodies. Probably should have thought of the dead body thing first, but he was trying to be hopeful that she had just run away and not expired. Her apartment was dark. He didn't noticed any fowl smells. The apartment looked kind of empty, everything in its place, but not a lot of anything. He made his way through the small apartment, clearing every space. Nothing. The only clue that she was human was the fact that it looked like she had lived on diet soda and various alcohol. No chips, no cookies, no cigarettes. Every room was another dead end. He looked over her rental application. There was only one name listed under the personal reference section and it was the same name that filled the emergency contact line. He figured it had to be mom or sister.

"Hello? Who did you say this is? You're a detective? Who are you looking for? Yes, I know her. That's my cousin...my mom's sister's daughter. No, I haven't seen her in years. Not since we graduated from high school. The last time I talked to her was probably around two years ago. She called out of the blue wanting to meet up, you know, reconnect, but I was pregnant at the time, so I told her maybe another time. What can I tell you about her? Umm...she's responsible and she's quiet. *SCREAMING IN THE BACKGROUND* Yes, everything is okay, just trying to wrangle my toddlers. I wish I could be of more help. I have no idea where she could have gone off to. I don't know who her friends are or if she's dating anybody. Look, I really do have my hands full so I gotta let you go. Tell her to call me when you find her."

It was another day ending in a head shake. At least he'd be home on time again...was that a good thing?

He woke up to his phone vibrating across the nightstand. He didn't want to answer it for fear it would be another impossible case. It was worse. It was homicide. They found a body in the desert...where else? It matched her description. He would be in the office ASAP with her photo.


                                       *********************************************

She woke up just as the sun peaked above the sand and cacti. Another painted desert sunrise. Same sun, same dead end job, same problems, same boring life. Only, this time, she was thankful she still had the same old stuff. Two days ago she could have lost it all. She could have thrown it all away and have nothing right now. No place to live, no job...nothing. As she got herself ready for work, she listened to a story about a young woman who had gone missing and now detectives had found her body in the desert. They were looking for any information about this poor girl.

She remembered thinking that this girl could have been her. She thought about how similar this girl's story was to her own for days. She couldn't let it go. She had to do something to change her life and ensure she wouldn't end up like this poor girl on the news. For God's sake, she had followed a moving van all the way to New Mexico just to try to find some change, some purpose. In a flash it came to her. She looked up this girl's story on line to find the detective's name.

"Hello? Yes, I'm looking for information. You see, this girl that was found in the desert could have been me. How do I become a detective in the missing persons' division?"

                                                                        END

Yes, this picture was really taken in Arizona or New Mexico. I was riding in the moving truck that is in front of this vehicle, so I'm not sure at which exact point it was taken. It was a very looong trip and honestly, after a while, every desert landscape looked the same regardless of which state we were in. It wasn't until the third day of this trip that I didn't think we were ludicrous and the worst people on the face of the earth for moving our young girls and us away from our extended families. Finally, on that third and last day, I began to feel hope and allow myself to think of all of the fantastic what-ifs. It was definitely a life-changing trip and I thank God every day that He led us on that journey.