Page 1 of Finding Molly Parsons

Chapter 1

Faith

The relentless ticking from the clock on Faith’s wall sent her nerves through the roof. Normally indifferent to its presence, tonight, the clock became an unwelcome reminder of the daunting task ahead.

Faith had planned her escape for months. She was meticulous, acutely aware that any lapse in detail could spell utter disaster. With each passing minute, her heart quickened its pace, mirroring the march of time itself. So far, everything was going to plan. That was the one good thing about her parents. They were painfully predictable. But that wasn’t the reason Faith craved freedom. No, her reason for all the plotting and lying was for her life and the right to live it as she saw fit.

If Alan and Maureen Parsons ever found out who Faith truly was while under their roof, Faith would… well she dreaded to think what would happen. There was no point dwelling on the what ifs now. Faith was thirty seconds away from changing her life irrevocably.

Straining her ears, Faith listened for any sign that her mother or father were awake. It would be the first time in history that either parent stirred before 6 a.m. but Faith couldn’t take any chances. This was too important. The house remained silent, only the gentle creak of the wooden rafters pierced the stillness.

Stepping lightly, Faith gathered her backpack. With gentle steps she made her way over to her window. It had taken an hour to jimmy the lock open earlier in the evening, all the while trying to stay as quiet as a mouse. If her dad heard anything out of the ordinary, he was guaranteed to burst through her door.

She lifted the window gently; thankful it didn’t snag or squeak. Taking one last look over her shoulder, Faith slipped her pack through the narrow opening, before climbing out as quickly as possible. As much as she hated this house, she was grateful it was a ground floor bungalow. Having to scale down a wall didn’t appeal and there was no way she would have been able to do it without disturbing her parents.

As soon as her feet touched the floor, she eased the window closed and swiftly took off. Skirting the edges of the yard, Faith avoided the gravel. Now all she had to do was make it to the back of the garage. After a quick look behind her, Faith set off, praying the security light she’d relieved of its bulb had gone unnoticed by her father.

With no blaring light to illuminate her escape, Faith smiled. Luck was on her side tonight. Maybe it was divine intervention? A glance at her wristwatch reminded Faith she had to hurry if she was to succeed with the next part of her plan.

At the back of the family garage sat Faith’s trusty bicycle. Her father had refused to let Faith get her driver’s license, insisting she only cycled. Faith knew the reason was to prevent her from leaving. Alan Parsons wasn’t a stupid man. Faith wondered how he would feel when he realized that by enforcing the rule, he’d given her the perfect way to escape. Bicycles were silent, unlike cars.

Wheeling the bike to the road, Faith placed one foot on the pedal and used the other to push off. Summoning all the energy she could, Faith peddled. There was no time to admire the moonlit streets or the twinkle of the stars. Faith had to remain focused on her goal. Getting to the bus station within the next five minutes.

With labored breaths and sweat on her brow, Faith made it with one minute to spare. Rushing over to the ticket desk she gave her name and collected her pass. Leaving her pre-purchased ticket at the station had been the right choice. Faith never knew when her mother would overturn her room, looking for contraband.

The bus rumbled to life just as she threw herself onboard. The driver drew up his eyebrows as she puffed and panted. Only when she waved the ticket in his face did he turn away. Inhaling deeply, Faith made her way to the middle of the bus, choosing a window seat. There wasn’t time for her to get comfy though. Her ticket might have read “Destination Dallas,” but that was not where Faith planned to leave the bus.

When her parents found her missing from her room, they would come for her. Faith had no doubt in her mind. The first place they would look would be the bus station. Once they found out her ticket information—and they would—Alan and Maureen would be hot on her tail.

So, to keep them in the dark, Faith would change buses prior to Dallas. With all the bobbing and weaving she planned, it was going to take her days to reach Seattle, her final destination. The stops and changes were a must though.

Closing her eyes, Faith mentally ran through the rest of her plan. It wasn’t complicated but it would stop her parents from getting law enforcement involved. That’s the reason she had waited until she turned eighteen. God knows she’d wanted to escape for years but without the law on her side, it would have been foolish and deadly to have left.

Now though, she was a legal adult. She’d even managed to sneak her birth certificate out of her father’s office. With her documents safely stowed away in her backpack, Faith finally allowed herself a reprieve from the anxiety she’d suffered with for months.

Maybe a bit of sleep would help? No, don’t fall asleep, stay vigilant.

The bus was nowhere near full. There were a handful of people, most of whom were snoring. One passenger caught Faith’s eye. A girl who looked to be around the same age as Faith was sitting at the back of the coach, eyes closed, bopping her head and silently mouthing the words to her music. Faith saw the AirPods and naturally became curious. What is she listening to? Stop Faith, stay focused. No distractions.

Admonishing herself for her wandering eye, Faith turned back to face the window.

???

The bus had barely stopped before Faith was up and out of her seat, heading for the door. Thankfully, the bus had made good time, leaving Faith with ample opportunity to buy her next ticket—with cash of course.

The sleepy bus station only had one ticket operator, who clearly detested his job. Faith was a naturally shy person who avoided confrontations at all costs, so when she heard the ticket clerk arguing with a customer, she wanted to hide away. Raised voices were a trigger. In Faith’s experience, a swift backhand usually followed.

When the irate customer finally purchased her ticket, Faith stepped up to the window. “One way to St. Louis please.”

The ticket agent sighed and bashed his keyboard dramatically. Faith wasn’t sure why he behaved that way and frankly she didn’t care. As long as he gave her the ticket he could do as he pleased. Faith smiled sweetly as she waited. Finally he shoved the printed paper through the little slot. Faith thanked him and left. With an hour to wait, Faith prepared the next stage of her plan.

Alan and Maureen would go straight to the cops and say Faith was missing. To make sure that didn’t happen, Faith entrusted her best friend Alice to deliver a letter to the sheriff at first light. The letter stated that Faith had left town of her own free will. Hopefully, that would be enough to stop him from looking for her. It wouldn’t deter her parents.

Pulling out the burner phone she’d picked up yesterday in town, Faith sent a message letting Alice know she was okay and to make sure her letter got delivered. As soon as she got a reply, Faith turned off the phone and dumped it.

Waiting was the hardest part. If she wasn’t moving, Faith felt vulnerable. To stave off the inevitable anxiety that came with stillness, Faith paced the station. After a few restless minutes, a stomach rumbling gave her the perfect excuse to find somewhere to eat. A diner was a better option than driving herself insane walking in circles.

The smell of coffee and grease slapped her across the face as soon as she opened the door. Normally, the smell would be nauseating, but Faith was too hungry to care. In fact, her mouth salivated. Taking a seat at the counter, Faith scanned the board.

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