Page 4 of Watercolor Skulls

He instructs the driver where to go. I watch the scenery out the window. Nothing much has changed. I’m still staring through the glass observing everyone else live. When we pull up at Bay Storage, Rudy gets out with me. He is clearly uncomfortable being so close to the bridge.

I stop in front of locker twenty-one, searching my purse for the key. After I locate it I open the metal door and smile. My aunt’s bright blue bag is waiting for me, ready to take me on a great adventure.

I turn to Rudy. “Thanks for letting me grab this.”

He shrugs his shoulders like it isn’t a big deal and walks me back to the car, visibly relieved to be leaving. I almost feel bad for what I’m about to do. He will face my father’s wrath because of my actions.

I bite my lip as we drive. “Could we stop at a pharmacy?”

He sighs. “Sure, I’ll go in for you. Make me a list.”

“No, that’s okay.” I tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear shyly. “I need some, um, some girl items.”

His face heats as he turns to tell the driver to stop at the closest pharmacy.

As we pull into the parking lot I grab the blue bag and my purse. He eyes me suspiciously but doesn’t say anything. He does, however, get out of the car with me. My pulse picks up a notch. Rudy follows me inside but when I turn down the feminine product isle he tells me he will wait for me by the checkout. I nod, pretending to look at the boxes on the shelf. As soon as he disappears I make a beeline for the back. A few store employees give me a funny look when I push through the doors, but nobody stops me. When I break through to the outside world my heart thumps a little happier.

As quickly as my aching body will allow, I get as far away from the pharmacy as I can. I’m sure Rudy is freaking out about now. As soon as I find a residential area I open the bag my aunt left for me and find the burner phone we purchased so many years ago. As it powers on I look at the number on the front of the house I’m hiding behind. When the cab company picks up I rattle off the address, telling them to send a car as soon as possible.

When the cab arrives, I have him take me back to Bay Storage, knowing I don’t have much time. When I open the locker, I drop the key into my purse and shove it inside, slamming the door shut on my old life. I rush out and head towards the bridge. Before I get there I stop at a public restroom.

Hastily I strip out of my sundress. I grab the sea blue hair dye out of the bag and follow the instructions on the box. It’s time to change from Senator Ramsey’s daughter to Lily Gladstone, the girl on my fake I.D. The one with a whole new life ahead of her.

I clip the fake piercing in my nose while the dye sets and place the fake tattoo of a dragonfly on my left forearm. After I rinse my hair I dress in torn blue jeans and a tight fitting black V-neck t-shirt. Pulling a pair of black chucks out of the bag, I stare in the mirror for a few seconds, wondering where I found the courage to do all of this. Honestly, falling off the bridge was easier.

Okay, I can do this. I can. It’s what my aunt wanted. After cleaning up the bathroom and turning the bag inside out so that it’s now yellow, I shove everything back inside. I glance around, making sure no trace of me exists before stepping outside. The breeze teases my newly colored hair around my cheeks.

I keep my face turned down as I make my way to a local restaurant then I call for another cab. This one will take me to the train station.

So far so good.

Once I’m on the train I breathe a sigh of relief, happy to be able to sit still for a while. My body hurts so bad it brings tears to my eyes. I think about what I need to do next. My aunt told me not to stay on the train too long. At least get over the mountains she had said. I look at the map I picked up in the train station and decide I’ll hop off in Reno. It’s a large town and maybe I can pick up a vehicle there.

My aunt and I opened an account at a national bank chain so we could access our account from anywhere. I’ve been pulling cash out of my dad’s account every day since I was sixteen. He didn’t care. As long as I was being his perfect princess all was well. I would purposely show him a new outfit every now and then so he wouldn’t get suspicious of my cash transactions. He thought I preferred to use cash over his card. I’ve deposited over two hundred thousand dollars over the years. I’m not sure what I’ll do with it all. I only need enough to get set up somewhere new. My Aunt Jenny put some of the cash in the bag so we wouldn’t have to find a bank right away.

The next step will be finding a landing spot. I don’t know where I want to go. I don’t know where I belong. Definitely not where I was. I rub the dragonfly pendant praying for direction.

Seven hours later I’m standing in the train station in Reno. A cab ride soon after and I’m in a hotel lobby scouring the classified ads for a vehicle. And there it is, my sign. I find a light blue 1964 Volkswagen Beetle for sale. It looks rough but as long as it runs I don’t care what it looks like. My aunt always wanted a Volkswagen Bus, this is the next best thing, right?

Besides, it’s just me now. I swallow down the tightness in my throat. It’s fine. I’m fine. I’m alive. I’m alive. I don’t have time to cry right now. I’m sure the tears will come but not now.

I call the lady about the beetle. She and her husband offer to drive it to the hotel the very next day.

I trudge back to my room incredibly tired, falling asleep the minute my head hits the pillow.

The next morning the elderly woman and her husband show up as planned.

“I’ve had this car since college. Let me tell you, she’s seen things,” the grey haired woman jokes.

“It’s beautiful,” I tell her, running my hands over the hood gently.

Her husband laughs and shakes his head. “Well, Annabelle, I think we found your baby a new owner.”

The old woman smiles at him before turning her kind eyes on me. “I hope she brings you as many wonderful adventures as she did me.”

I pay them for the car, and she signs the title over. I hold it to my chest. This is my first purchase as Lily Gladstone. “I love it so much!” I exclaim, bouncing on the balls of my feet. The elderly couple both shake my hand, wishing me the best of luck.

Soon enough the beetle and I are headed down the road. I’m not sure where I’m going. I just drive. Windows down, radio up, and the wind wiping my wild blue hair around my face.

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