You can see the first part of this story here and the second part here...
After Jane left Skinny Pete at the sleazy motel, she went
home to her abusive father and did the unthinkable. She stole three grand in
cash from his stash in the garage, went out for coffee and cigarettes and never
returned.
It was something she’d been thinking about for a long time.
How to get away? How to get away safely? How to get away so he could never find
her? She didn’t have the answers to any of these questions so she threw all
caution to the wind, took the money while he slept and left the house.
Jane had been in a bad way for quite some time. Jammed up on
speed, her health in jeopardy and not a friend in the world, she knew she had to
make a change. Home life was dangerous at best and she knew her days were
numbered if she stayed. If she did nothing, she had two options. Her father
could beat her to death or she could kill herself with drugs, on purpose or
accidentally. Neither particularly suited her.
With nothing but her over sized handbag, the ragged, dirty
clothes on her back and no plan other than to get away, Jane hit the street. Her
father was used to her being away for extended periods, so he wouldn’t miss her
for a couple days. She had the cash and a few things in her bag. She had very
little speed and no inclination to get more.
She decided on the Amtrak and made her way there.
At the station, Jane counted the cash. She knew she needed
privacy on the trip but didn’t want to attract attention. She knew she would be sick and would need to
sleep. She bought a train ticket to a destination thousands of miles from home.
She spent a good amount of money for private sleeping accommodations.
She looked like a drug addict; she was unkempt, smelly and
scabby. She bought the ticket, but the
train wouldn’t leave for two hours. Ansty, she hit the consignment shop for
some clean clothes and a small suitcase. At the druggist, she bought soap and
shampoo, mouthwash and deodorant, some acetaminophen and that stuff you give to
kids when they vomit or have diarrhea. She had no idea if the pedia-shit would
do her any good, but guessed it was worth a shot. Walking the three blocks to
the Y, she wondered if she really could make this all work. Deciding she really
didn’t have much choice, she paid a few bucks for a day pass and hit the showers.
Sitting in the locker room at the Y, showered and dressed in
her clothes from the consignment shop, Jane made a decision. She threw the
ragged clothes in the trash, walked to the sinks and rummaged through her bag.
Finding her hairbrush and an elastic, she worked through the tangles in her
hair and put it up in a knot at the top of her head. She rinsed her mouth,
popped a couple Tylenol, applied deodorant and went to the secret pocket in her
bag. Taking out the little paper packet, she paused. Looking in the mirror,
seeing the damage she had done to herself, she turned on the water, opened the
little packet and let the white powder slide off the paper, mix with the water
and go down the drain. She let water run over the paper for a moment. Crumpling
it, she took a good look in the mirror. This is your last chance, she thought. Make it a good one.
