Faltered Boundaries
Chapter One'Running away … is that all I'm good at? When the going gets tough … I get going.' Sam sighed as she brought a weary hand to rub her temples. Then her hand slowly dragged itself back on the steering wheel.
Sam gradually looked at the clock in her dashboard, 10:07. Sam let out a small groan as the stiffness in her back slowly crept up to her neck. She averted her eyes from the red light in front of her, and scrutinized the box that lay beside her on the passengers seat.
Mostly filled with clothes and old photos. Most of the photos held memories that she would have rather forgotten, but she grabbed them anyways. One particular photo lay on top of her clothes. One that was taken ten years ago. It was of her in the hospital. She had just turn sixteen two months before, and in her arms was a baby.
Sam choked back her tears as she remembered the day vividly. Despite her mother's disapproval of her getting pregnant, she was still there for her. There to hold her when she cried. There for her when she named the baby.
Alex.
God how she missed him. He was in a better place.
'Don't think about that now …' Sam pleaded with herself.
Sam placed the photo back on top of her clothes and then wiped a tear that balanced itself on the tip of her nose.
Sam had never been more scared than she was on that day. She needed all the support she could get and by her side was only one person. One person who, despite her anger, was still there. Her child's father didn't even care to show his face.
Steve.
Almost ten years older than her and he got her pregnant. He was the reason as to why she was running in the first place. His stubbornness and alcoholic rage brought her over the edge. She regretted every moment she was with him.
A honk from the car behind her finally brought Sam back into the present. She looked up and saw that the light had changed to green and so she continued to drive.
Drive to a new life. Sam had heard about a nursing position in Chicago and so she packed her bags to go and check it out. Leaving had been easier this time. She hadn't gotten so attached to the last place as she usually did. She had no reason to stay, but every reason to leave.
Sam could feel her eyes become heavier as she urged them to remain open. She knew that it was only a few more minutes till she needed to find a hotel, but she couldn't fight the urge to crawl into a warm bed for the night. She reluctantly pulled into a dingy looking hotel parking lot and stopped her car.
Looking into her wallet, Sam found, "A twenty? … Shit." She had forgotten to grab more on her way out. Sam opened her door and prayed that the place she was walking towards wasn't too expensive.
As soon as she opened the door to the hotel check in, she was hit with a familiar smell of alcohol. There was also a pungent smell of trash mixed in as well. Sam tried to push the smell out of her mind as she continued to walk to the counter.
There was no one behind the counter, so Sam rang the tiny bell beside the cash register. An older man appeared from behind a curtain and looked at her expectantly saying, "Yes?"
Sam cleared her throat and said, "Um … I'd like to rent a room please."
The older man spoke louder this time, "What's that?"
Sam moved closer and said in a louder voice, "I'd like to rent a room."
"How long dear?" He said with a smile, exposing his jagged teeth.
Sam gave him a small grin. "How much is it?"
"Hm …" The old man brought his hand to his chin while he deliberated the price. Finally, after a few moments, he said, "For you, ten bucks a night."
Sam thanked him and told him that she would be staying for two nights. He then gave her a key to her room. After that, she returned to her car and brought the box into her room.
Balancing the box on her hip, Sam fumbled with the key and unlocked the door to her room. Walking in, she examined its décor. It was smaller, with a single bed and a tiny nightstand. There was one poster covering the wood paneled wall. It was a scenic picture of the beach.
After she placed the box on the end of her bed, she decided against gathering the rest of her belongings till morning.
Sam moved her box from the bed to the floor beside it and pulled out pajamas for the night. After emerging from the bathroom, Sam pulled the covers from her bed and slowly crawled into bed.
'This is what I've reduced my life to … living off of twenty dollars and staying at a grimy hotel …' With that thought in mind, Sam drifted off into a listless sleep.