The wet grass stuck to Jackie's feet as she climbed the last hill. As she neared the top she saw her destination, the rock. It was her place in the world, the one she could go to when she wanted to get away. Looking behind her she could see the river she had crossed on her way; just past that she could make out a few homes and farms on the outskirts of town. If she looked off into the distance she could see the setting sun reflecting off cars as they drove down the highway. Jackie turned her back on the town and took the last few steps toward her rock.
Brushing her hair out of her eyes she sat on the rock with her back to the town. She stared out over valley below her, seemingly untouched by humans. There were no houses on this side of the hill, the river continued on this side cutting its way through the trees toward the mountains in the distance.
Pulling her feet onto the rock she finally let her thoughts catch up with her. Why had she been so stupid, she knew that it was going to happen, but somehow she let it happen...again.
She had known him since before she could remember. They used to spend all of their time together but that was then. When they were 13 his family moved to the city but he would show up at her door every once in a while. Now seven years later Jackie looked forward to these visits but at the same time she dreaded them.
Jackie thought back to that morning, she was laying on her bed watching an old movie on tv when she heard a car pull into the driveway. Thinking that it was just her mom, she didn't bother to see who it was. A few minutes later there was a knock on her bedroom door. Rolling off the bed she made her way across the room and opened the door.
There he was. Harry Judd. A smile spread across her face when she saw him. Wordlessly she turned off the tv and grabbed her bag fallowing Harry out to his car. It wasn't until they were a few miles down the road that they spoke. She was happy that he was back, even if it was only for the one day. She was used to him showing up out of nowhere and taking her out for the day. They never did anything special just everyday stuff but it all seemed twice as fun when Harry was there.
Then the bad part would come. At the end of the day he would drop her off at her house, they would exchange hugs say a few 'that was fun's then he would drive away. There was never a good-bye, never a I'll see you soon, nothing.
Jackie had long given up waiting for him to call to talk to her or to say he was coming. She had grown to expect nothing from him other than the three or four days a year he spent with her. But for some reason every time Harry was there she would forget about how he always disappeared leaving her feeling empty and alone.
Brushing off her pants Jackie stood up and promised herself that next time she wouldn't let herself feel like this before running down the hill in a desperate attempt to get home before it got dark.