Chapter 3

Run Away

Michelle grabbed her backpack and climbed out the window. It was the middle of the night and her uncle had fallen asleep on the couch. Michelle knew that he would wake up with a splitting headache and he might not remember that he had even tried to hit her. He probably wouldn't even remember that he had told her to go away, except for the fact that she was gone.

She crept into the yard and into the night, trying to stay as quiet as she could. When she reached the gate something wrapped around her legs. She tripped with a yelp and fell onto her stomach.

"What the?" she called, and then remembered she was trying to be quiet. She looked toward the house to see if the lights were on, but it was completely dark except for the flashing of the TV in the living room.

She looked around to see what had tripped her and saw that it was the little garden snake she had freed earlier.

"Bloody Snake! What was that for?"

"Don't go!"

"Yeah, whatever! I have to…" she stared down at the snake in the grass and her eyes widened.

"Er, did you talk?"

The snake didn't say anything. Michelle sighed with relief and started to get up.

"Take me with you!"

Michelle fell over again in shock and turned to face the snake. She lay down on her stomach with her face mere inches from the snakes.

"You want to go?" she asked nervously.

The snake nodded.

Michelle sat up quickly and grabbed her hair. "I'm going mad!" she whispered.

"No. Not mad. I'm mad. I don't want you to go. Take me with you!"

Michelle stared at the snake and whispered, "Why are you talking?"

The snake tilted his head and answered, "Ssnakesss have always talked. But only ssspecial people can undersstand."

"Great! One more reason for people to make fun of me! I can understand snakes! Or maybe I'm just dreaming."

The snake didn't say anything. Michelle stood up and hung her backpack around her shoulder. The snake looked disappointed and stared solemnly at the ground. Michelle sighed and looked toward the horizon. She wanted to get going, especially before her aunt or uncle found out that a snake was talking to her. She turned back to the snake.

"Oh, fine. Come on."

The snake looked up happily and slithered forward. Michelle thought it strange that she didn't find him slipping and sliding around her uncomfortable. Instead she felt a sense of purpose.

When the snake was posed comfortably on her backpack she looked sideways at him and said, "Don't tell anyone that I can talk to you."

"Don't worry. I believe that they wouldn't undersstand me if I tried. Oh, and by the way, my name is Balthazar"

"And I'm Michelle."

"Pleassed to make your acquaintansse."

"Are snakes always this formal?" Michelle laughed.

"On firsst meeting, yess."

"Well, let's get going Bali… Balta… er," Michelle stammered.

"Just call me Zzar. Everyone doess," the snake hissed.

"Everyone?"

"Other ssnakesss."

"Oh."

Michelle found it very strange to have a conversation with a snake. She didn't really want to offend it, but she had no idea what you say and what would be best not to say.

"Well, asss you ssaid, we better be off."

"Right," Michelle said.

She set off with Zar and kept walking, not looking back at the home she had known all her life.

"Where are we going?" Zar hissed in Michelle's ear.

Zar had asked this question a million times and Michelle didn't know how to answer. She didn't know where she was going; she just wanted to get away.

"Er, I'm not really sure," she answered.

"Why did you leave?"

"Because I had to."

"Sssso, you are running away."

"Okay, fine. I'm running away."

They kept going in silence for a minute. Michelle looked up and saw that the sky was getting brighter.

"How long do you think we have been going?" Michelle asked.

"Probably about ssix or sseven hourss. Do you know where you're going? When do you think your aunt and uncle will sstart looking for you?"

"Well, I've gone off by myself before so that factor is in our favor. They probably won't look for me until afternoon."

"And where are you going?"

"I think, er, London."

"Yess, London is a good place to disssappear. But how are you going to get there?"

"We'll take a bus."

"Do you have any money?"

"Yes. But where should we go in London?"

"Tell the buss driver to take you to the darkest part."

"Zar, you are so weird."

Michelle listened to his hissing laugh and again thought how strange it was to talk to a snake. She found the nearest bus stop and waited for about an hour for one to show up, in which time she and Zar had argued over which foods were better and what they would do when they reached London. When the bus finally came Michelle got on and gave the directions Zar had told her to. The bus driver gave her the strangest look before taking her money. She sat down on a bench and rested her head back. Her legs ached from walking so long.

"Did you give the driver the instructions?"

"Of course. You where sitting on my shoulder. Didn't you hear?"

"I heard. But I couldn't understand what you were saying. You weren't talking to me."

"Okay," Michelle murmured.

As the bus rumbled on Michelle sighed. She watched everything pass by in the window and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.