The Great Escape

As I peeked my head past the last bush on the edge of the Chambers' property and stepped up onto the road, I spotted someone walking toward me, about 150 feet away.

"Cassie?" Chris called out. His voice was tinged with concern and a touch of apprehension. With a furrowed brow and a slight hesitation in his steps, he seemed unsure of how to react to seeing me walk out of his driveway.

"Hey, Chris," I beamed as we met in the middle. It sure was nice to see him, but there was an underlying uncertainty in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

"I had something for you, and I hadn't seen you. I wanted to give you these." With slight excitement, I reached into my backpack and took out the stationery.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"For helping out the other day. You're a really good worker, and you deserve something in return."

That furrowed brow remained as he stared at the packets, seemingly hesitant about taking them. "I don't know if I do. Deserve them, I mean."

"Of course you do."

He sighed heavily and his hand went to his hip as he contemplated the offer.

"The pencils are for you, and the crayons are for your little sister. I figured, if you're that good with crayons, you could do even better with pencils. Take them."

He finally took the packets and gave me a half-smile as he stored them in his satchel. "Thanks. She'll be stoked."

As we stood there, I could sense he was still grappling with something. There was an uncomfortable awkwardness about my being there that just seemed to linger. "Well, I'll get going" I said. "I just wanted to give you those."

He looked down, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as if he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to express it. Finally, he mumbled, "Hey, how far did you go in? Did you... meet anyone?"

His questions caught me off guard, and I suddenly realized that my impromptu visit might have crossed a boundary. "Yeah. I met your brother and your father. And the little guy's cute."

"Oh," he said quietly, fidgeting with the strap of his satchel. "Sorry you had to meet the old man."

"It's all fine, Chris."

"Yeah right. He hates visitors."

"Look, don't worry about it, okay?" All I wanted was to reassure him. I mean, if I told him his old man had a drunken tantrum five feet from my face, what good would it do?

"Well, next time... maybe just let me know you're coming."

"Sure. I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"It's okay," he sighed, as if trying to let go of any lingering tension. "Hey, do you... wanna see something?"

"Umm… okay…"

His eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement. "Then, let's go."

I followed him curiously as he led us to the dead-end of the street where nothing but a tangled wall of leafy-green vines stood before us. He lifted a branch and held it high, gesturing for me to go inside.

"In there?"

"Come on, Cass, you gotta see this."

I hesitated for a moment. Daylight would soon be on the verge of dying out, and I knew just how far my walk home would be. But to see him perk up after such awkwardness between us, I had to run with it. That and… curiosity got the better of me.

Crouching through the dense scrub, I fought through branches and stepped over fallen logs as we ventured deeper. After a minute or two of walking, we finally emerged from the bush and into a hidden clearing surrounded by lush greenery and tranquility. The sound of trickling water was near, and I looked ahead to see a pretty little stream flowing gently and creating a soothing backdrop to the moment.

"Wow… this is quite nice, Chris. Quiet."

"We're not there yet," he said, excitement building in his voice.

We carefully balanced ourselves on a fallen tree log to reach the other side of the stream before following a narrow, dusty path which twisted and turned and lead us into, what felt like, a majestic evergreen forest.

I gaped at my surroundings in awe. Towering trees ascended the steep ravine-like walls, appearing parted like the Red Sea on either side of the path which continued on and vanished into the distance.

"Wow, this is amazing!"

He grinned at my reaction before hiking quite high up one side of the bank. Intrigued, I followed him up there to find a half-shelter built on a flat bit that had been dug out of the clay. It was a rustically constructed - four logs, one for each corner, with a plywood floor and a corrugated iron roof. It was high enough to stand in comfortably, and overall, it looked sturdy enough to stand the test of time. There was a big, old wooden steamer trunk behind us for storage, and four old dining chairs surrounding a small square wooden table. But I have to admit, it was a bit messy up there; a stark contrast to the picturesque scenery. Cigarette butts were strewn all around us, beer cans littered here and there, and various odds and ends lay scattered about. Nonetheless, the idea of something like that being tucked away up there was mind-blowing.

Chris stood at the edge of the platform, thumbs hooked in the pockets of his jeans, gazing out at the stunning scene before us. From this vantage point, we had a sweeping view of the path we had taken with the stream stretching out in the distance, glistening under the softening rays of the setting sun.

"You weren't wrong - This is very cool," I said, joining him.

"My brothers built it years ago. When Frank was still around, of course. When they were kids, they'd play up here for hours. And as they grew up, they'd drink up here for hours," he said with a resigned sigh. "But us little kids were never allowed. No way, Jose. This was their territory. And only them and their dickwad friends got passes to come through."

"I guess things have changed now."

"Since Frank's gone, Eyeball won't come here."

"Oh. What's he like? Frank?"

"Just another drunken asshole. Just like the old man. Just like Eyeball." And then he said more quietly, "He deserves to be where he is."

I placed my hand on his shoulder for sympathy. It was nice that he was beginning to trust me enough to open up to me like that.

"Anyway," he sighed, appearing to brush it off. "Come on, this ain't even the best part."

Chris walked up the dugout path a little more to where a rope as thick as my upper arm was secured onto a big fat nail that had been hammered into a tree trunk.

My eyes followed the rope as it disappeared into the dense canopy above, tied to another tree somewhere, some way ahead. "What? You have a tree swing?! I haven't been on one of these since I was a kid! My ex- I mean, my old neighbor, he had one. It was nothing like this though." I stared way up into the canopy. You couldn't even see where they tied it. "Woah. That is high. "How did you get this all the way up there, anyway?"

"Frank made Eyeball do it on a dare. Or so the story goes." Chris stood his foot into the noosed part of the rope and reached high with the arm he couldn't bend properly before giving me a playful grin. "Me first..." Holding tight, he let himself fall off the side of the bank.

"Woooohooo!" His voice resonated through the valley as he zipped down the line, swinging like a human pendulum, spinning and turning as he skillfully leaned back to get more height and momentum. I looked on, captivated and feeling like I'd reverted back to my childhood.

After several lengths back and forth, Chris whooshed back up onto the bank with one masterful maneuver and landed on his feet with a grin that showed the thrill of the swing. "You wanna go?" he asked, loosening his foot from the noose.

Daylight was beginning its decent now, and I thought about how dark it would be by the time I got home. I looked over the edge of the bank and down into the ravine. My heart pounded with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. The height seemed intimidating, but there was a tickle of adrenaline drawing me in, an anticipation to feel the exhilaration that was sure to hit.

"Come on, Cass - this rope has been tied up there for ten years. It's totally safe."

"It's okay, I trust you." I dropped my pack and took the rope from him and slipped my foot into the noose. With a deep breath, I gripped the rope tightly and took the leap.

The rush. The sensation. I closed my eyes and let the world become a blur around me. In that moment, it was just me and the open air and the rushing wind on my face, the sound of it zipping over my ears. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed. I reached the end of the pendulum swing and went into a brief spin as I came down again, my tight waitress dress flapping around my legs in the wind. I could hear Chris shouting at me somewhere in the distance, his voice sounding nearer and then far again. I think he was trying to tell me how to get out of the spin, but I didn't mind it. I let the ride control me, come what may. I indulged in the feeling of complete vulnerability and freedom.

After more than a few zips through the forest, I opened my eyes to see the path rushing below me, and a blur of green at my either side. I must have stayed up there for a few minutes, learning to control the ride and take it higher. As the adrenaline began to ebb and my hands felt rubbed at by the rope, it was time to let the moment go.

I leaned into the swing in such a way that I could aim for the bank, and I reached it - just. Chris grabbed my arms before I could fall backward over the bank again and helped me find my footing.

"Was it good?" he asked, his face beaming.

"That was incredible! My whole body is fizzing." I slipped my foot out of the noose, my heart going and my arms quivering as I reveled in the lingering sensations of the thrill.

Chris chuckled and secured the rope by hooking it onto the big nail.

I grabbed my pack and he his satchel, and we walked back to the shelter and each took a seat on the old dining chairs. I knew I'd be on my feet for the next hour, walking home, so a quick rest wasn't a bad idea.

"That was great - thanks for bringing me here," I told him.

Chris's smile strangely faded, and the crease between his blonde eyebrows deepened.

"What is it, Chris? Is everything okay?"

"The old man was an asshole to you, wasn't he?"

"I told you, it's fine."

"But it's not. Living like we do, it's not normal. I know that."

"Well… at least you've got this place?" I gave him a sympathetic smile, trying to find some positivity to pick him back up again.

"This place… I didn't tell you the best thing about this place."

"But… the swing…"

"It's not the swing." He breathed a heavy sigh and looked out towards the forest again as if taking comfort in it. The light was really fading away now, and the tall trees cast shadows over the path that would lead our way out. "The best part about this place is… that the old man's too big and lazy to fight his way through the scrub."

"Oh."

"If you're running from a beating and make it to here, at least you got somewhere to wait it out 'til he calms down. And if you're really lucky, you might go home, find him passed out on the sofa, and when he wakes up he would have forgotten about the whole thing. But… if you don't make it to here…"

His voice quietened, and he was still. I stole a quick glance at his arm, where the scar was clearly visible beneath his t-shirt sleeve. I felt a mix of sympathy and unease as I feared what memories might be running thought his mind right then.

"I'm really sorry to hear about that."

"I don't know how I'm ever gonna get outta here, Cass."

I shrugged a hopeful shrug. "School. You gotta keep trying at school."

"You really think it's that simple? Well, it ain't that simple for me. That was all just a dream in my head, but now I'm stuck in this fucking nightmare reality." He was looking over the valley again, but his eyes were so overcast with his thoughts that he appeared to no longer be seeing it.

I stared at him, deeply concerned. "What are you talking about?"

He took a breath. "I got kicked out of College prep."

"What?!"

"They never wanted me there in the first place. The only reason they let me in was so Gordie would agree to take the classes. Grades like his will make the school look real good. But now they've got him, what's the point in keeping me around?"

I glared at him, outraged. "Are you serious right now? I thought all you needed to do was pass some tests! You studied, right?"

"Too fucking right, I studied. I studied three days straight for that Algebra exam last week. I hardly slept. I did just like you said. You know, figuring out the puzzles. I even passed. My first A ever in my life and they… they stripped it from me." His voice cracked then, and even in the small amount of light that remained, I could see the pain swelling in his eyes.

"How can they do that?"

"They said I cheated."

"What? That's bullshit!"

"That's what it's like being me."

A surge of anger and hurt for Chris coursed through me. My fists clenched involuntarily, nails biting into my palms. The injustice burned like a relentless fire within, urging me to take action.

"Sorry, but I can't let this happen, Chris."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I have to talk to them. Figure out what's going on here."

Chris looked taken aback. "I doubt there's anything you can do. How would you get them to listen to you? They don't even know you."

"It might not be easy, sure. But, if I can just talk to your teacher-"

"My teacher is the biggest bitch on planet earth. And she's the vice-principal. She'll never listen to you."

"Well, I have to try! And if she won't listen to me, I'll find someone who will. Everyone has a superior, even superiors. I'll keep going, even if I have to write to the President himself."

Chris chuckled. I guess it did sound kinda far-fetched. But I was dead serious.

"Shit. You really think you can, huh?" he said. "And you'd really do that for me?"

"The way I see it, we have to. But I might need you to do one thing."

"Like what?"

"Would you be confident enough to pass that exam again?"

"Yeah," he shrugged like that was a given.

"Awesome. So... what's your teacher's name?"