Runaway

 by Tori A. (ages 10-13)

  “Mother, I can take Andrea from you,” Katherine Carter said sweetly, smiling her winning smile. Mother smiled in relief,

“Oh please do!” Mother handed her Andrea with a smile that could only mean, “I’m so glad Katherine is finally growing into the mature, helpful daughter I always knew she would become with enough time!”

Katherine grabbed her baby sister, a smile plastered on her lips. “If they only knew.”

“Thory?” Andrea implored. “Thory?”

Kate sighed inwardly, but forced her voice to be cheerful and happy. “What story do you want?” She asked her baby sister. Just then Melinda ran up, “Ugg, not Melinda too! If only I could hand Andrea to Mother and tell Melinda to go away!”

“Melinda, you're just in time. I was just going to tell Andrea a story,” she said instead. “How about you choose?”

Melinda beamed up at her sister, then considered a moment. “How ‘bout that time Chad and you found fool’s gold?” Melinda asked excitedly.

Kate groaned mentally, she had told the story of when she and her favorite brother Chad had gone gold prospecting way too often! But outwardly she smiled and nodded, “Good choice.”

She sat back in a chair and lifted Melinda into her lap. She pulled her two sisters close, “One day Chad told me, ‘We should go gold prospecting…!’ ”

Half an hour later Kate finally finished the story, then she stood up and faked a yawn, “It’s almost your bedtime. I better find Mother and give Andrea to her, I’m exhausted.”

Andrea’s face clouded over, “More thories?” She begged.

Kate began to shake her head, but then nodded. If Father were to find out about Troy… I’ll let them all think I’ve grown up completely, and then they’ll never in their wildest dreams suspect I’m seeing Troy.

“Ok Andrea, one more story, then we all need to go to bed,” she relented. “Melinda, you can choose one more story.” She sat back down and pulled both children back into her lap.

“I want to hear the story ‘bout when Freddy teased you ‘cause you peed in class, and Chad threw him in the horse trough!” She told her eagerly.

Kate shook her head, her cheeks burned. “Not that one, Melinda!” She forced a giggle.

Melinda looked up at her pleadingly, “Please, Kate,” she coaxed.

“Ok fine. It was my first day of school so I was nervous. I didn’t want to tell Mrs. Hall I needed to use the privy…” By the time Kate had finished her tale, Melinda and Andrea were laughing so hard tears were running down their cheeks.

“Ok now, Linda,” she said, “Time for us to go to bed.” Kate smiled as she handed Andrea back to Mother,v“Tell me if you ever need help with the girls, I love playing with them!” Then she hurried upstairs.

A couple hours later she checked the clock, 12:32. She slipped out of bed and dressed quickly. “I’m supposed to meet Troy at 1:00. I should make it to our meeting place by one if I go now,” she mused aloud.

Then she giggled, So far this has worked. Mother is ecstatic that her ‘black sheep’ is finally evening out and is happy at the ranch. If she only knew this was an act. I wonder what they would say if they knew about Troy? But Father would never let me see him then. If Father only met him he would realize he was a fine gentleman, but he would not even try to find out. Either way this is my own life to live. Why can’t they see that?

With that she opened her window and vaulted soundlessly from the window to a tree. She scampered down the tree and slipped tree-to-tree until she reached the stables. She opened the stable door, and slipped inside. She raced to her horse, Buttercup’s, stall. She bridled her horse then led her out the stable. In one fluid move she mounted her horse, a triumphant smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“Come on girl,” she gave her horse a nudge, and they were off.

Fifteen minutes later she dismounted from Buttercup. She tied her to a branch and dashed into the clearing. “Troy!” she cried happily.

“Katie! I am awed at how well you managed to slip away. It is 1:00 on the dot. I’m sure I could not manage it how cleverly you do.” Troy praised her.

Kate blushed, “I’m sure you could do it much better.”

Troy shook his head, “Don’t be so sure. You do it so cleverly. But Katie, for a long time we have been seeing each other here, don’t you think it’s time to make something out of this. You pulled off sneaking away cleverly, what do you think about eloping? Katie, I love you more than I could ever tell, your parents would never agree, but would you agree to a quiet marriage?”

Kate gasped,. Sneaking out of her room was one thing, but eloping! She considered for a moment, “I’m too young right now, but, Troy, could we consider this for the near future?”

It was Troy’s turn to gasp, “Would you really?”

A loud cough made the couple turn in shock and dismay. Sid stepped out of the shadows. “Katherine Carter, is that really you? Why, you should be in bed not with this scamp,” he glared at Troy, “Mount your horse and leave.”

Troy nodded wordlessly. But whispered in Kate ear as he walked away, “Meet me here tomorrow?”

Kate nodded.

Sid strode purposely towards Kate, “What would your Mother say? Katherine, I don’t doubt your Father doesn’t know you here. You can either tell him tomorrow or I will be obliged to,” he told the furious girl.

“No you won’t! What business of yours is my seeing Troy?” She demanded.

Sid shook his head, “I guess I’ll have to tell him after all,” he muttered under his breath. Then he turned back to Kate, “Go mount Buttercup and ride home. Just go back to your room the way you got out.”

A very angry and dismayed Katherine Carter ran back to her horse and mounted. She galloped all the way home. Sid was waiting at the stable. He took the horse inside the barn without a word. Kate climbed back up the tree and hurried into her room. She slammed the window shut.

“What right does Sid have to interfere? For that matter what right does Father have to interfere?” She demanded of herself. She undressed and threw herself onto her bed.

The next morning she dressed and went to breakfast. At breakfast Father and Mother said nothing about Kate’s whereabouts. Kate sighed in relief, Maybe Sid never told them. But after breakfast James Carter confronted his daughter.

“Katherine, you went behind my back to see a man? Why on Earth would you even think about doing a thing like that? You knew I would never agree to you seeing a man, and most certainly not a man like Troy. He has a terrible reputation with women, and he is a man of disreputable character”

Kate frowned, “You haven’t even met Troy.”

Father sighed, “I didn’t need to meet him.”

“You haven’t even given him a chance!”

“Lowdown scamps like him don’t need any more chances than they have already been given!”

“He’s not a scamp! Are you still trying to punish me for going to San Francisco? You dragged me away from there, are you going to drag me away from Troy?” She yelled. That memory was still clear in her mind.

***

Dear James,

Katherine has fallen in with some unprincipled company. I will miss her greatly, but you must come and take her home. I cannot keep her from the dangers of this city.

 

Your affectionate sister,  Rebecca

“You did what?” Kate demanded. “I won’t go, Father!” She glared at both her aunt and father.

  “I’m sorry dear…” Aunt Rebecca said.

  “Don’t be, Rebecca. You did what needed to be done. Thank you for taking such good care of Katherine,” He smiled fondly at his sister. He then turned to Kate, “Come on, Kate, it’s a long ride back to Fresno.”

  “No, I’m staying here!” She shouted. “You can’t make me leave!”

Father sighed and grabbed her arm, pulling her out the door, “Thank you again, Rebecca!”

  “Stop, Father! Let go!” Kate tried to get free of Father but struggled in vain. She sighed and gave up.

 

***

 

“This has nothing to do with that! Can’t you tell that all I’m trying to do is protect you?” Father thundered.

“Well, what if I don’t want your ‘protection?’ Because I don’t want or need any of it! I can take care of myself. This is my life. The sooner you get that the sooner this will all be over. Why can’t you let me live my own life?”

Father exploded, “You most certainly do! Katherine, Why can’t you see that I just want to help you!” The fight went on like this for an hour.

Finally Father shouted, “Katherine Grace Carter, march up to your room and don’t leave it.” He grabbed her arm and marched her upstairs to her room. He opened the door to her room and led her inside. Then he walked out and shut the door, and locked it with a click.

"I hate him, I hate them all!" Kate cried angrily, stamping her foot at the closed door. "What right does Father have to lock me up in here like a naughty little baby? And all for seeing Troy! I am my own person and this is my life! Why do they want to control me so much? Well I’m tired of it all!"

She grabbed a small carpet bag and started throwing clothes into it. Then she closed it and threw it on the bed.

"I'll get out through the window tonight," she mused. "Then I'll go and find Troy. He talked about marriage before. He’s even talked about eloping once. They better not try to stop me! I will live my own life the way I want to." Then she grabbed a scrap of paper and a pen and scrawled a quick note.

 

Father,

I'm leaving. Don't try to find me, I am leaving to where you'll never find me. This is my life, and I’m going to live it the way I want to. I never want to see any of you ever again, so just leave me be!

     Katherine Carter

 

"That should do nicely." Kate decided. That night she opened the window and climbed out, disappearing into the night. She wasted no time. She quickly bridled Buttercup, then she led her horse out of the stable. She rode to the clearing. She told Troy the whole story.

“Why, he’s the scamp!” Troy cried, indignantly.

Then he turned to Kate and asked, “Katherine Grace Carter, I have met no girl like you. You said we could consider eloping in the near future. Would you come now?” He sent an imploring glance in her direction.

She looked toward her house then at Troy. “I already left a note saying I was leaving. Yes Troy, there is nothing I’d rather do!”

Troy fell to his knees and kissed the back of her hand. “Thank you, Katie, you have made me the happiest of men!” Then he said, “Ah, but It’s almost 12:00 now. If we go now we can make it to the next town and get tickets for the 3:00 o’clock train. We’ll have to ride to the next town, people would question us going off together. Perhaps they would even try to stop us.” 

“Let’s go, Troy,” she smiled at him. The two mounted up and rode towards town. A little over two hours later they arrived in a little town north of Fresno. They bought tickets for a train bound for San Francisco. Arm-in-arm the two boarded the train.

Little did Kate know what peril that train was leading her into.