A nineteen-year-old boy sits in his room with only thoughts as his company. He is usually a calm, optimistic, and clear-headed person, but tonight Lee feels cynical, anxious, and trapped. He feels as if the walls of his room are closing in on him and trying to crush him. His mind is reeling with a whirl of chaotic thoughts. A voice whispers in the back of his mind, telling him he needs to get up and go. He jumps up and starts pacing back and forth. He knows he cannot stay in his room much longer or he will go insane.
*  *  *  *  *  *
“Stop pacing around Lee. You’re making me nervous!” harassed Michael, his older brother.  “What’s he going to do to us?”
“Sit down.” Michael ordered. “I’m scared too, but we messed up and now we have to explain ourselves to Dad.”
Lee did not sit down. “But why is he making us wait out here?”
“I don’t know! Just sit down and shut up,” Every muscle in Lee’s body wanted to sprint out of the house and run away from the situation. He did not want to face the wrath of his father for breaking the window with a baseball. He knew he would get in more trouble than Michael because he is the one that threw the ball. Almost involuntary, Lee began inching towards the door. He had wild thoughts of escape in his mind as he heard the other door open, and along with it, his father’s voice.
*  *  *  *  *  *
Lee begins to pack a duffle bag full of clothes, deodorant, a tooth brush and toothpaste, some snacks, and a pair of old boots. He makes sure to grab his phone, keys and wallet to put in his pockets. He has no plan about where he is going, but he is determined to get out of the building. He takes a deep breath, slips out of his room and tip-toes down the hall; careful not to wake his sleeping roommate in the adjacent room. He makes his way down the hall and to the stairs. He feels a mixture of giddiness and adrenaline as he hops down the stairs.
He bursts out of the building and immediately feels his senses heightened. A gust of wind washes over his face and carries the stench of the nearby dumpsters and the sound of owls hooting in the distance. Lee makes his way to his car and slides in. Another deep breath. The sound of the ignition of the F-150 engine splits through the brisk, night air and changes the atmosphere of the night. This is no longer an fantasy. Lee is in the truck and he is leaving. It’s not too late to change his mind, but it is happening now and he is determined to make his escape.
Lee rolls all four windows down and cruises along the road without having to worry about his speed. He relaxes and puts his left arm on the windowsill and his right hand on the wheel. He feels serenity in being the only person on the road. There are no other people to get in his way and crowd him. He feels like the road was made just for him. He feels free.
*  *  *  *  *  *
“Sit down and shut up,” grunted the officer as he pushed Lee into the back seat of the cruiser. Lee sure messed up this time. His friends who were 21 asked him if he wanted to go to the bar with them. Having recently acquired a fake ID, Lee agreed without a second thought. He drove to meet his friends and began pounding down beers at the bar as soon as he got there. It was a fun night filled with jokes, stories, and encounters with random women in the bar. By 1 a.m. he was slurring his words, stumbling around, and feeling sleepy. He wanted to go home, and he kept insisting, “I can drive. It’s okay guys I can drive”. His friends must have believed him because he ended up driving home that night. Unfortunately, there was a checkpoint that stopped him on his way home. The officer asked him if he had been drinking, and Lee blatantly lied to him in an effort to absolve himself from punishment. The officer could smell the beer on him, and asked if he could breathalyze him. Lee uneasily blew into the device and the reading came back as a .17%, which is more than double the legal limit for driving. The officer proceeded to ask for his license and realized that he was under age. He briskly handcuffed Lee and read him his rights. “Sit down and shut up,” grunted the officer as he pushed Lee into the back seat of the cruiser.
*  *  *  *  *  *
The cold wind whips against Lees face as he takes in the harsh reality that he is skipping on bail. He is expected to appear in court the next morning for his drunk driving incident. He is completely aware of what he is doing, yet he continues to drive away anyways. Every time the little voice inside of him tries to surface and tell him that he is doing the wrong thing, he forces it back down. The instinctual desire for him to flee from his problems burns inside him. It fuels his spontaneous escape along the freeway in the speeding truck. Rather than accept that he messed up, Lee holds on to the childish notion that he can run from the punishment and it will go away. Stubborn and foolish, Lee cruises along the freeway with no particular destination in mind.
After hours of driving, Lee has still not seen another car on the road. He takes an exit and starts on a scenic road through farmland. Lee feels a warm sensation materialize in his chest as he gazes at the sun slowly emerge over the green pastures. Lee fondly thinks about the people who live on these farms. He thinks about the nights he does not quite remember with his friends. And finally, he thinks about his parents love for him. Through all of his poor decision making, lying, and disregard for rules, they still support him. They have stood by his side again and again, unwavering.
Lee lets out a long sigh and slows down the truck. He pulls over on the side of the road and sits in the driver’s seat. All of a sudden his phone violently vibrates in his pocket. He freezes. His mom is calling. He knows exactly what she is going to say to him. She will tell him that he is making a huge mistake and he needs to drive back home immediately. Lee slowly reaches for his phone and stares at it. It buzzes for the final time and he still does not answer the phone. He opens up Google Maps, searches “Mexico City”, and begins the route towards his new destination.