THE CEDARVILLE REVIEW 51 lot stronger and socked me so hard in the stomach I started throwing up. I really did see stars then and they weren’t quite so pretty. Well, I was lying on the ground then, just as it started pouring rain and bellowing thunder. He gave me one last kick and swore at me before walking away, towing that poor girl after him. I can’t imagine why she didn’t run before. I felt pretty awful just then. Not cause he beat me up; that wasn’t anything special. But just because everything was so awful everywhere I went. You know, Jeffey, when I ran off, I really thought I was going somewhere exciting. I thought I’d be able to get away from everything and fi nd freedom or whatever that means. Maybe this is freedom but it’s not real nice. I don’t know but life in the city doesn’t seem all that different from home. I got myself up eventually. It was just so cold, Jeffey. I didn’t want to be cold anymore. I started walking, not really anywhere just away. I really didn’t know where I was going. Miles and miles must’ve passed, and all those streetlights kept blinding me. I guess I started crying somewhere and I almost couldn’t tell cause of all the rain, but my nose burned like crazy. I didn’t much care, I just kept walking. One car passed by me, and it looked awful lonesome to me somehow. All those lights fading away and I felt like the only person awake in the whole world. After a while, I stopped and looked up. You’d never guess, Jeffey, but I’d landed right in front of the police station. Fancy ending up there. Maybe it was a sign. I don’t know but I went in cause it looked a whole lot warmer and dryer. The guy at the front desk sure looked tired when he saw me.
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