Chapter thirteen: A suburban wonderland

Daniel started covering ground fast. He didn’t want to stay close to the school and risk getting caught. As soon as they found out that he was gone they would start looking for him. They probably wouldn’t call the police until sometime tomorrow because this isn’t the first time he had staged a disappearing act. This time it would be a little bit different in that there wouldn’t be a reappearing act with this one.

The hills gave way to woods and eventually the woods would give way to scattered property, which were situated on the out skirts of town. As soon as he reached some of the main suburbs he would be able to make it to a bus, which would take him into town and than eventually to the other side of town where he would have to start hitchhiking his way to Cantaloupe county. No Grey Hound bus station in these towns. It was a shame. Daniel probably would have been found faster because that would be where they suspected he be at.

The forest was littered with debris and there were few open places. Most of the time Daniel had to crash through shrubs, bushes and vines, which got snagged on his pack. In other places though the woods seemed to open up and the ground would be open. This made the trip through the forest both nice and dreadful at the same time. Sugar into crap as he had heard it been called one time by Mr. Robinson.

I got to keep moving, Daniel told himself. I have to keep moving just keep moving.

After a few hours he began to spot people’s houses and fenced off back yards. He decided it was probably best to avoid them because he didn’t want to risk being spotted and be reported to the police or possibly worse have someone’s killer dog come after him.

A few hours more after crossing a scenic interstate. You’ve seen the ones. Cracked dusty roads leading through farms. The once main thoroughfares of the united states, before major highways were built. These roads are still maintained but most remained cracked and torn in sore need of major repair.

Just beyond the road and through a corn field lay the first of many subdivisions that make up the suburban sprawl, which surrounds many cities. That are all the same. Brandon Oaks, Carriage Park, Biltmore Estates, Brooks Manor, Dustin Grove. They all have the same boring names, with street names named after the developers wives and girl friends. Lucy Blvd, Carry Circle, Brenda Rd., and of course Cindy Parkway. All the houses are the same. Four models interspersed along a huge piece of land. The more inexpensive houses are always in the beginning of these developments. As you move deeper into the developments the larger more expensive houses are placed. Intentionally or unintentionally separating people into different class groups. Besides why would someone in a five bedroom four bathroom house want to live next to a young couple in a two bedroom home who work blue collar jobs.

Daniel hadn’t walked through one of these housing developments before. He was just going north toward the city and than hoped to shoot west across to his destination. Daniel chose to walk along the sidewalk which stretched the length of the subdivision. Small Bradford trees lined each side of the street. They were small maybe a year old and offered little shade or relief from the sun.

As Daniel walked along the side walk he saw couples walking and running together. People ran with their dogs while listening to music players. Down side streets he saw children not unlike himself riding bikes in the street and playing games.

Daniel started to wonder what it would have been like if nothing had happened to his parents. What if he lived in a place like this? Would he get good grades and study hard and be a member of the football team? Would he have a girl friend?

Daniel tried to push these thoughts from his head but it was hard when he seemed surrounded by people who had families, homes and seemed to be happy.

Daniel wasn’t paying attention and when he looked up he saw two kids about his own age stopped on the sidewalk and starring at him.

They were both blond and about his height. They wore designer jeans and nice shirts with shoes that looked like they could probably just a month old. They had nice leather belts and watches that glimmered in the evening sun. Daniel had on an old pear of sneakers, faded jeans and an old AC/DC shirt that he had found in the lost and found at the orphanage. He didn’t have a watch. He had never had one. He had never really needed one. Good thing since he never had the money for one.

“You new around here?” the suburb kid said.

Daniel just kept on walking and answered no.

The two kids began to follow him and asking him more questions.
“Do you live here?,” said the other.

“No,” Daniel replied.

“Then you are new around here?” said the first again.
“No, I’m just passing through,” said Daniel.

“Passing though?” said the other confused.

“Yeah, I live in the area but not here and I’m passing through,” said Daniel.

“What are you doing with the back pack full of stuff,” said the first. “What’s in it?”

“None of your business,” Daniel said.

It’s not that Daniel wanted to be mean to these kids but to him it seemed like they had everything and it was all just given to them. He despised them even though he had just met them and he wanted them to leave him alone.

“Hey why don’t you just leave me alone o.k.,” said Daniel.

The two kids stopped walking with him.

“Fine man whatever,” said the second kid. “You don’t have to be an asshole.”

Daniel ignored the comment and just kept walking. The sun was to the left of him and it kept dipping lower and lower as he had been walking. Luckily it wasn’t winter or it would have been dark already. Just a couple more hours of day light.

In the distance, Daniel saw more trees past the end of the subdivision. He decided he would be able to find a place to camp out there to spend the night before he headed into town. Maybe he could hitch a ride early in the morning to the edge of town before he started making his way west.

The sun sank lower as he walked. The trees cast long skinny shadows across the street and onto the sidewalk. Daniel was tired and his feet started to hurt but he knew he just had to make it to the tree line. He was also getting tired and became glad he had packed a few tins of tuna and stuff he had swiped from the cafeteria a few days earlier.

I’m really doing it, Daniel thought to himself and then looked to his left to see the sun make the sky burst into a sea of reds, oranges and purples. Today was a good day.