Chapter 1 Cindy’s POV
I fumbled around trying to juggle the grocery bags in my arms and get the key in the door of my apartment. After what seemed like forever, I finally got the door opened and dragged myself inside. I kicked the door closed behind me and sat the heavy bags of groceries on the table. I put the groceries away. I let out a long sigh as I looked in the refridgerator. I wasn’t really hungry, but I knew that I needed to eat. I hadn’t eaten since the bowl of cereal I made for breakfast. I popped a frozen dinner in the microwave and flopped down on the couch exhausted. I flipped through the channels on the tv while I waited for the timer to go off. Nothing seemed interesting to me.
This seemed to be how my days went every day. It was like I was reliving the same day over and over. All I ever did was work and come home to this lonely little apartment. I must have the most boring life ever known to man. But at least this was better than where I came from. I don’t have to depend on anyone for anything. And I never will again.
“Why am I always doing this? Who am I trying to impress? No one cares. I need a break. These 50-hour weeks are killing me.” I had not taken a day off from work in three years. I had no reason to. I don’t have anyone but myself and working keeps my mind off of things. I decided that I was going to take a vacation. “I want to go somewhere where no one knows me. I want to be anyone but myself.”
I looked on the internet. No place seemed to stand out to me. There was nowhere that I could just get away for a few days. I decided to take down the atlas from the bookshelf and studied it. I looked at it for what seemed like forever. Everything was starting to run together. I opened back up to the United States map. I closed my eyes and pointed to a state. I chose Montana. I flipped to the big map of Montana and closed my eyes again to point. My finger landed on Hartville. I had never heard of this place before. But something about the name was pulling at me. I looked it up on the internet. The description was so inviting. It described a small town with lots of farmland. It sounded so peaceful. I figured if I had not heard of it, people that know me probably had not either. No one would be able to find me and no one there would know me either. I checked my savings. I didn’t have much, but I could stay for a few days. The way I felt right now, even a few days would help. I quickly called a travel agent and made reservations to leave the next day.
Just as I finished making my reservations, my phone rang. I picked it up to see who it was. It was Megan, my friend from work. I answered. “Hey girl.”
“Hey, Cindy. Some of the girls from work are going to go out tomorrow night. Do you want to come?”
“I would lovet, but I am going on a much needed vacation.”
“Wow where are you going?”
“I’m just going to Montana. But I need to get away for a few days. I leave in the morning. I should be back by Friday.”
“I can’t blame you. I hope you have fun. Be safe and I will see you when you get back.”
I sat on my bed for a while after I got off the phone. My mind was racing. I wasn’t sure what to pack. It took me another 2 hours to pack. I finally lay down to try to get alittle sleep before I had to leave. But I could not sleep. I was so excited. What would I find when I arrived there? Anything had to be better than here, I thought to myself. I finally dozed off a little before my alarm went off.
