The Runaways

The Runaways

    Bruno glanced at his watch. It read 3:45am. His heart began to race. Would this plan work or would it blow up in their face as so many of the other ones they attempted? Walking past Maria, he knew it had to work this time. She looked so lovely even as she sat there dressed in old blue jeans and polo shirt. Heck, he thought, she always looks so beautiful. That is what made the success of their plan so important to him.
         “Remember,” he whispered to her as he passed, “I’ll take Suzy home and come back for you.”
         Maria nodded. She wanted to kiss him right there. All during the prom she longed to feel him pressed against her. She wanted to kiss him all night. Yet, they both dared not for her parents had enlisted even their friends to make certain they did not spend any time together. Their friends had been telling on them for months now. Each time Maria’s parents found out that she had been even talking to Bruno, she had been punished. Their plan had to work for their sake. If it did, then no one—not even her parents—could keep them apart again.
         She watched as Bruno left with Suzy. It would take him 30 minutes to get her home and back to the gym. Maria went over to the table where Josie and Kerianne sat laughing at some stupid joke. She wanted to tell them what was about to happen, but knew neither one could be trusted. After all, it was Josie that told her parents about Maria and Bruno kissing in the auditorium a couple of weeks back. Maria still had the bruises from her Dad’s belt on her arms to prove it.
         “Why are you checking the clock so much?” Josie asked.
         “I just don’t want to have this night end. I mean, it is our senior prom. The last night we can party together in high school.”
         “Yeah,” responded Kerianne, “but we still have a couple of weeks of school until graduation.”
         “And the graduation parties.” Interrupted Josie. “My parents said I could have a big blowout for graduation.”
         “Sounds great.” said Maria.
         4:15am. Bruno headed back to the gym. If the plan was to work, they needed to get started before sunrise. Darkness and time were the keys to success. He drove his car into the gym parking lot. He parked it in the darkest section near the edge. No one would notice his dark car there. As planned, Maria walks out of the gym at 4:28am and toward his car.
         Bruno watches her and remembers when they first met. It was in English class. Ms. Hinkle paired them up for an in-class project on some boring short story. The project led to a date, then a second, third and so on. The dates soon began to go from first to second to third base. Those led to a few that went out of the park. It was one of those times when Maria came home with a souvenir from the date just above her collar. Her parents demanded she break up with Bruno. It lasted for about a half a day. At lunch, they met up in the back of the auditorium and made out instead of going to class. They managed to keep their relationship a secret from her parents for about 2 weeks. They made the mistake of going to a movie together and being seen by Josie. She told Maria’s parents. That time was not just a lecture about breaking up with Bruno. Her parents made their point by beating it into Maria. When Maria returned to school the following Monday and told Bruno, it was all she could do to keep him from making a similar point with her parents. That was when they decided on the plan.
         Maria strode cautiously across the parking lot. She woke him from his daydream as she got into the car.
         “You are so beautiful.” he said.
         “I missed you too.” She leaned in for a long kiss.
         “Are you ready?”
         “As much as I think I can be. I’m scared.”
         “So am I. Do you still want to go through with it?”
         “Of course I do, silly. I want us to be together always.”
         Bruno started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. All was go for the plan. In just a couple of hours, it would be complete.
         “Are you sure we will make it before anyone notices?”
         “Yeah, I think so.” Said Bruno. “You are sure no one saw you, right?”
         “As sure as I can be.”

         Mrs. Hunter heard the telephone first. It was 5:15 am. Passing Maria’s room, she noticed the bed was still empty. No big deal, she reminded herself, the after-prom would go on for another 45 minutes. She made her way downstairs and picked up the receiver.
         “Hello? Who’s calling at this time of the morning?”
         “Mrs. Hunter, tell Maria she left her prizes at the after-prom and I have them.” said Josie.
         “I’ll tell her when she gets home.”
         “When she gets home? Why she left here about 45 minutes ago.”
         “What?!?”
         “Yeah, she said her cab was here and then left.”
         “Cab? She told us you were bringing her home.”
         “She told Kerianne and me that you gave her money for a cab so she wouldn’t wake you up calling for a ride. Where do you think she is?”
         “I don’t know, but I do have an idea where to start looking. Can you check a place for me on your way home?”
         “Sure.”
         Mrs. Hunter hung up the telephone and sprinted up the stairs. Mr. Hunter was still asleep.
         “Wil, wake up! Maria isn’t home yet and she left the after-prom almost an hour ago.”
         “Huh? What? Huh? She left when?”
         “At 4:30 and it is not 5:20! Get up! We have to go look for her.”
         “I know the first place to check.”
         They threw on their robes and shoes and were in the car. They drove past Bruno’s parent’s house. His car was not in the driveway.
         “That’s what I figured.”
         “Now what?”
         “Let’s call a few friends and the police to help us look.”
         “First, let’s call Josie and pick her brain a little. Maybe she knows something.”

         Maria slept as Bruno drove down the state highway. It was not as fast as the interstate, but it afforded them the safety of being better able to hide in the event Maria’s parents had already contacted the highway patrol. That’s who usually helped to locate runaways. It was hard for Bruno to think of himself and Maria as being runaways. If anything, they were running toward something rather than away from something. Once they crossed the state line and located a Justice of the Peace, they would be in the clear. For the first time in three years, no one would be able to stop them from being together. Only an hour remained until the plan would be complete.
         “Mrs. Hunter, I think I know what they’re doing.” said Josie.
         “Okay, what is your theory?”
         “They are heading to Virginia to get married.”
         “And you know this how?”
         “I called around to our friends and Kerianne remembers seeing a brochure in Maria’s book bag about Virginia. She had asked Maria about it was told it was for a family vacation. Yet, she also remembered seeing a heart written on it with the initials M.H. and B.T.”
         “Thank you, Josie. We can take it from here.”
         “What are you gonna do?”
         “Never mind that.”
         “I’ve been thinking that maybe you should just let them be. After all, they must love each other to do something like this.”
         “We will not allow her to marry him. Thank you for your input. Goodbye.”
         “So, dear,” asked Mr. Hunter, “What are we going to do?”
         “If they’re heading for Virginia, we need to call the highway patrol.”

         Stopping for gas, Bruno overheard the radio announcer broadcast an Amber Alert. He ran to the car.
         “They’re looking for us.”
         “What?!?”
         “The highway patrol is trying to find us. Your parents found out and called them.”
         “Now what are we going to do?”
         “We are about 20 minutes from Virginia, but we have to get on the highway to get there. If we do that, then we are certain to be found by the highway patrol.”
         “I know, I know. But what else can we do?”
         “I’m not sure, but we need to decide now.”
         “Why?”
         “Look over at the other set of pumps. See the police car? He is not just getting gas.”
         “Oh, Bruno. We’re done for now. I’ll have to go back. We’ll have to go back and…”
         “Stop. Please, Maria, stop. Maybe we can still make it.”
         They watched as the patrolman went inside. Bruno pulled away from the pumps and onto the state highway. They drove away from the interstate. Bruno kept checking the rear view mirror for signs of being followed. Strangely, there were none. Not a car in sight. Bruno looked over at Maria. She was biting her nails like she always did when she got scared. She looked at him with tears welling up in her eyes. Bruno squeezed her hand and turned on the CB. He then turned it onto the law enforcement frequency.
         “Yes, that’s a copy on that. The local unit saw them get gas, but they were gone before he could get to them.”
         “Which direction was they headed?”
         “Not sure. The state patrol has roadblocks on all state roads and the interstate. It surely cannot be hard to catch a couple of runaway teens.”
         Bruno and Maria pulled into a wayside area. Checking the map, they saw that if they kept traveling in the same direction, they were sure to be stopped. That’s when Maria noticed it. They were heading away from Virginia and closer to the mountains of North Carolina.
         “Do we have to go to Virginia?”
         “I guess not, why?”
         “Look at the map. We could make it into North Carolina.”
         “And their laws are the same as Virginia. Maria, you are the best.”
         “I know,” she grinned.
         Bruno carefully checked the map and they found a winding mountain road. They turned onto it and soon saw flashing lights in the rear view mirror. An unmarked car was behind them and closing fast. Bruno and Maria looked at one another. They weren’t going back. Bruno floored the accelerator. The cruiser disappeared in their dust. It was then they saw the sign:
                   Bridge Out—2 miles—Local Traffic Only
         The bridge in question went across a deep ravine. The other side of the ravine was North Carolina. The cruiser backed off because the officer figured they would stop. He lost sight of them as they went deeper into the woods and toward the drop off into the ravine.
         “We’re gonna die, aren’t we,” asked Maria.
         “Not if I can help it.”
         “What is your plan?”
         “I have a pool cue in the back, get it,” said Bruno.
         “For what?”
         “Just get it quickly,” said Bruno. “And trust me.”
         Bruno stopped the car about 100 yards from the cliff. Maria handed him the pool cue. It was one of those that come in a case and is screwed together. Bruno took out the cue and measured its length from seat to gas pedal.
         “If I put the seat up as far as I can, it will work,” he said.
         “What will work?”
         “Get out of the car and stand aside. Whatever happens, please trust me and know that I love you,” said Bruno.
         “You’re scaring me. What are you gonna do?”
         “Just watch and trust me.”
         Maria got out of the car and stood to the side. Bruno started the engine and got into the passenger seat. He took the pool cue and placed one end on the front of the driver’s seat and the other on the gas pedal. The engine revved. He blew Maria a kiss and forced the car into drive. The car sped toward the cliff as Maria watched in horror.
         “Bruno! Don’t! Get out of the car! Get out of the car, Bruno!”

              The highway patrol found what was left of the car on the shore just barely over the state line. Strangely enough, no bodies or other signs of human remains were found. After weeks of searching, the officials determined that Bruno and Maria’s bodies must have been carried away by the currents of the river near where the car was found.
         The memorial service was beautiful. As the mourners left the cemetery, no one stopped to notice the two who stayed behind. When the cars had left, the couple walked up to the gravesites and placed a wreath of flowers between them. The man spoke first.
         “Sure was a nice service, wasn’t it?”
         “Yes dear, it was.”
         “Not often someone sees their own funeral service, huh?”
         “No darling, it isn’t.” she replied. “Should we let someone know we are alright?”
         “No. Not now and not them. We’ll tell the one that is growing inside you when he or she is a little older.”