𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬

Chapter 4 *

ANDREW JENKINS
[SAMARIA'S FATHER]
7:00 a.m | SATURDAY MORNING

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LOCATION: PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

BEER CANS AND BOTTLES WERE spread out on the floor. The room's aroma reeked of cigarette, alcohol and a small hint of cannabis. A groggy, half sleep man was lying in the pile, moving his body weight so that he can lay on his back, his eyes immediately staring at the ceiling above him.

It had been over what it seemed like a hour since he'd came home. He'd been searching high and dry to try and find Samaria for almost three days, each helpless hour made him more and more anxious to find her. He know she can't be far.

So why is it taking him so damn long to find where she's at?

It's not like he hasn't found her before. She wasn't that good at running away, only taking the minimum three hours to find her running down some random street, not camouflaging at all, but three days? He was losing his mind.

Deciding not to lay in his own filth anymore, he slowly sits up, back cracking from lying on the hardwood floors all morning. His head was pounding with a throbbing headache. Being use to the feeling, he ignores it.

He has more better things to worry about now.

He walks, well.. more-so, slugs his way to the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge and roughly slamming it, making the fridge shake for a few seconds before coming to a halt. He walks over to the kitchen table and plants hisself in the seat, placing a hand on his forehead, water bottle in the other hand, not bothering to be touched.

He needed to think, and fast. Where could she have gone?

His mind drifted back to that night, as he tried to remember what happened that night. The last thing he remembered, was asking the elder lady at the bus stop where his daughter was, she claimed she was the only one that was there, but when he drove off, he looked out his mirror only to see a girl come out of the bushes. He tried to see if it was her, but not wanting to cause a scene, he never turned around.

He remembered was coming home, his mind was rushing everywhere so he started drinking and he wanted to go back just to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him when he saw the girl come out the bushes and back to the old woman who she claimed to be all alone.

He can only guess she went out of town, but to where was nearly impossible, he had no idea where to start. In order to even come close, he had to travel and get out the city. However, he knows she can't get far, she may have a couple of bucks on her, but he knows she can't get far with that.

He knew he needed some money to travel however, but he didn't mind, he kept a stash hidden in the floor of his room. He never let Samaria near the room, not since she's no longer here.

He gets up, still groaning from his head still throbbing, how much did he drink last night? He sluggishly walked to the back where his room is, twisting the knob and opening the door.

The room was still the same how it had always been. Just how she liked it. He kept it neat for her just in case one day, just one day, she'll be back.