The Great Escape

CW: Mentions of substance overdose.

Vickie glanced at her reflection. Her top and jeans fit perfectly, and the new platform shoes were totally worth it, even though they were pinching her feet already. She had taken extra care with her makeup. Fluffing her hair one last time, she crept out, slowly pulling the door closed behind her.

She paused outside her parents’ door until she could hear the deep rumbling snores of her father and the occasional snuffles of her mother. Satisfied, she inched forward and started downstairs. Forgetting to allow for the height of her platforms, she missed the first step and tumbled down the stairs, landing in the hallway. Heart racing, she lay motionless, cursing inwardly. The night noises of the house, the tick of the grandfather clock, the hum of the refrigerator, all continued, and no one appeared from above.

“Good thing I didn’t break my neck,” she muttered as she got up. “I’d be lying there for hours.”

She eased out of the front door and blinked. She had not expected the garden to be illuminated by brilliant white light from the full moon. Scrambling through the shrubbery, branches tangled her hair. She wobbled hurriedly towards Ray’s truck which was parked a little way down the street. Breathless, she rapped on the driver’s window. For a dreadful moment she thought the cab was empty and sighed in relief as Ray surfaced, yawning.

“What took you so long? I must have fallen asleep,” he said, blearily rubbing his face as he opened the passenger door. “It’s almost one.”

“My parents stayed up late to watch a movie,” Vickie said, peering at herself in the mirror and picking leaves out of her hair. “I texted you.”

He squinted at his phone.

“Yea, now I see. Sorry about that.”

He peered at Vickie.

“What?” she said.

“What happened? You’ve got two black eyes.”

“That’s my makeup, silly. I follow this online influencer called Tatiana. She gives all these cool beauty tips and…never mind. Let’s go.”

Ray stared at her in bewilderment but bit his lip.

“Where is this do?” he said as he drove off.

“In the old barn in Chandler’s Woods.”

“Wait, I thought this was at someone’s house. Who’s going to be there?”

“Steve Halligan, Bobby Jenkins, Arlo Dickens… I don’t know who else. Rosie and Jenna told me about it.”

He pulled over and parked on the grass verge.

“What are you doing? We’re late already.”

“Vickie, those guys are bad news. Steve and Arlo dropped out of school last year. Jenkins got in trouble for selling weed and I don’t know what else. There have been stories about him hitting his girlfriend. I’m not comfortable with this.”

“You’re not my father,” Vickie said. “Just because you’re not popular, you want to stop me having fun.”

“Unlike you, I am not so needy that I care about being popular with losers like them.”

“If you won’t go, I’ll go by myself. It’s not that far to walk.”

“Yea, well good luck with those shoes.”

They glared at each other. Vickie turned to grab her purse and screamed as a wrinkled face topped by a shock of grey hair peered in through the back window of the cab. Raymond grabbed a flashlight from the glove compartment, leaped out and ran around the vehicle.

“Vickie,” he yelled. “It’s an old lady.”

Vickie carefully clambered down from the cab and walked unsteadily towards him, trying not to turn her ankle in the tussocky grass. A diminutive figure crouched in the truck bed, brandishing a hammer in her shaky hand.

“You’re trying to kidnap me! Don’t come any closer.”

“Omg,” said Vickie. “It’s Ms. Gloria. She lives next door to me with her daughter.”

“She must have got in while I was asleep,” Ray said. “I forgot the tailgate was down.”

The old lady squinted suspiciously at Vickie who smiled.

“It’s me, Vickie, from next door. Does Joanne know you’re here? Can we take you home?”

“Hah. I’m not going back. She’s trying to put me away. Who’s he?”

“My friend Ray.”

“He’s messy. Leaving good tools all over the place.”

“Ms. Gloria, I’m going to sit for a minute. My feet are killing me,” Vickie said.

She hoisted herself up onto the tailgate and patted the space beside her.

“Come sit with me.”

Gloria put down the hammer, inched over, and sat down stiffly, shivering.

She was wearing flannel pajamas and fluffy slippers.

“You’re freezing,” said Vickie, clasping Gloria’s bony hands. “No wonder, sitting back there.”

“She wants to put me in a home,” Gloria said, peering around and trembling.

“But she'll be worried,” Ray said. “We can call her and…”

Vickie caught his eye and shook her head.

“No, she won’t,” said the old lady, her voice rising. “You can’t make me. Help!”

Waving frantically at a passing car, she lost her balance and fell forward, squirming and struggling as Ray caught her.

“Hush, now, Ms. Gloria,” Vickie said. “We’ll help you, okay? Ray's our driver. Why don’t we go in the cab and warm up? Then we can figure out what to do.”

Gloria seemed spent. She allowed them to help her into the cab where she leaned against Vickie and closed her eyes. Ray climbed in and looked at Vickie.

“What now? Is she always like this?”

“Not that I know of. Let’s take her back to my place,” Vickie said. “Mom always knows what to do.”

Ray turned back the way they had come, pulling over as a police car and ambulance raced past in the opposite direction, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Gloria started, looking around wildly.

“Quick, before she gets upset again,” Vickie whispered. “It’s alright, Ms. Gloria. They’re going in the other direction. We’re going to my house.”

As they pulled up in Vickie’s driveway, the porch light came on and her parents came running out, clad in pajamas and robes. Her father jerked the passenger door open.

“You’d better have a good explanation for this, young lady. Did Ray give you those black eyes?”

He advanced ominously towards Ray, then stopped and frowned as he saw Gloria. “What’s going on?”

“She hid in the truck, Dad. We didn’t know she was there. She keeps going on about Joanne wanting to put her in a home,” Vickie said.

Her mother ran up and took in the scene.

“Bruce, go and get Joanne. She probably hasn’t even realized that Gloria’s gone. Bring her inside, Ray.”

Gloria did not object as Ray picked her up, carried her inside and gently deposited her on the couch. She smiled vaguely at Vickie’s mother.

“Do I know you?”

“Yes, I’m your neighbor, Susan. You’re safe here. I’ll make some tea. Ray will keep you company. Vickie, come and help me.”

Vickie followed, yelping as she tripped over a rug and twisted her ankle.

“Mom! It hurts real bad,” she wailed, tears welling.

“What is it now? With those ridiculous shoes, I’m not surprised. Take them off and I’ll get some ice.”

Susan returned with an ice pack. Vickie winced in pain as her mother gently probed.

“Sit down and prop it up. We’ll probably have to take you in for an x-ray. So much for me and your dad having a nice peaceful movie night.”

“I’m sorry, Mom.”

“On the bright side, no telling what might have happened if you hadn’t found Gloria, so there’s that. But no more sneaking out in future, you hear me? That goes for you too, Ray.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

As she bustled off to the kitchen, Ray leaned over and showed his phone to Vickie.

“Jenna just texted me. Two kids overdosed at that party. That’s where the police and ambulance were going. They’re all being questioned,” he said softly.

Vickie gasped.

“Who overdosed? Are they okay?”

“Don’t know yet, but it seems like we dodged a bullet."

He hastily slipped the phone into his pocket as Susan returned, followed by Bruce and Joanne.

“Mom,” Joanne said, kneeling beside Gloria. “Thank goodness the kids found you and got you back safely. You scared me to death.”

Gloria looked puzzled.

“What are you worrying about, Jo? You always were a fusspot.”

She sat up and gazed around.

“What’s everybody doing here?”

“I’ve made tea and cookies,” Susan said without missing a beat. “Would you like some?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” said Gloria. “I’m hungry.”

“