‘How tragically beautiful’ she ruminated as she turned to take in the once familiar scenery before she would finally make her escape. Thoughts tornadoed through her mind as she edged closer to the hill. The duffel she lumbered up this trail was switched to the opposing shoulder. Maya’s frail build proved to be surprisingly strong considering how far she had hiked from home. Faith was an emotion Maya rarely felt but as she reached this viewpoint and turned to say goodbye to everything she knew, everything that made up her life and everything that also broke it down, she embraced the feeling. Her feet felt heavy as though they were stuck in deep wet mud. Although its difficult to leave her mother behind in the warzone of a household, she understood her new life will cost her her old one. Her mother must have already left her numerous voicemails and missed calls but for the first time in mayas life she allowed her mother to not consume her. This wasn’t about her, finally. Maya longed to walk into the telephone box to just hear her mothers voice once more and tell her she will be okay out in the world on her own. she was stuck in a state of ambivalence as she stared at this phone box, her fatigued mind fighting her heavy heart. After what felt like half an hour she was firm in her decision to step away from her mother once and for all. ‘She’ll move on from me and get back to her own life soon enough’ Maya accepted as she turned to walk away. The trail would lead her out of the city, to where she belonged. Her volition to leave her broken home would stick with her forever and she was okay with that. The longing feeling she had to talk to her mother one last time was fugacious as she recalled the cutting words her mother yelled to her the night before. To choose her broken mother over her own sanity would be something she would regret for all of eternity, she was disconsolate with her and her mothers strained relationship. Why she hated Maya so much was something very difficult to grasp. A tear rolled down mayas cheek as she hiked further, but once the woods were in sight she felt a wave of euphoria. She was ready for the world and wondered if the world was ready for her. She smiled as she manoeuvred deeper into the woods. Freedom.