“Tonight is the night,” John told himself as he looked out the window onto his neighborhood he hated so much.
This ten year old boy had quickly matured into the realization that he needed to escape from his neighborhood. John’s neighbors were cruel, causing John to learn so much at a young age. John had grown up in poverty, learning how to fend for himself. His parents and seven siblings probably wouldn’t even realize that he is gone until it is too late. Not only that, but they would not care that he left. His mom, Patricia, would probably feel some sort of relief, knowing that that is one less mouth to feed.
“Come on, you can do this,” thought John, opening his window and gathering up his suitcase that contained only fifty dollars, a couple granola bars, and three outfits. John did not know where he was going, but that didn’t matter to him because anywhere seemed better than his neighborhood filled with terror.
Out the window he went, not even looking back, only thinking of the bigger picture that awaited him after he escaped. He felt as if his family and neighborhood were holding him back, handcuffing him to the past.
“As soon as I get out of here, the sooner I’ll forget about all the things I’ve witnessed my neighbors do.”
John was all wrong though. His neighborhood would always be with him, whether he lived there or not. His neighborhood would always be a huge aspect of his life, but he did not realize that until it was too late.