The dull sounds of rain splashing against glass made Aurora look up. In her hands she was carrying a heap of t-shirts, a few pair of panties and a jeans which she quickly crammed inside her backpack. She took a few hasty steps towards the window and stared outside into the darkness. "No no no.. Why? Why now?!" She mumbled slightly frustrated. Aurora stared at her own reflection for a moment or two and shrugged. The death of her parents had brought her to the other side of the country where it was known for being wet and cold most of the time. That said, it had been raining for the past few weeks and tonight was no exception. Nothing her cap and a raincoat couldn't survive. With a deep sigh Aurora continued stuffing her backpack with a few necessities: a flash light, warm clothes to last at least a few weeks, enough pocket money and some of her toiletries. If she was going to run away at night she might as well survive the path through the forest ahead.
There was no way around it: every map she had taken a look at said that the fastest way towards L.A. was south, through a large detour in the mountains at the edge of the forest. But that was if you had a car or something faster than a bike. Spending the night in the valley was not something Aurora wanted to try. Besides, she'd be caught very quickly. That's why she decided going through the forest was the best way to go. Once on the other side, she'd already feel the temperature difference. At least, that's what the Internet had told her.
Her aunt, whom had willingly agreed to take her in after the tragedy, was soundly asleep when Aurora passed by her room. A dim light next to her bed revealed Aunt Agnes with a book in her left hand. Her head was bend backwards against the wall and she was snoring loudly. With the amount of wine she had drank last night she wouldn't wake even if Aurora decided to slam doors.
Once Aurora was out of the door, the cold wind lifted a few long strands of hair and made her shiver. She was all tucked in with a thick sweater, a raincoat and a black cap keeping her long blonde hair in place. The street lights weren't even lid any more and the small village was asleep. "Here goes nothing.." She whispered to herself.
