Dai checked his watch. Lord, he thought. Thirteen minutes left until she gets home. Thirteen minutes of freedom.

He knew that as soon as she walked through the door there would be an exhaustive list of chores. He was compliant, usually, choosing to give in rather than sit through another argument.

A feeling of urgency swept over him, and without warning or cause, Dai picked up his keys, checked for his wallet, and walked out to the car. Thirteen minutes was plenty of time to leave the house, the neighborhood. Thirteen minutes to escape to freedom.

He decided that now was the time- he would leave his entire life behind. With only the clothes on his back and $137 dollars in his wallet, he was heading to the coast.

Family, friends, work were now dead to him. He had taken this opportunity to find a new life.

Dai would start over.