Finally, as the sun began to rise over the horizon and the road began to glow, Rachel reached the station. It sat silently in the distance, and as she approached it, she began to realize what she had just done. This would change her whole life, and everything she had ever known about her future. It meant no more college, no more high school graduation. The entire world would be new. And for the first time, she found herself glancing back, towards home.

But now she knew that if she didn’t keep walking then all of this was for naught. And so she took a deep breath, opened the door, and took the final step. There was definitely no turning back now.

She crossed the station floor quickly, eyes shut. She didn’t want to waste any time. The man working in the ticket booth looked surpised to see her, so young, here alone. But he quickly masked his shock as she lay $10 on the counter, and said in the clearest and strongest voice she could muster,”One ticket to New York City please. On the first bus out.”