Chapter 4 Escape

The rain hammered down in sheets, cold and relentless. Giana's breath came in sharp, panicked gasps as she darted through the narrow alley, the echo of footsteps behind her too close for comfort. The family that had once claimed her as their own had turned on her, ready to sell her off like some piece of meat. She couldn't go back, not to them. Not to that fate.

With her damp passport in her hands all she wishes is to make it to the airport and leave Italy for good.......

Her fingers gripped the edges of her cloak, the damp fabric clinging to her skin, but it was no use. Her heart pounded harder with each step as she twisted down another dark passageway. She needed to disappear. She needed to get out of the city. but first she need to find where to sleep for now.

Exhausted, tired and cold from the rain the view of a bakery's passage didn't seem like a bad idea, she needed to rest for the journey was still long...

Heading to the front of the shop, she laid her belongings near her head before falling into sleep, she didn't know what tomorrow held for her but for now, I need to sleep....

THE NEXT MORNING

Cold seeped into Giana's bones through the night, courtesy of her wet cloak,. Her body ached from the hard, pavement beneath her, the thin cloak offering little protection against the chill of the Roman dawn. She blinked awake, her vision blurry a bit , and for a fleeting moment, she forgot where she was. The passageway in front of the closed bakery which smelled of stale bread and damp stone, and the sun threatening to shine above her.

And then she was reminded of the events of yesterday...

The fear. The escape. The knowledge that Catrina, her stepmother, would probably be searching around and asking around suddenly kicked in.

Giana sat up quickly, her heart pounding in her chest. She had to keep moving. She couldn't stay in one place too long Catrina would have eyes everywhere, and she wouldn't rest until Giana was found and handed over like a piece of property. She pulled her coat tighter around herself, her fingers stiff with cold as she clutched the small wad of cash she had left, and property she ran away with, It wasn't much, but it had to be enough to at least get her out of Rome

Her mind was set on one destination the airport. If she could just get out of Rome, she could figure the rest out later.

Forcing herself to her feet, she ignored the stiffness in her legs and hurried down the streets. Rome was only just beginning to stir, the city was still quiet this early morning. A few shopkeepers opening up their shops , and the aroma of fresh espresso wafted from a nearby café. But there was no time to savour their deliciousness

She reached the bus stop and waited patiently for a bus, Just in time a bus came along and she hoped on in. The bus ride felt like an eternity, her fingers trembling in her lap as she glanced nervously at every passenger who boarded, half expecting to see her mum

By the time she arrived the airport, the terminal was already bustling. Businessmen hurried past with their briefcases, families chattered excitedly, lovers embraced before departures. Giana moved with purpose, with only one thing in mind leave Rome as soon as possible.

But where could she go?

She rushed to the departures board, scanning the destinations. Paris? Too expensive. Madrid? Sold out. London? Not an option. Her pulse quickened as she looked at her dwindling cash.

Then she saw it.

Venice.

A one-way ticket. The last seat available. And just barely within her budget.

Her hands trembled as she stepped up to the counter. "One ticket to Venice, please."

As the agent printed her boarding pass, Giana dared to glance over her shoulder, her stomach twisting with paranoia. She didn't see anyone familiar, but the fear never left.

Clutching the ticket, she whispered to herself, "Just a little longer. Just hold on."

Venice would be her escape. It had to be.