Two Girls on a Greyhound
The older girl turns her face towards the window. Hides
behind her curtain of long brown hair. Her sister is asleep.
They are never going back there. Stepping off the coach,
the seat of the young girl’s jeans is stained with blood.
Her sister takes off her sweatshirt, ties it around
her waist. The older girl takes her sister to the restroom
to get her cleaned up. In the mirror, she thinks of cutting
her hair. She could be a dancer. Call herself Roxanne.
Sniffing, her sister comes out of the cubicle. We need
to change our names, the older girl says. I’ll be Lola.
I want to be Catherine, the younger girl replies.
Like Catherine of Aragon: the Spanish princess,
who became a British queen. She was a survivor.
I’ll call you Cate, her sister says. It will be our secret.
They try on their new identities for size. They could be
anyone. Do anything. Go anywhere. Two girls, on the road
and it feels essential that they keep on running, running
Eve Chancellor is an English Teacher in Manchester. She has previously studied in Liverpool, Melbourne and Glasgow. Her short stories are featured and forthcoming with East of the Web, Reflex Press, The Ghastling and Sixpence Society Literary Journal. Her poetry has been published in multiple journals, including: Apricot Press, Celestite, Dream Catcher, Green Ink Poetry and Hyacinth Review.