SHORT STORY
Running Away
HELLO! has invited acclaimed writers to entertain readers in these testing times. This week, a desperate escape to the country leads to the start of something new in Debbie Howells’s touching tale
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
The rumbling noise was getting louder. Millie turned round and gasped. A herd of cattle was headed straight towards them
Leaving London behind her, Millie drove faster, picturing thousands of crazed fans in pursuit, desperate for what - a lock of her hair? Or Julian; except after the last gig, somehow she knew he wouldn’t follow.
She knew from bitter experience that distance solved problems. Cleared heads. Had the added bonus of a tan - if you were going somewhere like the South of France or the Caribbean - but she was heading for freaking Hampshire. Yes, she hadn’t been thinking clearly.
And she’d had a vodka or two (or three) as she surfed the internet for the easiest way to melt into the scenery and disappear. When you lived in London or huge expensive hotels, what was more appealing than a chocolate-box cottage in the heart of the countryside?
As she booked it, she’d felt that tight part of her breathe out slowly. Then she’d cut off her hair and dyed it, gazing at her reflection in shock, before finding her guitar. Having an inner rock star had its uses because it made you tough - you were always leaving places.