It was a cool summers night and although the doors of the holding facility were open, the bars of my cell were asphyxiating. I couldn’t take being locked up. I just couldn’t take it. I desperately craved the freedom of the road again and I knew I had to escape.

I began talking with the guard on duty. Luckily for me, a 16 year old, he was also young, probably in his early 20’s. Surprisingly, I managed to convince him to let me outside for a smoke. There, on the steps of the jail, I could see the Turkish border and its offer of asylum from EU and Interpol warrants.

As I contemplated whether or not to runaway, I smoked a cigarette, then a second, then a third, a fourth, a fifth. With each cigarette, my heart raced faster and adrenaline surged through every cell of my body. It was like nothing I had ever felt before.

Half way through my sixth cigarette I stood up. Slowly I looked towards the guard. He was roughly two meters away, a safe distance. “Here we go” I thought. Before my mind could process what was going on, I had already sprinted across the road. Then, like a rabbit, I sprung 6 feet into the air and onto the 20 ft border fence. When I arrived on the other side, I found myself stuck in thick thorn bushes. Struggling like a animal stuck in a trap, I cried out in distress. I looked back. 6 officers had assembled. Their voices ferocious. Their guns drawn and pointing directly at me. A single shot rang out.

More to come in  “The Runaway: An Untraditional Guide To Travel”