Tomorrow, Im leaving this place, Lyle said to himself.

He gazed about his room with a glare that could slice through steel as he climbed into bed. He would not let this small town hold him back any longer.

The light of morning shone down through the scraggly, ever-drawn curtains before collapsing across Lyles face. What was left of the light joined with Chris Moyles ramblings to signal it was time to get up. Turn off the radio, morning wank and it was time for breakfast. Breakfast was always the same thing: a lettuce, cheese and, most importantly, free-range bacon sandwich. The free-range was the important part; Lyle loved the taste of freedom and hoped that one day his flesh would have the same extra taste to it. Proof he had managed to escape the trapping influence of his hometown. The start of a grin crept along his face; this would be his last day waking up here. Lyle stepped out from the block of flats he called home, raising a hand to shield his face from the oppressive sun. He slipped into his beaten up car. Just finish the mornings work, then its a no stop show till Im in the city. Fuck! A bus had drawn up at the stop by the flats, trapping his car in its parking space. The bus gorged itself on strange, new people before slowly pulling away. Lyle was trapped behind it for the whole drive to work, even when traffic was diverted due to an incident on Bank Street. Lyle was crossing the company car park, still cursing the bus, when someone called his name.

Ly Lyle, hi! It was Sophie, and she was running ungracefully across the tarmac toward him. Hey he grunted in reply. She stumbled to a halt alongside him, and Lyle tried to focus on something other than the way her sweater emphasised her breasts. As he failed he found himself wondering if the awkward, bookish, girl was aware of the effect the way she dressed had upon him. So, uh got any interesting jobs today, Lyle? Couple. Ah, thats good. Interesting helps keep things good. Im going to the coffee shop for lunch, what about you? Heading home. The internal debate he had been having on whether to tell Sophie he was leaving the town ended with a decision not to; he didnt know why. They walked the rest of the way to the reception in silence. Lyle headed to the stairs, he worked on the second floor, Sophie worked on ground. Ill see you later, said Sophie. Bye, grunted Lyle as he began to climb the stairs. He let the images of the things he would enjoy doing to Sophie help him scale the large flight of stairs he had to climb to reach his office. By the time he reached the top those images had given way to how glad he would be when he was free of this drudgery; free of his infuriating co-workers too. He slipped quietly into the small office he shared with three others to avoid having to talk to them. He powered up his workstation and collapsed into his chair. As it booted, the things that could be looked forwards to in the city stormed his mind. The girls, money and excitement this town lacked. He would have to find somewhere to stay the first few nights

as he got his bearings, but Lyle was excited by the prospect of adventure and pulling himself up. The computer on his desk flickered on, displaying the number of jobs he had to finish that day, three in total. He decided he didnt care; the boring town could keep its boring job. In the city hed find new work. It may not be well paid, but it would be exciting. Lyle imagined himself as a waiter, shop assistant then a tout; each an open and exciting experience he could relish. A siren from outside snatched him from his day-dreaming, causing him to lurch to the window and close it. In the street below two people were running, running harder, faster, than anyone should want to run. They were arm-in-arm, coats flowing from them like shackled clouds. Lyle slid the blinds closed; this town would not disturb or ruin his last day in it. Falling back into his chair, he let his mind return to wandering. He thought of train times, places to stay and events to attend. How he would break himself into the routine and joys of city life and city night life. Most of his morning had been spent browsing the internet for cheap places to stay and, by lunchtime, Lyle had only managed to complete one of his three jobs. Not that it mattered to him; he was leaving the building for the last time. He would never have to hide from the others in his office. A note had been left on his desk simply stating that he had quit. It was easier than having to explain to someone in person; Lyle was sure that theyd force him to stay in the town and stay working for at another couple of weeks as well, but he had made up his mind: he was leaving today. Lyle! Youre still going home for lunch? It was Sophie again. Yeah. Well, enjoy your home-lunch. Ill see you.

Bye. Sophie turned as her smile left her face and walked to the coffee shop alone. Lyle allowed himself to take in an eyeful of her before clambering into his old car. As he pulled away he thought about her for a moment, and then dismissed her. She would be either in a relationship or not interested in him -- like every other girl in this tiny, dead-end town. The aging car pulled up at the flats he lived in, though Lyle had never seen them as his home. As soon as he was parked he headed to the landladys flat. He rang the bell. A moment. Came the call from inside, followed shortly by, got you. Ow! The door creaked open revealing, the blonde head of Heather, his landlady. She was cradling a grey rabbit in her arms. Lyle, perfect. You got a moment? I guess. Wonderful, Tillys hutch is broken, I dont reckon youre able to help out by fixing it? Guess so. Brilliant, its not badly damaged. Just needs some new wire, which is in the shed along with the tools. Heather led Lyle through her flat to the garden where at one end lay a broken rabbit hutch. The wire had come free at one corner, creating a gap a rabbit could squirm through to escape. As Lyle began his repair work he felt like a traitor, mending the cage to contain someone inside, though he quickly convinced himself that rabbits didnt have the same sense of freedom as people; besides it would be rude to turn down a womans request. The last staple came free and the bent wire clattered to the ground. Lyle began the task of fitting the new mesh onto the hutch. He reused the staples to hold the new mash in place. It would be a waste to get rid of them, and they were probably as happy as

bits of a metal could be as part of the hutch. Fixed it, he called as he stepped back into Heathers flat. Excellent, thanks. Ill get Tilly back in it soon. Not safe for her out of her hutch. Now, was there something that you wanted? You came to my door after all. Lyle looked at the rabbit she was stroking in her arms; contained safety was fine for animals, not people like Lyle. Im leaving. Sounds exciting. When are you going? Tonight. Short notice, is everything alright Lyle? Fine, Im just getting out of this town. Will I be able to get my deposit back? Were in the first week of the month, so I suppose I can return the deposit if you leave your flat in adequate condition. You can check it as soon as Ive left, right? Not tonight, its Band Night at The Birdcage, but I can get round to it tomorrow. Fine with me. Sad to see a tenant leave, still I wish you all the best. Thanks, enjoy Band Night. Lyle let himself out of the land ladys flat while Heather placed Tilly back into her small, safe, world. The only things Lyle owned in his flat were his clothes, laptop and a pillow. Packing them up wouldnt take long. Glad of his ascetic lifestyle, he was able to throw them into a suitcase and quickly give the flat a hoover. That only left his car; Lyle knew it would be of no use to him in the city till he had settled in. He drove short distance to his

fathers house and left it parked next to his dads shiny new BMW. Pulling a pen and paper from the car he wrote a note. Gone to the city. Look after my car here are the keys. Lyle He slipped the note between the twists of the key ring and posted the tangled pair through the letter box on the front of his fathers large house. Lyle was satisfied that his car would be fine left with his father till he called for it which, in some of his plans, was never. Lyle much preferred the idea of buying something newer that would look more at home on the shining city roads. He ran through the list of things to do before leaving town, and all that was left was to actually leave. The train station wasnt far from his fathers house, so Lyle set out on foot, spirits higher than they had been for years. The walk reminded Lyle of all the complaints he had about the town: the nonsensical road layout, annoying road names and winding paths that acted as shortcuts if you were willing to waste your life and time pointlessly exploring the dead-end town. Lyle wasnt, and nor was the large crowd. Instead they were queuing by one of the towns cinemas for some kind of event. Lyle felt some pity for the people stupid enough to be entertained by anything that took place within this town. The station wasnt particularly busy, the odd couple, the occasional business man, more coming than going. Lyle ignored them all, and they paid just as much attention to him as he marched to the ticket office. Single for the city. First class? the balding old man on the other side of the plastic window asked.

Lyle thought for a moment before replying. Standard. His money would be better spent in the city than having a slightly nicer journey. Thatll be twenty four pounds then, sir. Lyle paid by card, how close his dream was to realisation caused his fingers to shake so much he keyed in the wrong PIN. Try again sir. Lyle made another attempt, taking it slow. The spectre of tripping over the last hurdle grew in his mind, but was banished by the affirmative bleep as he pressed of the last number caused. A wrinkled hand slipped the card, ticket and receipt under the plastic divider. As Lyle took them he felt sorry for the old man, to have grown, old trapped in this town; he couldnt understand how anyone could allow that to happen. The large screen claimed that the next train to the city would arrive in seventeen minutes. Seventeen more minutes and he would have escaped. Seventeen more minutes and he would have freed himself. The time passed in a hazy dream. Lyles mind swirled with images of the girls he would meet, nights out he would have and all other things this town lacked that he knew the city would deliver to him. The train screeched to a halt two minutes early, a clear sign of good fortune. Lyle took his seat on the train. He was excited. He was leaving. He was freeing himself from the way the town had trapped him, drained him. This train was his future; it would break him free, shatter the prison the town had placed him in. It would take him to the city where nothing could hold him back. Lyle smiled; everything he had wanted could now be found and claimed. The friends, the girls, the girlfriends, fun and excitement; it would all be found in the city, and it would be his. As the station began to slip away from the window Lyles elation rose and he began to laugh.

Something good happen to you? asked a woman on a nearby seat. I hope so, said Lyle. He stifled his laughter and turned to watch the suburbs fall away into the distance.