History Main / NeverARunaway

* ''WebAnimation/DontWalkHomeAloneAfterDark'': In ''The Pine Creepers'', some people believed Pike Lister, a trouble-making teenager who went missing in November of 1994, just took off by himself. However, others thought he might've drowned in the lake, while Jordy and his dad are convinced the [[HumanoidAbomination Pine Creepers]] "got him", especially as something similar occurred back in TheSeventies. [[spoiler:It's implied that Jordy and his dad were right, as Jordy himself is taken by the Creepers]].

!!Examples

* ''Manga/{{Working}}'': Inverted. Aoi "Yamada" claims to be an orphan, with a story so full of BlatantLies that Souta Takahashi immediately pegs her as a runaway using a fake name.

* ''ComicBook/CinemaPurgatorio'': Discussed at the end of ''Hushed Up!'' One of the Fatal Officers gets a call from the station that a child's been reported missing, which he bets the parents were responsible for.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfhK5RjVwTc This]] fan-created cover of "Don't Go By The River" by Music/{{Voltaire}} based on ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' at one point mentions a mare who disappeared after visiting the [[DontGoInTheWoods Everfree Forest]]. One lyric is "The locals say she ran away, but you know they la la la la lied!".

-->'''Russ Sr.:''' Why do I feel like ''I'm'' the one that's on trial here?
-->'''Mae:''' [[DeadpanSnarker You can't imagine, dear.]]
-->'''Russ Sr.:''' What do you mean "you can't imagine"?!

* ''Film/UnderTheSilverLake'': A classic subversion. After Sarah disappears, characters constantly speculate to Sam that she has simply moved. Sam resolutely believes differently...[[spoiler:then he tracks her down and she actually ''has'' run away to join an underground suicide cult of rich and powerful men.]]

* ''Series/MidsomerMurders'': "With Baited Breathe" features a variation, the entire village of Solomon Gorge believes Lola Silverman ran away after she left with her suitcase following a major fight with her mother Isobel ten years ago. Isobel likewise regularly receives postcards from all over the world from Lola to tell that she's safely traveling. [[spoiler:In reality Lola was killed in a road accident whilst coming back to her mother, with the killer hiding the body and writing the postcards to sell the illusion.]]

* In ''Literature/TheCatWho Saw Red,'' Qwill reunites with his first love Joy, who is married to a ceramic artist that Qwill instantly despises. Later in the story, Qwill writes her a check so she can try to get away from him, but a few days later the check bounces because someone tried to change the amount for much more than what was in his account. He confronts her husband, who shrugs and says that Joy ran out on him and isn't as innocent as Qwill wants to think. Her running away is accepted as the official story, but Qwill isn't buying it. [[spoiler:The husband is lying, of course. He killed Joy and put her body in his kiln to destroy the evidence, then tried to cash the modified check.]]

* ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange'': Everybody in Arcadia Bay except Chloe believes that Rachel Amber ran away. Even Max has a moment's hesitation upon finding concrete evidence that Rachel ''was'' planning to run away and go to LA. However, Chloe was right all along. [[spoiler:Rachel was murdered by Nathan and Mark Jefferson.]]

* ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange'': Everybody in Arcadia Bay except Chloe believes that Rachel Amber ran away. Even Max has a moment's hesitation upon finding concrete evidence that Rachel ''was'' planning to run away and go to LA. However, Chloe was right all along. Rachel was murdered [[spoiler:by Nathan and Mark Jefferson.]]

* In ''Disappearing Earth'', Lilia is assumed to have ran away, with her case largely being dismissed due to MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome. This stops people from realizing she was kidnapped by the same person who later kidnaps two (white) girls until much later.

It's also a staple of NotTheFirstVictim, and a form of ChekhovMIA. Compare NeverSuicide, which is another common, but less sinister, explanation for a death that turns out to have some form of third-party involvement.

Not to be confused with HesJustHiding, which despite the title, is an audience reaction, though it's still about people who are dead being thought to have run away or be in hiding instead.

* ''Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids'': The Thompsons notified the police about their sons being missing, unaware that they have shrunk. One of the cops assume they might have runaway due to their dad apparently being too hard on his eldest son, but tells the cops that both their sons are happy and could never have runaway.

* ''Film/UnderTheSilverLake'': A classic subversion. After Sarah disappears, characters constantly speculate to Sam that she has simply moved. Sam resolutely believes different...[[spoiler:then he tracks her down and she actually ''has'' run away to join an underground suicide cult of rich and powerful men.]]

* ''Literature/TroubledBlood'': Downplayed. It's briefly discussed that Margot might have run away with Satchwell, who she was (incorrectly) believed to be cheating on her husband with. Cormoran and Robin consider the possibility, but dismiss it pretty quickly. [[spoiler:And, in fact, Margot was murdered by a SerialKiller.]]

[[/folder]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfhK5RjVwTc This]] fan-created song based on ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' at one point mentions a mare who disappeared after visiting the [[DontGoInTheWoods Everfree Forest]]. One lyric is "The locals say she ran away, but you know they la la la la lied!".

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Film - Animated]]

[[folder: Film - Live-Action]]

[[folder: Literature]]

* ''Literature/IHuntKillers'': The victim that actually got Billy caught - the murder of a high school girl - was presumed to have run away to L.A. Only G. William Turner believed differently, which led to Billy's capture.

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]

* ''Series/Dark2017'': The series begins with the teenager Erik Obendorf being missing without a trace for weeks. Ulrich Nielsen, the local police chief, seriously doubts that actually a crime happened and Erik just ran away, as he has already done that a few times before. [[spoiler: Only after Ulrich's own son is missing too and the corpse of another boy is found, he and the police in general starts investigating seriously. As it turns out, while Ulrich's son is still alive, but [[TrappedInThePast travelled to 1986]], Erik actually was abducted and died in a [[PoweredByAForsakenChild failed time travel experiment]].]]

* ''Series/MidsomerMurders'': "With Baited Breathe" features a variation, the entire village of Solomon Gorge believes Lola Silverman ran away after she left with her suitcase following a major fight with her mother Isobel ten years ago. Isobel likewise regularly receives postcards from all over the world from Lola to tell that she's safely traveling. [[spoiler: In reality Lola was killed in a road accident whilst coming back to her mother, with the killer hiding the body and writing the postcards to sell the illusion.]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

However, this is also convenient in stories for multiple reasons. The clearest, and most obvious, is that it answers the question of why the police aren't investigating and gives the audience a very clear reason to think that the PoliceAreUseless. It gives the protagonist a clear and obvious motivation to need to take over where they've failed. it's also very difficult to prove or disprove, except in cases of FinallyFoundTheBody.