Status: very slow
Just a Story of One Little Girl
Chapter 15
I walked around Connecticut, trying not to cry until I found some solitude. I didn’t want strangers fawning over me, I just wanted to get away. I had no idea where I was or where I was headed. Above me, dark clouds were threatening a thunderstorm. Within 20 minutes, I was hopelessly lost, and the impending storm seemed mere minutes away. As if to confirm my suspicions, a low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.
I shivered as the wind picked up, but my pace stayed steady. I continued to walk until I came to a public playground. The storm seemed to have scared all the children away – the park was deserted. I sauntered over to the farthest of the slides and sat down, finally allowing the tears to come. Reflecting my mood, the storm started heavy – rain pouring down on me, mixing with my tears and carrying them away. I was soaked to the bone in seconds, but I relished the solitary peacefulness the rain brought.
Lightning lit up the dark sky and I began counting the seconds. Just after seven, thunder boomed loudly in my ears. I smiled to myself through my tears, enjoying the feel of the droplets on my skin. I loved the rain; it was like the water got under my skin, washing all of my stress away.
The sound of footsteps and voices cut through the quiet rain. Quickly I hid in a tunnel next to the slide, peering out of the holes in the side so I could see who was coming. A group of about six boys with a camera were coming to the park, laughing and pushing each other. “You gotta admit,” I heard one of them say over the rain, “they thought up a good retaliation.” Groans replied to his statement.
“Let’s just get this over with,” I heard another voice grumble. As I watched from my hiding place, one of them set up the camera on the fence.
“Parkour in the rain!”
“Let’s go!”
I watched in awe as the boys started doing crazy stunts: flipping over seesaws, jumping from slide to slide, even doing flips off the highest points they could find in the playground. Shouts of joy and laughter could be heard coming from the boys as they carried on in the rain.
Suddenly, one of the boys started running towards my slide. I quickly flattened myself in the tunnel so as not to be seen through the peepholes. A hand appeared in one of those holes, and I heard someone scramble to get on top. My foot slipped. The tunnel squeaked. I swallowed, held my breath. Slowly, I looked up.
My eyes met shaggy hair and a handsome face. Immediately, I started crawling backwards out of the tunnel. “Hey, wait.” The boy climbed in after me and followed me back out into the rain. I scurried down the steps, but he was faster, jumping from the structure and grabbing my arm. I let out a terrified squeal, barely audible as thunder crashed up above us. “What’s your name?” He asked. I stayed silent, staring at him. I couldn’t find my voice, but that was ok. He bombarded me with questions, not letting me answer. “How old are you? Are you out here by yourself? What are you doing all alone? Have you been crying? Oh you must be cold.” He paused to give me his jacket. “Is that a cast? What happened?”
“Alright guys, I think we’re good here. Where’d Joey get to? Joey!” The boy looked away from me towards the other voice.
“Come on,” he smiled down at me, pulling me to the other side of the playground. I tried to plant my feet into the mud, but he was strong and pulled me right along with him.
“Guys! I found a little girl.” Joey pulled me over to the group. Immediately I was surrounded.
“What the hell, Joe? Where did you even find her?”
“She was in the tunnel over there.” He vaguely pointed towards the slide.
“Well, how old is she? Where’d she come from.”
Joey shrugged. “I don’t know, 11 maybe? She doesn’t talk.”
One of the boys rolled his eyes. “Of course she doesn’t. Look at her – she’s terrified!” All six boys looked at me, twisting me around to see my face. I hadn’t realized I had let my emotions play out on my face. Instantly I tried to hide my fear.
“You must be amazing to see any fear, Evan. She looks indifferent, if anything.” Another boy retorted.
Evan looked at me again. “Huh. She hides it well.” He looked up. “Come on, lets get out of this rain, go somewhere warm.” The guys stared at him. “We could go to the diner,” he suggested.
Upon hearing the abstract implication of food, the boys started to walk. Joey held my hand gently, as though I were a small child. I stayed by his side, not wanting to get lost again.
I shivered as the wind picked up, but my pace stayed steady. I continued to walk until I came to a public playground. The storm seemed to have scared all the children away – the park was deserted. I sauntered over to the farthest of the slides and sat down, finally allowing the tears to come. Reflecting my mood, the storm started heavy – rain pouring down on me, mixing with my tears and carrying them away. I was soaked to the bone in seconds, but I relished the solitary peacefulness the rain brought.
Lightning lit up the dark sky and I began counting the seconds. Just after seven, thunder boomed loudly in my ears. I smiled to myself through my tears, enjoying the feel of the droplets on my skin. I loved the rain; it was like the water got under my skin, washing all of my stress away.
The sound of footsteps and voices cut through the quiet rain. Quickly I hid in a tunnel next to the slide, peering out of the holes in the side so I could see who was coming. A group of about six boys with a camera were coming to the park, laughing and pushing each other. “You gotta admit,” I heard one of them say over the rain, “they thought up a good retaliation.” Groans replied to his statement.
“Let’s just get this over with,” I heard another voice grumble. As I watched from my hiding place, one of them set up the camera on the fence.
“Parkour in the rain!”
“Let’s go!”
I watched in awe as the boys started doing crazy stunts: flipping over seesaws, jumping from slide to slide, even doing flips off the highest points they could find in the playground. Shouts of joy and laughter could be heard coming from the boys as they carried on in the rain.
Suddenly, one of the boys started running towards my slide. I quickly flattened myself in the tunnel so as not to be seen through the peepholes. A hand appeared in one of those holes, and I heard someone scramble to get on top. My foot slipped. The tunnel squeaked. I swallowed, held my breath. Slowly, I looked up.
My eyes met shaggy hair and a handsome face. Immediately, I started crawling backwards out of the tunnel. “Hey, wait.” The boy climbed in after me and followed me back out into the rain. I scurried down the steps, but he was faster, jumping from the structure and grabbing my arm. I let out a terrified squeal, barely audible as thunder crashed up above us. “What’s your name?” He asked. I stayed silent, staring at him. I couldn’t find my voice, but that was ok. He bombarded me with questions, not letting me answer. “How old are you? Are you out here by yourself? What are you doing all alone? Have you been crying? Oh you must be cold.” He paused to give me his jacket. “Is that a cast? What happened?”
“Alright guys, I think we’re good here. Where’d Joey get to? Joey!” The boy looked away from me towards the other voice.
“Come on,” he smiled down at me, pulling me to the other side of the playground. I tried to plant my feet into the mud, but he was strong and pulled me right along with him.
“Guys! I found a little girl.” Joey pulled me over to the group. Immediately I was surrounded.
“What the hell, Joe? Where did you even find her?”
“She was in the tunnel over there.” He vaguely pointed towards the slide.
“Well, how old is she? Where’d she come from.”
Joey shrugged. “I don’t know, 11 maybe? She doesn’t talk.”
One of the boys rolled his eyes. “Of course she doesn’t. Look at her – she’s terrified!” All six boys looked at me, twisting me around to see my face. I hadn’t realized I had let my emotions play out on my face. Instantly I tried to hide my fear.
“You must be amazing to see any fear, Evan. She looks indifferent, if anything.” Another boy retorted.
Evan looked at me again. “Huh. She hides it well.” He looked up. “Come on, lets get out of this rain, go somewhere warm.” The guys stared at him. “We could go to the diner,” he suggested.
Upon hearing the abstract implication of food, the boys started to walk. Joey held my hand gently, as though I were a small child. I stayed by his side, not wanting to get lost again.