Little Girl Lost.
003.
Autumn has always been my favorite time of year; the golden blanket of crispy leaves that covers everything, the clear, blue skies and the weather is not too cold but not too hot. It's perfect for drinking tea and reading a book on the porch, just soaking up the atmosphere nature has to offer.
It's also the perfect time of year for early, morning walks. The air is crisp but not too chilly and morning calls from birds nestled in their trees filled my ears. Crunchy, golden-brown leaves crackled under my feet as I made my way down our quiet cul-de-sac and I wrapped my hands tighter around my mug, fingers soaking up the warmth eminating from it. The street was mostly quiet, a few cars idling in their owner's driveways, warming up before heading to work; their tail pipes sending out small clouds of white and gray exhaust into the cold air.
I re-adjusted the weight of my gym bag on my shoulder as I rounded the corner and came to the main road running between my home and the school. A small car zoomed by, catching me off guard and I jumped back, nearly tripping myself in the process. Heart racing and hands shaking, I exhaled slowly trying to calm my nerves. The lack of sleep wasn't helping my anxiety that came with last night's incident. I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, or rather, would go wrong. I shrugged my shoulders, trying to shake off the dark feeling of dread looming over me and continued down the sidewalk.
Trying to distract myself, I began to mentally walk through my floor routine that Coach would be grilling me on the second I walked through the gymnasium doors. She was a hardass, a drill sergeant but she meant it all for the best. No one has ever had as much faith in me as she has, I can't remember a single moment where a harsh word left her mouth. She can be over-protective, especially so since she found out how involved my parents are with my life. Last semester, she even arranged and paid for a private tutor since I was failing my English class. She knew if I didn't bring my grade up, I'd have to leave the team so she made sure it didn't happen. Drill sergeant or not, she was a great coach and the entire team adored her.
Lost in thought, I hadn't kept track of how slow I was walking and a wavering glance at my watch sent a wave of adrenaline through me. Practice started in five minutes and I was still ten minutes away from the school.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath, quickening my pace down the gray sidewalk.
Small echoes came from behind, someone's footsteps began to match my own and each time their foot hit the sidewalk, my heart thudded just a little louder in my ears. I silently chided myself, how dare I get upset over something so silly yet again? It's no big deal, I'm just jumpy and especially on edge today. I'm sure the caffeine in my tea isn't helping that too much.
I resisted the urge to turn around and see who was potentially following me, "I'm fine, it's all fine, " I whispered to myself, trying to put a rest to my fears and the hasty conclusions my mind was jumping to at every moment.
Newspaper headlines flashed through my imagination. "Young gymnast found on side of road," "Local high school student slain in quiet neighborhood."
I glanced at my watch again, hoping that I was closer to my destination than I thought but only two minutes had passed. It felt like twenty, the footsteps of my own and the stranger's feet resonated in my ears; only making my heart pound louder and louder with every second.
A solution to the problem dawned on me, my sense of rationale was clouded by my anxiety so perhaps it wasn't the best plan but it was the only idea that made sense to me in that moment. I was holding only one thing and I had to use whatever I had, to the best of my ability, to defend myself.
I slowed my pace, trying to make it seem like I was distracted and searching for something in my gym bag. The footsteps behind me slowed too, nearly matching my gait exactly; step for step. I paused, hoping desperately they would pass me but they continued on behind me. They were close enough now I could hear their breathing; panting as if they were tired or nervous.
I tightened my grip around my mug, squeezing my fingers together as if it would give me a boost of courage or self confidence. Now or never.
I spun around as I un-fastened the lid and threw the steaming beverage straight at the face of the stranger. I didn't waste time waiting for a reaction, all I heard was a howl followed by a series of expletives and threats. I turned and ran, gym bag thumping against my hip and blood pumping to my face from fear. I rounded the sharp corner in the sidewalk and collided with an early-morning jogger.
"H-help, he's following me an-and I need help, please!" I stuttered, as I tried desperately to regain my balance, nearly screaming at the man I just collided with.
"Oh?" He replied, incredibly calm as he dusted off his tracksuit and rubbed at a bruised knee.
"Bates!" I heard a holler come from behind me.
"No..shit." I began to turn around, my fears coming to light.
"You won't be getting any help today." I heard the jogger mutter with a chuckle, grabbing my arms as I turned around and he began to attempt to wrestle me to the ground.
"No, let go of me!" I screamed, "Someone help!"
A hand was clamped over my mouth, but that didn't stop me from kicking and flailing, trying desperately to connect with a stray shoulder or jaw; anything to get away. I hit my head on the rough concrete, a wave of pain ran through my skull and down to my arms but I kept trying, I couldn't stop.
Another pair of arms joined in, hauling me off the sidewalk and something dark was thrown over my head, tied around my neck. A second wave ran through me, vertigo took over and I fell to the ground; unable to tell up from down and left from right. I was at a loss and I could feel consciousness slipping from my grasp, like water through the cracks in your fingers.
"No..plea..se. Help.." I mumbled, before a white blur took over my vision and I collapsed into the cold embrace of senselessness.
It's also the perfect time of year for early, morning walks. The air is crisp but not too chilly and morning calls from birds nestled in their trees filled my ears. Crunchy, golden-brown leaves crackled under my feet as I made my way down our quiet cul-de-sac and I wrapped my hands tighter around my mug, fingers soaking up the warmth eminating from it. The street was mostly quiet, a few cars idling in their owner's driveways, warming up before heading to work; their tail pipes sending out small clouds of white and gray exhaust into the cold air.
I re-adjusted the weight of my gym bag on my shoulder as I rounded the corner and came to the main road running between my home and the school. A small car zoomed by, catching me off guard and I jumped back, nearly tripping myself in the process. Heart racing and hands shaking, I exhaled slowly trying to calm my nerves. The lack of sleep wasn't helping my anxiety that came with last night's incident. I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, or rather, would go wrong. I shrugged my shoulders, trying to shake off the dark feeling of dread looming over me and continued down the sidewalk.
Trying to distract myself, I began to mentally walk through my floor routine that Coach would be grilling me on the second I walked through the gymnasium doors. She was a hardass, a drill sergeant but she meant it all for the best. No one has ever had as much faith in me as she has, I can't remember a single moment where a harsh word left her mouth. She can be over-protective, especially so since she found out how involved my parents are with my life. Last semester, she even arranged and paid for a private tutor since I was failing my English class. She knew if I didn't bring my grade up, I'd have to leave the team so she made sure it didn't happen. Drill sergeant or not, she was a great coach and the entire team adored her.
Lost in thought, I hadn't kept track of how slow I was walking and a wavering glance at my watch sent a wave of adrenaline through me. Practice started in five minutes and I was still ten minutes away from the school.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath, quickening my pace down the gray sidewalk.
Small echoes came from behind, someone's footsteps began to match my own and each time their foot hit the sidewalk, my heart thudded just a little louder in my ears. I silently chided myself, how dare I get upset over something so silly yet again? It's no big deal, I'm just jumpy and especially on edge today. I'm sure the caffeine in my tea isn't helping that too much.
I resisted the urge to turn around and see who was potentially following me, "I'm fine, it's all fine, " I whispered to myself, trying to put a rest to my fears and the hasty conclusions my mind was jumping to at every moment.
Newspaper headlines flashed through my imagination. "Young gymnast found on side of road," "Local high school student slain in quiet neighborhood."
I glanced at my watch again, hoping that I was closer to my destination than I thought but only two minutes had passed. It felt like twenty, the footsteps of my own and the stranger's feet resonated in my ears; only making my heart pound louder and louder with every second.
A solution to the problem dawned on me, my sense of rationale was clouded by my anxiety so perhaps it wasn't the best plan but it was the only idea that made sense to me in that moment. I was holding only one thing and I had to use whatever I had, to the best of my ability, to defend myself.
I slowed my pace, trying to make it seem like I was distracted and searching for something in my gym bag. The footsteps behind me slowed too, nearly matching my gait exactly; step for step. I paused, hoping desperately they would pass me but they continued on behind me. They were close enough now I could hear their breathing; panting as if they were tired or nervous.
I tightened my grip around my mug, squeezing my fingers together as if it would give me a boost of courage or self confidence. Now or never.
I spun around as I un-fastened the lid and threw the steaming beverage straight at the face of the stranger. I didn't waste time waiting for a reaction, all I heard was a howl followed by a series of expletives and threats. I turned and ran, gym bag thumping against my hip and blood pumping to my face from fear. I rounded the sharp corner in the sidewalk and collided with an early-morning jogger.
"H-help, he's following me an-and I need help, please!" I stuttered, as I tried desperately to regain my balance, nearly screaming at the man I just collided with.
"Oh?" He replied, incredibly calm as he dusted off his tracksuit and rubbed at a bruised knee.
"Bates!" I heard a holler come from behind me.
"No..shit." I began to turn around, my fears coming to light.
"You won't be getting any help today." I heard the jogger mutter with a chuckle, grabbing my arms as I turned around and he began to attempt to wrestle me to the ground.
"No, let go of me!" I screamed, "Someone help!"
A hand was clamped over my mouth, but that didn't stop me from kicking and flailing, trying desperately to connect with a stray shoulder or jaw; anything to get away. I hit my head on the rough concrete, a wave of pain ran through my skull and down to my arms but I kept trying, I couldn't stop.
Another pair of arms joined in, hauling me off the sidewalk and something dark was thrown over my head, tied around my neck. A second wave ran through me, vertigo took over and I fell to the ground; unable to tell up from down and left from right. I was at a loss and I could feel consciousness slipping from my grasp, like water through the cracks in your fingers.
"No..plea..se. Help.." I mumbled, before a white blur took over my vision and I collapsed into the cold embrace of senselessness.