would realize I was the one they were waiting for. I’d made it nearly to the top of the landing when I heard the shuffle of feet on the sidewalk behind me. I tensed, waiting for an angry hand to be thrust around my arm, pulling me back, causing me to lose my balance, making me fall into the faceless, nameless person that had decided to take me under their charge. The shuffling click of the steps grew closer, I waited to hear them burst up the stairs behind me. I closed my eyes, unable now to move at all. The rhythmic pattern continued down the street and I filled my lungs with air. I didn’t need to look behind me to see who the steps belonged to. I already knew that person. I knew too well the person that had seen potential trouble and wanted to become invisible, their eyes static, their face frozen in a grimaced smile, every movement stiff and unnatural.
I stepped into the corridor prepared to collapse with relief until I noticed two more policemen stationed directly outside my door. I took another deep breath and started down the hallway. My legs felt like logs, joined with loose leather straps to my torso. My knees wouldn’t bend and the distance to my apartment seemed to grow farther with every step.
My presence had gone completely unnoticed until the entrance door slammed heavily behind me. The conversation was stopped abruptly as the attention of both of my awaiting guests was turned toward me. I knew it would be no use to turn back, my immediate future was inevitable, I had become a driver on an ice slickened road destined to collide with an immoveable object.
As I drew closer I could see that the first agent was watching my approach with arrogant amusement. The other seemed shy, almost embarrassed. Where I came from, the police were men you feared, they were to be hated and loathed. You would do everything you could to avoid being in their presence, ever. If you had the misfortune of crossing paths with one of these men, you would try to avoid eye contact and absolutely avoid conversation. Avoidance was surely the best method, yet here I was with no way to avoid them.
I soon recognized the arrogant one as a former classmate. His name was Friedrich. He didn’t give any indication that he recognized me and even went so far as to mispronounce my name. He hadn’t always been so self-assured, as a matter of fact, the boy I remembered was insecure and awkward. The victim of an unfair amount of bullying, he’d received quite a bit of grief for his unfortunately colored hair and freckle-covered skin. The other was familiar too, I couldn’t exactly say I knew him, but I certainly knew of him. He’d attended a neighboring school a class or two behind me. Before an injury took him away from the field, he’d been known citywide for his good sportsmanship and unusual athletic ability. His name was Marko.
I stopped a few feet from them.
“We’re here to talk to you about a certain, um, should I say, suspicious activity that’s been reported in the building,” Friedrich stated coolly.
I asked him to be more specific. He told me he wasn’t able to be more specific, explaining that suspicious activity covered a wide range of situations so he would leave it to me to tell him what had been going on. I found his strategy interesting but certainly wasn’t going to fall for it. Our eyes stayed locked, neither wishing to be the first to blink or look away.
“I have nothing to tell.”
“Fine,” he said smugly, “but if you want do it that way, I suppose we’ll need to take a look inside.”
“What? What on earth for?” I shrieked.
“Look miss, you‘re facing some pretty serious charges here, I think you should know that it’s in your best interest to cooperate.”
“Serious charges?” I looked back at him, confused. I knew it was safe to assume that someone had reported seeing me with the girl, but found it quite a leap to consider helping a small child get back to her grandmother without involving
I stepped into the corridor prepared to collapse with relief until I noticed two more policemen stationed directly outside my door. I took another deep breath and started down the hallway. My legs felt like logs, joined with loose leather straps to my torso. My knees wouldn’t bend and the distance to my apartment seemed to grow farther with every step.
My presence had gone completely unnoticed until the entrance door slammed heavily behind me. The conversation was stopped abruptly as the attention of both of my awaiting guests was turned toward me. I knew it would be no use to turn back, my immediate future was inevitable, I had become a driver on an ice slickened road destined to collide with an immoveable object.
As I drew closer I could see that the first agent was watching my approach with arrogant amusement. The other seemed shy, almost embarrassed. Where I came from, the police were men you feared, they were to be hated and loathed. You would do everything you could to avoid being in their presence, ever. If you had the misfortune of crossing paths with one of these men, you would try to avoid eye contact and absolutely avoid conversation. Avoidance was surely the best method, yet here I was with no way to avoid them.
I soon recognized the arrogant one as a former classmate. His name was Friedrich. He didn’t give any indication that he recognized me and even went so far as to mispronounce my name. He hadn’t always been so self-assured, as a matter of fact, the boy I remembered was insecure and awkward. The victim of an unfair amount of bullying, he’d received quite a bit of grief for his unfortunately colored hair and freckle-covered skin. The other was familiar too, I couldn’t exactly say I knew him, but I certainly knew of him. He’d attended a neighboring school a class or two behind me. Before an injury took him away from the field, he’d been known citywide for his good sportsmanship and unusual athletic ability. His name was Marko.
I stopped a few feet from them.
“We’re here to talk to you about a certain, um, should I say, suspicious activity that’s been reported in the building,” Friedrich stated coolly.
I asked him to be more specific. He told me he wasn’t able to be more specific, explaining that suspicious activity covered a wide range of situations so he would leave it to me to tell him what had been going on. I found his strategy interesting but certainly wasn’t going to fall for it. Our eyes stayed locked, neither wishing to be the first to blink or look away.
“I have nothing to tell.”
“Fine,” he said smugly, “but if you want do it that way, I suppose we’ll need to take a look inside.”
“What? What on earth for?” I shrieked.
“Look miss, you‘re facing some pretty serious charges here, I think you should know that it’s in your best interest to cooperate.”
“Serious charges?” I looked back at him, confused. I knew it was safe to assume that someone had reported seeing me with the girl, but found it quite a leap to consider helping a small child get back to her grandmother without involving
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