knowin’. Them’s the sheep, and I’m the one’s in charge!” He brandished his ornate spear with a feathered tip. The one Peter used to carry around. It wasn’t a weapon; it was a symbol of authority.
“Ones of ‘em, tons of us!” they all started chanting again, this time closing in on us. They were children, but the look of murder apparently had no preference for age. Gia backed into me; I felt the warmth of her sweat on my shoulder. I put my arm around her, determined to use her as a shield if I had to. I looked over at Dodger, who crab-legged it back, struggling with the net.
“Twist?” he yelled as Kiss T-shirt knelt down in front of him. “Time for Plan B!”
“What’s that?” Gia asked.
“But―” I desperately looked around and fought back the guilt of potentially abandoning Dodger.
“Plan B!” Dodger yelled.
Right, then. The path of least resistance. I looked over at the little girl and took Gia by the hand, waiting for an opportunity. Adrenaline was running through my body like searing electricity. Waiting, waiting, it was a dangerous game. If I waited too long, it would be too late. Something had to happen.
“Now!” Dodger yelled, as he leapt up from the ground, net and all, tackling the boy. They both struggled tossing back and forth for an instant, all the children looked to their leader. Without giving it a second thought, I brought my foot up, all ten and a quarter inches of it, and planted it square in the little girl’s chest. I put all my weight behind the blow, yet I was still surprised when she flew clean off her feet and landed with a scream some feet away. Holding each other’s hands, Gia and I ran off into the thicket, rocks gliding past us just a hair’s throw away from crushing our skulls. The hooting and hollering of the children as they gave chase sounded like a pack of wild monkeys.
“Oh, my god, Twist!” Gia yelled.
“What, are you hurt?” I said.
“No, that was a little girl!!” said Gia.
I looked back at Gia, meaning to apologize, when a spear landed hard in the tree next to us.
“Screw her! RUN!” I screamed as I dragged Gia along.
e ran through the park careless of the direction or obstacles in our paths. We were being hunted. I felt foolish with the realization that we weren’t even being hunted by anything worth boasting about. With a gang of wild children on our heels, we pathetically sought shelter, some place where we could hide and regroup. If they hadn’t caught Dodger, he would have never let me live that down. Branches cut at my legs, and Gia’s curses made me believe she was in just as much discomfort.
Where should we go? I have to get us out of here
.
We ran so wildly I wasn’t able to gain my bearings. For all I knew, we could have been heading deeper into the park or back out the way we came. But I couldn’t stop; the hooting and howls of children grew louder with every step. We couldn’t shake them; eventually we would have to confront them in their own backyard. I glanced up at the moon, hoping to figure out where we were Foolish idea. My foot caught on a root, causing me to stumble headfirst into a thorny bush. Gia skidded to a halt, trying to pick her way to me through the branches. The children came into view as she pulled at my arm.
“Run…” I whispered, hoping to show at least some sign of courage.
“Don’t think I wouldn’t! But this is just ridiculous!” She turned around, standing over me, like a brave warrior protecting the damsel in distress.
“Whoop, whoop, whoop!” the kids yelled, brandishing their makeshift weapons, trying to intimidate.
“No!” Gia yelled.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“This is so dumb!”
The leader marched forward, holding his spear, and all the other kids quieted down. He wore a smile and crooked teeth. “Prisoners for the take.”
Gia marched over to him and stood sternly. “NO!” She smacked him across the face. The sound of her palm making full contact with
“Ones of ‘em, tons of us!” they all started chanting again, this time closing in on us. They were children, but the look of murder apparently had no preference for age. Gia backed into me; I felt the warmth of her sweat on my shoulder. I put my arm around her, determined to use her as a shield if I had to. I looked over at Dodger, who crab-legged it back, struggling with the net.
“Twist?” he yelled as Kiss T-shirt knelt down in front of him. “Time for Plan B!”
“What’s that?” Gia asked.
“But―” I desperately looked around and fought back the guilt of potentially abandoning Dodger.
“Plan B!” Dodger yelled.
Right, then. The path of least resistance. I looked over at the little girl and took Gia by the hand, waiting for an opportunity. Adrenaline was running through my body like searing electricity. Waiting, waiting, it was a dangerous game. If I waited too long, it would be too late. Something had to happen.
“Now!” Dodger yelled, as he leapt up from the ground, net and all, tackling the boy. They both struggled tossing back and forth for an instant, all the children looked to their leader. Without giving it a second thought, I brought my foot up, all ten and a quarter inches of it, and planted it square in the little girl’s chest. I put all my weight behind the blow, yet I was still surprised when she flew clean off her feet and landed with a scream some feet away. Holding each other’s hands, Gia and I ran off into the thicket, rocks gliding past us just a hair’s throw away from crushing our skulls. The hooting and hollering of the children as they gave chase sounded like a pack of wild monkeys.
“Oh, my god, Twist!” Gia yelled.
“What, are you hurt?” I said.
“No, that was a little girl!!” said Gia.
I looked back at Gia, meaning to apologize, when a spear landed hard in the tree next to us.
“Screw her! RUN!” I screamed as I dragged Gia along.
e ran through the park careless of the direction or obstacles in our paths. We were being hunted. I felt foolish with the realization that we weren’t even being hunted by anything worth boasting about. With a gang of wild children on our heels, we pathetically sought shelter, some place where we could hide and regroup. If they hadn’t caught Dodger, he would have never let me live that down. Branches cut at my legs, and Gia’s curses made me believe she was in just as much discomfort.
Where should we go? I have to get us out of here
.
We ran so wildly I wasn’t able to gain my bearings. For all I knew, we could have been heading deeper into the park or back out the way we came. But I couldn’t stop; the hooting and howls of children grew louder with every step. We couldn’t shake them; eventually we would have to confront them in their own backyard. I glanced up at the moon, hoping to figure out where we were Foolish idea. My foot caught on a root, causing me to stumble headfirst into a thorny bush. Gia skidded to a halt, trying to pick her way to me through the branches. The children came into view as she pulled at my arm.
“Run…” I whispered, hoping to show at least some sign of courage.
“Don’t think I wouldn’t! But this is just ridiculous!” She turned around, standing over me, like a brave warrior protecting the damsel in distress.
“Whoop, whoop, whoop!” the kids yelled, brandishing their makeshift weapons, trying to intimidate.
“No!” Gia yelled.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“This is so dumb!”
The leader marched forward, holding his spear, and all the other kids quieted down. He wore a smile and crooked teeth. “Prisoners for the take.”
Gia marched over to him and stood sternly. “NO!” She smacked him across the face. The sound of her palm making full contact with
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