I started walking to the left of Strawberry Fields, only because when Mr. Wilson brought me here, we came from that direction, and I recalled seeing shops and restaurants and stuff while on the way here, so I just decided, "fuck it", and never turned, just walked straight, into the downtown, or at least, I THINK it's a downtown...
On the way here, I only saw houses. Though, like I said, I wanted to get a visual of this place, so I started drawing a map in my journal, starting from Strawberry Fields, and naming the streets I passed by and crossed.
I don't know what time it is, but I know I haven't eaten since about 3 or 4 hours ago, and I was already hungry and lightheaded, not to mention that painful empty feeling in my stomach. I've been eating my snacks and drinking my water along the way, but I know I need real food, like a meal, and soon...not only that, having to write in my journal and hold it up was excruciatingly painful to my hands...Both hands were a nasty dark purple color, after all the life was practically smashed from them. But I had to do what had to be done...I still need to get alcohol to clean it, as well as bandages, so they won't get infected, and I need to find SOME kind of job, but I don't know who'd hire a 9 year old, though, who knows...this isn't America, so maybe they have different rules here...And I DEFINITELY need painkillers..Something, because this pain was unbearable!
But first food...I can't think correctly on an empty stomach.
I look around for a restaurant or diner to eat at, or at least a little cafe to get a sandwich...Ah! Fish and Chips...Although, I don't really know what chips were...like potato chips? I walked across the street to see...Oh! Perfect timing, someone is going to order..I'll just see what they get and if it looks good, i'll get it as well. Yeah, that sounds good.
They just got fish and chips and a Coca Cola. Sounds fine to me...I also found out that Chips, over here at least, meant French Fries, so there's that...
I went up to the stand, able to see over the counter, but only my face showed...
"Hello there, how can I help you?"
"Umm, can I have the Fish and Chips, please?"
"Just one order?"
"Yes sir!" I said with my best smile.
"Alright, then...that'll be 2 pounds, please."
I took out the wallet from my backpack as carefully as I could, so as to not cause my hands anymore pain then they already needed to go through. I took out two nickel sized coins, each one said "One Pound", and gave it to the man.
I just dropped it in his hands, like anyone would, and he took them, but I guess during the process, he saw my heavily wounded hands, and right when he took the money, he gasped loudly. He even scared me.
"What?! What?! Are you alright? Is there a spider, or a rat or something?"\
"No! Your hands! What in the world happened to your hands?! Are YOU ALRIGHT?!!"
I have to think of something quick!
"Oh yeah, I'm alright!" I say easily and calmly. "It's just, my family moved over here about a week or so ago, and we live out in the countryside, and we came to town today, and earlier today, before we left, I was climbing a tree, and I slid down the tree trunk accidentally, because I lost my grip, and I got all these cuts, and they were already bruised beforehand because...because, umm...because my dad is a professional boxer, and I was practicing on a punching bag without a glove all day yesterday, so that's why I have the bruises and cuts..." I smiled like it was nothing.
"But doesn't it hurt?"
"Well, yeah, but not so much as the first time I went glove-less, and I have cut my hands on tree bark before as well, but that hurt just a much as the first time..."
"Oh, well, that's alright then...anyway, that all sounds fun, but you should be careful next time, yes?" he was already working on my food.
"Oh yes, yes sir...I've learned my lesson..be careful when tree climbing, and wear gloves when practicing, so I don't get bruises."
"Very good" He smiled at me. "Now, here's your food, and because I'm feeling generous, here's a free bevvy."
"You mean a soda?"
"Right, a bevvy...a beverage, y'know?"
"Oh, I see..well thank you very much for the "bevvy", and I hope you have a wonderful day."
"Thank you, you as well dear." He waved to me. "I hope your hands get better soon..."
"Thank you, sir."
He nodded at me, and I smiled once more before turning around and walking away.
I ate my food sitting at a nearby bench, giving myself a break from all that walking. The food was good and all, but I had to wait to eat it, because it was hot, and my hands just can't take the heat. After waiting about 3 minutes, I ate the fish, and then the chips. Very delicious, that's all I have to say...When I finished eating, I drew in my journal, the places I haven't drawn in yet, like the restaurants, shops, and cafe's, along with other little spots. When I was done with that, cleaned my hands, as slowly and carefully as humanely possible, then I went to go throw the trash away, and I was off once again, doodling in my journal and every once in a while stopping to get a good look around me...
I could see the greenery of the nearby park from about a third of a mile away, which, to me, is pretty cool. The park looked very nice, but it was so far away, and I've been walking for about 2 and a half hours, and I couldn't possibly walk anymore, for any longer, so I stopped in a nearby alley. Why an alley? Because 3 people have noticed my hands, and I'm getting tired of telling them the same old lie, because I've been forgetting some parts I'm supposed to be saying...Also, I'm getting hot walking around for so long, and it looks much cooler in its shade, and perhaps it will be quieter. God knows I need some quiet with the throbbing headache I have.
I peaked inside the alley, to make sure it wasn't too creepy, or damp, but no...the sunlight didn't shine in, but TRUST ME...it was light enough to believe you were in the den at home. I sat down in a corner at the dead end of the alley, just so I can rest my head somewhere. It was so cool and quiet in this alley, it was EXACTLY what I needed...I started to get drowsy from the heat, along with my travels, and the sleepiness began to over come me, making my movements slower, my headed bobbing to the side, to rest against the wall, and my eyelids getting heavy (I already took off my glasses)...Yeah, I really needed a nap, some relaxation, some me time...It's alright, I'll be alright, I've made it this far, and nothing will stop me from surviving, nothing will bring me down, I've got this...And with those last thoughts, I drifted off into a much needed sleep.
Rustling. Footsteps. Talking. No, Arguing. My arm moves, but I am not the one moving it...This is what awakes me...
What is going on?!! Am I dreaming? I think to myself.
I open my eyes slowly. I open them only to find 5 guys in front of me arguing about I don't really know what.
They each had a black ski mask on, but they were all around the same height...although one of them, as far as I could tell (I can't see that far, because I don't have my glasses on) seemed to be taking big dinosaur steps, because, from where I sat, it looked like he needed glasses, because he couldn't see well...I don't know, either that or something going on in this guy's crotch, or he has some issues...by the way they sounded, they were definitely from Liverpool, but they were not men, but rather teenage boys, much older then me I'm guessing...
I don't think they've realized I've woken up already. That means that if I keep this up, I may be able to escape, safely, so long as I don't move and pretend I am still asleep....I still don't know what they are arguing about, so I listen closely...
"We can't jus' take money and the belongings of a little girl!!"
"And why not?"
"What if she needs that stuff...y'know, for the things that birds get..whats it called?..."
"Her rag? You daft idiot.." he mumbled. That was the one who walked like a dinosaur...a sarcastic one, he was...
"Oh, piss off!" The other snapped back
"Piss off yourself, you fookin' wanker.."
"Why you fecking-"
"Will you shut up! I'm trying to think..."
"Think on what? Just take her stuff..simple as that." Another one said
"Look..let's think this through, yeah?..Liverpool isn' that big..we know lots of people from school, and some of their families...if we don't recognize 'er, she probably isn't from around here. I mean, she probably isn't even from this country...I mean, look at her skin tone! No one that I've ever seen that is from the UK has olive/brown skin like hers...I think we should just leave her..she could be on the run or somethin', for all we know..."
"Nah..If she's foreign, she probably has money, right? Like lot's of it...She could even be American!"
"No, probably somewhere from the Middle East...I've never seen an American with that kind of skin..."
I saw that my glasses are gone, so I can hardly see 6 feet in front of me...I didn't turn my head, for fear of them seeing me move, but I kept my eyes looking so that they were closed, but open just a slit, so I could see out of the corner of it. When I looked out of the corner, I saw that the backpack was kind of close to my hand...I looked ahead and saw the boys in front of me, and I started to wonder how I could possibly get out of this position, as quickly and as safely as possible, along with my backpack. I could slowly inch my hand towards the backpack, get a grip on it, the dash off, like there was no tomorrow...Well, at this point, that seemed to be my only choice...
Slowly, I put my hand closer to the backpack...move my hand an inch, then see if the boys noticed, then I kept repeating the process for about 30 seconds, when, finally, the bag was in my hand! Yes!...now, all I need to do is run for my life, and i'll be alright..I got ready to run, clenched my muscles, took a deep breath, to push down the nervousness, and let the excitement fill me, then, suddenly, I jumped up, and started running, the bag flying behind me.
I started to scream as I ran through the boys, not a little sissy scream, but like a war cry scream...I guess that scared them..well, some of them...I was dodging boys left and right, still screaming...I was just about out, when I was suddenly jerked back by the bag..I wouldn't let it go...My eyes were closed, so I don't know who did it, but I got shoved by someone, causing me to trip and hit my head on the wall...The wall was brick, yet I could still hear the loud "thud" of my head hitting the wall..It hurt very much, and a sharp pain in my head began to settle...
I was so dazed and dizzy, I could hardly stand up, but somehow I managed to...the bag was on the ground, and I leaped to get it, before anyone else did, and it was now in my hands..At Last!! Now, back to square 1, I have to get out...I ran as fast as I could to get out, hitting the boys whenever I could, and right where it counts, may I add...But one boy manages to get in front of me.
He slaps me across the face, and all their other boys stop their commotion, stunned by the sheer force in the slap..like me. That slap is the hardest I've ever received, causing a few tears to fall..
I was on the ground, on my knees, holding my cheek because of the pain, when all of a sudden, that same boy grabs me by my ponytail, and tugs on it, yanks it, really, dragging me back to the wall in which I was lying against in the first place...
He grabs me by my wrist, thank the lord not by my hand, and pulls me up into a standing position...He put his hand around my throat.
"You little fecker..You fecking Cunt! You hit me in my fookin' bollocks, and tried to get away with it...You hurt me boys, and you try to get away with it...I wanted that bag, and you tried to get away with it, well..I'll make sure that I have that bag and you won't be able to get away with anything else!!" He said angrily, though not really yelling...
He took out a switchblade knife from his pocket, and right when I saw it, I whimpered. No! No!..I can't die..I'm only 9, i'm too young to die..I still have 79 years to live! No, not today!!!
"Noah are you mad?!! She's just a young lass trying to defend herself!!! Just take the bag and we'll leave!!" The sarcastic one said hysterically.
"Shut up you!" The boy holding me down said
"Noah, stop..it ain't worth it, drop it, and lets grab the bag and go!" The other boys said back.
I squirmed and moved with all my might, but his hand wouldn't budge from my throat..I have to do something, I say to myself...Well, I might die, so, FUCK IT!! Desperate Measures...
I squirmed to distract him, and I kicked him, RIGHT. WHERE. IT. COUNTS!!!
And boy, did he scream in pain...
But all of a sudden, I felt warm and cold in my side, around my chest, towards the last rib bones of my rib cage...a feverish, burning sensation...As if I was dying...I felt hot, like lava, and something wet dripping on me...I screamed as if the devils ass were sitting on this very spot on earth...The pain was 1000x worse than the cuts and bruises and my hands...I fell on my knees, sat back against the wall, crying, taking heaved, short, fast breaths..Wheezes, really..I started to get hysterical, and began to cry, and I sprawled my legs out...
Everyone of the boys just stared in horror...I got stabbed.
Even the demon one, Noah, stopped whining, and stared in shock, that he, himself, actually did that...
After 10 seconds of watching me, Noah said, "Come on lads...We'll get caught, we have to scram..LET'S GO!"
Their gone, couldn't care less about me. Whelp, alrighty then. I just got stabbed and I've been nothing but friggin' miserable, so I guess I'm ready to die...Well, what does it matter if they left..So yeah, that happened. I'm dying, so at least i'll be with my family, maybe...We'll, at least, I hope I'll be.
My eyes started to close, when I heard someone panting, running here...
I lifted my head up as much as I possibly could, only to find it was that sarcastic boy coming back...His ski mask was still on...I curled up into myself as much as I could, so I didn't have to look at him, and I was crying into my (very much burning) hands.
My vision was starting to get blurry and dark...I was starting to feel colder. He knelt beside me, and said something, though he was barely audible...All I heard was "What have I done?!! I'm sorry..so sorry..didn't mean for this to happen...going to get help..have to leave or will get caught.." And with that, he said an inaudible "sorry," from what I made out, and left running.
After that, I was only conscious for maybe about a minute and a half, but I recall seeing a tall blurry, shadowy figure coming near me, and picking me up...Next thing I know, I start having dreams of someone, someone I don't know, yelling, "keep your eyes open", and "stay with me..." and just the same place over and over again: A room with a window open in front of me, light shining through, like the perfect summer day, and the curtains blowing in the wind, and that's all I see...it's very relaxing and calming though..like I'm finally free...I feel at peace...I guess this must be heaven...