I decided to take a shortcut home but as I passed the alley,
a hand pulled me in. I was knocked to the ground and a shadow
hovered over me. I began to scream but the same hand covered
my mouth.
“Shut up or I’ll kill you!”
I shut my mouth instantly. I didn’t want to die
yet. In the moon’s reflection I got a good look of
my attacker. It was a boy who looked a little bit older
than me. His face and clothes were dirty but he had really
good features so I could tell he was extremely good-looking.
But this was not a time to think about such things.
He held a table knife at my throat and said, “Give
me all your money or I’ll kill you.”
I panicked but I knew what to do. I used the move I wanted
to use on my stepmom every time she pinned me down and hit
me. I kicked him hard, right into his family jewels. He
gasped and fell to the floor, dropping the knife. I picked
up my groceries and ran.
I guess you can call me the dumbest person alive. I was
afraid I had kicked the boy too hard and permanently damaged
him. Besides, since my life is hell already, I didn’t
want him to go through it too. So I turned back.
When I came back to the alley, the boy was still lying
on the floor. He was moaning softly. I lifted him up gently.
“Are you okay?” I asked. He shook his head no.
“I’m sorry,” I said to him. I reached
into my pocket and pulled the money Mr. Choi gave me. “If
you need money, then here. All I have is ten dollars.”
I placed the money in his hand and walked away. He looked
at me with this weird expression that I couldn’t read.
I picked up my groceries and this time I left without turning
back. I could tell the boy was watching me as I was walking
away…
Ji Won stared at the girl who had just walked away. She
must be the nicest or dumbest person in this
world,’ he thought.
He began to stand up but had to use the wall
for balance. That girl had kicked him a little
too hard. Ji Won had just run away from home
again. He had run away so many times that the
alley was his second home. When he ran away
he always stole his parents’ money.
