School chase

This isn't a work of fiction, this is a true story. All of the emotions are still fresh, the burn is still there, and I can recall how it left an ever lasting affect on my life. I can also remember how that day went. Class, class, break, class, break, class, then another class. So all in all, a typical school day for a sixteen year old teenager. However, on this day, things would end in a way that would ultimately change my life forever.

Science class that day was a bit of a drag. Since most students were away at some kind of farming festival that day, the roster was quite small. We all did some cool and awesome experiments using gas, dish washing liquid, and fire. Basically making bubbles that would float and then pop them with fire. It was really cool and was the perfect way to end the school day.

As I made my way out of class and began to cut across the front school field, I noticed a group of people standing near the area I go through to get home, but didn't think anything of it. Then, as I got closer to this group of people, I figured out who they were. You see, the day before all of this happened, me and a friend got in to an argument. Things were said, feelings got hurt, and the friendship fell apart. So when I saw this group of people lead by the ex-friend, I knew what was coming.

The second I passed the group and saw who they were, I ran for my life. There were at least five or six of them together, all ranging from teenagers to adults. So I ran as fast as I could. Hell, maybe even faster than that. School kids were everywhere, parents were getting in and out of cars, and most of the roads had traffic jam, so I was competing with quite a competition.

As I ran for my life I remembered thinking that that was the end for me, I was going to die. I would be beaten to a pulp and left to bleed to death, something that I had always feared would happen. To make matters worse, for months I was plagued by four words. Four words that would constantly niggle at me and get my emotions high. The End Is Near. Now I know, that might sound a bit dramatic, but when it comes to my family history...

My legs barely managed to keep up with the rest of my body as I ran for my life. I had to push past students, try and cross roads that were packed with cars, and even had to compete with a set of traffic lights. If I got a red light then the group could have easily caught me and beaten me to death. I could hear the group behind me calling out names, telling me to keep running like the little b@#$% that I was, and that I was dead!

I wasn't exactly the most physically active child growing up. I was short, thin, and couldn't perform very well athletically. So this run was a killer on my body, especially the burning feeling in my chest as I sprinted. There were several instances where I tripped and almost face planted in to the footpath, but managed to stabilize myself at the last second.

My school bag was full of text books, notebooks, and other various items, all of which weighed me down as I ran. But it didn't stop me. Every so often I would look back and see these men running in my direction, each of them screaming and yelling profanities. And things were about to take a turn for the worse. After turning around to have a look and see how much distance was between me and them, I turned back and saw the traffic lights fast approaching.

Every inch of my body was screaming at me to stop. Just give up and see if we could all talk it out instead, surely they would? But my survival instincts had kicked in and there was not stopping me. I ran at the traffic lights and focused on the red light, praying to God that it would change in time. Then, just as I was about to stop running and surrender to the cursed red light, it changed to green.

I felt my heart skip a beat as hope was restored. Someone else had already pressed the button, so it meant I didn't have to stop. I sprinted across the road in as little as three seconds, a personal record for me. There was now a something building within me that I would make it out of this situation unscathed, which kept me going even more. The footpath ahead was mostly clear as I had out run the other students, but cars were still pulling it and out of driveways.

Once again I looked back and saw that the group were now stuck at a red light. You might not think of this as being amazing, but it made the feeling of dread wash away even more. One of them had their hands cupped over their mouth to try and shout something at me, but I was too far ahead to hear what it was. The next crossing was fast approaching and I was watching the traffic flow as I ran, noting when and where would be the perfect opportunity to merge like a zip.

Traffic broke and I seized my chance. I ran into the center of the road and kept a steady pace, never actually stop running. With another look back I saw my pursuers were now far behind. I could now hear the singing of angels in my mind, all of which were cheering me on, to not stop running. So I didn't. I continued running until I reached the gates of another school, then stopped to catch my breath. I could run no further.

I turned back and saw the group quickly gaining the ground that they had lost, each of them still shouting fantastic words at me, or about me. My chest was on fire, my legs were as wobbly as jelly, and my body was ready to give up, but I knew I couldn't. Not yet. Home was not too much farther, so safety was at hand. I somehow managed to draw more energy from deep within myself, then continued the chase.

Primary school kids just watched as I ran past them. Some of them were even cheeky and told me to keep running, but I was in the zone at that point. My mind had gone blank and was now just focused on getting me home. I passed the school and eventually came to the familiar shops that were up the road from my house, then took a moment to stop and check whether or not I was still being pursued, which I wasn't.

I was finally in the clear but still maintained a light jog as I made my way home. The gravel driveway seemed like the stairway to heaven at that point, so I stopped running and just returned to a slow walk. The walk felt longer than the run, seemingly taking forever as I made my way up the driveway. At long last I saw my house. That ugly, beat up, run down, paint flaking piece of rubbish.

Home had never seemed so sweet before. I saw that my mother had a friend over as there was a car underneath the carport, so I gradually made my way up to the front doorstep and leaned against the door. Every inch of my body was in pain at that point, so knocking on the door caused even more. I knocked on the front door and waited for it to open. Once it opened I pushed past my mother and nearly dropped onto the floor, gasping for air.

My mother was confused and said that I was home earlier than usual, turning to her friend. I said that I wasn't returning to school, that stuff had gone down and I didn't feel safe anymore. Although she was confused, my mother sat down with and heard my story. She understood what had happened and tried her best to comfort me, but was actually the beginning for so much more tension.

So that's my chase story. It might not contain action, drama, massive story plots, or even a film like script, but it is my story. It stays with me, always. Years later I still dream of the chase, a permanent reminder of how my life had instantly changed. Those words finally made sense. Those damn words. The End Is near. The end of that current life and the beginning of another.

Thank you for reading.