The Chase

I swear he keeps eyeing me.

I try to act casual as I walk down the wet sidewalk, looking for a good place to turn. It is dark, which works in my favor. I know that my black coat helps me hide amongst the shadows, but this street is so bloody well-lit that I cannot find one. I pick up my pace to more of a trot and zip past a couple walking in the other direction. I go another block, attempting to act like I do not see him, but I know that my heavy breathing is exposing my panic.

Suddenly, he’s yelling to me.

“Come here, little girl!” His voice has a kindness to it, with an underlying sense of irritation.

Oh Lord.

Time to run!

I bolt like I’m taking off from the starting line and the gun has just fired.

I hear his enormous boots pounding along the concrete.

He is running too.

I’m sure he’s faster than me.

But he’s not as nimble!

I zip to the other side of the street, weaving around trash cans and park benches.

“Dammit!” He mutters and I hear his boots crossing the street to follow me.

I cut the corner through a parking lot.

It’s empty.

No cars to hide under or truck beds to jump into. I stop briefly at the next corner and look around.

I have no idea where I am. How far have I gone?

I finally take off left.

There!

An alleyway. It comes up on my right and I turn into it so quickly that I am nearly horizontal.

It’s a dead-end.

I look up. Is there anything that I can climb? 

Nothing.

The windows along the brick walls are too high for me to reach… no fire escape…

His footsteps are getting closer.

“Hey! Come here!” His voice is firmer now, and he is just around the corner.

Oh no!

I look to the left. And then to the right.

Ah!

There is a small window well built into the concrete; I’ll hide in there! Maybe, if I’m lucky, the basement window will be open!

I leap into the window well. The window is closed, but I push my body hard against it. It does not open.

The man is in the alley now, walking slowly, looking for me.

Curl into a ball.

I close my eyes. My breathing sounds like a freight train… I should hold my breath!

He is getting closer, I can tell.

I can’t hold my breath any longer, so I breathe very slowly.

In. Hold. Out. Hold. Quiet.  

The man makes kissing sounds with his mouth, saying “Come ‘ere baby! Where are you?”

Oh no.

The thumping of his boots on the cement continues again.

The alleyway is much darker than the street and I can tell that he hasn’t seen the window well yet.

He will leave soon.

I know that if I just stay quiet, he won’t find me. He will get tired of looking and he will leave. I can hear his feet shuffling around, moving back and forth. He makes a clicking noise with his tongue.

Suddenly, his movement stops.

It is silent.

Now he is moving again.

He’s coming.

Toward the window well.

Toward me.

My eyes are still closed but I can hear him standing above me, looking down at me. His breathing is heavy from chasing me.

I can’t open my eyes. I just can’t.

I’m going to die. He’s going to kill me. My home, my momma, my cozy bed. Why did I leave in the first place?! I’m sorry, Momma, I swear!

I wonder if she misses me. Has she noticed that I left? Does she wonder where I have gone? Is she looking for me? She must be. She loves me. Before she adopted me, nobody had ever loved me the way she does. Nobody! My home? I didn’t really have one. I was moved around all the time. I would fall asleep in one stranger’s house and wake up in another. But Momma took me and loved me, and I realize now that I never needed anything else!

Suddenly, like a vice, his large hands are gripping me around my midsection and yanks me easily from the window well.

I scream as loud as I can.

The eyes! Go for the eyes!

I wield my nails and scratch frantically at his face. He pulls his head back and moves it back and forth, avoiding my attacks. I feel my nail catch his skin and he lets out a yelp, dropping me immediately.

I run as fast as my legs can carry me. The rain is starting again. My breath is forming a small cloud of white in front of my mouth. Keep running. My hair is already soaking wet, and my feet are freezing.

There is nobody around. Even if I do yell, there is nobody to help me. I spot another alley, but it is blocked in by a tall chain-link fence. That’s far too tall for me to jump!

But there!

There’s a trash bin right at the corner of the building. That will give me enough height to jump the fence!

I look behind me quickly to see the man running full speed toward me, although now he has a small line of blood trailing down his cheek. It’s not bleeding heavily and looks more like a string of sewing thread. I don’t feel bad.

I am almost to the trash bin. I suck in a deep breath and leap, using my front arms to pull myself up. I push off my legs and jump to the top of the fence. I make it and sloppily jump down to the ground on the other side.

I land on my feet.

Before I can even turn to run down the alley, the man crashes full force into the fence. The whole thing rattles so loudly that I feel my own teeth chatter. He stops, puts his hands on his knees and pants for a moment. We are staring at each other through the metal links of the fence.

He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls something out.

My eyes grow wide.

But I can’t move.

I can’t run.

What is it!

My throat feels like it’s closing.

I can’t swallow.

He has his fist wrapped around something and squats down to the ground. He holds his mitten-like hand out toward me and opens his fingers….

Suddenly I hear what sounds like a series of bells chiming. It scares me and I jump a foot into the air. I turn quickly and take off down the alleyway. I duck behind a dumpster placed haphazardly along the alleyway and hope that he did not see me. I get as low to the ground as I can and close my eyes again. My chest moves up and down with such intensity that I think I may explode.

I can hear the man talking.

“Yes, I almost had her but she’s a real bastard ya’ know. Got me right in the face.”

He must still be on the other side of the fence because he sounds far away.

I can’t help it. I peek my head around the side of the dumpster. Is it safe to make a run for it?

He is standing up now, with one hand up to his ear and the other at his hip.

“I don’t know, Momma. I don’t know… we’re a few blocks away from the house. I followed her to an alley but it’s fenced in. I think she was actually considering taking the damn treat from me but she got spooked.”

Momma! How does he know Momma?!

He stops talking for a moment and rolls his eyes. Then, exasperated, says, “Well, I didn’t know you left the front door wide open!”

He turns his head and looks right at me.

“Now the damn thing is just sitting there staring at me like this is some sort of game. Bastard!” he growls at me. “I’ll come back out in the morning to look for her. It’s pouring rain and I’m freezing.” He pauses and then continues, “Don’t worry, don’t worry. She will be fine. Cats know how to survive.”