The Chase, By: Natalie Wijesinghe, Grade: 6

My heart pounded in my chest, but I couldn’t slow down and I couldn’t look back. There was no doubt about it, they were getting closer. I was running down a dark ally, as fast as I could. My legs were burning as if a knife had been stuck in them.

I couldn’t stop. What did they want from me? I was a thirteen–year-old girl. They were much more skilled than me, and probably all of them carried guns. I turned sharply, and then I saw it. I jumped in the trashcan. Blech, exactly how I wanted the best night of my life to end, running in my new dress, away from my dance, and jumping into a trashcan. I was furious.


I saw them running past my hiding spot. Not so bad for a thirteen year old girl huh? I thought smugly. I knew I couldn’t go back to my dance; they probably had people waiting there. I crossed home off the list, that would put my family in danger. There was only one place I could go. The old, run-down bank.

I looked around for signs of anybody else. Nothing. I got up, and started sneaking around the corner. Two rights, one left, and another right, and I was there. All of a sudden, an arm grabbed at me. I spun around and saw a man- at least 5ft5”. I aimed a punch at him, but he ducked, and grabbed me. I started flailing my arms and legs, but there was nothing I could do.

He started walking to a place in the bank that I didn’t know. How did anybody know that I would come here? He set me down, and I looked up at him. “

“Z-z-Zach?” I barley got the name out. “ How did you know I would come here?”

“I followed you out of the building” was his reply. “Why were those men chasing you?”
“Honestly,” I said, “ I have no clue.”

“Well they looked danger-“

“ I know why!” I exclaimed, “ Remember how my dad arrested that one guy, Andy, I bet they were trying to get revenge by taking me.”

Zach laughed. “Well they didn’t expect that my girlfriend would be that easy to catch did they?” I giggled. “And by the way, you smell awful.”

“I had to jump into a trashcan to escape.” I explained.

We started to leave, when out of nowhere, somebody grabbed at us.

“Run!” Zach yelled, grabbing onto my hand. My heart started pounding again. We sprinted around the corner.

“Oh crap!” I said a bunch of men stood in our way. We turned around, and started running the other way. I grabbed my cell phone.

“Why didn’t you think of that before?” Zach yelled over a gunshot.

“911.’ I said frantically “We have eight men chasing us, Crosby road, Minneapolis. Come quick!” We sprinted down Crosby road, and in the distance heard sirens blaring.

“Faster!” Zach yelled.

“I’m trying!” Out of nowhere a police car came zooming around the corner followed by four other, blocking the men’s path to us.

Zach hugged me. “It’s okay now,” he said, and we walked home together..