I Wish I Had Moved To The City, by Halley DeLong 8th Grade

My heart pounded in my chest as I ran faster and faster. I couldn’t look back. There was no doubt about it: she was getting closer. The pouring rain flooded my eyes with dirt and sweat as I tripped and tumbled down into the river, its icy, rushing water dragging me under, threatening a cold watery death. My female pursuer was still after me, except she had an advantage, a canoe, and she was navigating the rocky river like a pro, weaving in and out of boulders, logs and other obstacles. On the other hand I had nothing. Oh how I wished I had moved to the city, with its twinkling lights, and lack of rivers, but for the moment, I was stuck in the middle of nowhere.
I wondered why I hadn’t thought of the canoe, it was laying right there, just waiting for somebody to jump in and go. Stupid me. But there was no time for that, because my head was suddenly dragged under, the filthy water stinging my eyes, and the taste of salt flooding my mouth.
I looked back at the woman, expecting to see a broken canoe, and an unconscious lady floating down the river behind me, but instead, got the worst surprise of my life, a gun pointed right at my nose. If only I had kept my mouth shut. If only I hadn’t told them everything. If only I hadn’t thought I was safe. I wouldn’t be in this mess.
Thursday, September 1st, I witnessed a violent crime, on my way home from the grocery store (even people living outside of cities need food). Now, I’m not talking about someone getting beat up AND stabbed. Being the idiot I am, I screamed like a five-year-old girl, sprinted toward the police station, and when I got there, I fainted. Yup, me, a 21-year-old man, fainted, yup. I guess I had been followed, because now, five days later, here I was.
“Hello Steven.” She said coolly as I stared deep into her amber eyes. I couldn’t believe how calm she was, sitting upright with perfect balance, her long slender arms effortlessly holding the gun to my head. Her slick black hair was pulled into and almost perfect ponytail, with a few stray hairs floating in the breeze. She had a long pointed nose and thin lips set in a constant sneer.
“Goodbye Steven” she seemed to laugh. I blinked, and saw her trigger finger twitch, then watched the bullet come at me in slow motion, the second it hit me, the lights came on.
“Cut” The director yelled, his cigar wagging to and fro like a conductor’s baton. “From the top” And it happened all over again.