Never Going Back

Coming Home

Paisley lived in a small town and went to a small school. It wasn't exactly a friendly neighborhood, but it was home. She walked a couple blocks down the road for the bus stop. The afternoon slowly came and out Paisley went. It was raining outside, a sudden downpour. All you could hear was pitter patters of rain drops clashing onto the sidewalk. It was silent, almost peaceful, until a gun shot was fired. Paisley frantically looked around. She saw a woman in distress down the other sidewalk across the road. Paisley hid in the bushes and sat as quietly as she could. A grubby looking man stood tall over the woman's body with a bat. The anxious and horrified screams of torture sunk through Paisleys eardrums. She counted how many times the woman was struck. 1...2...3...4. Paisley was fighting back tears. 9...10...11...12. She knew there was nothing she could do. 20...21..22..23, and finally 24. The pounding stopped, the bat was dropped and all that was left was quick footsteps fading away down the street. Paisley raced home. She told her parents about what happened. Paisley was shaken up about it. Remembering the sounds, all of them clearly running through her head chasing after her thoughts. Paisley stared at the wall as if it would change what happened, but it wouldn't, and she knew that.