No Regrets

Escaping the Store

"Man, Josh!", Kelly yelled, as her 17 year old brother pinched her nose. She was very close to her brother. As a thirteen year old, she looked up to her brother and admired him. It had been two months since they had run away from their wicked older sister, Veronica. They could not go to their drunken, useless father who did not seem to care about them.
"What, Kelly! I'm just messing".
" I really hate you right now"
" Ya right, Kelly, I know you don't. I know that somewhere deep deep down in your heart there is a place for me".
"Mhmm. Whatever. I'm just not in a good mood".
" Okay, suit yourself".

An awkward silence followed. It seemed to go on forever.
"Josh?"
"Yes, sis?"
"I miss mom. ALOT."
" So do I Kell, so do I..."
As the older brother, Josh tried his best to hold his tears in. He had to be strong for his sister. Why had that stupid drunk guy run over his mom?!

Why did life have to be soo hard? It wasn't fair!
"Well, Josh, let's begin cleaning up and packing. You know we don't have much time here. We have to leave before we are caught.", Kelly squeeked.
She looked around and saw the two tattered mattresses she had discovered in the basement, lying there on the stone-cold floor of a food store. They had managed to break in to stay for the night. They had survived on ham sandwiches, using ingredients from the shelves. The golden sun that rose from the horizon had its rays pierce through the dusty glass window, revealing their sticky faces.

"Josh, I can smell your breath from here.", complained Kelly, who knelt six feet away rolling up the tattered, dusty mattresses.
"Josh you lazy head come and help me.You get on my last nerve sometimes?!"
"Aw sis, mood swings again! I love you too hehe"
"Argh! Boys!"screamed Kelly in fruastration as she rolled her eyes, throwing her hands in the air.
"Fine, fine! I'll help!"
So after five minutes of hustling and huffing and panting, the mattresses were finally placed back in the basement, as found. The six o'clock bell rang, causing them to jump. "No! The guy will be here any minute!" Kelly exclaimed.
" Calm down baby sis! Calm down. We will be ok! OK? Breathe. All we have to do is sweep these crumbs and we will be out of here. Ok? So instead of panicking, let's finish up. We have to look for a new place to stay.
So they got to cleaning up. Josh got his tired rucksack from a corner and grabbed some cans of baked beans, canned beef, peas, corn, two loaves of bread, milk, butter, cheese, packs of chips, some cookies, bottles of water, canned soda, juice, and canned pineapples and peaches.

"Josh! Are we gonna need ALL that?! You are emptying the whole store! I feel so guilty?! Just hurry up! We need to get out! NOW?!" Her veins were popping out of her neck.

"Ok! Eish! I'm done!"- "I thought I heard a noise, I wonder what it is. Must be some rats in the cupboards or something!", a deep loud voice exclaimed. It was the sound of the old guy who worked at the store. Kelly turned white as she heard the key turn.
" See what I meant?!" mouthed Kelly, wide eyed, as they both squatted under the low counter . The sound of heavy boots grew closer and closer and louder and louder.
The old man abruptly stopped in his footsteps. "Wait a minute! I've been robbed! Shelves are empty!"
The sound of a gun cocking was heard. He jumped up and down with rage, raising dust from his boots, and in the process, the particles reached under the counter. Kelly's eyes begun to tear, and her face became hot as she tried to hold in her sneezing, but she couldn't stop it. She sneezed loudly and the old man cautiously turned around to follow the noise. "Cornelius? Is that you? U didnt come with me yesterday! Here doggy doggy, would you like a bone? " the fruastrated man yelled, having completely forgotten the fact that he had been robbed. However, when Cornelius did not show up, he went back to his right senses. But while he had been looking for the dog, Kelly and Josh had quietly begun to make their way through the back door. They were about to safely make it out when...BANG! BANG! BANG!
The man had seen them from the corner of his eye and begun shootijg at them. "You hooligans!you orphans! good for nothing! get back here this instant! NOW!" Kelly's heart begun pumping faster abd faster as they reached the door. "Josh! Help me!", screamed Kelly, as a bullet grazed her cheek. As Josh stopped to help his sister, he felt a kind of pain in his shoulder. It was the burly old man's heavy fingers with nails that dug into his masculine body. Then he heard the words he had wanted to avoid..."GOTCHA!". Kelly was bleeding from her cheek. She looked so helpless as they were dragged from the door to the man's smelly, old office. He threw them into a corner full of cobwebs as he got his phone and dialled the three digits: "Hello, yes...i have to report a case. I found two kids in my store...yes...and they had emptied my shelves- stupid kids! Trying to think they could run off! Yes I have them here...unhuh...thank you ma'am, I'll wait. They aint going nowhere."
Meanwhile Kelly was sobbing in Josh's arms. Thankfully, the bleeding had stopped. Why had he gotten Kelly into this mess?! Kelly was his life! He had a plan.
As the old man was on the phone, pacing around the room, Josh slowly got up and stood behind him. As the man turned, the toned 17-year-old lifted his huge foot and neatly slammed it on the old guy's first toe. As the old guy was screaming and yelling in pain, Josh grabbed Kelly, who was trembling , carried her on his shoulders, and ran for his life.