Paralysis

Paralysis: 1

She was just your typical American girl. Or was she? She didn't realise that consequences could end in death. She didn't realise that hypocrites are worse than they seem.  She didn't realise that in the blink of an eye, her whole world could turn upside down.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I weaved through the shoppers milling in the town square. My breaths were short and ragged, and my legs burning as if they were on fire. People gave me surprised looks as I raced past them. It wasn't everyday you saw a 13 year old girl sprinting through the town square. I kept running, slowing down when I was at one of the exits; a wide brick arch, showing the winding cobblestone paths outside of the square. I jogged through, turning at the first corner. I lifted my hands behind my head and breathed in slowly, trying to subdue the pain in my legs, while walking down the alleyway. I closed my eyes and walked forward. I was familiar enough with my surroundings to know where I was going.

I was walking for a few seconds, before I heard someone talk.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" someone growled from in front of me.

My eyes snapped open, and I came face to face with a defender, the people working for Albert Fox, our leader. I knew it was a defender as soon as my eyes landed on them. You couldn't miss them. They wore water resistant black bandanas that covered the bottom half of their face, cargo pants, -which probably had armour underneath- an olive green shirt with a bullet proof vest -I knew, because there were bulges shaped like the vest- and black leather steel-capped boots.

I yelped and shuffled backwards. The defender was smiling like a maniac. I gulped. He took a step towards me and I stepped backwards. I need a distraction, I thought. My eyes were darting from side to side and I felt beads of sweat running down my face. The only things around me where a few bins and the brick and stone slabs of houses. Calm down. Just run. Run like a mushroom cloud was going to suffocate you. I smiled innocently at the defender, turned on my heel and bolted, aware of the irritated snarls  and heavy thuds of gaining footsteps behind me.

I slid around a corner and sprinted back into the town square. It would be much easier to lose myself in groups of people than in deserted alleyways. I slowly turned my sprint into a walk and hastily shuffled towards thick groups of people. I acted neutral, like I was meant to be here. I sighed and looked around me for any sign on the defender. Seeing that it was clear, I walked up to the nearest shop, which was a clothes shop. I opened the door and slipped inside. I scrunched my face up when I realised what if sold. It was one of those cool and trendy shops where popular girls would get their popular clothes.

I aimlessly wandered around the shop, acting as if the clothes interested  me. There were high-waisted shorts, hanging on silver racks, lace tops, crop tops, ripped jeans, hustle tanks, playsuits and a whole variety of other clothes which disgusted me.

I nearly squealed. As I was standing near the register admiring a pair of white booty shorts, I noticed I could change my clothes. I mean, the defenders know that I wear shabby clothes. So I could change, and it would at least delay them finding me by my looks. And I had the money. I subconsciously patted my thighs where my pockets were. There was at least $70 in there from my pickpocketing habits.

I grinned to myself and walked around excitedly, eyeing all the clothes. I figured I had to buy the smallest size; I didn't eat, I didn't get fat.