The Fountain Girl

Chapter 1

Maybe it was the cool breeze of the evening that set the mood. The wind caressed my face and beat the leaves of the oak trees around. I sat cross-legged on a bench in South Valley Park, with a notebook in my hand and a sketch pencil in the other, slowly sketching every detail of the quaint scene in front of me.

I didn't get to enjoy this serenity often. Not only did I love to draw, I also loved to be alone, at peace, with my thoughts running freely as the cool evening breeze.

Amid all the couples having strolls in the park with a cup of coffee in their hands, the nannies pushing baby seats around, the people jogging with their dogs, there was a lone figure standing below a single lamp-post, wearing a top hat that was casting a shadow on his face and a black trench coat, not something you would commonly see in South Hampington.

He held a roll of newspaper in his hand, occasionally glancing at a short, adorable toddler that was splashing about in a fountain, her wet hair sticking to the back of her neck. He had been doing this since I had sat down on the bench twenty minutes ago. I put down my notebook and pencil, and decided to quietly observe the man in the trench coat, at the same time pulling my hood over my head to stop the breeze from irritating my hair.

It had been ten minutes until the man made his move. In seven quick, wide strides, the man had reached the fountain. Swiftly, he extended his arms and grabbed the toddler by the waist, accidentally pressing onto her flesh too hard, forcing her to scream in pain. Tears were already streaming down her soft cheeks. I tucked my things into my jacket's pockets and made a start for the man in the trench coat.

I lashed my leg out towards the man's back, possibly hurting his spine and forcing him to drop the innocent girl. He whipped his head around and bashed it against my own, making me stumble back in a daze. In this brief moment of my confusion, the man quickly punched my gut, and I collapsed on the ground. The man in the trench coat grabbed the toddler again and ran off, pushing people aside, the girl wailing.

I got up and chased after the kidnapper, my footsteps thudding down the stone pavement. I quickly closed the gap between me and the man, and reached for his neck once I was within reach. I tightened my grip and made him choke and gasp for air. His body turned around and he threw the girl in my direction, his eyes pleading for me to let go of his neck. I did, and he scampered off, the evening breeze whipping his coat around.