Dreaming

Just a Prank, Bro

It all started as a joke. Friends, more like acquaintances, gathered at my home, lounging on the kitchen floor. I don't know who started it. Who came up with the plan.

One kid— black hair, black attire, unacquainted with the rest— was chosen as the "victim", unknown to himself. Whispers were passed along the rest of us, passing along the prank and asking for cooperation. It got to me, I didn't say yes, but I didn't say no either. They assumed I would help.

One guy, the ring leader, took one of the kid's— I'll call him the outcast— belongings. He didn't notice for a while. When he did, he asked. We pretended not to know. The item was quietly passed to the next person. The outcast eventually got impatient, more annoyed. We all pretended not to know.

The item was constantly transferred. I made sure it never got to me, though. So I could say I wasn't involved. Outcast got fed up, too angry. A knife was pulled.

"I know one of you has it."

We pretended not to know. The first to go was the ring leader, a wound to the gut.

"Give it back."

We pretended not to know. One by one, the group diminished. The item was passed to the girl next to me, hidden in a pink fanny pack. There were three of us left, besides the outcast. I never touched the item.

He went outside to search. The three of us followed, watching from the garage. We whispered, " Who has it right now?" The one with the fanny pack— a blonde— spoke, quite loudly, "I have it."

That idiot.

Outcast heard, he pulled out his knife, pointed it at me. I raised my hands disarmingly. " Woah woah woah, Calm down. I don't have it." I never had it. He stared at me. I was never mean to him. He changed his target to the other two.

They were probably killed, I didn't see— I was already running. I turned behind me, something you should never do, he was following. I ran faster. In front of me was a tall tree, no low branches. I jumped, and with strength I didn't know I had, climbed the trunk to the closest branch, then continued.

I didn't look down until I was at the top. He was still down there, looking up. He probably couldn't do it. I got comfortable. I'd be up there for a while.