with Mrs. Bernstein?”
“The old lady wouldn’t leave her apartment, and when I tried to pull her with me, she fainted. I didn’t want to carry her, so I left her there on her floor.”
He reached for her again, this time grabbing her arm in a tight grip. She spun and did one of the moves she’d been taught the first few months of self-defense classes. He reached for her again and she twisted away, this time stomping on his foot really hard with the heel of her new shoes. When he grabbed her around the waist she started screaming like she’d been taught to do. He released her when everyone within a block radius looked her direction, and she took off running to the one place she knew she would be able to lose him. The street market was three blocks away. It was always crowded and she thought she could easily lose him in the crowds.
She heard him yelling for her and could tell how close he was behind her. She was a fast runner, had always been faster than her cousin, but she was working on little sleep and she heard him getting closer and closer. People looked at her as she ran past them. Some moved out of her way, others didn’t. When she rounded the final corner and the street market was finally in sight, she felt his hand grip her shirt. He jolted her shoulder back as he grabbed it. She heard a rip and then she jerked her shoulder free.
Taking a risky chance, she darted into the street and made it halfway across before she heard tires screech and a horn blast right before she felt the impact of the taxi on her hip.
Mitch was right on Sandi’s cousins heels, but when he rounded the corner, he saw her bolt across the street and screamed her name just before the taxi clipped her hip and watched in horror as she flew across the street and landed in a small pile a few feet away.
People stopped and some ran towards her from a street market to help. He watched her cousin stop on the sidewalk, look around at the people, then casually walk away. Mitch rushed to Sandi’s side, pushing several people away as they stood around her to stare.
There was no blood, he thought as he knelt beside her. He knew better than to move her, so he gently touched her face. “Sandi?” he said over and over, lightly rubbing his fingers over her face. When she moaned and turned her head, he held her still. “No, don’t move.” He looked up to a woman standing across from him. “Call an ambulance.”
“Already on it,” she said, shaking her phone.
He gently ran his hands over Sandi, checking for broken bones. When he got to her hip, she bolted up and let a little scream out, starting to fight him off.
“Easy, you’re okay. It’s me.” She stopped and looked at him, then she was in his arms as everyone around them clapped.
Over an hour later, they were still stuck in the small room in the ER, waiting for a doctor to tell her what he already knew: no broken bones, just some bad bruising. But the doctor had wanted an X-ray and so they were waiting for her turn to be rolled into the x-ray room. She was a trooper through it all. They had given her a mild pain pill. She had a slight bump to the back of her head where she’d landed on the cement, but he didn’t see a scratch on her. He was thankful.
The police had come and gone. They both explained everything several times to several different officers. The missing persons report was updated and when they finally left the small hospital room, he believed the police were going to look for her family for questioning. He got the impression that they didn't mark it as high priority.
Mitch had held back his temper at her for leaving his place, since she'd explained everything several times. He sat across from her in a very uncomfortable chair, watching her closely. How did she learn to kick butt like that?
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
He uncrossed his arms and tried to relax. “Like what?”
She looked at
“The old lady wouldn’t leave her apartment, and when I tried to pull her with me, she fainted. I didn’t want to carry her, so I left her there on her floor.”
He reached for her again, this time grabbing her arm in a tight grip. She spun and did one of the moves she’d been taught the first few months of self-defense classes. He reached for her again and she twisted away, this time stomping on his foot really hard with the heel of her new shoes. When he grabbed her around the waist she started screaming like she’d been taught to do. He released her when everyone within a block radius looked her direction, and she took off running to the one place she knew she would be able to lose him. The street market was three blocks away. It was always crowded and she thought she could easily lose him in the crowds.
She heard him yelling for her and could tell how close he was behind her. She was a fast runner, had always been faster than her cousin, but she was working on little sleep and she heard him getting closer and closer. People looked at her as she ran past them. Some moved out of her way, others didn’t. When she rounded the final corner and the street market was finally in sight, she felt his hand grip her shirt. He jolted her shoulder back as he grabbed it. She heard a rip and then she jerked her shoulder free.
Taking a risky chance, she darted into the street and made it halfway across before she heard tires screech and a horn blast right before she felt the impact of the taxi on her hip.
Mitch was right on Sandi’s cousins heels, but when he rounded the corner, he saw her bolt across the street and screamed her name just before the taxi clipped her hip and watched in horror as she flew across the street and landed in a small pile a few feet away.
People stopped and some ran towards her from a street market to help. He watched her cousin stop on the sidewalk, look around at the people, then casually walk away. Mitch rushed to Sandi’s side, pushing several people away as they stood around her to stare.
There was no blood, he thought as he knelt beside her. He knew better than to move her, so he gently touched her face. “Sandi?” he said over and over, lightly rubbing his fingers over her face. When she moaned and turned her head, he held her still. “No, don’t move.” He looked up to a woman standing across from him. “Call an ambulance.”
“Already on it,” she said, shaking her phone.
He gently ran his hands over Sandi, checking for broken bones. When he got to her hip, she bolted up and let a little scream out, starting to fight him off.
“Easy, you’re okay. It’s me.” She stopped and looked at him, then she was in his arms as everyone around them clapped.
Over an hour later, they were still stuck in the small room in the ER, waiting for a doctor to tell her what he already knew: no broken bones, just some bad bruising. But the doctor had wanted an X-ray and so they were waiting for her turn to be rolled into the x-ray room. She was a trooper through it all. They had given her a mild pain pill. She had a slight bump to the back of her head where she’d landed on the cement, but he didn’t see a scratch on her. He was thankful.
The police had come and gone. They both explained everything several times to several different officers. The missing persons report was updated and when they finally left the small hospital room, he believed the police were going to look for her family for questioning. He got the impression that they didn't mark it as high priority.
Mitch had held back his temper at her for leaving his place, since she'd explained everything several times. He sat across from her in a very uncomfortable chair, watching her closely. How did she learn to kick butt like that?
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
He uncrossed his arms and tried to relax. “Like what?”
She looked at
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