The sleek black SUV sped down the road, its tires screeching. Suddenly, the car swerved and spun out of control, making six full turns before it slammed into the guard rail. When the vehicle came to a stop, it was a mess, with oil, fuel, and gasoline pooling underneath. One of the doors opened just enough for a girl to crawl out. She had bruises all over her arms and legs and struggled to get up. Once on her feet, she limped slowly toward a nearby alley, wincing with every step. But just as she thought she might get away, she heard footsteps behind her.
Her heart pounded faster. She tried to run, but her legs were weak, and the sudden burst of energy only made her stumble forward. She put out her hands to stop her fall, scraping her arms on the rough ground. Still, she didn't stop. She dragged herself forward, inch by inch, until she saw shadows turning the corner into the alleyway. The girl's mind raced as she searched desperately for a hiding place, knowing she couldn't afford to get caught.
To her right, she spotted a Dumpster with piles of garbage bags stacked on top and strewn across the ground beside it. With no other choice, she crawled into the bags lying closest to her, hiding as best she could. But that wasn't enough. Her last bit of strength kicked in, and she kicked the side of the Dumpster as hard as she could. The bags above tumbled down, burying her completely under piles of trash. She froze, holding her breath, and listened.
The sound of footsteps grew closer. The two people stopped right in front of her hiding place, and she felt their gaze lingering on the pile of bags. She bit her lip, willing herself to stay absolutely still.
"This is a trick. She's trying to waste our time," one of them said.
"Yeah, I think you're right," replied the other. "Let's move. We need to catch her before she makes it to town square."
Then, just like that, they were gone.
The girl waited under the garbage pile for what felt like forever. When she finally felt safe, she tried to shift a little, but her elbow bumped a ceramic mug sticking out of one of the bags. It wobbled, tipped over, and hit her square on the head with a loud clang. Pain shot through her skull, and everything went black.
---
On the other side of town, Yoichi was pacing around his room, muttering angrily under his breath. He kicked the leg of his bed in frustration and immediately regretted it, grabbing his foot in pain.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" he cried, hopping up and down. "Why did I do that?"
Yoichi wasn't just angry about the throbbing in his toe. He had just realized that he'd left some important notes back at school, thanks to his bullies—Hiro, Jiro, and worst of all, Ichiro. They had ambushed him right after class, as usual, and he'd barely escaped with his backpack intact.
Just then, his little sister Mika burst into the room, with their older brother, Yuichi, right behind her. Mika looked at him curiously.
"Are you kicking your bed again, big brother?" she asked with a laugh. Yuichi chuckled too, and Yoichi felt his face turning red.
"N-No, I'm not!" he said, turning his back on them. He knew Mika didn't mean anything by it, but it was embarrassing to be caught like that.
"Alright, Mika, go wait for us in the living room," Yuichi said, smirking at Yoichi. "We'll be there in a minute."
"Okay!" Mika said, skipping out of the room.
When she was gone, Yuichi grinned at Yoichi. "So, venting your anger on your bed again, huh?"
"Shut up," Yoichi muttered, storming out of the room. He could still hear Yuichi's laughter as he made his way to the living room.
When Yoichi got to the front door, he found his parents waiting for him. They both looked worried.
"Where are you going?" his mom, Mieko, asked, looking concerned.
"I left some books at school," Yoichi explained. "I need to grab them."
His dad, Yoshihiro, frowned. "You know there's a storm coming, right? We saw it on the weather forecast."
"I'll be fine, Dad. I have a test next week, and I really need my notes," Yoichi lied.
"One test isn't worth risking your health," Yoshihiro said, crossing his arms.
"Please, Mom, Dad," Yoichi pleaded. "If it starts raining, I'll just wait it out somewhere. I promise."
His mom raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? And where would you wait?"
Yoichi scratched the back of his head, thinking quickly. "Uh… maybe a restaurant?"
Mieko shook her head. "So you can be treated like dirt at some fancy place? No, thank you."
Yoichi shrugged. "Okay, then… maybe an internet café?"
His dad narrowed his eyes. "So you can play those addicting games? Not happening."
Yoichi sighed, already knowing his parents wouldn't give him an easy time about this. His parents had a reputation for being strict, especially when it came to safety. They barely let him go anywhere, and this storm was just the latest reason.
But after a long back-and-forth, they finally gave in, although with one condition. That was why Yoichi found himself walking down the street with an old umbrella, the handle wobbly and the metal supports bent out of shape. He looked up at the sky, which was already turning dark with thick clouds.
"Could this day get any worse?" he muttered to himself.
As if the universe had heard him, lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a loud clap of thunder. Yoichi sighed and started jogging, hoping he could get to school before the storm hit.