His Manager had told him that morning that he had
been invited to appear on a competitive cooking show. He had tried to keep his
anxiety a secret, but all day it had been weighing on his mind. He had burned
and spilled enough that they had needed to re-shoot some of the footage for his
how to cook show. The street lamps lazily flickered in the dying light as he made
his way home on foot. Not his preferred method of transport this close to night
but he had missed the bus, and he was too proud to call his manager for a ride.
It was a thirty minute walk from the studio to his apartment, and he figured he
could use that time to think things through. He stuffed his hands in his jacket
pockets and glared gloomily at the dirty grimy ground as he walked. Anxiety
washed over him and waves of nausea made him feel dizzy. The empty streets
suddenly felt too crowded and loud. The need to run was overwhelming. Shakily he
leaned his back against an old brick apartment building. He gripped the lighter
in his pocket and leaned his head back against the cold wall, his eyes tightly
shut. He waited until his breathing returned to normal, and slowly he let go of
the lighter and continued down the street. He didn’t notice the little lady
struggling until she grabbed his arm. Her terrified eyes filled with tears “please
help me” she begged as the purse around her torso was used to pull her into the
dark ally. He stood in shock for a moment then ran in after her. She was pushed
up against the wall a knife at her throat as a second thief rummaged through
her purse. Eric grabbed the knifed man and shoved him into the second thief. They
crashed to the ground and just as Eric and the lady were about to run out of
the ally their pathway became blocked by a third thief. Eric punched him as
hard as he could releasing some of his tension and stress from the day, but the
man just stumbled backwards then tried to punch him back. Eric kneed the man
in the gut sending him to the ground just as the knifed man charged him from
the left. He didn’t have time to think. The knife was coming straight for his
throat, so he simply reacted. He side stepped and shoved the man’s arm and body
in the other direction. The momentum sent him spinning around and right into
the second thief. The knife made a dull thud as it embedded its self in his
chest. No one moved as the boy slowly sank to the ground his eyes steadily
growing darker. He hadn’t meant to push the Knifed man into the boy it had just
happened. The Man screamed and grabbed the boy on the ground and shook him
hoping to bring him back. the man who had been clutching his gut shakily got to
his feet and grabbed the man’s arm. He shoved him away sobbing. The man reached
down grabbed him by his hair and forced him to stand. He said something in his
ear and they took off down the alley away from the street. Eric sat silently on
the ground tears streaming down his face. He hadn’t meant for that to happen.
The woman sat next to him whispering and stroking his hair “it wasn’t your
fault, it was just an accident”. Amid all the noise and flashing lights he
could see the police and paramedics perfectly clear. They were standing and
kneeling next to the young thief, but he could tell from where he sat. The boy
was dead. He had been stabbed in the heart.
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