A Twisted Summer

It has been about three weeks since my summer has started and I have to admit the worst, I have done nothing with my time. Sure, I created drawings, read a couple of books, even jogged outside, but I have done nothing compared to what my friends have done.

My friend Jeta went to Canada! She went to Niagara Falls and experienced a one in a lifetime experience! She visited Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario! That is the most beautiful place ever with its clearest waters.

My other friend Paul felt that it was necessary to go to the one place that I always wanted to visit- The Mall of America! Not only that, but he proceeded to rub it in my face that I went nowhere and that I was a lazy bum. What a great friend he is!

I need to do something, or else I will literally die of boredom!

~~~

That was me in the end of June. I was a worried teenager that thought I would be ridiculed next school year for being the only person that did not go anywhere. Boy was I more wrong in my life.
It all started in early July, the 10th to be exact. I decided to get my butt outside and just go for a run, something that I have done plenty of times.

The weather was nice, a clear sunny day with no clouds spotted in the sky. I put on my tights and a simple white t-shirt and began my jog while listening to music. My neighborhood was a quiet one, the houses were holding elderly so we did not have much noise. Their front lawns were neat and grown with the most beautiful flowers. By looking from a distance, you would think that nothing would ever go wrong in a little town like this.

I was running, panting with every long step that I took ready to stop at the corner that was ahead of me. I had been running for ten minutes straight and needed a break. I sat down on the hot cement and just breathed, in and out. My eyes wandered looking at the scenery when they happened to pause at the telephone wires. On them were black birds, crows I believe. That was unusual, never in my neighborhood had I had flying visitors other than song sparrows, or hermit thrush’s. I decided to push that aside and continue with the remaining twenty minutes that I had to run.

I had run only about seven more minutes when I felt like I was being followed. I turned around and saw nobody. As I ran a few more feet, footsteps behind me were frightening me. I stopped running and turned around. There was nobody there once again but there was an oddly shaped stick, it was in the shape of a dog’s bone. What was that doing there, for I have never seen anything like it. I turned around and continued to run. As I was nearing the sharp corner that I would need to turn in order to finish my lap, I heard whispers. At this time, I probably should have left, probably should have run back home, but no, I had to go with my gut feeling that nothing would go wrong.

Unfortunately that gut feeling was wrong, really wrong. As I turned the corner, a foot came in front of where I was walking and I did not see it. Obviously, I tripped which caused me to bonk my head on the ground. Immediately, two people picked me up. They were tall and both had heavy coats with the hoods on. Now you have to remember that the weather was about eight-five degrees, if you’re wearing a heavy black coat with fur trimmings, something is wrong with you.

I yelped in fear but they covered my mouth with their black gloves and carried me in a truck that was parked right next to us. They pushed me in the back and I screamed. Sadly, they put tape over my mouth and told me to shut up. I was scared out of my pink neon socks that I was wearing! The truck had a funky smell, kind of like chips, cake, soda, and rotten eggs mixed together. Yeah, not a great smell at all. They drove to a run down cabin where the termites had eaten everything. The drive was only about five minutes, but they were driving fast, and when I was forced out I had absolutely no idea where I was.

They took me inside and ordered me to sit on the couch, which was torn to pieces, its stuffing was out with the springs showing. Quite uncomfortable actually. I mumbled under the tape that was covering my mouth. They came over to me came up to my face and told me to not scream once he takes the tape of. I nodded. It killed when he removed the tape, it was like my mouth had been ripped off.
“I want you to listen, and I want you to listen closely. You have been captured on account of some money that your parents owe us. If they don’t comply with the amount that we ask, you’ll suffer. You need to write a letter, tell them your fine and that they need to bring us $10,000 in cash. You got me?” I nodded. I hadn’t known my parents owed them so much money, for what though? My mom worked as a lawyer and my father was a brain surgeon. Why would they have this problem? I wrote and sent the letter and in a days time the letter came back with my mom’s hand writing saying the money will be sent if my capture’s go to a location I had no idea existed.
“Ok, you’re going to come with us, if they try anything then you’re going to get it.”

They brought me to a weird open field with nothing but a chair in the middle. On the chair was a briefcase, probably filled with money. My capture’s grabbed me by the hand and ran up to the briefcase. Before they could open the case, an announcer came on and told us to step away from the briefcase and to release me.

They pushed me away and then ran to the briefcase. I backed away quickly and noticed my parents standing under a shady area where they could not be seen. We had our hugs and kisses and they pointed out to me that those men were dangerous guys that made up the story that my parents owed them money.
“So if that was made up, are you still giving them the money?”
“That’s the twist, the briefcase is only filled with one letter, a letter that reads: Try and be smarter next time.”
“I don’t get it…” I replied confused.
“Those men were stupid enough to ask you to write a letter. If you were held hostage they should have made it sound that you were badly hurt. Then when they were asked to release the hostage, they did it right away. When they see the letter, they are going to stand there dumbfounded and then the police force will come in and take care of the rest. Watch.”
What my mom was true, the guys stood there scratching their heads and the police came in with guns ordering the men to drop to the floor.

You see, my summer has not only been outrageous and frightful, but it also has been an experience that I would never want to go through again. While my friends have seen Niagara Falls, visited The Mall of America, I’ve been captured, forced to write a letter demanding money from my parents, then witnessing the arrest of my capture’s, well that sure make a hell of a story to tell everyone back at school.


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