Old Man Story

“Come on Susie, your mom told us to be home by five.”

“Oh, but can we just go in the pet store one more time, please grandpa, please?”I gave him my best big, brown puppy-dog eyes.

He sighed and looked at his watch.  “I guess one more time wouldn’t hurt.”

I smiled, it gets him every time.

We entered the store and I zoomed strait to the cat section.  My parents had promised me that I would get a kitten for my tenth birthday. Only twelve days left.  I had been trying my best to be patient, but I hated waiting. 

My grandpa tapped his foot and finally dragged me out of the store.  He was very impatient; after all, he’s the one I inherited it from.  As we started to head down the stairs, a group of men in all black entered the mall.  “I don’t mean to be judgmental, but those boys look like they mean trouble”, my grandpa whispered to me. Unfortunately, he was right.

Just as we reached the bottom of the stairs, they whisked off their jackets, revealing that they were armed. There were five of them total, and everyone of them wore a vest that held at least four guns.  (Sorry that I can’t be more specific, I just don’t get into the whole weapon thing.)

Suddenly, the mall was silent.  The tallest one of them spoke first.  “As you can see, we’re armed, and you’re not.  So let’s make this easy, you are going to sit there and watch us rob this mall, and you are going to do absolutely nothing to stop us.  But if someone decides to play a hero, I’ll shoot you all, starting with her.”  He was pointing at me. Instinctively, my grandpa put himself in front of me.   The one that had spoken pointed his gun at him. Grandpa  used to be a cop, but he retired after 35 years of service.  If there was anyone here who would try to be the hero, it would be him, but with innocent lives at stake, including mine, he wouldn’t risk it.  “That’s right old man, and just in case you try to ruin my plans”, he brought the butt of the gun down hard on my grandpa’s head.  He fell to the ground and lie there, motionless.  I screamed and tried to run to him, but attacker held me back.  “Hold her and watch the others.  Make sure no one moves.  I’m going to finish the plan.”  The man that was assigned to babysit me was huge.  He looked like he wanted to pull me apart limb from limb, chop me into little bits, and then stew me in a giant cauldron. 

            I struggled relentlessly against his hold but he only laughed at my futile attempts.  Miserably, I gave up.  Even by just holding me with one arm, he was too strong.  To humiliate me he had even started to read a book with his free hand. 

I felt so horrible; we could have just left the mall without going back in the pet shop, but no.  I just had to be selfish even when I knew that mom was waiting for us back at home with dinner ready.  Now my grandpa was laying on the ground unconscious and possibly dead, and it was all my fault.