But a force yanks at my backpack.

I trip and fall, my elbows smashing at the ground.

I roll to make the fall easier, but whoever is attacking me keeps pulling at me, trying to get my backpack off me.

They kick my stomach, swearing as they try to get hold of me.

I hate this!

Where are the guards or police or whoever that’s supposed to help?

I scream, but only get kicked harder. I wince with tears in my eyes. Why must this happen to me?

There’s a shout, which’s not mine. Then there’s a growl, which’s also not mine.

There’s a low thud of something heavy falling.

No one is grabbing me now. Is someone else here to help me?

I gasp and clench my jaw, crawling my way off the ground.

I have to get away from whatever happened and make my way as far away as possible.

My whole body hurts. Before I take a few steps, I end up on the ground again.

The screams and shouts continue, they... sound painful.

Does the guard fight like that?

Something grabs me again. My body’s lifted off the ground almost at once.

“No! Put me down!” I scream, but whoever has me grunts.

“I’m here to help you.”

“Put me down!” I don’t care who that is. I just want to be left alone.

“Hush!”

My body lifts off the ground even more, as if I’m flying, except it’s impossible.

I shout again. “Kidnap! Someone’s kidnapping me!” I kick and flap my arms. If I make it hard enough to kidnap me, maybe whoever that is will give up.

I don’t wish for someone else to be kidnapped, but I don’t want to be the victim.

He grunts with a hoarse voice again. “You have to make it hard, huh?”

He taps me with something. All my energy leaves me. Every single bit of that drained out of my body almost at once.

Now I can’t move. I can’t even utter a word.

Where’s he taking me to? Who even is he?

Chapter 7

Laura

My head hurts. I hate this.