Free Details at Ten by Ardella Garland

crunching the paper bag with a pop. “This just half!”
    “I’ve got it here. Tell me where she is and I’ll give you the rest.”
    “Why you fucking playing? Give me the rest of the money, then I’ll tell you.”
    As I walked closer, clutching the cloth, in the distance I heard the faint rumble of the el train moving our way. Everything was coming to me exceptionally loud and exceptionally clear. The train sound was grrrrr-clack. Grrrrr-clack.
    Just as the train turned the bend and came barreling overhead, the beat kicked up a notch: GRRRRR-CLACK-CLACK! I bent my knees to drop the money and … something moved. Then glass broke somewhere nearby and I jerked around, shifting my body in that direction. I glimpsed a scrawny, gold-colored cat jetting away in the darkness.
    “Bitch, you done brought somebody!” the caller shouted and I heard his steps coming toward me hard and fast.
    “No,” I shouted. But before I could turn my head to look him in the eye, he grabbed me and slammed me back against the metal box. My shoulder took the brunt of the blow, making me bounce off the structure and hit the ground. He was on me now, pushing my face down. “Gimme the money!”
    I felt the dirt against my cheek, and my nose filled up with the musky smell of neglected, abused soil. My purse was out in front of me after flying off my shoulder. I landed on my other arm, pinning the money beneath me. I couldn’t hear anything but the last sounds of the train passing. Then I felt his hot, sweaty hand on the back of my neck as he squeezed it and shook my body.
    With adrenaline and anger pumping through my legs and arms, I jerked with every ounce of strength I had and flipped on my side. He seemed surprised at my strength and that moment of hesitation helped me as I kicked up with my right leg, catching him on the hip. I felt the weight from the kick in my ankle and I grunted as he flipped backward. I looked up but all I could see were sparks like fireworks floating down as the train roared on in the distance. I turned on my side, pushed off with my hands, tried to get up, but slipped backward and then
he was on me again
.
    “Gimme! Bitch! Bitch!”
    He dissed me in a hateful whisper that gave me more fear and more anger than before.
    With all I had, I reached for my Mace, which had rolled out of my purse. He grabbed my arm from behind. His weight pinned me facedown again and he twisted my arm behind my back. I yelled, and mixed with my voice I heard another.
    “Police!”
    The weight rolled off me; reflex more than anything else made me turn and swipe at him with my arm. I caught the edge of his heel and tripped him up a bit. He started falling forward, but he kept his legs moving and started to windmill his arms, which kept him balanced. Suddenly gunfire erupted in the night and a chill ran through me. Bullets are blind.
    My body ain’t fat-free but it’s bullet-free and I planned on keeping it that way. I covered my head, then peeked out from under my elbow in time to see a shot miss his fleeing heel. Two beat cops were chasing him now, two old guys, they were big-time heavy. Those guys had a better chance of catching the lottery than of catching my mystery man.
    Clutching the piece of Butter’s dress in my hand, I squeezed it tighter out of frustration. I mean I wanted to jump on somebody! My heart pounded and it was a chore to merely catch my breath.
    “Georgia, are you okay?”
    I recognized Doug’s voice and stretched out my body right there on the ground and moaned, “No-ooooo.” In the distance two more shots rang out. I felt Doug’s hands around my shoulders as he lifted me up into a sitting position.
    Like oil and water, exhaustion and adrenaline do not mix. My head wobbled before falling left to rest against Doug’s shoulder as he checked the arm I was cradling gently. My body was moving like the scarecrow in
The Wizard of Oz
. I closed my eyes and a picture of me at six falling off a set of monkey bars flashed