My 'Walk' (965 words)

It was that time of the day again. The time I enjoyed the most. The time I looked forward to the most, it's the time I am taken out for a walk. I say 'taken' since I can’t walk on my own. They say my progress is good, and I will start walking soon, but I don’t know when. But I don't lose hope, ever. I try very, very hard.

Every morning, my care taker would come at sharp 9:00 am to take me outside. I was belted and 'wheeled' around the supermarket, in and out of aisles. I admired the wide array of colours and shapes of things. How neatly the things were stacked up. I loved all those little dangling things at the end of the aisles and never missed a chance to tug at them whenever I could, and I would be told off.

It was on one of those favorite walks that January evening, when I witnessed the murder. My caretaker, Anna, was picking out groceries while I waited, as usual, at the end of the aisle, where she left me. That was one of my favorite spots, I would be happy looking at busy shoppers. It was a quite chilly that evening, so I was all wrapped up, but the store's heating was getting to me, I wanted to get my scarf and hat off. It was getting very uncomfortable. I started to beckon Anna, but she was out of earshot or at least pretended to be, like she did many times.

As I waited for her to return, the strangest of things happened. I suddenly felt a big jerk and I felt myself being shoved real badly, as though someone was trying to use me as a cover. I saw a big burly man in front of me, trying to get to the one behind me, who I couldn’t see.
"You hiding behind that?!" big burly man said, as though amused and belittling the man behind. The guy behind pushed me at the big burly man and I saw myself heading straight for the tons of toilet paper on sale. I was screaming at the top of my voice, I just wish I had brakes! The wheels had turned crazy and went head on for the toilet roll stack.

"Somebody stop that", I heard Anna's voice, but it was too late. The entire stack of toilet roll fell on me, but luckily I was unscathed.
“How could you leave him alone like that?” I heard people asking Anna. Poor Anna was shaken herself too.

In the meantime, the store speakers were blaring messages, asking people to stop shopping and get out of the store, as quickly as possible, when suddenly, some more screams were heard at the end of the toilet roll aisle. People ran helter-skelter, Anna started wheeling me as fast as she could.

But the goons got the better of her. The one being pursued grabbed her and pushed her in front of him, facing the big burly, now with a big knife in his hand. I was pushed over to one end of the aisle, I was terrified and screaming, but no one came to my rescue, or Anna’s. But big burly man was too smart for his opponent; he grabbed a Pringles from his right and threw it on the wine bottles stacked on the rack where Anna was being held hostage by the other crazy fellow. The bottles lost balance and started to fall, one fell on Anna's head and she was knocked out cold. More than the bottle I think it was the stress that caused her to pass out. The man was distracted and was cornered; there was no place to run except past big burly man.

Big burly man was thrilled, his prey stood there stunned, with one swift action, he jabbed the knife into the persons chest, and then again. The man was wounded and fell to the ground. Big burly laughed out loud and left the scene. I was scared and was crying profusely. I hated my walk, I wanted to be back home, I wanted mom.

Soon the police came to the store and the site. I was still where I was, crying and shouting and kicking my legs in air. An officer came up to me, tried to pacify me but couldn’t. Anna hadn’t come around still. I was wheeled off by an officer out of the store.

I was kept in the police van. I was tired and must have dozed off, because when I woke up, I was at home and my mom was by my side. My dad was at the door seeing off a police officer who had come for some answers apparently.

I was worried about Anna, I heard my dad come into my room saying, "Hello darling, you had quite a day yesterday, didn’t you?”
"How’s Anna?” mom asked.
"Oh the inspector said she is much better and recovering from the shock".
"What about the killer, did they catch him?" asked mom.
"Not yet, apparently there were no eye witnesses when the murder actually took place, but they can track him through CCTV footage, I mean since Al doesn’t qualify as a witness...".

'And why is that?!', I wanted to ask , just because I can’t walk and I can’t talk, nobody is willing to take me seriously! 'Why can’t I be a witness? I am fully capable of identifying Big Burly!!'

" Oh, you poor baby" said my mom as she took me in her arms. "Thank God you're just an eight month old, or can you imagine the trauma that would have been by just being a witness for such a heinous crime! Good Lord!"