Pete's Story (tentative title)

Mandy looked at the unfamiliar buildings and knew she was lost. ‘I must have gotten off the bus at the wrong stop’ she mumbled to herself. ‘Maybe I’ll find someone around the corner who can tell me how to get home‘. She blew on her hands, trying to warm them. ‘Mom told me to bring my coat’, she grumbled. ‘I hate it when she's right.’

Mandy, and her parents had only just moved to the area and she was still getting used to finding her way around. She looked around for a building or a sign that looked familiar. She jumped when a voice suddenly asked, ‘You lost?’

Holding her breath, she peered into the shadows, barely making out some moving shapes. As they stepped into the half-light, Mandy sighed with relief, at the sight of two boys. She guessed they were about her age, but their clothes were nothing more than rags.
She smiled at them. ‘Yes, I think so. Can you tell me where I am?’ Can you show me how to get to Roberts Road? That’s where I live … at Number 22’

The taller boy nudged his young companion and grinned. ‘She wants our help. What’s in it for us?’
‘What do you mean?’
The boy came closer. ‘Well, it’s like this, if you want us to help you, you have to pay.
Mandy took a step back. ‘But I don’t have any money. I spent the last of it on bus fare’.
The boy stuck his thumbs down his trousers and smirked. ‘Too bad then, we can’t help you. Come on Tobey, let’s go.’
Tears welled up in Mandy eyes. ‘Please, you can’t just leave me here. You have to help me’.
‘I don’t have to do nothing’ the tall boy muttered.
She began to cry and pleaded. ‘Please. I’ll do anything. Maybe … I could get some money off Mum. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind, if you helped me get home safe’.
The tall boy turned around and smiled menacingly.
‘You’ll do … anything?’
Swiping the tears away with the back of her hand, she looked at the boy and frowned. ‘Um, well I guess. It’s not illegal, is it?’
‘Nah, we just want you to go fetch our ball for us, that’s all.’
‘You want me to get your ball? Why can’t you get it yourself?’
‘Cause it fell in a junk yard and the guy won’t let us kids go in and find it. But … Tobey and I could distract him and you could go in and find it for us. I know exactly where it fell’
‘Why can’t I distract him and you go find the ball’
‘Cause I can’t fit through the gap in the fence. You’re smaller, you can do it.’
‘But he’s small too, why can’t he do it?’ Mandy asked pointing to Tobey.
‘Cause you need our help and I want your help. Now are you going to do it or not?’
Mandy frowned and bit her bottom lip. ‘I guess so, but you will take me home after this, right?’
‘Sure, absolutely’
‘But Pete …’ whispered Tobey.
‘Ssh, be quiet’ Pete growled.

Even though she wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing, she followed the boys. They kept whispering to each other, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. As she walked behind them, she had an odd feeling about the tall boy. Something about him felt familiar, but she’d only just moved to the area and didn’t know anyone. Besides, he looked like one of those street kids you always hear about but never really see. Mandy shivered, mostly from the cold night air, and partly because she was a little scared. They came upon the junk yard and Mandy screwed up her nose at the smells emanating from it. The boys looked at her and grinned. They were used to the smell of grease and oil and rotting garbage.

Pete and Tobey showed her the small hole in the wire fence.
‘This is where you go in,’ said Pete. Then he pointed, ‘Look, over there near that pile of tires, that’s our ball.’

Mandy peered through the fence. Down the left side was a small wooden building where the guard spent the night. Even though two lights attached to the outside of the building were on, the light did not reach very far and most of the junk yard was in darkness. The area Pete pointed to was barely half-lit, and she could just make out the shape of a ball. She chewed her lip. It didn’t look too far, she thought.

‘Well, are you going to get it or not?’ Pete sneered.

“But what about …’ Tobey began.

“Sssh” Pete said angrily, then turned to Mandy. ‘Well?’ he asked.

Mandy looked at Tobey, then Pete and then nodded.
‘Yes, I guess. It doesn’t look that far.’ Dropping her schoolbag on the ground, she began to crawl through the small hole in the fence.

Tobey looked nervously at Pete. Pete was shocked. He only meant to taunt her. He was sure she was going to back out. He opened his mouth to call her back, but she was already half way to the ball. Tobey tugged his sleeve and said, “What about Killer, Pete? Aren’t you going to do anything?’

Pete stood watching Mandy. He looked at Tobey and sighed. ‘Okay, I know. I’ll go get her.’

‘But ….’

‘Look I didn’t think she’d do it, okay? Now here’s what you have to do. Stay here and keep watch. The minute you spot Killer, I want you to grab something, make a loud noise and run to the end of the fence. That might give us time to get out. Okay?’

Tobey nodded. ‘He scares me, Pete. Scares me a lot, but I won’t let you down.’

Pete found it hard to get through the small gap, but eventually he got through. He could see Mandy bending down to pick up the ball. He ran towards her trying not to make too much noise.

Mandy looked up and saw Pete. ‘What are you doing?’ she whispered.

Pete said, ‘I forgot to tell you something. There’s a ….’

They both heard it at the same time; a vicious deep growl. “What was that?’ Mandy said.

‘The thing I forget to tell you about. Now just move back slowly, and when I tell you, run like mad’ instructed Pete.

Mandy did as she was told and when she reached Pete’s side, the dog appeared out of the shadows. Mandy eyes widened in horror at the sight of the huge black dog, growling and baring its teeth. Pete held her hand and they slowly backed up towards the fence. Just then there was a loud noise and shouting further down the fence. The dog raised its head , then turned and ran towards the noise.

‘Run!’ yelled Pete and they ran as fast as they could. They almost made it. The dog changed direction and came after them. Mandy quickly scrambled through the fence. Pete was almost through the fence, when the dog grabbed his leg, biting down hard.

‘Ow, ow, get off me! Help, get him off!’ Pete yelled. Mandy screamed and backed away in horror. Just then Tobey came running up with the guard.
He growled at the dog, “Down Zeuss, down!’ The dog immediately let go of Pete’s leg and sat down. The guard looked down at the nasty puncture wounds in Pete’s leg and said, ‘You’re lucky, could have been worse. What the hell were you thinking, taking on that dog?’ He glared at them, but when he saw the frightened looks and Mandy’s tears, he softened and said, ‘It’s okay; you’re safe now.’ He looked at Pete, ‘I’ll call an ambulance; you need to go to hospital with that wound. You got parents I need to call?’