It was a scorching Thursday afternoon. A boiling sun beat down on top of my head, making my dark hair hot to the touch. It was the sticky kind of hot, the type that makes adults blast the AC and children flee to the swimming pool. The stiff fabric of my jean shorts clung to my sweaty thighs as I walked up to checkout, flinging the contents of my shopping basket onto the counter. My mother had sent me to the gas station mini mart to pick up a jug of milk, some canned vegetables, and a bottle of cough syrup. I threw in a pack of spearmint gum from the selection to my left. The woman rung each item up with the satisfying beep of the scanner. I grasped the two paper bags containing  the items in my arms and headed out the door, passing the candy displays and plastic cases of sparkly lottery tickets. As I exited the mini mart, I noticed two kids, a boy and a girl, surely in high school or older, leaning against a rusty pickup truck. The girl had thick braids and sported a black crop top and light wash jeans that appeared as if they had been shredded with a chainsaw. The guy had his arm crossed and a menacing look on his face. I averted my eyes from the pair and looked straight ahead, scoping out the shortest route possibly to home. My cellphone's screen burned my finger as I
pulled it out of my pocket to check the time. My mother would start to worry if I didn't return home in the next fifteen minutes. I heard the sound of metal scraping, and winced as I turned around slowly, my entire body clenching up as the two plodded toward me, their bulky boots producing a deafening noise against the pavement with each step. Making eye contact with the guy, I physically shuddered in fear, spotting the gleaming silver teeth that seemed to fill his mouth. I took a deep breath, inhaling the humid summer air, and walked as briskly as possible without looking back. Relieved, I was sure I had lost them until I felt a muscular hand grab my shoulder. My heart pulsated in my chest, so fast I was sure I would
faint. I felt every single grain of loose asphalt press into my back as I was knocked to the ground. As I was pinned to the ground by the guy's colossal muscles, the girl tried to pry the two mini-mart bags from my tightly grasped arms. As soon as his grip on my body loosened, I dropped the bags to the floor, not looking back when I heard shattering glass hit the floor because I knew it was just milk and some cans. Hysterical, I sprinted home, fumbling for my cell phone and realizing they had taken my keys and wallet as well