Sweat rolled down my face and I felt my shirt sticking to me. My feet were killing me! The high heeled boots I had worn to work today had been more of a fashion statement and not a choice based on practicality. I wanted to take them off, but braving the refuse and debris littered streets in my bare feet would be risking my life in a completely different way than meeting my end at the hands of a gang. I wasn't that desperate, yet!
The thought of my bare foot plunging down onto a discarded needle, likely contaminated with HIV, was a strong enough thought to keep these stupid boots on my feet, for at least a little longer anyway. I heard a stirring at the other end of the alleyway and I took off running as bullets began to splatter into the brick wall I had just been leaning against. I ran on down the alley, as I was coated in the red dust of the bricks shattering to either side of me as I ran the alley.
I felt a bullet burn across the top of my shoulder and then another one past my outer thigh, but I didn't stop running. Out onto the street there were more of them. This was bad! As a group they took off after me yelling and for fear of falling wounded from a bullet I ducked down another side alley only to find myself deceived.
It wasn't a side alley. It was an old recessed loading dock and the battered old doors were all locked. No! A sob of fear at the reality of how badly I was trapped swept through me.
I turned back to the main street only to find an eight gang member posse ringed across it coming towards me. I saw an old pipe and I grabbed it up. It wasn't a great defense, but it was something. They drew closer to me and I could see they were laughing at my attempt at defense, even as their eyes scanned up and down me hungrily. I took a firmer grip on the pipe and tried to push down my fears of what was likely to happen in this dark hole of the city.
"Hey baby we just as well do you with your hands shot off as with them still on. Drop the pipe!"
My grip on it remained and I watched as the ringleader brought his pistol up half hoping he'd miss my hands and kill me by accident.
"I wouldn't if I were you. I happen to know someone who quite likes the lady's hands the way the Creator made them."