Near Miss

I was driving down the three lane arterial just here. Out of nowhere, the figure of a slight girl with orange hair loomed up in my headlights real quick! Her eyes were real wide. She had this pale ghostly look, her limbs were thin and freckled. She almost tripped over her own feet and went under. It was just so quick! Like a photograph, you know? POW! But I remember her eyes. Dark brown. She looked terrified. Oh, and she had neon pink socks.

I slammed on the brakes. There was a sharp chirping sound of rubber that seemed to fill the night with shock. The car lurched heavily onto its front wheels. Instinctively, I pounded on the horn a couple of times, just out of reflex. Just as i would have if it were some kind of dumb animal on the road. And then, she was gone. A shadowy figure flitting away into the darkness, she zigzagged across the lanes of traffic, and onto the tree lined strip of grass running down the middle of the road. the passing cars on the other side illuminated fragments of her with their headlights. the soft white skin on the inside of her wrists flashed brightly among the trees. the heel of her hand was visible, with the contorted fingers splayed out behind her, unconsciously in flight.

Then, this scruffy lookin kid darts out onto the road, about, oh, twenty metres further down the road, across the nature strip, and he disappears into the trees aswell. For a second, well, I didnt realise what was happening. I half expected a whole troop of drunken teenagers to come stumbling across the road. But then it just clicked inmy mind, you know? He was chasing her!

i couldnt see real well, but it looked like he was gonna catch up to her pretty quick. By the look of him, he was paralytic. Staumbling and falling over as he went.

i hardly had time to think about anything. I am just grateful antother car didnt run into the back of me while I was sitting there. Time just like, stood still. Before I knew what was happening, ( I was about to pull over and call the police) I see red and blue lights flashing everywhere, like we are in a swimming pool. Then three or four cops go charging across the road in front of me at full tilt. their trying to hold their guns in place to stop them from jiggling up and down while they are caning it after this kid!

So, I am thinking, SHIT! What the fuck is going on here. you just dont expect something like that to happen on the way home from the footy club, do ya? So I pull over, and the cops catch up to this kid in no time. They bring him down hard in a gang tackle. And before you know it, one of them has the heel of his boot on the back of his neck, with his arms twisted behind him, while he kicks and flails and the copper nearly cops one in the goolies!

Meanwhile, the other two are trying to catch the girl, who is zigzagging through the trees, and making her way onto the other side of the road, where she almost gets hit again. One other cop is standing in the middle of the nature strip, gesturing like a maniac, and screaming something into his walky talky. All the red and blue flashing on the tree trunks is making me dizzy.

I stay still. Then I see the two cops handcuff the young kid, and hoist him up to his feet by the wrists. Of course, he is still kicking and screaming like nobodies business. Hes yelling something at the cops, but I cant make out what it is. They bring him back across the road to the divy van parked afew cars down from where i am, and they fairly through him across the bonnet and hold him down while they frisk him.

And, well....Yeah.. I guess that is all I saw of it officer.

Can you tell me anything? Is that girl OK?

Look, thank you for your assistance. As far as we can ascertain at this stage, the young man was not trying to harm the girl. She is refusing to answer questions or give her details. But from our enquiries so far, it looks as if she may have been trying to throw herself in front of cars, and the young lad was trying to stop her. We've done some checks with her family, from information given by the boy, and it appears she does have some history of mental illness. So it looks like the boy was just trying to help her.

Is he her boyfriend?

Yes, I believe he is..

Poor kid. your boys were roughing him up pretty good over there?

Yes, well .. Ahem.. It appears the matter is resolved now. its a minor matter and your assistance will most likely not be required any further. But this is the number, if we need to varify some details of your story?

Yes. Yes it is.

Thank you for your time.

Oh.. OK thank you officer.