Paul's Story (Book Extract)

 

Paul’s Story

     Paul knew if he was going to come face to face with his adversaries it would be around the next corner. Paul’s breathing is shallow, he’s overwhelmed with fear. Beads of sweat form on his forehead and top lip. He walks at a steady pace, treating every noise he hears with suspicion.

    “Meow, meow, meo…ow.” A screeching black cat darts behind him and leaps over a garden fence and vanishes from sight. Paul is so startled that his heart is now thumping; every beat reverberates through his body. He turns right after Henry’s Pharmacy, the street is quiet. He decides to quicken his pace, around the next corner will be East Orange and he’ll be on the home run.
    “You’re out late tonight nerd,” a voice speaks from the cover of the shadows. A voice that Paul instantly recognizes.Two young men step out from behind a parked pick-up and stop the young man in his tracks.
    “Kurt, I don’t want any trouble.” Paul takes a sharp intake of breath when he catches sight of the stiletto Kurt’s holding.
    “Trouble. Why would there be any trouble between you an’me nerd?” Kurt Hills scrapes the edge of the blade frighteningly along Paul’s chin. Both he and his lackey, Robbie Dillon, are smaller in stature than Paul, but unlike them, he never carries a weapon. Paul tries to walk on, but Robbie quickly stamps on his foot with force, causing the fearful young man to stagger into Kurt.
    “Why are you pushing me out of the way nerd? If I wasn’t a forgivin’ kind of guy, I’d think you were trying to start some kind of a fight.” Kurt pushes Paul with force, turns towards his friend and says to him, “Aren’t I a forgivin’ kind of guy,Robbie?”

    “You are, Kurt, you are.” Robbie smirks.
    “I ne, ne…, never pushed you deliberately Kurt. It was an accident. I must have lost my footing.” Paul is scared, he’s unsure of what to do.
    “Do you hear that Robbie? The nerd lost his footing.” Kurt laughs sinisterly.
    “A bit clumsy if you ask me, Kurt.” Robbie forces a laugh.
Kurt takes a step forward and walks straight into Paul, using his full body weight as he does so. Paul loses his balance and falls backwards onto the parked car his two attackers had previously hidden behind. His back slams down onto the hard metal, winding him momentarily.
    In the event that Paul might fight back, Robbie takes no chances and kicks Paul’s legs away from him, leaving the young victim lying over the hood. Gravity takes over and Paul thuds to the ground. Kurt sneers and kicks Paul hard in the gut, causing Paul to coil in pain. A laughing Robbie is eager to inflict further harm and poises his foot over a prostrated Paul’s head.

    Dread fills Paul in anticipation of Robbie’s foot making contact with him. He tries to shield his face from the foot he can see coming towards him. He feels as if everything is taking place in slow motion. He takes a deep breath, to ready his body for the pain, then, beep, beep, beep. The vehicle’s horn sounds loudly and its lights begin flashing intermittently. The unexpected bursts of orange lights illuminate the victim’s anguish.
    “Get away from my truck, you little… Get away, I’ve called 911,” a man’s voice shouts angrily from one of the nearby houses.
    The aggressors scatter into opposite directions, leaving Paul on the ground like a great oak that has just been felled. Paul picks himself up with some urgency, as he can hear a police siren in the distance. His body aches but he wants to make himself scarce before the police arrive.There would be too many questions in need of answers.
    He hurries the short distance before turning the corner into the relative safety of East Orange. He was home, battered and bruised, but home.

The End of extract from Salvation No Kissing Required


https://www.amazon.com/Salvation-Kissing-Required-Christina-Rowell-ebook/dp/B00CH82OL6
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Salvation-Kissing-Required-Christina-Rowell-ebook/dp/B00CH82OL6