My eyes opened as the door was kicked open. I could hear voices but I couldn’t make out what was being said. A while later when I woke up again I found myself in a small white room. While I sat up my I could feel my head spinning in circles.

“Selina! Thank goodness! I thought I lost you!” mom cried as she threw her arms around me.

“Where did you go?! Mom came home panicked,” Xi said standing beside mother.

“What? What happened?” I asked putting my hand against my head.

“Luckily the woman at the inn called the cops,” mom said, “who else knows what that man would have done to you. Oh I’m so glad.”

“What?” I said then it came back. ‘Him.’ “Wait. Where’s that guy?”

“Who are you talking about?” asked Xi.

“The man who was with me, where is he?” I asked.

“The cops caught him already so don’t worry anymore. We don’t have to be scared anymore,” my mom assured me.

What were they talking about? They’re making him sound like a criminal…criminal. It hit me. They’re thinking he kidnapped me.

“Mom! You’ve got it all wrong,” I said.

I was up and out in no time. When I was out to the lobby I could hear a voice shouting.

“You idiot! You escaped out of the house and stole a million dollars from the loan sharks! I could’ve given you a trillion dollars if you wanted! I can’t believe you even resorted to kidnapping! You’re just damn lucky I bailed you out of jail! You come home with me tonight!” an old man seeming to be in his 40’s shouted. His head was already beginning to bald and it didn't look like it was in the first stage.

I glanced at the victim in the chair and to my expectation he was sitting there crossed arm, but he looked as if he could care less. He looked up to see me in surprise and got up walking away.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” the man asked running after him and they disappeared down the hallway.

I stood there helpless. I wondered if he was mad at me. I hoped not because I was feeling sorry. I would be mad too if I were convicted of a crime I didn’t commit.

I sat in my room gazing at the stars that night. The stars seemed like they were hanging out of nowhere that night instead of belonging somewhere. Then it just popped into my head. He didn’t kidnap me. When I fell in the water who would’ve pulled me out other than him. Basically then he saved my life. After I thought about it a little longer everything rushed back to my memory. I had woken up and he offered to carry me…what happened then? I remember seeing the police come in, but other than that there was this other woman who was giving me something to eat then she took something out of my pocket. Remembering I rushed over to my jacket and grabbed out my I.D.

“That must be it,” I thought.

Mom would have reported me missing and…I finally understood the puzzle. I had a fever, he took me to a nearby place to stay and he must’ve been scared so he asked the lady to care for me. Just then my bedroom door opened and mom came in carrying a bowl of ginger soup.

“Selina eat this,” mom said setting it down on the table in the middle of my room.

“Thanks mom,” I said going over to her.

As I began to eat she started talking, “I knew I shouldn’t have sent you off. Selina, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know…did he do anything to you? How in the world did you bruise up your ankle?”

“Oh this?” I said pointing to the black, blue, and green part of my feet. “I fell over a rock.”

“A rock? How did that happen?” she questioned.     

“Mom, don’t worry. Just give me some ointment to put on and I’ll be good as new the day school begins,” I said enthusiastically.

“Do you know that man?” mom asked.

I thought to myself then answered, “He’s someone from school. The loansharks attacked him when we met so I had to run off with him or else I’d get you in danger.” That was an easy enough explanation I decided. I’m not a really bad liar!

Mom shook her head unsurely but seemed to buy the story, “Alright then. I won’t bother you anymore. After you finish eating go straight to bed ok?”

“I know,” I said and watched as she left. After she did I shivered at just the sight of my ankle. It looked disgusting like a bunch of blue berry jam mashed together with something unruly.