It was like any other day at the park; just enjoying my day. Everything was going right. Not a care in the world for 7 year old me. Little old me did not know how fast that day could be utterly ruined.

You see, I was a carefree 7-year-old, loved by everyone and anyone. I was the best kid too! I always paid attention and did everything I was supposed to do. It was a day at the park in San Francisco, and I was playing around with my friends as my mom supervised me. Afterwards, we left for the slums, where we lived. It was a bad neighborhood; a death here almost every day. No police officers. No anyone. Everybody looked down at us, thinking they were better. I mean, they might have been wrong, but they might have been right. Just as we were heading home, three men jumped us. No one was around to help us, but it’s not like they would have anyway. People don’t want to get around trouble here. Three people, all men, in their 20’s, all with different weapons. One with a gun, one with a knife, and one with a metal bat. I knew no one would intervene because it was too dangerous to do so. People started walking around us, I backed up minding their own business. Everything froze, and my mind started racing. I didn’t want to lose anyone. I wanted to resolve it peacefully. Of course, that was too idealistic. Nothing is perfect, and it doesn’t go the way you want it to. Maybe I could have stopped it, but still, I felt weak. I had no power to do anything. I would have done anything to help my mom, but anything I would have tried would have been pointless. 

Time started speeding up again as the last moments of my mother flew by. Dead, she dropped to the floor, creating a shockwave through my brain. It was too quick to see what happened. Only a gunshot ringing through my head, making my ears bleed. Tears started flowing; I couldn’t control it.. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to end the pain. The attackers looted her, sirens coming fast. They ran away as officers came rushing towards me, asking me if I was ok. Physically I was, but mentally it was another issue. I was scarred and would forever remember this moment. I rolled my head to the officers with a dead look in my eyes, asking to save my mom. They checked her pulse. No response. Again. No response. I stared with a dead look in my eye. Tears rolling on the concrete ground. 

“Are you ok?” I didn’t respond. They stood me up, and told me everything was going to be ok. “We are going to save your mom, it is going to be ok.” I knew it was a lie, the look on their faces when they checked her pulse made me know that she was dead. They picked me up, as bystanders were watching them. The first responders put me on a stretcher as the officers chased after the three men. It seems like everything was fading from my mind, just drifting off to another place.

I was sitting on a bed as the therapist told me that I did my best to save her. Of course, it was obvious that she was pitying my crackling and crying voice. I ran out in a hurry, just wanting to stop the aching in my chest. I wanted it all to stop. I heard something. “Sirens?” I started to run faster away, to end all the pain. Of course, I was far too slow. I just wanted it to end. Then, as the officers got out, I panicked. I had a flashback of the scene in the alleyway. All of the graphic scenes. Officers tried to reason with me, but I didn’t listen. I felt like I couldn’t hear over the aching pain in my chest. “DO NOT RESIST MY ORDERS!”. I didn’t care what he said. Boom. That was the last sound I heard. I saw the officers panicking, saying that he didn’t mean to shoot. Darkness. That is all is saw after. I was glad I could finally reunite with my mother. But then………..