Escape

I looked around, my eyes following every tree and bush, searching for Mr. Eight's figure. Breathing a sigh of relief, I thought I was in the clear. Turning to Mai, I tentatively asked:

"Do you live with your grandfather?"

Mai smiled and replied:

"Yes, how did you know?"

I hesitated, my eyes still darting around as if looking for something. My legs moved unconsciously as I followed Mai, handing the bike over to her. But her question echoed in my mind, leaving me flustered. Mai, curious, asked again, her voice light but full of intrigue:

"Hey, how did you know I live with my grandfather? Don't tell me you know him?"

I bit my lip, thinking, and finally mumbled a vague response:

"Uh... I know him... just a little."

Before I could relax, a familiar "vroom vroom vroom" noise sounded from afar. The faint hum of a tractor grew louder and sharper. My heart sank as I suddenly remembered—Mr. Eight had a tractor like that. I was doomed!

Feigning urgency, I quickly said goodbye:

"I need to get home now."

Mai beamed and waved me off. She pushed her bike into the house, glancing back at me as she walked. I turned abruptly, determined to stay out of Mr. Eight's sight. The usual route home involved crossing a rocky path, followed by a straight asphalt road. But today, plans had to change.

I took a daring left turn, heading into the nearby forest. Standing at the entrance, I hesitated for a moment. A chill wind rustled the leaves, carrying the forest's damp scent. Swallowing hard, I muttered to myself for courage:

"It'll be fine, just go in a bit and I'll be safe. I'm grown up now—not a kid anymore."

I steeled myself and plunged in. The forest was denser than I'd expected, with thick shrubs blocking the path. It felt like playing hide-and-seek as I maneuvered through the underbrush, avoiding any chance of being spotted by Mr. Eight.

The "vroom vroom" sound, accompanied by "clack clack," grew closer. Hiding behind a bush, my heart pounded in my chest. Through the leaves, I could see Mr. Eight driving his tractor parallel to my position, his eyes fixed on the village road.

I tiptoed cautiously, but a stinging sensation on my foot made me jump. Looking down—oh no! A fire ant nest.

Panic set in as I slapped at the ants swarming my legs. Some died, but their comrades fought fiercely, biting with a vengeance. Clenching my teeth against the pain, I used soccer-like moves to "kick" the ants off me.

Finally, the ants were gone. I sighed in relief but didn't dare linger. Chasing the glimmers of light ahead, I sprinted out of the forest.

As my foot hit the sunlight, the world seemed to move in slow motion. My head tilted back slightly to savor the moment of escape, but...

"Splash!"

Instead of landing on solid ground, I crashed into a lotus pond. Water mixed with mud splattered all over me.

My once black-and-white outfit was now a murky brown. Standing frozen in the middle of the pond, dirty water streaming down my face, I despaired. My pristine white sneakers were now stuck deep in the muck.

I pulled, but the mud was too thick. Giving up, I knelt down, took off my shoes, and dug through the mud. My hands groped through the slimy bottom, feeling stones and squishy layers of silt. Finally, I found both shoes—wrinkled, waterlogged, and far from white anymore.

Dragging myself to the shore, covered head to toe in mud, I glanced at my watch. It was late. I muttered to myself:

"Guess I'd better head home."