When I was an irresponsible 16 year old...
...I'd been out with a guy I'd met recently for a few Sunday daytime drinkies. At this stage in my life I was jaded by underage drinking alone and was 'experimenting' with drugs; we'd decided to get a bag of cocaine (or Vim, brick dust or whatever the fuck we'd bought) to prolongue our drinking staying power (and further damage our livers). The day was enjoyable: we got a bit pished, had a few drinks in various bars until the time came to say adieu.

Being a smart arse 16 year old, who lived for the moment, with a sense of false invicibility awarded by the massive drugs, I'd spent every last penny of my money without saving anything for a taxi. I had my return train ticket which took me back to my local town centre with no means to get a bus or taxi and no phone credit. I made the really sensible decision that I should walk home at 10.30pm on a Sunday night through a deserted town centre, past a town square favoured by the local smackheads and alcoholics on my own. I set off on my journey and it wasn't until I heard footsteps behind me that I realised that I was completely and utterly fucking stupid. I turned my head and saw two incredibly dogdy looking guys (tracksuits, caps, pale gaunt faces, jerky consumption fuelled walks) and felt my chest constrict. I sped up my pace a little as my mind floundered desperately, and belatedly, to work out which route was the safest.

I didn't dare glance around a second time, I didn't want to draw anymore attention to myself, I hoped I wasn't the source of their attention to begin with. My hopes were soon dashed as I heard "'Scuse me babe, 'avya gorrany spare change," worryingly close. My heart was now racing, I could hear the 'thudthud thudthud thudthud' in my ears. I didn't respond and kept walking, even faster now, forcing myself not to break into a run. "Hey girl! Talking to ya!" the voice came again "Don't blank us now girl".

I was terrified by this point and pretty much in a blind panic. My fingers were numb and I could feel a definite twitch of my bum hole. I was so scared that my mind was frozen with fear at my rapidly approaching fate - my pursuers were going to attempt to extract money from me, money that I didn't have - they would think I was lying and probably threaten me with physical violence which they'd then carry out. I was fighting against the adrenaline fulled urge to fill my pants, scream, run and cry so much so that I wasn't thinking clearly at all. In a blind panic I could barely see, so much so that I literally tripped over a couple who'd just walked out of the side door of a pub. As I tumbled to the ground the husband called out "flipping heck love, watch yourself there," and helped me to my feet.

As I stood up the two guys following me drew level with me and the couple and carried on past, my legs nearly buckled with relief. "Where are you going at this time of night on your own?" the woman asked. "I was walking home," I replied "Those guys were shouting me, I think they were following me" I said pointing down the street. "You look scared shitless," the guy said and got out his mobile phone. "It's not right, a young girl walking home at this hour, are you stupid?" the woman asked. I smiled lamely in reply.

The guy called me a taxi as I tried to explain to his wife that I had no money. She held up her hand to silence me as she rummaged in her purse. They waited with me for the taxi and as it pulled up I started crying. I was so unspeakably grateful for the couple and their undeserved kindness that I couldn't even talk. The woman hugged me "It's ok hun, it's ok now" and I managed to squeak out a thank you through spit-strung lips as they helped me into the taxi.

I shudder to think about what could have happened that night, I can't adequately explain just how scared I was and it always feels miraculous that the couple appeared in that doorway just at that moment. I wish I could have told them how much their act of kindness meant, I was a stupid kid who thought she was cleverer than she was and that couple will always stay in my mind.
(Fireyfox is prepared to change, Sun 12 Feb 2012, 22:21, Reply)