Edited version of C10.2:
“Oh my god! Did he hurt you?” A granny hurried over in a lumbering gait. “Zara!” She hollered over her shoulder. “Oh, god. Wait here… I’ll go after him…”
With that, she hobbled past me and started hurling insults at the tiny dark spot in the distance.
“No!” I protested. I couldn’t bear to think of what would happen to the old granny if she caught up to him. “He’s gone. You can’t catch him.”
The old lady paused, clearly at a loss for what to do. “Oh, god. Zara! Hurry up!” She hurled over her shoulder. Turning back to me, she uttered, “Oh dear! Did he hurt you?”
“My shoulder… I think it’s dislocated.” Tears began streaming down my face. I dashed them away, irritated with myself for crying. It wasn’t that painful.
“Oh dearie me. Come, let’s get you to Mrs Noelle’s house and we’ll send you to the hospital, okay?” She put her arm under my left arm and led me away. To my absolute mortification, I began sobbing uncontrollably.
“Shh. It’s alright now.”
“Aunt Laura’s at home, Mrs Prestwick,” Cara said with an impressive measure of calmness, walking by my side. “She’ll know what to do. When Darla injured her arm she twisted it back.”
“We’ll head over there right now, okay, dearie?” She peered at me in concern.
I nodded mutely.
“No, Bess, you go right in here with the kids.” A younger woman – Mrs Noelle – stood in the open doorway, arms akimbo. “That’s an order.”
For a moment, Mrs Prestwick seemed like she was going to argue. Then she sighed. “Bossy as ever,” she said in a undertone. “Come along then, children. I’ll make you some hot chocolate.” A subdued cheer erupted among the children.
“There’re cookies somewhere in kitchen.” Mrs Noelle said as she passed her elderly neighbour at the gate.
“I know. I baked them, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“How could I not,” she retorted as she closed the gate behind her. Briskly, she approached us. “You’re sure your aunt’s at home, Cara?”
“Yes, Mrs Noelle,” Cara replied.
“Who was he, Kathy?” Erin peered up at me again as we started walking.
“Shush, Erin. Don’t be insensitive, Katherine doesn’t want to talk about that,” Mrs Noelle reprimanded.
“What’s ‘insens… in…’?”
“Shh. I’ll tell you later.”
“But I really want to know,” she muttered.
“You’re being…”
“No. It’s alright.” I interrupted. When they all stared at me in doubt I added, “Really.”
“So what happened?” Cara asked carefully.
“The man tried to… Well, I don’t know what he was trying to do, exactly. Mug me? But he had a cloth with chloroform on it, and he didn’t even have the courtesy to demand for my money, so…”
“Chloroform?” The middle aged lady was alarmed. “Sweet Jesus. So you weren’t quarrelling?” She inquired.
“No. Of course not. I’ve never even met him before.”
She remained sceptical. “Do you remember his face?”
I tried to shrug, but a sharp pain sent me reeling forwards. Heck. My shoulder must be dislocated. “No. He was wearing a hooded cloak.”
That’s all I’m willing to release for now.
I do not see much difference xinhui.
anyway GET ON WITH IT XD
All right, all right.