Breathing hard, young Jacob ran towards the alley. He knew he had only a few more feet of distance from his enemy behind him. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, while his feet hit the wet pavement beneath him. He refused to look back, afraid of what he might see.
Both his parents would question him later. Why did he not seek either of them for help earlier? But his body continued to run and his mind pushed these thoughts away. They were weighing him down.
Father would be silent, confused, brooding, and mingled with his instinctual feelings of fury. Mother would talk, reason, and plead with Jacob to reveal his thoughts.
He cared about none of it. All he yearned for was the opening of the tunnel, so he could lie down and cry.