Emily Ernest was fifteen years old and small for her. She never really liked walking home after school there were too many cracks in the foot path. She didn't like stepping on cracks. Not because of the stupid children's rhyme about breaking your mothers back, no it just made her feel uneasy to feel that slight break under her foot. Emily walked home with her arms crossed in front of her whilst in her mind she checked that she was taking home the right books. She stopped suddenly fear struck her she couldn't remember if she had her lunch box. Someone a few steps away had stopped to. She took no notice of this and felt her back pack for the usual lump that was her lunch box, it was there. She started walking again and so did the steps. She thought this was strange but kept walking all the same. It was in her head, she tended to imagine threatening situations that never really resulted into anything. All the same she quickened her steps and so did the phantom stalker. Judging by the sound of the steps the other person was at least a few meters away, not close enough to be worrisome but not far way enough for her liking. She slowed down a bit as she became closer to the corner of the street, then spontaneously sped up to catch the stalker of guard. She turned the corner and stoped and turned around to face the attacker. He came round the corner and was put off guard when he saw her standing there.

"Nice day." Said the girl "Just a bit cloudy, don't you think?"

The man did not answer. Emily turned and partly walked and partly ran away. She smiled to her self. Emily now knew the man's face if he really was going to attacker he would be more weary. But Emily had not counted on there being back up. A Marron panel van spurted into life and drove out in front of her and parked it's self there. This was getting serious; the man who had been following her on foot quickened his pace once more. She thought of running back the other way but she had a routine and she couldn't break it, besides the man would have caught her for sure. Emily had to just keep going the same way she had always gone although she new she would regret it later. As she walked past the van a man jumped out and grabbed her wrist. She screamed and palm fisted the man whose head hit the metal roof and was concussed, blood starting to pour out his nose. Emily cringed she wasn't sure how clean that man was and she'd touched him. But before she could think any thing else another man appeared from out of the van and the other one that had been following her had almost reached the van. She was done for.

Alex was riding his bike on his usual way home; it was a cloudy Friday afternoon suggesting yet another rainy week end. He was cruising along just about to turn up a street when he heard a scream from exactly the same direction. He sped about a bit to see what had happened when he saw a girl in a private school uniform being attacked beside a panel van, by two suspicious men. One had grabbed her wrist. Alex thought about what exactly he should do now that he had become a witness, he couldn't just ride past. He saw the girl palm fist the man who had grabbed her wrist, which had concussed him and another man had appeared from the van. Alex made up his mind and burst forward on his bike, the remaining two men where standing exactly where Alex had planned. He surged on and at the last minute skidded sideways, just skimming the girl and knocking the two men over. Ironically like bowling pins but there was much time for irony. Alex pulled the girl away from the van allowing the concussed man to fall onto the curb. This sudden clearance allowed Alex to see into the compartment revealing a strange assortment of equipment but Alex didn't have time to analysis this, because the two men were up again and this time aiming for Alex as well. Alex turned kicked one and back kicked the other, which kept them away for a few seconds. While Alex back was turned one of the men came at him but the girl had taken off her bag and swung it into the mans stomach, causing the man bend forward allowing Alex to knee him. For a few minutes this strange fight continued with Alex doing most of the work and the girl helping only where she was absolutely sure it would be helpful. Alex was getting tired and in doing so became slower in reaction. This worked perfectly for the men, one grabbed Alex around the throat, lifted Alex up a bit until Alex's feet had left the ground. Alex was starting to choke, when finally police car sirens sounded causing the man who had grabbed Alex to half throw half drop Alex to the ground. The other one gunned the engine while his mate clambered in to the car who completely forgot there other unconscious friend. But their scramble wasn't fast enough; the first police car had already appeared when they had sped off. The first one went after the panel van, whilst the other one pulled up beside Alex and the girl. One of the police men in the car wound down his window and looked down at the side walk where the unconscious man and then looked back up at them.

"I think you two should come with us." Ordered the police man seriously.