From the Frying Pan into the Fire

Huff and puff, huff and puff — the young boy braced his abdominals and took in the deepest
breath he could. He had just finally fled away from the harm of his abominable bullies at school
threatening for the day's lunch money. This was the fourth week in a row where he had to be living
life on the edge every time the bullies caught a glimpse of his existence during recess time. Eugene
Hulme, currently in his early twenties going through college life, still remembers the pinch he was
in 5 years as if it was just yesterday. He would often dwell upon the episode that day, regretting the
decisions made by his seven-year-old-self.
As stealthy as a ninja, the seven-year-old boy hid his presence, hiding from corner to corner
to avoid being spotted by the three nuisance that would stand in his way from enjoying his final
moments of high school. The three boys were in sight, in the blink of an eye, Eugene was already
behind the bicycle shed. Cold sweat rained down on his cheeks, his hands trembling as the
unsettling feeling began to haunt nightmares in his head. Eugene wanted to avoid contact with the
bullies at all cost. The prey lived for another day, Eugene let out a sigh of relief as the sight of the
bullies was a mere speck. Living in fear every single day eventually let distress got the better of
him. So, just for a day, he wanted to experience for the first time since high school started, what a
day without the bullies in sight would feel like. He decided to attempt truanting and wandered off to
a nearby cyber cafe one day after the driver dropped him off at school.
Eugene came prepared, he took advice from the usual school “no-show” that had chosen the
nearby cyber cafe as his lair and would only show up after school session was over, acting as if it
was just a regular day at school. With the help of his partner in crime, Eugene took a shortcut down
a “ghost alley” where no other signs of human were to be found. He was assured that he would be
the sole person there but the sound of a footstep behind him caught him off guard. His heart began
to pound at an increasingly rapid pace, his body shivered unconsciously and he started to have
difficulties breathing. Slowly turning his head to his back side, he caught a glimpse of the suspicous
man in this “ghost alley”.
However, Eugene was already doomed. His sight became blur and the curtains began closing
down on his eyes. The chloroform of the handkerchief that was used by the culprit to cover his nose
had taken effect. Eugene was unconscious. After a period of time, the drug effect began to wear off..
He started regaining consciousness. He could see a man occupied on the phone at the other end of
the worn-down room. The man moved his mouth and let out his voice to talk over the phone. The
sound of a familiar person caught the suspicion of Eugene. Was it the drug from before that was
playing hallucinations with him? He thought to himself. “TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY
THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CASH!” the man said in a threatened voice. Eugene knew that the
man was asking for ransom from his parents. But how? How in the world did this man knew who
his parents were?
The man put down his phone and turned his back, revealing his face to Eugene. The familiar
voice from earlier was true after all, it was his personal driver. Eugene rocked the chair back and
forth, struggling to keep the veil man away from reaching him but he was helpless. 30 minutes later,
the parents arrived at the old and abandoned factory where I was being kept. In the right hand of the
father was a large black briefcase housing the immense amount of cash that was going to be in the
hands of the personal driver in exchange for their son's safety. However, he threatened to only let
the young boy go once the money was in his possesions and this led the parents but no choice to
play along with his deal. Once he got hold of the briefcase, he immediately grabbed Eugene by the
arm, dragging across the room, trying to reach the back exit for an escape. Unaware, the driver had
fallen right into the police's hands and was ambushed. With a despised expression on his face, he
held his hands behind his head and kneeled down, signifying his defeat.
“From the fying pan into the fire”, Eugene only made things worse when he thought he
could escape from his challenges. He regrets on his decision on skipping school that day. In
exchange for not seeing the bullies for a day, he had one of the most traumatic experiences in his
life that scarred his life. He never knew that the man who had been serving his family since he was
just a babbling baby would turn against him and his family for his own selfishness. Eugene learned
that instead of running away from challenges in life which would only make matters worse, he
should be facing them with a strong mind.