I didn’t even know why they were following me, one minute I was walking down the street the next there was a gunshot and they were running at me. I started to run, finding a building I make my way to the roof...



Sprinting, Fast so Fast, towards the edge of the building, I hear the footsteps of my followers. The edge looms closer, taunting me, I know I will have to jump. I reach the edge of the building, its now or never. I put all my energy and my legs and jump. I am propelled out over the emptiness below. The air is rushing past my face, my legs start to flail and I fight to keep control of my body. I look down to see the brickwork of a building rushing up from twenty feet below. My heart skips a beat as I get the feeling I wont make it. Then suddenly, my legs hit the ground, I bend my knees and observe the impact. I duck into a shoulder roll and spin smoothly over the pavement. In a second I’m back on my feet and Im running again. I glance back to see three of my pursuers landing smoothly on the roof behind me, one isn’t so lucky and doesn’t make it, i hear a scream as I collides with the bricks. I allow myself a brief laugh, one down three to go, but it was far from over.


I run to the side of the building and throw myself over the side. I flip head over heals, spin a 180 degrees and catch onto the crossbar of a fire escape. I swing me legs foreword and smash them through a window into nicely furnished room. I sprint over to the stairs and take them two at a time. Once i get to the bottom, i burst through to the street and am instantly surrounded by a crowd of people. I start to push my way through the crowd. I hear a gun shot and panic breaks out. I turn back to see two thugs, running through the thinning crowd. I remember that there were three, one of them must have missed the window, I smile, maybe there was some hope.


I start to run, again I realize that I was getting to the end of my endurance, my lungs were burning and my breaths were getting shorter and shorter. The crowd is entirely gone now, and I realize I’m a sitting duck. I duck into an ally, just a bullet explodes into the brick mere inches from my face. I am instantly chilled as the I run into the shadows of the alleyway. I stare at the slit of light at the end of the passage and barrel towards it. It was the market, if I made it i was home free, I could disappear without a trace. But as soon as I think this the light it cut off as a motorcycle turns into the ally and accelerates towards me. I turn back, but see the two thugs running towards me. I was trapped, my heart sinks as I accepted my fate, and turned back to the bike. But it was gone, I could still hear it getting louder but i couldn't see it. I realized that the shadows had almost hidden it from sight. I discerned its vague outline, and suddenly i had a plan.


I started to run towards to motorcycle, the sound getting louder by the second. My timing had to be perfect for this to work. The smell of gasoline fills my nostrils and the sound was almost defining. And then I jump, my foot plants onto the wall, and I push up, the souls of my shoes gripping the rough brick. I am launched up over the motorcycle, I hear the a scream and a crack as the motorcycle crashes into the thugs, who couldn't see it, the shadows, and my plan had worked. I landed and the hard ground, and rolled over and up to my feet. I barged out into the market and the familiar sounds of people.


I don’t stop running until I reach the top of the hill, that the market is on. I turn back my eyes flitting over the favela, I glance up and see the famous statue of Jesus rising over the city. The sun warms my skin, and I feel safe at last. Whatever they wanted, I wasn’t involved anymore. My hands fell limp against my pocket and i feel something square I pull it out. Its a hunk of metal that i had found, on the ground just before the chase... BEFORE THE CHASE!! I lift it up to the sun as half of it falls away and rolls down the hill. I piece of crumpled paper sticks out of the container. I realize that i was wrong, I was still involved. My blood runs so cold, that not even the hot Brazilian sun could warm it up.