Thursday, May 28, 2009

Held Up Part 2

Here’s a continuation of yesterday’s adventure. This is a true story.


He pulled a knife from his jacket and pointed it at me.

Only a few feet separated my flesh from the tip of the knife. My heart raced. I couldn’t believe these nice boys were the robbers. What could I do? How was I going to get out of this situation without getting hurt and without handing over my hard-earned money?

I stood there, frozen.

“We don’t want to hurt you. Just get us the money.” The young guy’s voice trembled almost as much as his hands.

He was just as scared as I was.

The punks were stationed near the door we’d used to enter the cooler, which made sense considering the register was on the other side of that door. However, I had no intention of getting any closer to the knife.

“There’s more money in the office,” I said as I rushed through the other door to our back room, knowing my employee was there.

I slammed the door. “Call the police! We’re being robbed!”

She dropped her snips, her eyes like a deer meeting its fate.

I peeked through the cooler window just as the guys tore out of the store. Without hesitation, we called the cops and reported the attempted robbery.

The punks didn’t give up. They returned another time with an empty cup, probably realizing they’d had better results the first time around. They looked at our new security camera, exchanged glances, and asked the employee to toss their garbage as they left.

Police officers eventually caught the guys. Apparently, I had misjudged them. They’d seemed so nervous and harmless. Yet, these were BAD kids. They’d caused all kinds of trouble in the neighborhood, anything from burning cars and churches, to assault. Thank goodness I had a second door to allow my escape. I don’t want to consider what could’ve happened. AND I certainly never wanted to experience anything like that again, which is why I wouldn’t display the knives and forks at my garage sale. Still sound paranoid? Maybe, but I feel safer for it.

Have you had a life-threatening experience?

17 comments:

  1. Healthy paranoia is a good thing. Good life lesson too -- always have an escape route!

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  2. Oh my, fortunately I've never had a life threatening experience. (And I am hoping to keep it that way!) Good thing you were quick thinking. Scary stuff...

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  3. I don't blame you! I too wouldn't want the knives at the yard sale if for nothing else, then for the protection of busy little fingers, parents too often bring along. Glad you were safe and able to react.

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  4. Wow, interesting story. You write well in first person (always thinking like a writer).

    No, I can't think of any life threatening experiences. I did get cornered by a pair of rottweilers once and I'm not sure what would have happened if a woman in a car hadn't pulled up and told me to get in. But nothing criminal.

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  5. Yes, I had an older man semi-stalk me. It ended with a knife also. I was very lucky, but I'm super paranoid and very hesitant to share info which might be used against me.

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  6. Great story! (And very well told!) I don't blame you for not wanting the knives at your garage sale.

    I've never experienced anything like that but I did have to rescue my kids from a flaming Go-Kart, which was pretty dang scary.

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  7. Does child birth count :D?!

    Seriously, though - a very interesting story here and well told, too.

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  8. Thank God you were able to think quickly on your feet, Lynnette! I don't think I would have been able to even move! And FWIW, you know, this story really reads like a thriller. I was actually holding my breath to the end. You write very well!

    And no, I've never had a life-threatening experience. *knock on wood*

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  9. I've been waiting for this second half! So glad it ended safely for you!

    Yes, I had a bad experience as a child. It's striking how much something like that affects the way we live our lives...even years and years after.

    Have you ever worked your story into...well...a story?

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  10. HOLY COW! I'm so glad you ended up OK!!!

    I've never had an experience like that (thankfully)!

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  11. So glad you're safe! Sorry you had to go through that trauma.

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  12. Thank you for sharing this. The closest I've been to a life threatening situation was in a car accident. No knives were involved. But I do live in a house filled with swords...

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  13. Wow! That would be terrifying.

    The only time I almost died was when I was crossing on a cross walk. Car came out of nowhere and sped through. Fortunately, I was able to jump out of the way. >.<

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  14. I'm sorry to hear some of you have had some pretty scary experiences, too. At least we've all survived, right?

    Yes, this will become a scene in a book I've partially plotted out about a florist.

    Thanks for following my story and for all the wonderful compliments.

    Lynnette Labelle

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  15. Terrible. That's why I prefer office job. Imagine those people who have faced a shooting rampage. The trauma will be forever.

    Sexy romance by Enid Wilson

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  16. Thank heavens you were all right! Did you still work in your parents shop after that?
    I wouldn't want weapons at a yard sale either!

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  17. When I was an MP we'd had a storm that took the landlines down at the ammo depot--one of the few spots that required fully armed guards (with automatic weapons.) I pulled up to check on them in my marked police vehicle (with a big MP on the side and big light bar on the roof, plus my gun, badge and big police dog) and got out to talk to the gate guard. The jerk flipped his M-16 rifle to full automatic (you can hear it if you are familiar with the weapons) and said with a smirk, "Halt, who goes there?"

    I knew right then that I could cheerfully kill someone. And I would have shot that idiot for threatening me if he didn't have the drop on me. Instead, I chewed him out and told him to put the effing gun away and then went and reported him.

    Threatening me just pisses me off.

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