Chase
Fireworks scream through the air, then BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Red, white, and blue stars explode in the sky.
“Whoo!” I shout along with the crowd. The stars whistle, leaving trails of color as they fall to the ground.
BOOMBOOM! White flash pots blast so loudly, my heart feels them.
“Yeah!” I pump my fist and glance toward Tara.
She’s crouched at the foot of the table, eyes skyward and full of fear. Her platter and samples lie scattered in the grass.
I shout in her direction. “It’s just—” She can’t hear me over the crowd and fireworks. I slide my platter on Chef’s table, walk over, and crouch beside Tara.
“It’s just fireworks!” Even this close, I yell to be heard.
She looks at me, but she doesn’t seem to recognize my words. Her eyes are huge—coal black circles. Without saying anything, she grasps me by the cast.
Pop. KABOOM! Golden sparkles sizzle in the sky.
Gesturing upward with my good arm, I lean toward her ear. “It’s just for fun,” I shout. But in this closeness, in this dark nearness, I suddenly feel terror. Her hand slips into mine.
BANG! Whiz! BANG! BANG! Purple, green, purple.
“Tara!”
I’m sure I heard someone call Tara’s name. The crowd in the middle is still, but in front of the booths, people mix and mill about, merging like traffic. I pull Tara to her feet.
KAPOW!
“Tara!”
We both hear that. I scan the crowd and spot Allie Jo. I start to laugh when I see her bumping through the crowd, leaving a trail of annoyed people behind her.
But then I see her face.
Her features are strained, her voice ragged. “Run, Tara, run!” she yells.
Tara’s uncle emerges from the mob. His beady eyes lock onto Tara and he moves like a steamroller, plowing people down as he makes his way toward us.
“Come on!” I yank Tara hard and start running.