I did it! I'm free!  I scanned my surroundings a full 360° like a prisoner finally getting out of jail after serving his 10-year long sentence. 

"Boss, she's out!"

"Catch her!"

Oh shoot!They found me. And just when I thought I could breathe in all this carbon monoxide again. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me.

"Stop there! Don't run!" 

Oh yeah. You think we're in some kind of movie where the hero stops right after the villain has told not to? Na-uh. Well, apparently right now I was in a city I'd never seen before in my entire life and trying to run away from two big guys who'd obviously kidnapped me. This was in no way my idea of an adventure. I'd rather wake up in a remote island and find myself staring at tribes than have two men chase me in a random city in broad daylight.

I came back to my senses when I heard a bell going off in the distance. The Church! They surely won't be able to catch me there. I'll also get to think of a way to escape while I'm there. I hadn't been to the church in a while, I wasn't any atheist but I didn't actually believe in miracles, if so why hadn't God saved my mom when she was dying...    

Some random stranger yelled at me. "Hey kid, why are you..."

I cut her short. "Ok,ok. Bye!"

"Ah, kids these days. Can't even listen to elders." She mumbled under her breath.

I turned to look at her which was when I realized that the "kidnappers" weren't following me anymore. They were out of sight.

"Yes! I made it." I squealed delightfully throwing my hands in the air. I had never been this excited since the last time mom bought me a gift on my 10th birthday.

"What are you saying, young lady? Kids like you should learn to behave properly when out on the streets. How shameful..." The old lady droned on something about behaviours and etiquettes.

Ugh, the kidnappers are gone, but now I have to deal with this old woman? No way I just risked my life for this.

"....in the streets of Montmartre...."

"Wait, did you just say Montmartre?"

"Well yes little girl. Don't tell me you don't know you're standing in front of the most famous church in Paris."

"Paris? What?"

"So you really don't know?" She enquired further.

"No. I was kidnapped."

"And you're so cool about that? Where are you from?"

"America."

"Woah. That was a long journey. By flight or ship?" She asked with a surprised look.

"How the hell would I know? I was knocked out. Hey, by the way shouldn't you be speaking French?"

"Is it that necessary, mademoiselle? Been working on my English the past few months, pretty good, isn't it?"

"Huh? Yeah." My mind was not on what she was saying. Instead, I found myself staring at a white  Citroen mini truck coming in my direction and my instinct kept telling me to run but I found myself staring at it with a familiar pang of fear. It took me a while to recognize what I'd been staring at.

Shit. I ran.