FLUENTELLA TALES: EPISODE 12

survival

Written by: Daniel

Hi, everyone! My name is Daniel, I am originally from Brazil. When I was 16, I moved to China for four and a half years. I have an AA in Economics from the US and a B.A. in Accounting from a university in Brazil. I love to teach, especially kids because I love to see how they develop. I’ve taught Mathematics, Physics, Portuguese and English for the past 13 years and I love a new challenge. I am great at playing video games and use games in my lessons to help students enjoy learning even more! I love to see my students applying their knowledge outside the classroom in real-life situations. I can’t wait to meet you and to share my culture and language, Portuguese, with you!

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But I can’t just give up. I have to keep going. I slowly make my way closer to the car, using the snow and bushes as cover. As I get closer, I can hear my mother’s voice more clearly. “Please, just let me go. I won’t tell anyone.” My heart sinks. My mother is in trouble, and I have to act fast.

I reach the car and peek inside. There are three men, all wearing black ski masks, and my mother is tied up in the backseat. I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I realize the gravity of the situation. I still don`t know what these men want with my mum or with my family. I have to think on my feet. I look around for anything I can use as a weapon, but the snow and darkness cover everything. I take a deep breath and make a decision. I am going to go hard in the paint, jump into the car door, and surprise the kidnappers.

“What on earth is going on?” one of them shouts, reaching for something in his jacket. I don’t hesitate. As cool as a cucumber, I run as fast as I can, and superman punch the man, hoping to knock him out. It connects with his jaw, but he staggers back and pulls out a gun. I freeze for a second, but then I remember that I have to protect my mother. I grab the man’s arm and wrestle with him. It’s a struggle. The adrenaline rush is making me do things I never thought possible. I knee his groin as hard as I can. As he is falling to the floor I take the gun and point to the other two kidnappers.

I open my mouth but nothing comes out. I am drawing a blank. The kidnappers start to get closer. I am in panic mode and this is hamstringing me. I keep thinking to myself, “Do something. Your family needs you”, but my voice won’t come out. As an act of desperation, I throw a Hail Mary. I close my eyes and fire one shot to the sky that makes the kidnappers stop where they are. I think I got my mojo back.

“Get out of the car,” I shout, my voice shaking. “Or I’ll shoot. No cap.” They hesitate for a moment, but then they realize I mean business. They quickly open the doors and run away into the darkness. As I approach the car, I feel this strange feeling. I open the door and look at the back of the car.

This is not my mother. What is going on here?

TO BE CONTINUED