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"Running from the Man"

My heart raced as I ran for my life from the bullies. They hooted and hollered behind me, trying to intimidate me as I charged across town.
    I managed to hide behind a tall concrete building with several blue dumpsters strewn around randomly. I paused and crouched, listening closely as the bullies passed me by. I could hear them grumbling angrily as they searched for me. Thankfully I had hidden myself in a place they would never find.
    As the sun dipped down and night time overtook the sky, I could hear only silence and the sound of chirping crickets. I hadn't heard their footsteps for a while, so I figured it was time for me to leave.
    I carefully walked along the sidewalk that lead back out onto the streets. I thought I heard a sound behind me, so my head whipped around as I continued forward. There was no one there. That's why the feeling of me bumping into someone was so jarring. I nearly jumped out of my skin as I tumbled back to the ground. I sat up, staring up at the man I had bumped into. He wore a sly smile upon his lips, along with a thin mustache and a pink, stripped suit, tie and top hat.
    He knelt down to help me to my feet. "You'd better watch where you're doing, buddy," he said, a smile hidden in his voice. "Who were you running from anyway?"
    I was too stunned to speak. How did he know I was running from someone?
    I stuttered before he finally spoke again. "Come on kid, nobody looks behind them like you did just then. You in some kind of trouble?"
    I shook my head. He didn't need to be bothered by my problems. Besides, someone was behind me. Probably. I needed to get out of here. I said I was fine to try and shoo him away but he held me back, looking at me sternly.
    "Listen to me and listen well, bucko," he said, poking me in the chest as he said 'bucko'. "When a stranger asks kindly to help you, especially a stranger with magic, you must oblige."
    I was rather off-put by what he was insinuating. Was he threatening me? "Look sir, I don't want any trouble," I said, trying to walk away.
    "I'm not gonna ask again," he said. "Who are you running from?"
    Why was he so insistent? I didn't want him to hurt me, I just wanted to leave. I was a little sketched out before, but now I'm terrified. Now more of him than I was of my bullies.
    I looked down at the ground shyly before looking back up at him, ready to spill my guts.
    Just then a voice behind me made me leap out of my skin. "There he is! Let's get him!" I turned around. It was my bullies.
    I dodged past the man and took of running. Or at least I tried. I felt a strong hand grab the back of my shirt, holding me back. Just behind me, I heard the bullies screaming. I turned around to see what was happening and couldn't believe what I was seeing. My bullies were floating, doing slow motion backflips like they were astronauts on a space shuttle. Only they looked terrified.
    I could hear them begging for the man to let them down, but the man twirled his fingers and the kids spun faster in mid-air. And faster.
    "You will leave this kid alone," the man commanded to the floating boys. "If not, I know where to find you."
    "Okay, we will!" they pleaded. "Please let us down!"
    Finally, the man snapped his fingers and the kids fell hard to the ground, crying out in pain as they did so. Then the man turned to me. "See, was that so hard?"
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