I pressed the cold porcelain to my flushed cheeks, whilst my lungs heaved a great sigh of relief… I had escaped. I blinked against the bright sunlight and momentarily basked in the feeling of it penetrating my naked flesh.
Hearing the sound of sirens wailing in the distance forced me to snap back to the present. I had to get out of here. They were coming for me. Clutching the treasured vase I made a dash for it, over a rickety fence and through a park teeming with small children pointing their pudgy fingers at me. I could hear an incredulous yelp of, ‘look mummy!!’. In all fairness it must have been quite a sight to behold, me pegging it like my life depended on it with only an antique vase to cover my dignity. In the corner of my eye I saw a police car circling the park, like an eagle coming for its prey. Fear began to swell inside of me, and then sink again like a leaden balloon. I couldn’t go back. [Kim Shillam]