She slid her last eight dollars through the swipe. Maya’s breakfast money.
Outside, she knelt beside the biker.
« Sir, chew this. »
Her lips barely moved, but he obeyed. She brought the water to her mouth.
« Come on. Stay with me. »
In the distance, the sirens began to wail. The man’s hand found hers, weak but sure.
« Your name? » he grumbled.
— Sienna.
He smiled slightly.
« Remember that name, Cole, » he whispered to another biker who had just arrived. « Tell them… she saved me. »
The younger boy’s eyes shone.
« You just saved Hawk, » he said softly.
— I only did what anyone would do.
« No, » replied Cole. « Most of them would have left. »
#3. The knock at the door
Sienna didn’t sleep all night. She had one dollar fifty left. At dawn, Maya woke up, starving. Sienna shared a banana and some crackers.
Then there was a knock.
Mrs. Johnson, her elderly neighbor, was standing there in her bathrobe.
— My daughter, I heard you helped one of those biker thugs last night.
He was having a heart attack.
— These men are criminals. You have a child to protect.
Sienna remained upright.
— It was a human being.
Mrs. Johnson sighed.
« You’re too kind for your own good. One day, your kindness will backfire on you. »
The door closed softly, leaving Sienna alone with her doubts.
#4. The appointment
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