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Then it all happens so fast, I can barely keep track. The kid spins and pulls a knife on Foster. He almost makes contact, but Foster ducks in time to miss it. "What the hell?"
Foster grabs the kid and whips him to the ground. Foster has him pinned on his stomach. With a chop, Foster sends the knife flying across the lot. Foster pulls something out of the back of the kid's pants. He holds what looks like a hammer or tool up to the kid's face. "This. Did you pay for this?"
"Yes." The kid struggles to keep his head up from the pavement.
"Bullshit. You got anything else?" Foster tosses the tool to the side and now I can see it's actually a small ax. He lifts up the bottom of the kid's hoodie and freezes. "What is this shit?"
I don't see what Foster sees so I'm not sure what's happening, but he saw something on his back.
The kid screams and thrashes under Foster. He's going absolutely berzerk. Oh my God. He could hurt himself. He's banging his elbows and head on the ground and twisting his torso to a point it must be painful.
"Get off me!" He shrieks with a desperation that is not a threat. It's a plea. Foster is triggering some kind of primal reaction in the kid.
Workers and customers from the store come out to see what's going on.
I'm not sure if the kid worked his way free or if Foster decided to give up the fight, but Foster is standing and taking a step back. He holds up his hands, "Okay, man. All right."
The kid climbs to his feet and his eyes shoot laser beams at Foster. He's scared and angry. Foster must sense it too, so he stays still.
The kid picks up the ax and turns to run, grabbing the knife on his way.
Foster and I make eye contact and his brow furrows. "You all right?"
"I'm fine."
He looks at the kid's retreating back. "Stay here." He follows the kid into the trees next to the parking lot.
"Wait." I chase after them. I'm not letting him go off into some trees with a crazy kid who pulls knives and steals an ax!
"Hey!" he calls to the kid.
"Leave me the fuck alone."
"Wanna talk to you."
The kid starts running faster. Now we are deep into the woods and I'm getting nervous.
"Why are you stealing an ax from Supply Depot?" Foster asks him.
"Fuck off."
"Tell me about the marks on your skin."
The kid stops and turns around. His lips are pursed like he wants to say something. His eyes are wide and he's gripping the ax with a clenched fist. He could swing that thing at Foster and I could lose him in an instant. Looking closer, I see he's not as young as I first thought. He could be sixteenHI? His chin has a scraggly scruff and he's tall and skinny. He's basically a homeless person. Which is why Foster should not be chasing him into the woods.
"Foster, please. Let him go."
"What's your name?" he asks the kid.
"Knox," he says reluctantly, looking down.
"Knox. I'm Foster. This is my girlfriend, Mila."
Aww. That's the first time he's ever introduced me to someone as his girlfriend. I didn't think it would be a homeless kid, but it still feels good.
"So, I'll give you a choice. You tell me about the scars or you tell me what you need the ax for. But I'm not leaving till you spill."
"What do you care?" He snorts and flips his hair back with a false bravado. Foster is twice as big as him and already pinned him in under ten seconds, but Knox has an ax and he could throw it suddenly.
