The author and their friends were tired after a sports event and decided to go home. While walking on an overpass, the author held their friend's hand tightly out of fear of the many strangers around. Someone said "hold up" from behind, which scared the author so much they ran. It turned out to be a friend playing a joke. The past trauma of being followed made the author realize they need to always be alert around others for their safety.

1. Everyone of us felt tired
and sleepy because of the
sportsfest and me and my
friends decided to go
home.
While walking on the over pass
going to LRT 1 there’s so much
strangers I’m holding my friends
hand so tight I’m so scared and I
want to walk fast as I can.
While walking I felt that theirs is
someone behind our back and I want
to escape in that place immediately
and then suddenly someone said
“Hold up to” when I heard that I run I
was so scared and looked at the
back
When I looked at my back I saw
my friend and he was laughing I
felt so bad and felt like my all
body parts was shaking because
of that I cried and walk faster as
I can .
Looking at my side he was following me
and saying sorry. Getting traumatized
by my past makes me realized that in
every places there’s a bad guy and
because of that I need to be alert.
The foolish one
Saet, Jerilyn Mae F.
August 4, 2015, Manila, Philippines