The sound of the cop car roared up the alley, and all I could think to do was run, run as fast as I possibly could. The squealing tires flying around the corners gave me chills running up and down my spine. I was all alone, running for my life it seemed, with my mind set on my destination. My friends were nowhere to be seen, and I hoped they were all still okay. Fending for myself was all I could do at this point. Since that chilly October evening, I learned that running from the cops is never a good option.

Today was finally Friday, the end of a long school week. To make things even better, the football team would be playing at home that night. Football Fridays at Cascade High School are always a fun time, and seeing a win is always the best part. I went to the football game that night with four of my best friends, only to see a blowout. The longer the game went, the more boring the game became. My friends and I came up with the idea of doing a little ding-dong-ditching, just for fun.

On we went, having a blast. Being only 16 with a new license, this was what we called fun. After a few houses we decided to cross town to do just one last house before calling it a night. As the other three watched, we neared the doorbell to ring it, and take off. Just as we rang it and began to run away, the cop happens to be turning the corner to catch us running. We both, simultaneously, yelled ‘cop!’, and the scariest night of my life began.

I sprinted into the neighbor’s backyard, and crouched behind a garage, only to set off the automatic censored lights. I sat there in horror, hearing the screeching tires of the cop car speeding around the block trying to catch my other friends. It was only a matter of time before the cop saw the garage light, and came after me. As the cop turned onto the alley that would lead up to the garage I was behind, I was frozen. The headlights flashed towards me, and only had one option; I made a run for it.

I took off, running blindly through yards, trying to find some sort of safety. Finally, I escaped the area and took a second to sit down and catch my breath. I was exhausted. Never had I ever before run as fast as I did that night. Once the ghost was clear, I called all of my friends, frantically wondering where they were, if they had been caught, or more importantly, if they were all okay. I quickly learned that we had indeed been caught, and has to head down to the police station, where our parents picked us up and were taken home.

Ever since that chilly October night, my friends and I have definitely made smarter decisions when it comes to making plans. One stupid decision we made just to have a little fun, led to the scariest night of our lives. To say the least, we all definitely learned out lessons that night, and we most certainly will not make the same mistake again.