It didn't matter that I was a girl, they were going to beat the holy living crap out of me.
I didn't understand their law or what I had done exactly. It didn't matter that it made no sense at all. The main thing was that I was in trouble. What I had done, which I can't remember, was something like, as a joke, flashing the wrong gang symbol thinking it was cute or wearing the wrong color bandana. So this gang which was much more like the Wanderers then a modern LA gang was after me. People shrugged and looked at me with a kind of look that said, ” I know it is stupid, it doesn't make sense, it is not fair, but that is the way it is around here and there is nothing we can do about it, good luck”
One person did try to help and told me that there was a building behind the one that we were in, were they wouldn't look. I went out the back door towards the building in the courtyard and as the door closed I realized it was locking behind me. Before I even made it to the second door the gang rounded the corner and I somehow knew without trying that that door would be locked too. There was nothing I could do. When I came to, I was so messed up I couldn't even do that check where you touch your legs and arms to make sure nothing is broken and that it was all working all right. Nothing was working all right. I vaguely remembered being kicked in the head, my ribs hurt on my right side, and it occurred to me I could die.