Before he could identify the sound, an ear-piercing scream erupted from the edge of El Reposo Park. Young people were scattering away from the location of the sound. A young woman came towards him carrying a little girl in her arms. The girl seemed about ten years old, and she was obviously hurt. Blood stained both of their dresses.
"They shot her! They shot her!" The young woman screamed. "Oh mija! You're going to be all right baby."
"Who shot her?" Juan rushed forward. He turned and yelled for someone to call 9-11, but they were all alone in the parking lot. He fumbled for his phone.
"Some guys in a car..." The young lady was nearly hysterical. She couldn't finish her sentence. She just waved her hand vaguely in a direction down the street.
Juan's heart was pounding. He looked down at the little girl, and his heart broke at the sight of her. She was clutching her stomach, and the blood seeping through her shirt. An ambulance will never get here in time.
"Come with me!" Juan yelled, panic in his voice. "We need to get her to the hospital!"
The young woman nodded, and the two carefully lifted the girl and carried her to Juan's truck. They quickly and carefully laid her in the back seat before Juan got behind the wheel and sped off towards Dignity Health General Hospital, the closest emergency room Juan knew of.
As they drove, the girl’s breathing grew more and more labored. Juan's hands shook as he tried to stay focused on the road. The young woman was in the backseat with the little girl, trying to keep her conscious.
The drive was just over six miles, but it seemed like an eternity. When they arrived, Juan slammed on the brakes and flung open the truck’s passenger door. He lifted the little girl out and carried her inside.
Once inside, the hospital staff took the girl, placed her on a gurney, and wheeled her away. Juan did his best to clean up, and he waited for the police to arrive. I forgot to register to vote, he thought absently. Well, I can always do it later. Right now, there were more important things to worry about.
The election is the last thing on Juan’s mind. Which political party really cares about what Juan is going through?
Choose Option 1: Republicans Contact Juan
Choose Option 2: Democrats Contact Juan