The Honest Truth

Mark soon notices the teenagers following him. He picks up his pace until he nearly runs—he aims for a streetlight’s safety—but the boys catch him. Mark leaves Beau in the duffel bag. The boys shove him around, harassing him for money. They throw Mark to the ground, kick him, and loot his backpack. They find $100 that Mark budgeted for the trip. One of the bullies flips Mark to his back and punches him in the face. Mark’s hat slides off, and the bully notices his bare head. At that moment, the other boys open the duffel bag, and Beau leaps out vengefully. Beau isn’t a large dog, but he still chases the boys away. The boy who punched Mark drops a lone $20 bill onto his chest before leaving. Moments before, Mark begged the boys to leave him alone, but now his anger resurfaces: “Here’s what I don’t get: why people think I need help, just because” (46). However, anger accompanies Mark’s lingering fear and sadness. Beau returns and licks the tears and blood from his face. Mark drags himself to a brick wall so that he can die alone.