[center][h2][color=yellow][u]          [b]Aimee Holland[/b]          [/u]
[color=yellow][sup][sup]Current Location: Shopping Center Food Court[/sup][/sup][/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/QmMFuMc.png[/img][/color][/h2][/center]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/i6fLcHF.png[/img][/center]

[color=gray]In Long Beach, everyone had stories of theft and crime, and Aimee's companion, Ally had quite the tale to tell. Idly chewing on a cheeseburger as she listened to Ally speak, Aimee looked on with a perplexed expression on her face.[/color] [color=yellow][i]A getaway car for a smoothie?[/i][/color] [color=gray]Aimee thought, sitting her cheeseburger in the paper tray that accompanied it.[/color] [color=yellow][b]"They probably paid more for the gas to escape than they would have for the smoothie. That is, if they paid for the gas in the [i]first place."[/i][/b][/color] [color=gray] The swim instructor replied, finding it equally ridiculous as any of her companions found the crime. It had befuddled Aimee as she tried to consider a motive to have a simple theft of a smoothie be so planned out as if they were robbing a bank.

Soon, some of her friends--Trip and Marcus-- had brought up the issue of the police doing nothing, and the possibility that they might be even in with the bandits, thugs and gangs that plagued Long Beach like a disease. Such an issue was likely to stir controversy with Aimee, whose brother was a police officer, and she was sure that Jake was doing his best to protect the good people of Long Beach. Jake had even gone to extensive lengths to protect Aimee, forcing her to learn self-defense and carry around a pair of hand cuffs and a stun gun for his little sister's own safety. Still, regardless, Jake was only one man, and there was only so much he could do. Something had to change, or else Long Beach would continue to rot as a hub of criminal activity.

Adding to the conversation, Alan brought up the recent statistics of Long Beach's crime rate on his laptop. It was saddening to see that the crime rate had exploded--quadrupling over the course of two years--and the police soon became short-handed as a result. Jake was always on call, reporting to dozens of claims of criminal activity, and returned every day home to the Holland residence with an exhausted appearance clouding his once cheerful outlook. Yet, despite everything Jake stood for, it was often the citizens of Long Beach that suffered. Alan spoke that he may have to move away in regards for his own safety, which many former natives did. As crime continued to rise, many left the city in search of a better place, leaving their former lives in Long Beach as they moved to different cities and towns.[/color]

[color=yellow][b]"I hope that it doesn't come to it, Alan."[/b][/color] [color=gray]Aimee replied, attempting to keep some sort of positive view on the gloomy conversation. Nonetheless, Alan had truth to his words. Alvina's friend dropped out from a potential education after being sexually harassed, Trip saw a woman be assaulted and mugged in broad daylight, and even Marcus' father had been shot by some thugs. It hadn't been long since Aimee had a brand new surfboard stolen right under her nose as well. She had set it against the lifeguard shack to speak with a mother and her child looking for guidance about the beach, and when Aimee had turned around, her surfboard was nowhere to be found. There were many reasons to fear for your life or your belongings in Long Beach, even if you were alone or in a crowd. If only things would change, and for the better.[/color]

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