Not Theirs To Take
She was confused about what had happened and wondered if she had fainted. She was startled to think something worse had happened, perhaps a stroke. But the pain she was feeling brought her out of her daze, and it was then that she realized what had happened.
Her blood started to boil with anger and she looked up as the adrenaline rushed through her veins. "You aren't getting away with my money!" she screeched and quickly got to her feet. Then she did what no one was expecting her to do.
Simple Life
77-year-old Winifred Peel looked like every other woman her age. But beneath her wrinkles and wise eyes, she hid a surprising secret.
Living in a small town near Liverpool, she kept herself busy in her retirement. She was used to living an active lifestyle as she grew up playing all types of sports. Now, her lifestyle was much slower of course. But that didn't mean it wasn’t as thrilling.
Cash Only
Winifred was on her way to a cafe for some tea and cake when she passed a group of young men arguing. They were loud and looked like they were up to no good.
But Winifred didn’t care as her thoughts were on cake. But maybe she should have. Suddenly, she remembered the cafe she was going to only take cash, so she set off at a brisk pace to the closest ATM.
At Risk
After several minutes Winifred finally found an ATM and walked towards it. As she drew closer, she fumbled in her bag, looking for her bank card.
When she couldn’t find it, she stopped short of the ATM to search her bag properly. She rummaged through her bag and then became aware of a shuffling behind her. She paused and looked up.
Caught Off Guard
A woman appeared behind her, patiently waiting in line to use the ATM. But what Winifred didn’t realize was that the shuffling didn’t come from her.
Winifred told the woman, “You go ahead, I’ll be a minute”. The woman thanked her and stepped up to the machine while Winifred continued to search her bag. Little did she know that danger was fast approaching.
Uneasy Feeling
Winifred had always been a trusting person. She always believed in the good in people and lived by the motto “give kindness, receive kindness back”. It was a mindset that had served her well until now.
As she stood there searching her bag, she noticed several shadows looming over her but didn’t give it much thought. She was too focused on finding her card and the relief when she finally found it. But that relief wouldn’t last for long.
Danger
Winifred slipped her card into the machine and followed all the normal prompts. Everything was fine until she typed in her PIN code and pressed the ‘Continue’ button.
Suddenly, she was on the ground, her vision was blurred and she was dazed and confused. She tried to get her bearings and make sense of what happened. But one thing was clear, she was in serious danger.
Out of Nowhere
Everything happened so fast that she wasn’t sure if she fainted or if she was hit until the pain shot through her body as if she had been struck by a bat. That’s when she looked up and the adrenaline kicked it.
She felt it surge through her as she shook off the pain. “You’re not taking my money, young man”, she snarled. She rose to her feet, and then the unthinkable happened.
No Time to Think
She was seething with anger as she sprung back to her feet. Before they had the time to react, she was on top of them. It was the same three men she walked past who were making a scene earlier. She knew they were bad news, but she didn’t consider what they might do before she attacked.
Clearly, they thought old women were easy targets to stalk at an ATM for money. But clearly, they underestimate Winifred.
Grandma Fights Back
Lunging at the closest young man, she grabbed his head and used her full weight to wrestle him against the wall. He smashed into the wall with Winifred’s body against him. Winifred’s face was unreadable, no fear or anger, just a general sense of calm. Then, the thieves jumped her.
Winifred was old but very strong. Her whole life was spent playing sports and being active. A lifestyle that had not failed her in a moment like this. But it was only the beginning.
Scary Reflection
Six pairs of rough hands tried to seize her, but her right hand shot out and landed on one thief’s face. Panicking, the men freed the thief Winifred had and then sprinted down the road.
Still full of adrenaline, Winifred began to chase them, but then the gravity of the situation finally hit her, and her knees buckled to a halt. “It was only afterward that I realized what I’d done and started shaking,” she said, “what if he’d had a knife? I might not be here today.” But it wasn’t over yet.
Rush to Help
Hearing the fight, people nearby turned the corner to see Winifred looking distressed. Running to her aid, she waved them off, instead insisting they catch the assailants.
While one passerby stayed with her, the other two hurried off around the corner, hoping to catch a glimpse of her attackers before it was too late. And it wasn’t!
Predators
The shameless trio of teenage criminals; Felix Stoica, 19, Piper Dumitru, 18, and Florin Geblescu, 18, were looking for “easy targets” that night but underestimated this old woman's determination not to be taken advantage of.
They had driven to Bromborough from Manchester in search of vulnerable prey to target. But they got a lot more than they bargained for.
Following The Evidence
The chase was short-lived. The good samaritans had been just a touch too late to see where the attackers had run to, but the police weren’t far behind. In her furious counter-attack, Winifred had caused a fair amount of damage.
The wall and floor surrounding the cash machine was marked with evidence from the attack, with a trail leading off around the corner. A trail that could be followed.
Fighting Spirit
For years, Winifred had visited the gym four times a week. As she grew older, her routine became less intensive, yet her persistence ensured she was still in fighting spirit.
On the day of her attack, her muscles took control, using every ounce of strength to defend herself. Unleashing her anger, she ensured that her attackers were brought to justice.
No Escape
It wasn’t long before the police caught the offenders. With a significant wound showing on his head, the man who first pushed Winifred to the ground was tracked down, loitering up the road.
With no plan of escape, his partners were skulking close by. Once rounded up, they were soon taken to court to be taught an unforgettable lesson.
Justice Served
Looking back, Winifred remains shaken by the incident. Had she been less fit, the attack may have ended up much worse. After their arrest, the young men quickly confessed to their horrid attack. The case was quickly brought to court, and each of them were sentenced to time in prison.
The judge derided their shameless actions, accusing them of “casting a shadow” over Winifred’s twilight years. But as Winifred went home that evening, another similar yet very different incident took place in her city.
Loice Perry
This incident occurred the same evening that Winifred's attackers got served their sentences. A sixty-year-old Loice Perry was making her way out of a local grocery store when two burly men appeared from nowhere.
Standing alone in the empty parking lot, Loice froze as she realized she might be in danger. She inched back and held her walking stick firmly. She wasn't going down without a fight.
Living In Liverpool
Loice had been a Liverpool resident all her life. She'd lived through many phases of the city, seeing new trends come and go.
She'd been there when Liverpool went from one of the best places to stay to one of the worst and back to one of the best. She'd seen it all, yet nothing could've prepared her for what happened that evening.
Her Life
Loice was a mom of three lovely boys, each grown with kids and careers. They all lived in different parts of Europe, leaving Loice in Liverpool.
But although her kids were away, Loice's life was far from boring. She had decade-long friends by her side daily, with her husband Kenny to fill any lingering void in her heart. But that evening, she would make one grave mistake.
It Happens
The day that the event occurred was different for Loice. Instead of having her house hand go to the local store to restock groceries, she decided she'd do it alone.
She had been cooped up in the house for almost a week. She wanted to enjoy an evening drive and stroll that would take her to the store and back. She didn't know what a grave mistake she was making.
A Good Evening
After telling her husband where she was off, Loice took her purse, some cash, and car keys. She hopped into her car and drove off.
The afternoon was already leaning onto an early evening, and the bright yellow sun was hueing orange. Loice smiled as she drove, her window down and some of her favorite music playing. If only she knew what she was driving to.
At The Grocery Store
After a few minutes on the road, Loice pulled into the local grocery store's parking lot. After finding a parking spot, she locked her vehicle and hurried into the building.
But as she walked into the store, she noticed something that put her on edge. Two large men were talking loudly in the store, laughing, and causing a scene. Something about them made the hair on Loice's nape stand.
Tattoos And Piercings
Loice didn't pay the men much attention after the initial shock of seeing them. Yes, they were large, with scores of tattoos marking their skin and piercings all over their faces.
But Loice couldn't judge them, given she had a few tattoos from back in the day. Her husband also had some piercings, although he didn't wear any jewelry anymore. Loice should've been more vigilant.
Filling Her Cart
Putting the men behind her, she fell into doing her shopping. She took the biggest shopping cart and hurried to fill it.
With everything memorized, Loice was quick to fill her cart. She pushed everything to the checkout, and the cashier rang her up. But as she was making her way out of the store, hands full of grocery bags, she noticed something that made her brows furrow.
Agony
Something within Loice's chest pinged, sending a wave of pain all over her body. She almost dropped her groceries and had to support herself on the store's wall.
She took a deep breath, not understanding what was happening. After a quick breather, she started toward her car. She didn't know she'd be leaving the parking lot in an ambulance.
An Empty Parking Lot
Loice was halfway through the now-empty parking lot when she saw one of the rowdy men sitting on the tarmac as if waiting for her. She swallowed a lump of air, straightening her back to look unafraid.
But as she took her next step, the pain shot through her again, this time shooting down to her feet. She held her walking stick firmly, but her knees buckled. Loice lost her balance.
What Is Happening?
Loice wasn't sure what was happening. She didn't know if someone had attacked her or if her body was failing her. She'd never had such complications before despite her age.
The only logical explanation would be that someone had attacked her from behind. But as she fell, something happened that changed her view on the matter.
Coming To Help
Footsteps rang behind Loice as hands reached for her. She expected to hit the ground but floated in the air as someone held her in place.
"Ma'am?" the person called. It was one of the men she'd seen in the store. His friend, who was walking toward Loice, came over to her. Both men were alarmed. What was happening?
A Lucky Woman
The men called an ambulance for Loice and even accompanied her to the emergency room. One called her family, while the other took her groceries to her house.
After a few tests, Loice's doctor shared that she'd had a mild heart attack. Of course, he placed Loice on a healing path. She didn't know what she'd do if those men didn't save her in time. Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.