I’m 8 years old. For some reason I’m out the front of the house with a friend and his mum on my bike. Again, for some reason that makes sense to children, I insist on showing them how ‘far’ I can cycle, and go off around a corner a little way from our houses to find some kind of loop back. Not important.

I find myself going down this fairly tight alleyway when a girl, maybe around 11/12, starts coming down the other way. There’s just about enough space for us both to fit, but I’m not a very experienced cyclist and lose my balance, instinctively grabbing her handle bar to avoid falling into her bike. We’re going slowly enough that we’re both absolutely fine. I apologise profusely and remove my hand from her bike and back to mine, when she grabs my hand and forces it back into her handlebar. She loudly shouts ‘DAD!!’ and my heart absolutely sinks.

This big guy comes round the corner. He was fairly tall and muscular, with short hair and a tank top. The main thing I remember is that he had terrible teeth, something I’m about to get a good look at. The girl informs him that I am ‘bullying’ her. He is immediately aggressive, detaining me in this narrow alley and interrogating me about what I’m doing. He shouted directly at my face, letting me feel his spittle and see his black teeth clearly. Her mum comes round to see what’s going on. She asks how old I am, and I say that I’m 8 and just trying to ride my bike. She says “8’s very young to be bullying” as if there’s a more acceptable time. I insist I’m not trying to bully anyone but they have none of it. After 5 minutes or so the dad asks me where I live and as some sort of self-preservation I say through tears that i “don’t know”. They let me go and I cycle off wiping away my tears.

I get back to my friend and essentially just say ‘haha! I went a really long way’, and that’s the end of it. I never tell anyone for fear that they won’t believe me, and I feel terrified that that girl or man will find me for the next year or two. Arseholes.