The Rose That Survived the Racing Fire

My name is Shirley Lawrence. On my eighteenth birthday, the sky was gloomy and gray. I wore the white dress my mother had sewn for me before she passed away, standing in front of the old wooden house, waiting for my father to come home. Dad said he had a surprise for me to celebrate my coming of age. I waited from morning until noon, then from noon until evening, and finally saw Dad stumble and rush back, followed by several fierce-looking men. Dad's face was full of panic. He grabbed my hand, his voice trembling, "Shirley, I am sorry. You just... just go with them." I was stunned, not understanding what Dad meant. The leader of those men had sideburns and eyes as sharp as a hawk's. He scanned me up and down, a cold smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth: "So this is the collateral you mentioned? Not bad looking — should fetch some money." Collateral? My heart jolted as I snapped a glance at my father. Father couldn't meet my eyes, keeping his head bowed, his voice growing softer: "Shirley, I owe them a lot of money. I really have no other choice..." I felt as though all the blood in my body had frozen, a deafening buzz ringing in my ears. I gripped my father's arm tightly, shaking him hard: "Dad, you can't do this to me! I'm your daughter!" Dad shook my hand off, stepped back, avoiding my gaze. The man with sideburns stepped forward and grabbed my wrist; his grip was so tight it hurt. "Don't waste your strength. Come with us—you might suffer less." I struggled desperately, crying out my father's name, but he just stood with his back to me, his shoulders trembling slightly, never turning around. They shoved me into a black van, the door slammed shut with a bang, cutting me off from the home I had known for eighteen years. The car had been driving for a long time before finally stopping in front of a remote, abandoned factory. The place was brightly illuminated, filled with the harsh roar of engines, men's shouts, and whistles all around. They led me up to a high platform. Below, a dense crowd gathered around a race track ringed with tires. A man with sideburns grabbed a microphone and shouted down to the crowd: "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we bring you a special 'bet.' This young lady—whoever wins the race tonight takes her!" The audience instantly erupted; the men's eyes locked onto me like wolves, making my skin crawl. I curled up in the corner, tears streaming down, my heart drowning in despair. At that moment, a man dressed in a black race suit strode forward. He was tall, standing straight and proud, his face concealed by a black mask that revealed only a pair of intense, deep-set eyes. He approached the man with sideburns and said in a low voice, "I'm entering the race. If I win, she belongs to me." The man with sideburns appraised him from head to toe and laughed, "Calvin Deer, are you sure you want to wager? This race isn't so easy to win." Calvin Deer said nothing, only nodding his head. The race began swiftly; Calvin Deer climbed into a red race car that shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. Dust swirled across the race track, and the roar of the race cars was deafening. I stood on the high platform, clutching my clothes tightly, eyes fixed unwaveringly on the red race car speeding down the track, silently praying for him to win. The race was intense; several times, Calvin Deer's car nearly collided with others, making my heart race with fear. In the final lap, Calvin Deer's race car suddenly surged forward, overtaking every car ahead and crossing the finish line first. A roar of cheers erupted from the crowd; the man with sideburns looked grim, but he still handed me over to Calvin Deer as promised. Calvin Deer approached me, his eyes dazed, seemingly still catching his breath after the intense race. He said nothing, merely reaching out to hold me tightly. His embrace was warm, instantly soothing my tense body, and tears slipped down my cheeks once again. After a long moment, he finally released me, his voice hoarse: "Don't be afraid. From now on, I will protect you. I will give you freedom."