This is a story from two points view, Patton and Kim, which ends with both characters meeting. It is written in third person narrative, present tense. Throughout the story, we could guess that the theme of it could be Crime and Rebellion since the characters exhibit certain characteristics that create the tense atmosphere in the story. In Patron’s story, the ‘drums pound’ and the increasing speed of his car punctuates the buildup tension, as they get heavier and heavier as the Story entities.
Usually, in life-threatening or tense situations we can feel as if our heart pounds faster, feeling fear and anxiety. The beat of the drums that Patton hears on his radio excite him, making him feel ‘young, strong and invincible’, saying ‘to hell with the priest’ and take his thoughts away from reality- when he hears saxophone, he ‘wishes it would stop’ because it gives him flashbacks from his life, and the things he seems to be running away from.
From Skim’s story, we can view her as a typical teenager- rebelling against their parents in order to prove something about themselves or to seek for attention. Her character is portrayed as stubborn, seeking acknowledgement and acceptance (as lines 37&38 show) . Her character is much more naive and helpless than Patron’s, who seems to be taking the predator’s role in the story. Kim is caught up in the excitement of the moment, even though she is afraid.
Her stubbornness stops her from giving up and calling her family. The passage sort of represent a battle between two animals, one being the vulnerable one, running away to learn how to be strong, and the other looking for it’s next victim. The story leaves us questioning what is going to happen next with the same drum sound that was getting louder and louder, but at this time it is at its loudest, suggesting that this may be the climax of the story and something is about to take place.
