Status: Perhaps, Indefinitely Paused?
Who Said Life Was Easy?
Chapter Four
The year is 2008. I was 17 years old sitting in my high school calculus class.
Brrrrr.
The phone vibrated in Nena's pocket.
Slipping it secretly out, she peeks down at her lap.
Text Message from Edgar.
Open.
"Hurry up n get home!!!! Leave school NOW!!!!"
Reply.
Why, what's going on?
Send.
Nena's heart began to race and she could feel it beginning to travel up her throat, fighting to jump out of her mouth. Her fingers shaking, anxiously waiting for her brother's response.
Did something bad happen?
Was someone hurt?
Him? Dad? A friend?
She shut her eyes and remembered the night she walked out to find one of her brother's friends on her driveway. Limping and clutching at his left arm. Leaving a trail of blood along the way.
His face was pale.
Afraid.
He had been stabbed and he needed Edgar's help. Not the police. Edgar. But Edgar hadn't been home that night.
Nena hadn't been thinking about that though, she was only thinking about all of the blood. She couldn't take her eyes off of it.
He was drowning in it.
Drowning in a sea of crimson red.
And as if some mechanical force took over, she grabbed his other arm and helped him into her house. Led him into the bathroom. Pulled the toilet seat down and made him sit.
She didn't even know his name.
But she knew she had to help him and make him leave before Edgar came home. He couldn't be here when her brother came back. Edgar would want to find whoever did this to him. She wasn't going to let that happen. Even if it meant she was only postponing the inevitable for one night. She was going to keep him safe. The same way he's always kept her safe.
Red rags on the bathroom floor was all that was left of him.
She never found out what happened to him.
She never even saw him again.
Brrrr.
Text Message from Edgar.
Open.
"RAID"
She knew what that meant.
Quick on her feet. In front of his desk in less than a minute, backpack slung over shoulder.
"Mr. C is it alright if I go see the nurse?" A nod. A note. And out the door.
Running down the corridor, her backpack slamming against her back.
Down a flight of stairs and into a sea of students enjoying their lunches.
Dodge left. Dodge right. Push past.
Running toward the fencing that led to the parking lot.
It was guarded. But she was ready. Flash her ID, thank god for off-campus lunch.
Even though this wasn't her lunch period.
But she was gone before they could say a word.
Run faster.
Unlock car. Open door. Throw in backpack. Ignition. And life.
Her heart was racing faster than ever before.
From the fear.
Or the running.
She didn't notice.
Reverse and sped off the lot.
No radio. Just silence and the whizzing of cars.
Did she run that stop?
No time to think.
She was home.
And outside was another one of his friends. She called him The Caveman.
He was a belligerent drunk who never made sense.
With tangled long hair down the middle of his back.
His eyes always drooped.
And he swayed when he walked.
But not today.
His eyes were wide. Alert. And waiting.
Waiting for her to unlock the door.
"Hurry up we have to clear the room before they hit your house."
They stumble inside.
"I don't understand. Where is Edgar??"
Dashed up the stairs.
"I don't know. But they already hit mine and I can't get a hold of my brother. If Edgar can text, I'm sure he's fine. Laying low."
She enters the number combination on the lock to her brother's room. Green light. They rush inside.
Open drawers and pull out bags of white. Bags of green.
I'm leaving fingerprints. The heavy metal is cold as she wrap her fingers around it. No time to worry about that.
"Just put everything in my room. I have a safe."
Thoughts racing in her head. Why did I just say that? What if they find it? What if I get in trouble for all of this? What if they think it's mine?"
Run down the hall. Another combination to enter. Shove what can fit inside.
"I'll take the rest."
He takes his bag of illegal goodies.
Out the door. Speeding off.
And she's alone. Waiting.
For the sirens.
For the red, white, and blue lights.
Just waiting.
Brrrrr.
The phone vibrated in Nena's pocket.
Slipping it secretly out, she peeks down at her lap.
Text Message from Edgar.
Open.
"Hurry up n get home!!!! Leave school NOW!!!!"
Reply.
Why, what's going on?
Send.
Nena's heart began to race and she could feel it beginning to travel up her throat, fighting to jump out of her mouth. Her fingers shaking, anxiously waiting for her brother's response.
Did something bad happen?
Was someone hurt?
Him? Dad? A friend?
She shut her eyes and remembered the night she walked out to find one of her brother's friends on her driveway. Limping and clutching at his left arm. Leaving a trail of blood along the way.
His face was pale.
Afraid.
He had been stabbed and he needed Edgar's help. Not the police. Edgar. But Edgar hadn't been home that night.
Nena hadn't been thinking about that though, she was only thinking about all of the blood. She couldn't take her eyes off of it.
He was drowning in it.
Drowning in a sea of crimson red.
And as if some mechanical force took over, she grabbed his other arm and helped him into her house. Led him into the bathroom. Pulled the toilet seat down and made him sit.
She didn't even know his name.
But she knew she had to help him and make him leave before Edgar came home. He couldn't be here when her brother came back. Edgar would want to find whoever did this to him. She wasn't going to let that happen. Even if it meant she was only postponing the inevitable for one night. She was going to keep him safe. The same way he's always kept her safe.
Red rags on the bathroom floor was all that was left of him.
She never found out what happened to him.
She never even saw him again.
Brrrr.
Text Message from Edgar.
Open.
"RAID"
She knew what that meant.
Quick on her feet. In front of his desk in less than a minute, backpack slung over shoulder.
"Mr. C is it alright if I go see the nurse?" A nod. A note. And out the door.
Running down the corridor, her backpack slamming against her back.
Down a flight of stairs and into a sea of students enjoying their lunches.
Dodge left. Dodge right. Push past.
Running toward the fencing that led to the parking lot.
It was guarded. But she was ready. Flash her ID, thank god for off-campus lunch.
Even though this wasn't her lunch period.
But she was gone before they could say a word.
Run faster.
Unlock car. Open door. Throw in backpack. Ignition. And life.
Her heart was racing faster than ever before.
From the fear.
Or the running.
She didn't notice.
Reverse and sped off the lot.
No radio. Just silence and the whizzing of cars.
Did she run that stop?
No time to think.
She was home.
And outside was another one of his friends. She called him The Caveman.
He was a belligerent drunk who never made sense.
With tangled long hair down the middle of his back.
His eyes always drooped.
And he swayed when he walked.
But not today.
His eyes were wide. Alert. And waiting.
Waiting for her to unlock the door.
"Hurry up we have to clear the room before they hit your house."
They stumble inside.
"I don't understand. Where is Edgar??"
Dashed up the stairs.
"I don't know. But they already hit mine and I can't get a hold of my brother. If Edgar can text, I'm sure he's fine. Laying low."
She enters the number combination on the lock to her brother's room. Green light. They rush inside.
Open drawers and pull out bags of white. Bags of green.
I'm leaving fingerprints. The heavy metal is cold as she wrap her fingers around it. No time to worry about that.
"Just put everything in my room. I have a safe."
Thoughts racing in her head. Why did I just say that? What if they find it? What if I get in trouble for all of this? What if they think it's mine?"
Run down the hall. Another combination to enter. Shove what can fit inside.
"I'll take the rest."
He takes his bag of illegal goodies.
Out the door. Speeding off.
And she's alone. Waiting.
For the sirens.
For the red, white, and blue lights.
Just waiting.