The Good Day
From Good, To Bad
Kelsey couldn't believe how wonderful today had been. Sure there had been a couple down sides, but over all, it had been great. She couldn't remember a day quite as good.
The warm breeze felt good on her face. She decided to walk home instead of riding the bus. She was about to pass the ally way between Wall-mart and Target, and that's when she saw him. Brian.
Her brother had just stepped into the ally way. Kelsey knew that the neighborhood wasn't the best, and she could tell that Brian was up to no good. She fallowed him.
When Kelsey looked into the ally way, it was empty, except for a dumpster, and some rats. The end of the ally was a brick wall. There was no way Brian could have gotten out. She made her way down towards the dumpster. He was probably snorting something behind it. She always suspected that he was doing drugs, but when she looked behind the dumpster she thought she would pass out, again. This time she held her ground. Kelsey took in the scene.
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There was blood every where. Brian's button up shirt was completely soaked in it. The blue and tan stripes tainted with red, distorting the patterns. His jeans were perfectly clean, aside from a couple dirt spots. She could tell that they had been ironed the night before. His hair was messy and tinged with blood. His eyes were blank, but starring up at her, as if saying “ Why couldn't you have been there? Why couldn't you have stopped this from happening? I thought you were always going to be there for me, like when we were little.”
Kelsey's eyes tingled from holding back tears, but she couldn't keep them from flowing any longer. She let it all out. Her breathing came out in sobs. She had fallen to her knees, with her face over the pavement, it looked like her face was raining down on it. She crawled over to her brother, and held him in her arms. She closed his eyes, then pulled out her cell phone. Dialed 911, but before anyone could pick up, someone from behind her put a cloth over her nose and mouth. Don't breathe. She told herself. But it was too late, she needed to. She was already so close to passing out, she didn't see why it mattered anyway. Soon her nostrils were filled with some mixture the man behind her had concocted, and she would be out cold in moments. But just before she lost consciousness, she heard the man say, “Now, just be a good girl....” She didn't hear what else, because she was already gone.
_______________________________________________________________________
Here she was again, floating in the nothingness inside of her head. Except this time, Max wasn't there to bring her back, she didn't have his voice to cling to. She was alone, possibly still with that psychopath that knocked her out. She could have been kidnapped, or killed. The ladder was impossible though, for here she was, thinking. She knew for sure, if not of anything else, that she was still alive. She also knew she was cold. She could feel the sensation all over herself. And as suddenly as she felt it, there was her force. The thing to cling to. Cold.
She couldn't help but smile at herself. She had become so used to passing out, she barely needed anything to get her back. Just a feeling, or a voice. So she held on, until finally she could feel her body. And pain. It was so overwhelming, so excruciating, she didn't know how she wasn't dying from it. The pain was ripping through her arms, and legs, and abdomen.
With the scary calmness that she always held, she thought, 'I wonder if I'm late for my date with Max...'
And then it was over. There was no more pain. As she could here footsteps running away from her body. There was silence. It was almost unbearable how quiet it was. But she was back in her body.
Fully alert, Kelsey was aware of everything around her. The ally way looked exactly the same as before. Her brother was even laying in the same position. Her cell phone was next to him. The only differences were the sky, and her. The sky was now dark, with scattered stars, the full moon was hanging just above her head, it seemed. Kelsey sat up slightly, but cringed, and lay back down. All down her body cuts were present. Long slices, deep. They were all down her arms, legs, and abdomen. So that's what the pain had been. She was morbidly curious of her own wounds. She reached one of her hands over one of the cuts on her stomach, and pressed.
It stung.
If she didn't get these checked out, she'd get an infection.
It was just then she realized that her stomach was bare. She had no cloths on, except for her black lace bra, and matching underwear. She felt exposed. But for now, she knew she'd be able to deal with it.
Struggling to her feet, Kelsey picked up her phone. The lens was cracked, but it would still work. She dialed 911.
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. “Hello, Oakland police department.”
“Please, my name is Kelsey Baker.” She was crying, and was practically pleading to this woman. “You've got to help me. My brother. It's my brother, Brian Baker. He's dead. I found his body—about,” She checked the time on her wrist watch, astonished at how much time had passed, “ 5 hours ago.”
“Five hours? Well, what happened that made you wait so long to call?”
Kelsey thought about telling the woman that she had been attacked, but decided against it. “I passed out when I saw him, I just woke up.” It wasn't a total lie. “Please, send someone. I'm in the ally way between Wall-mart and and the Drug store, down town. Come quick!” Beep. Beep. “My phone is dying, I have to go.”
“Kelsey, stay-” And then she was gone. Kelsey was alone. So she walked over to her cloths, slipped them on, and started walking. She knew she should stay where she was, but she needed to leave. She just couldn't stay there. Not with her brother.
I can't believe I lost my chance at dating Max. She checked her watch again. It was 8:47. She could still stop by his house, he'd be home, probably writing. If she just explained what had happened, she knew he'd understand. But not even she knew exactly what had happened. I'll just explain as best I can. He'll understand. I know it.
Max only lived a couple blocks away from her house. She'd been inside only once, when she was three years old. It was the day he moved in. Now as she stood on the doorstep of this large, white house, she was nervous. What if he didn't understand. She didn't know what she would do if he didn't.
She gathered up all of her courage, and knocked on the door. His mother came to the door with a big smile on her face. But it quickly faded. She looked sad and concerned when she saw Kelsey.
“Kelsey, is that you?” She embraced her in a hug so tight she thought she would stop breathing. Mrs. Peace lead her into the house and onto the couch. “What are you doing out?”
“I've got to talk to Max” Kelsey begged, “Is he here?”
“No, Kelsey, he's out looking for you. He's really worried. Where have you been?” She felt Kelsey's head. “Oh my! You're burning up. You just try to sleep. I'll give your parents a call.”
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Kelsey slept without dreaming. She didn't get much sleep, either. Max came home a half hour after she had arrived, and the second he entered the room, she was awake. He ran over to the couch and swept her up in his arms like a princess. “Kels! I was so worried! You're wearing my mother's night gown?” He looked confused, but still relieved.
Kelsey looked down at herself, she was wearing a nightgown. And it was short enough to reveal her scars. Max saw where her gaze lead, and gasped. He looked like he was about to cry. “Max, please let me explain.” She reached out to touch his shoulder, but cringed back, her arms had become stiff from scabbing. It hurt to move at all, and Max seemed to realize this.
“Aw man, Kelsey, what happened?”
“I hope you don't mind, I changed your cloths.” Max's mother gushed, “You're cloths were stained with blood, I didn't want you wearing that. They're in the wash, if you want them back. It'll only take a few minutes to dry.” His mom looked really nervous, which is understandable. I mean, a girl that she barely knows came into her house, wearing bloody cloths, and looking for her son. Kelsey'd be freaked out too, and to see her scars...
“It's fine, Mrs. Peace. I appreciate it.” Kelsey gave her the biggest smile she could manage. “Could you call my parents, tell them I need to get to a hospital?” Max's mom was already out of the room.
The warm breeze felt good on her face. She decided to walk home instead of riding the bus. She was about to pass the ally way between Wall-mart and Target, and that's when she saw him. Brian.
Her brother had just stepped into the ally way. Kelsey knew that the neighborhood wasn't the best, and she could tell that Brian was up to no good. She fallowed him.
When Kelsey looked into the ally way, it was empty, except for a dumpster, and some rats. The end of the ally was a brick wall. There was no way Brian could have gotten out. She made her way down towards the dumpster. He was probably snorting something behind it. She always suspected that he was doing drugs, but when she looked behind the dumpster she thought she would pass out, again. This time she held her ground. Kelsey took in the scene.
_______________________________________________________________________
There was blood every where. Brian's button up shirt was completely soaked in it. The blue and tan stripes tainted with red, distorting the patterns. His jeans were perfectly clean, aside from a couple dirt spots. She could tell that they had been ironed the night before. His hair was messy and tinged with blood. His eyes were blank, but starring up at her, as if saying “ Why couldn't you have been there? Why couldn't you have stopped this from happening? I thought you were always going to be there for me, like when we were little.”
Kelsey's eyes tingled from holding back tears, but she couldn't keep them from flowing any longer. She let it all out. Her breathing came out in sobs. She had fallen to her knees, with her face over the pavement, it looked like her face was raining down on it. She crawled over to her brother, and held him in her arms. She closed his eyes, then pulled out her cell phone. Dialed 911, but before anyone could pick up, someone from behind her put a cloth over her nose and mouth. Don't breathe. She told herself. But it was too late, she needed to. She was already so close to passing out, she didn't see why it mattered anyway. Soon her nostrils were filled with some mixture the man behind her had concocted, and she would be out cold in moments. But just before she lost consciousness, she heard the man say, “Now, just be a good girl....” She didn't hear what else, because she was already gone.
_______________________________________________________________________
Here she was again, floating in the nothingness inside of her head. Except this time, Max wasn't there to bring her back, she didn't have his voice to cling to. She was alone, possibly still with that psychopath that knocked her out. She could have been kidnapped, or killed. The ladder was impossible though, for here she was, thinking. She knew for sure, if not of anything else, that she was still alive. She also knew she was cold. She could feel the sensation all over herself. And as suddenly as she felt it, there was her force. The thing to cling to. Cold.
She couldn't help but smile at herself. She had become so used to passing out, she barely needed anything to get her back. Just a feeling, or a voice. So she held on, until finally she could feel her body. And pain. It was so overwhelming, so excruciating, she didn't know how she wasn't dying from it. The pain was ripping through her arms, and legs, and abdomen.
With the scary calmness that she always held, she thought, 'I wonder if I'm late for my date with Max...'
And then it was over. There was no more pain. As she could here footsteps running away from her body. There was silence. It was almost unbearable how quiet it was. But she was back in her body.
Fully alert, Kelsey was aware of everything around her. The ally way looked exactly the same as before. Her brother was even laying in the same position. Her cell phone was next to him. The only differences were the sky, and her. The sky was now dark, with scattered stars, the full moon was hanging just above her head, it seemed. Kelsey sat up slightly, but cringed, and lay back down. All down her body cuts were present. Long slices, deep. They were all down her arms, legs, and abdomen. So that's what the pain had been. She was morbidly curious of her own wounds. She reached one of her hands over one of the cuts on her stomach, and pressed.
It stung.
If she didn't get these checked out, she'd get an infection.
It was just then she realized that her stomach was bare. She had no cloths on, except for her black lace bra, and matching underwear. She felt exposed. But for now, she knew she'd be able to deal with it.
Struggling to her feet, Kelsey picked up her phone. The lens was cracked, but it would still work. She dialed 911.
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. “Hello, Oakland police department.”
“Please, my name is Kelsey Baker.” She was crying, and was practically pleading to this woman. “You've got to help me. My brother. It's my brother, Brian Baker. He's dead. I found his body—about,” She checked the time on her wrist watch, astonished at how much time had passed, “ 5 hours ago.”
“Five hours? Well, what happened that made you wait so long to call?”
Kelsey thought about telling the woman that she had been attacked, but decided against it. “I passed out when I saw him, I just woke up.” It wasn't a total lie. “Please, send someone. I'm in the ally way between Wall-mart and and the Drug store, down town. Come quick!” Beep. Beep. “My phone is dying, I have to go.”
“Kelsey, stay-” And then she was gone. Kelsey was alone. So she walked over to her cloths, slipped them on, and started walking. She knew she should stay where she was, but she needed to leave. She just couldn't stay there. Not with her brother.
I can't believe I lost my chance at dating Max. She checked her watch again. It was 8:47. She could still stop by his house, he'd be home, probably writing. If she just explained what had happened, she knew he'd understand. But not even she knew exactly what had happened. I'll just explain as best I can. He'll understand. I know it.
Max only lived a couple blocks away from her house. She'd been inside only once, when she was three years old. It was the day he moved in. Now as she stood on the doorstep of this large, white house, she was nervous. What if he didn't understand. She didn't know what she would do if he didn't.
She gathered up all of her courage, and knocked on the door. His mother came to the door with a big smile on her face. But it quickly faded. She looked sad and concerned when she saw Kelsey.
“Kelsey, is that you?” She embraced her in a hug so tight she thought she would stop breathing. Mrs. Peace lead her into the house and onto the couch. “What are you doing out?”
“I've got to talk to Max” Kelsey begged, “Is he here?”
“No, Kelsey, he's out looking for you. He's really worried. Where have you been?” She felt Kelsey's head. “Oh my! You're burning up. You just try to sleep. I'll give your parents a call.”
****************************************************************************************************
Kelsey slept without dreaming. She didn't get much sleep, either. Max came home a half hour after she had arrived, and the second he entered the room, she was awake. He ran over to the couch and swept her up in his arms like a princess. “Kels! I was so worried! You're wearing my mother's night gown?” He looked confused, but still relieved.
Kelsey looked down at herself, she was wearing a nightgown. And it was short enough to reveal her scars. Max saw where her gaze lead, and gasped. He looked like he was about to cry. “Max, please let me explain.” She reached out to touch his shoulder, but cringed back, her arms had become stiff from scabbing. It hurt to move at all, and Max seemed to realize this.
“Aw man, Kelsey, what happened?”
“I hope you don't mind, I changed your cloths.” Max's mother gushed, “You're cloths were stained with blood, I didn't want you wearing that. They're in the wash, if you want them back. It'll only take a few minutes to dry.” His mom looked really nervous, which is understandable. I mean, a girl that she barely knows came into her house, wearing bloody cloths, and looking for her son. Kelsey'd be freaked out too, and to see her scars...
“It's fine, Mrs. Peace. I appreciate it.” Kelsey gave her the biggest smile she could manage. “Could you call my parents, tell them I need to get to a hospital?” Max's mom was already out of the room.