Status: I have based this story off of a subject that is very important to me. I find that we need to learn how to control our usage of automatic guns and I hope that my short story is able to bring this message across others that we all need to find a way to address this issue together.
A Fresh Start
Chapter 7: Thomas
The door slammed right in front of my face, blocking my view of Linneah’s body sprawled all over the cement soaking in a pool of her own blood. I clutched my chest, feeling as if my heart got ripped out, severed in half, then shoved down my throat.
“Thomas,” said Mrs. Lopez as she rested her hand gently on my shoulder. “I am going to need to get away from the door.”
Without saying a word, I attempted to shove by Mrs. Lopez clawing at the door; my fingers itching to grasp onto that door knob.
“No! Mrs. Lopez! You don’t understand! I NEED to get to her! Open the door! I need to save her!” I shrieked as the jocks in the room were holding me back.
“Dude, stop it!” Said Mason, the jock on my right. “She is not gone, yet. She’ll be fine. You just need to stay and relax inside for her, dude.”
“Yeah, man.” Piped Aaron, the other jock who pulled me backwards and sat me down in a chair. “Just relax.”
After struggling for a while, I finally relaxed back into my seat and slung off my backpack. Leaning back into my chair, I took out my phone and scrolled through my photos of Lin and me.
The most recent one was when I taught Lin how to ride a bike in the empty lot behind Big Lots. She was terrified at first. In fact, I practically had to drag her out of truck.
“No,” complained Linneah, “Thomas. I don’t want to. What if I fall down and get hurt?”
“I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I promise.”
“But I don’t want to!”
“You originally said you wanted to do this in the first place. In order for us to join this couples triathlon, you need to learn how to ride.”
“Fine.” Lin hopped out of the car with a scowl on her face.
“And Lin.”
“What.”
“I love you.” I said as I showered her in kisses.
About 3 hours later, Lin was about to ride around the parking lot in a full circle and not fall off.
“You did it! You did it!” I cheered as I took out my phone and recorded her. “Go babe go!”
“Wahoo!” She exclaimed as she sped past me with a big goofy grin on her face. I have never seen her this happy in a very long time. Ever since her grandmother passed away, she hasn’t been able to laugh. But when the opportunity for the triathlon came up, Lin signed us up. This is what her grandmother did with her grandfather before he left her. He was a total jerk! Lin came up to me, giggling.
“Come on. I have a surprise for you.” I said as I hopped onto my bike.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
An hour and a half later, Lin and I parked our bikes at our favorite ice cream parlor, the place where we first met. I stepped outside of the parlor, bearing the gift of chocolate chip mint on a cone and a strawberry with almonds in a bowl. I walked over to Lin who was standing next to the locked bikes and passed her the strawberry.
“To you.” I said, beaming.
“To you.” She replied. We clinked our ice cream, shared a kiss, and ate.
A smile creeped on my face while my thumb stroked the screen of Lin with her helmet on and some ice cream on her nose. She is a very messy eater. Or was. God. I gotta get out of here. I need to get to Lin. I quickly brush a tear that streaks down my cheek as I scroll through my gallery on my phone. I miss her already.
“Thomas,” said Mrs. Lopez as she rested her hand gently on my shoulder. “I am going to need to get away from the door.”
Without saying a word, I attempted to shove by Mrs. Lopez clawing at the door; my fingers itching to grasp onto that door knob.
“No! Mrs. Lopez! You don’t understand! I NEED to get to her! Open the door! I need to save her!” I shrieked as the jocks in the room were holding me back.
“Dude, stop it!” Said Mason, the jock on my right. “She is not gone, yet. She’ll be fine. You just need to stay and relax inside for her, dude.”
“Yeah, man.” Piped Aaron, the other jock who pulled me backwards and sat me down in a chair. “Just relax.”
After struggling for a while, I finally relaxed back into my seat and slung off my backpack. Leaning back into my chair, I took out my phone and scrolled through my photos of Lin and me.
The most recent one was when I taught Lin how to ride a bike in the empty lot behind Big Lots. She was terrified at first. In fact, I practically had to drag her out of truck.
“No,” complained Linneah, “Thomas. I don’t want to. What if I fall down and get hurt?”
“I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I promise.”
“But I don’t want to!”
“You originally said you wanted to do this in the first place. In order for us to join this couples triathlon, you need to learn how to ride.”
“Fine.” Lin hopped out of the car with a scowl on her face.
“And Lin.”
“What.”
“I love you.” I said as I showered her in kisses.
About 3 hours later, Lin was about to ride around the parking lot in a full circle and not fall off.
“You did it! You did it!” I cheered as I took out my phone and recorded her. “Go babe go!”
“Wahoo!” She exclaimed as she sped past me with a big goofy grin on her face. I have never seen her this happy in a very long time. Ever since her grandmother passed away, she hasn’t been able to laugh. But when the opportunity for the triathlon came up, Lin signed us up. This is what her grandmother did with her grandfather before he left her. He was a total jerk! Lin came up to me, giggling.
“Come on. I have a surprise for you.” I said as I hopped onto my bike.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
An hour and a half later, Lin and I parked our bikes at our favorite ice cream parlor, the place where we first met. I stepped outside of the parlor, bearing the gift of chocolate chip mint on a cone and a strawberry with almonds in a bowl. I walked over to Lin who was standing next to the locked bikes and passed her the strawberry.
“To you.” I said, beaming.
“To you.” She replied. We clinked our ice cream, shared a kiss, and ate.
A smile creeped on my face while my thumb stroked the screen of Lin with her helmet on and some ice cream on her nose. She is a very messy eater. Or was. God. I gotta get out of here. I need to get to Lin. I quickly brush a tear that streaks down my cheek as I scroll through my gallery on my phone. I miss her already.