The Real World | Teen Ink

The Real World

March 27, 2018
By CBond, Clarendon,TX, Texas
More by this author
CBond, Clarendon,TX, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Chapter 1
Sometimes I wonder if I could have saved her. I also wonder what would have happened if I would have walked out of the cafe to meet her. It had been two years since my wife, Susan, had been taken. She was taken from me right outside of the cafe where I sit now. Every night for two years, I have come back to this place to grieve for her. Well, that's what I am told by friends and doctors. They tell me it's normal to return to the scene to grieve but I really don't know what I'm doing here. Perhaps, I'm here to reevaluate the crime scene or maybe, somewhere deep in my mind I hope she might come back. She might come walking down the dark street and we could resume our life. I hope and pray but I know this will never happen, not after two years. I reach for my sidearm, set it on the table and think how I could end my despair in one quick move of a finger. I pick up my gun at place the barrel at my temple, slowly adding presser to the trigger. "bing bing", I nearly jump out of my seat as my phone rings. I pick it up to see who it is, the caller ID says it is Susan. I answer the phone as fast as possible. "Susan, Where are you!", I yelled but get no response. I prepare to speak again but the call is ended and an alert appears on my phone that tells me it's time for work. I take one last look around, Even though I will be back. I silently walk out to the street.
"Good morning, Colt." yelled Jack, the sheriff, from upstairs. Jack was a tall and slender man with jet black hair. He never really liked me, but he seemed to be giving me some slack since my wife was taken. I walked to my office and sat down in the spinning chair, the one my wife had gotten me. Jack stepped in the room and in a soft voice said, "Colt, we have discussed this, you shouldn't be at work.”
"How do you expect me to sit at home and do nothing?" I told him.
"It’s hard, but I don't want you being drastic."
"I will leave, but don't expect me to do nothing."
"We have known each other for a long time, Colt, don't make me have to supervise you." He paused for a moment, "If you do anything we won't have your back.” I stood and stared at him. After a few seconds I left, and started home.
I walked into my apartment, and opened a cold one. On the way home I had stopped for a newspaper, and was now reading it. A small label in the bottom left corner caught my attention. It said that there had been another kidnapping involving a black van. I looked outside my window and let my mind go blank. I began to cry knowing that my next move would change my life. I stood up and walked out of my apartment, I knew what I had to do.
I walked out on to the street and walked. I walked for so long before, Finally, I saw a black van driving very fast down the street. It had a small hole in the back and dents popping out from the inside. It stopped and I saw a large black man get out. He had black hair and was very muscular, He had a knife hiding up his sleeve. I pulled out my Glock and fired, hoping that this was the right guy....
"We have reports of shots fired." Yelled the dispatcher over the radio. Jack heard as he sat in his office. He had been fearing this moment.
He picked up his radio and said," Any details?" There was silence over the radio.
At last came an answer, "I think it's Colt."

Chapter 2
I pulled the trigger and watched the man fall to the ground. A tall white man jumped out of the van a ran around the corner. I walked up to the van and opened the door. It was full of animals in cages. I had just killed an innocent man, so I ran. “Stop, you're under arrest!” yelled an cop from behind me. I was running so fast I didn't dare stop to see who it was. If I let them see my face it was over. I rounded a corner and slammed into a cop. It was my partner,sam. I knocked him down but continued running, running for my life. I finally found a dark alley where I could rest without being seen. I sat down by a dumpster, and thought about what just happened. My friends, my life, and my whole world was in danger. I need to find the kidnapper before the cops find me. There was no way out, I had killed a innocent man. I would do the time for it but first I had to make things right.
Jack sat in his office, waiting for the officers to make a report on the radio. “We lost him,sir.” said a voice over the speaker.
“Could you tell who it was?” I questioned.
“I couldn't but sam did.” There was silence. “It was colt.” Damn it, I thought to myself.
“10-4, keep an eye out for him.”
“10-4.” he responded. I sat my radio on the desk in my office and started for my car. My son has a basketball game tonight, I remembered. It will have to wait though, I have to get cody off the street. If I don’t he might do something stupid.
I need to hurry before they search the house. I ran into my apartment and started grabbing anything I needed. Mainly cloths, guns, food, and money. I walked out of my apartment and started for the elevador. Just as I got there a group of cops stepped out, I quickly made a right turn into the stairwell. I broke into a sprint as I heard the door one floor up open. Somebody yelled something but the sound of my racing heart drowned it out. As I reached the lobby a man in a blue shirt,who I had never seen before, tried to grab me. Without thinking I hit him as hard as I could in the nose. He yelled and fell to the ground. I silently ran into the street, trying to blend in with the crowds. Two cops ran by me without even looking my way. I made my way to the subway and got on a train. I got on a train and it started to move. I was finally safe, they could not get me till the train stopped. I looked to my left and saw three officers in the train car next to me. I recognized Jack just as he saw me, he was coming my way fast.
I have to catch him, I thought in my head as I ran at Colt full speed. He immediately started running for the front of the train. “Tell all officers to be ready at the next stop”, I yelled over the radio
“10-4” replied a officer over the radio.
“I will be there waiting” I heard Sam yell over the radio. I did not like the idea of Sam, Colts old partner waiting for him but I did not have time to respond, I was getting closer to catching Colt. I lost sight of him in the crowd. He must have ran into the next car. I grabbed the handle but it was locked. I was about to call it in when I felt a cold piece of metal rest on my neck. I slowly turned and saw Colt holding a gun to my head.
“Don’t try anything, I don’t want to hurt you”, He said in a scared voice. “Call the other two cops and tell them not to come any farther towards us”.
“Hold your position” I called over the radio.
“10-4”,He responded.
“Why are you doing this”, I asked Colt
“I have to find my wife, I just have to”, He said as if finally letting it out.
“That won’t solve anything, It will just get you into more trouble. Colt, you killed a man!”
“He had a knife!”
“He had a Utility Knife for opening boxes, you have to understand that susan is gone!”
“You don’t know that, I will find her and rescue her!”
“She is dead Colt, it has been two years!”
“Shut up or I will shoot you!”
“You won’t shoot me!”
“Yes I will!”
“Then do it I dare you to end your last chance of getting out of this, shoot!” I yelled just as the train stopped. He shot out the window on the far side of the train and jumped out into the darkness. About six cops ran into the train and started scouting the area.
“Where is he?” said Sam in a desperate voice.
“Gone.” I said slowly.

Chapter 3
  I ran as deep into the subway as I could before my legs gave out. I sank into the shadows trying to disappear, if only I could. There was no way out of this now, I had held a cop at gunpoint. A terrible thought surfaced in my mind, what if susan was really dead. No, she can’t be and I have to find her. I got up and started walking farther into the subway. I saw a light at the end of the long tunnel, I made my way towards it. It was a train station and there weren't any cops around. I walked out onto the street and grabbed a newspaper from a newspaper rack.
I started walking to the library, so I could be left alone while I researched the kidnappings. It was cold and snowy outside, It was unusually quiet. I saw a small child playing in the snow, for a moment I almost felt like everything would be ok. I entered the library and sat down. After scanning the whole paper I decided I should get older papers too. “Where can I find the old news paper catalogs, ma'am”, I asked the librarian 
“Right this way, sir”, she answered. She was a tall grey women with thick black hair. She led me into a room with a computer and a promethean board. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”, she asked.
“Honestly ma'am, I don’t know what i'm looking for.”
“Ok then, I will leave you to it.” She stepped out of the room and I got to work.
I let him get away, I thought to myself as I sat in my apartment. It wasn't the best home but I worked. The walls were painted dark grey but they didn’t even come close to matching the yellow carpet. How could such a good cop go so wrong, not just a good cop but a good man. Colt was now a killer and nothing would stop him from trying to find his wife. I fear that he will eventually find the man he thinks killed her and commit another murder. I should of send a officer to supervise him, I could have stopped this whole thing. I need to know were he could be. A chill ran down my spine and I started racing for the door. I knew were he would be now.
I found no useful information on the old news papers. As I started to leave I realized that I had nowhere to go. I started up the sidewalk to the cafe where I always sit. Maybe i’ve been looking in the wrong places, What if the answers are at the cafe. It was a 5 minute walk but it felt like forever. I felt like I was being followed the whole way. I finally made my way into the cafe and took my usual seat. Just as I was about to order I saw jack and several other cops setting up a perimeter outside. I flipped the table and took cover. “It’s over Colt”, I heard Jack yell over the speaker. I made my way to the back room, looking for a exit. The walls had no windows or doors, I was trapped. Instinctually I reached for my gun and aimed at the door. I heard a faint yell from outside just before Sam kicked open the door. I emptied the clip into him.
“Sam!” I yelled as I saw him fall to the ground in a puddle of blood. I had tried to stop Sam but he just busted in the door set on stopping Colt. I was so shocked I barely noticed Colt run into the bathroom, Unarmed. I walked in after him just in time to see him fleeing through the open window. I made a run for my squad car to pursue him. I was not trying to run him over just slow him down so other officers on foot could catch him. It was a cloudy cold day and a thin layer of beautiful white snow fell. He ran about a block over to the old hotel on bell street. I jumped out of my squad car and followed him up the old brown stairs.The building had been abandoned for 20 years and the cracking of wood and squeaking of metal seemed to build a fear inside of me. He exited onto the roof, ran to the edge and stopped.
“Stop, or I’ll jump!”, He yelled.
“Don’t, it won’t solve anything. I said in a calm voice.
“You were right, Susan is dead!”
“No, I was wrong. Come with me and we can find her, together. I said trying to calm him.
“Jack, i’m never gonna find her!”
“You won’t if you jump, but you can save her if you don’t.”
“But……
“Listen to me!” I cut him off. “I’ve known you for a long time Colt and I can help you, just don’t do anything stupid.
“I’ve fought through my life to find Susan but she is not here, she's in Heaven.” He whispered.
“Colt, No!” I yelled
“I won’t go to heaven I will go to hell.”, He said as he stared blankly into the sky. “I will just do battle with satan till I find a way to her.”, He said as he started to lean back.
“COLT, NO!”, I yelled and ran to the edge just after he fell. I looked down and saw him laying there lifeless. Once again staring at the cold, grey, cloudy sky.

Chapter 4
“I’ve fought through my life to find Susan but she is not here, she's in Heaven.” I whispered. The words just seem to come to me.
“Colt, no!”, He yelled, but I knew what had to be done.
“I won’t go to heaven I will go to hell.”, I said as I stared blankly into the sky looking for a trace of Susan. “I will just do battle with satan till I find a way to her.”, I said, as he started to lean back instinctually. I heard a shout then the cold with breezing around me, then there was darkness.
I had just finished the otopsi and was driving home. How is it possible for people to go so bad, when they were so good at one time. It was over I failed to save or help him, I drove to my apartment and slowly up to my apartment. I grabbed a bottle of liquor out of the fridge and started drinking without thought. I had failed, I failed. I walked to my room and laid down on my bed to think. Suddenly my phone rang. I looked in its direction but I did not feel like grabbing it. Sam is dead, Colt is dead and now it’s over. I stared up at the roof until tiredness took over, I did not notice how exhausted I was. I closed my eyes and drifted off.



Similar books


JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This book has 4 comments.


on Jun. 11 2018 at 7:30 pm
Jack_Steampunk_ BRONZE, Halifax, Nova Scotia
3 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
Make it awesome, then make it make sense. - Brandon Sanderson

I'm always a sucker for the 'Wounded Cop' or 'Scarred Detective' trope because real people would be devastated by a situation like that. I would watch the 'Selling your soul to the Devil' trope though. It's good as is, but be wary it doesn't mess with the continuity or make any plot holes.
Showing versus Telling us the story is a much more effective way of communicating the story. If you have Colt in the first chapter maybe looking at a ring, a book, or other personal object that reminds him of Susan, it would be a better hook and start to the first chapter. He could elaborate how it reminds him of her, how she misses her, and how his life has changed.
Characters are really alive! I can really relate to Colt and Jack's relationship. I can see the gears of character development going, which is always fun to watch as a fellow writer!
Pacing. Take your time describing everything. I had to read it twice to make sure it wasn't a Cyberboy/Diesel-punk story. Make sure it's obvious to the reader when and where Colt is, otherwise it's very jarring in the beginning.
I really like it actually! It really stands out among some other more generic and trending stories out there in the market right now. You always leave the reader in great suspense which is always great! Keep doing that!
Cheers!

CBond said...
on May. 10 2018 at 12:10 pm
CBond, Clarendon,TX, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
thank you, i will work on the rushed parts in my next (longer book). Im basing it off the popular fan game "Five Nights at Candys" keep a look out for it.

on Apr. 24 2018 at 8:11 pm
Imagin8er BRONZE, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law; but if someone puts a hand on you, send him to the cemetery." - Malcolm X

Hi CBond, I saw you wanted honest feedback, so here you go. I really liked the first few sentences. That really drew me in. I also loved the concept of him not basically getting over his dead wife and the consequences. The only negative feedback I'm gonna give here is two things: 1: Sometimes, the story just felt too rushed. 2: Some people can buy the "I'll sell my soul to the Devil" thing, but it can be a little cliche. I could tell Colt and Susan had a great relationship, but uniqueness is the thing that makes it real to us. Other than that, the story was very good. There was a lot of suspense; I wanted to know what happened next. The character development was also very good for the little time they had in the story. I liked it; it was good. :)

CBond said...
on Apr. 18 2018 at 11:38 am
CBond, Clarendon,TX, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
Please comment.