Note: The preview is an unedited version, and as I'm undergoing major revisions, many things might change. Mainly, Point Of Views of a character may be taken out, so nothing here is official. Just some examples of my writing and the general story.
1: Bree
I was stunned, kill someone? Usually, he just had me steal stuff or something like that. I could go to jail for life for murder! But then again, he didn't care. I was just a tool.
My shock showed on my face, causing him to add, "Unless you rather your fam die, they'd do also."
"Ok," I blurted. "I'll do it..." I couldn't let anything happen to them. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to them; how could I live without Mom's loving smile and Dad's firm hugs and even Alex, pain in the neck that he was?
"Let's git goin then." He led me off into the forest, and I followed with a feeling of dread, wishing for an escape.
Only a few minutes of walking had passed before my phone rang, deafeningly loud in the tense silence.
My hand instinctively twitched towards the noise, causing the man to glare at me. “Don’t ya dare.”
“It’s probably Lisa… She’ll be suspicious if I don’t answer.” I said, my voice quivering with every word.
“Ya ain’t just sayin’ that?” He narrowed his eyes at me.
I shook my head, maybe too quickly. He motioned for me to pick up the phone, taking a knife from his coat.
I tapped the answer button and put the phone to my ear. “Hello?” I spoke in the most confident voice I could muster.
"Sabrina, can you come over tonight?" Lisa, my best friend, asked with excitement in her voice.
I sighed, I couldn’t admit to her why I couldn't come. "I can't, I'm uh grounded..." I lied. I wish so bad I was grounded!
"Oh. Ok." Lisa said, her voice quieter and flatter than it’d previously been. I felt bad making her this disappointed yet again, and for lying. I guess compared to the other stuff I had to feel bad about I shouldn't feel that bad about this, but I did.
"Sorry, maybe next week?" Not likely, but I'd try.
"Yeah, ok. Stop getting in trouble Bree!" She chastised me lightly. I wished getting out of trouble was that easy!
I laughed, a little stiffly, but I had to try to act normal. Lisa was sensitive, she usually noticed when something wasn’t okay, would think whatever was wrong was her fault somehow, and would worry for just about forever or until the real reason was explained. "I'll try, I gotta go now I'll talk to you later, bye." I hung up.
The man nodded curtly, leading me to the inescapable horrors awaiting…
........................................................................................
I jumped out a window and ran, the relentless screaming of sirens closing in on me. There was a knife clutched in my blood-covered hands; if I was seen, I would be the obvious murderer.
The sight of the man I'd killed staring at me in horror, pleading for his life, lying slumped against the wall with the knife in his stomach and blood dribbling out of his mouth was burned into my mind. Playing on endless repeat. I felt like screaming, crying, collapsing and never moving again. I hated myself for this! But no, I ran. I ran towards home, to stay out of jail.
As I dashed into the trees there were glimpses of the shaggy, grey beard of the man who'd put me in this position. I was tempted to throw the knife into his back, but he'd said he had friends who would hunt me down if I ever killed him, so I didn't. I already had one murder on my conscience though, I doubted I wanted to hold another anyway, though I suspected doing so would help many people.
"Hey, you gonna help me escape?" I hissed. After ruining all my self-esteem and peace in life a little help was the least he could do.
"Nope. Good luck." He sneered and walked away. Of course, I was just a tool. Why would he help me?
I growled in frustration and ran faster as I heard footsteps behind me. I was far enough ahead that I got into my house before the police could see me go in.
I was washing the blood off my hands when the police knocked on the door. My goodness, blood doesn't wash off easy! The knocking became louder and more insistent before my hands were clean enough to be seen.
In order to explain how long it had taken me to come, I quickly got my hair wet and took off most of my clothes, wrapping myself in a towel instead. I felt sick with both dread and disgust, of what might happen and what I'd done.
I ran to the door and opened it. "Hello? What's the matter?" I asked in my best imitation of surprise. I fooled them, thanks to those years I’d had in acting class.
"Hello miss, there might be a murderer hiding in your house. May we have a look around?" Oh yes, you're staring at her! Of course look around, she's hiding in plain sight.
"A murderer?!" My eyes widened in feigned shock. "Yes, of course, officer! Come on in." I stepped aside and let them in.
I stood by the door, watching them complete the search while pretending to be concerned. Concerned for other reasons than I was, that is. I didn't know whether I wanted to be caught or not; if justice to what I’d done would clear my conscience or not. But I could never let my family know what a horrible person they lived with.
Turns out that having my hair wet saved me. My hair was honey brown, but when it was wet it looked more dark chocolate brown. Anyways, one of the officers had glimpsed me through the trees and seen both my hair and clothes. Taking a shower had been the perfect cover... I'd thrown my clothes away and buried them in toilet paper, slightly damp toilet paper so nobody would be eager to check under the soggy mess, and the knife hidden under my towel. If they suspected me, there wasn’t enough suspicion to investigate further.
One of the officers came over to me. "Seems to be safe, thank you for your patience and cooperation."
I nodded to them as they trooped back out, not needing to feign relief. Also thankful that my parents worked at night sometimes and that Dad and Alex were on a vacation so I didn't need to worry about them. I didn't need them worried about the murder hiding under their noses.
2. Jamie
Oh god. What did I just do? I backed away, staring in horror at the crumpled body in front of me, and the girl looking at me in shock.
“You killed him…” The girl breathed, drawing in a shaky breath. “He was - Why - What happened? Why would you do something like that?”
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… He - he tried to put something in your drink, I was trying to stop him and I -” My voice rose and I backed into the opposite wall.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the body, even though my mind screamed to get out of here… Blood trickled from his mouth, neck twisted at an odd angle, so unnaturally…
His eyes widened as I pushed him away. “What did you put in there?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie -” Crunch. Oh my… NO…
The sickening crunch played over and over in my mind. I hadn’t meant it, I didn’t know how, why was I able to do that? Why did I do that?
“Jamie what did you do?” A voice shrieked from the doorway.
“Mom, I didn’t -” My voice stuck in my throat, fear twisting my insides. Would she understand? Could anybody?
“That was your brother!” She wailed, advancing on me.
“It was an accident! Mom, I - You don’t know what he was going to do - I - I’m so sorry!” Panic stood in the way of me saying a clear sentence, and tears began stinging my eyes.
“You,” She got in my face, I could smell the fresh mint on her breath, “Are the most selfish, jealous wretch I’ve ever seen! Just because your brother hooked up with the girl you had a crush on doesn’t mean you can kill him!”
“That has nothing to do with it, he was -”
Mom’s smack knocked me to the ground, her voice seeming to come from everywhere as my head spun, “Get out of my sight. I do not want to see you, you wretched brat!”
I ran for the door, trying to steady myself as the world twisted and writhed around my vision and beneath my feet. I stumbled down the hall and into my room, closing the door tightly behind me as I collapsed to the floor.
I couldn’t get my mind straight. What’d just happened? How could I have done that? Mom slapped me… Was that why my face burned so badly? Or was it the sinking realization of what I’d done?
My head was clearing, but I wished it wasn’t. The confusion was better than this plummeting feeling of clarity. I’d killed my brother. Mom didn’t understand. Would she kick me out? Call the police on me?
I’d walked in, expecting them to just be talking. They were just friends, right? Wrong. I walked in to see them sitting at the table making out. Titus kissing her neck, running his fingers through her hair with one hand… Dumping something in her drink with the other.
I would’ve walked away if he wasn’t messing with her drink. But I did like her, and that was wrong. I couldn’t let that happen. Whatever he was doing, it wasn’t okay.
I walked over… “What did you…” Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Bulging eyes. Horror. No. NO. No…
For the next few hours, I sat hugging my knees on the floor, worrying, crying, trying to think of a solution that didn’t exist… Hating every bit of myself.
Maybe Dad would understand… Of the three kids they had, Mom had always favored Titus most. And he was dead now. Dad had treated us more equal. Maybe he would at least hear my side of the story.
All I could do was hope for now.
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