The red Ford rumbled onto the cracked driveway of Arcolff's house. The car bumped as it hit the almost invisible cracks in the pavement. Jess parked by an old chrysanthemum bush near the front of the house. Erin sluggishly opened the car and jumped out, her shoes landing against the driveway with a slap. Jess was standing by the door holding it open for Erin.
"C'mon," Jess said from the doorstep, "it's freezing here!"
"I'm comin', I'm comin'," Erin replied as she slipped past Jess into the mudroom of the small cottage-like house. She kicked her shoes off. They hit the wall with a bang before falling limply onto the linoleum floor, laces still tied. Erin entered the kitchen, Jess in close pursuit. Erin walked over and sat down on one of the four small chairs snuggled under the miniscule table. Jess went over to the sink and poured two sodas into a tall glasses. He threw the cans away and came over to Erin with the sodas in hand. He pulled a seat out across from her and sat down giving her the tall glass of bubbly liquid.
"He'll be alright. I promise," Jess said to Erin. Erin didn't respond. The telephone rang. Erin ignored it and Jess got up to answer it. Erin sat and looked around. She loved her brother, and her mom, but sometimes she wish she could just leave her life. She didn't mind the leaks and groans from the old house most of the time. She had moved away from her old neighborhood when her father had died. Her mother had been unable to pay the mortgage on their old house, so they had been forced to move here. The house was fine. Erin actually sometimes enjoyed the cozy feel of the fire as she watched Full House snuggled underneath her favorite blanket on the sagging couch. The house didn't bother her that much. What did bother her was the teasing she had to endure at school. The kids had made up nasty rhymes and nick names for her. One group of girls had even made up a jump rope song about her. Erin, Erin, she ain't no baron;Cries about daddy, no one carin'... Erin just wanted to scream at them, tell them to shut up and stop being so nasty... Jess burst her thoughts as he entered the room and scraped his chair out from where he had messily left it.
"That was mom," He said, "she's on her way home."
Erin smiled.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Jacob, Andy and Dave
Luke continued down the street, staring at the ground, hands in his coat pockets, hair snuggled neatly under his woolen ski hat. Luke loved and hated these walks at the same time. He loved them because Luke loved the outdoors and nature. But he hated them a lot more because they were, as Luke sometimes called them, dread walks. Any time he was walking down this street, he was normally going back to the orphanage, which Luke dreaded. Luke hated it there. The food wasn't very good, the rooms were very small, and, the number one reason, Jacob, Andy, and Dave were there. They were mean. Luke didn't really hate them because they teased him. Almost all the boys there did. Even the headmaster, Mr. Samint, teased Luke sometimes, although not as cruelly as some of the others. At first, Luke actually didn't really know why he hated Jacob, Andy, and Dave so much. Then it had dawned on him one afternoon, and to this day, Luke truly believed that he hated them because he was jealous. They were all brothers; Mr. Samint's step children. They weren't related by blood. They were all step brothers to each other. Mr. Samint had bought the orphanage off an old couple who were selling it at half price. It had already been an orphanage when he bought it, so by law, when he bought it, he technically bought, and now owned, all the orphans inside. He had immediately adopted Jacob, Andy, and Dave right out of his own orphanage. Luke remembered that. He had been so upset. To this da, Luke hardly thought it fair that they had been chosen. Because their step father owned the building they got the biggest room all to themselves, and got to to virtually do what ever they want. Luke hated it. He looked up. He knew exactley when to turn and subconciousley, he had found himself in front of Samint's Orphanage. Luke pushed inside. The second he stepped on the rug, he was shoved roughly to the ground. The room spun as Luke fell back onto the hard, rotting, wood floor. Luke looked up dizzily, the orphanage lobby swimming around his head. He felt something pressed against his temple. He turned his head slightly and saw a man in a dark shirt, dark pants and a ski mask on. Luke's brain went into overdrive. He went slightly cross eyed to see what the man was pressing against his skull. It was a gun.
Searched
Erin leaned her head against the car window as it sped down the highway. Other cars passed in the opposite direction as Jess's beat up Ford rumbled past.
"Cheer up, Erin," he said taking a quick glance in the rear view mirror before returning his eyes to the road. "I know you're upset," Jess continued, "But he'll be fine. Mr. Monroe's tough. He'll push through," Jess honked the car horn as a navy blue pick up truck sped past.
"Thanks Jess," Erin said, half smiling as she continued to look out the window. Her reflection was shown in the glare from the sun.
"What the-" Jess started. A police car was parked farther up the highway and was stopping every car that passed, looking in the window, and waving it on. A person a few cars behind Jess's screamed out the window, his complaint echoing off the nearby hills. The police man either didn't hear the man, or ignored him, because he kept his one-minute process going. Stop, look, wave. Stop, look, wave. The car in front of Jess's was sent on as Jess pulled up parallel to the police car. The police officer knocked on the driver's window and Jess rolled it down. The officer had a dark mustache that completely covered his mouth. His eyes were covered by dark sunglasses that provided contrast to his badged, blue uniform. He bent over and peered into the car.
"Is there a problem officer?" Jess asked looking around the car, trying to see if some hostage had magically appeared in the back seat or something. The police man didn't answer, but continued his search. He looked around for a bit more before pulling his head out of the car.
"Yer' good," he said with a swipe of his hand, indicating Jess to continue moving. Jess moved the car forward, and soon they were speeding down the highway once more. Erin turned around in her seat and peered out the back window. The police man was performing the same search on the car that had been behind Jess's.'Strange,' she thought. Erin had no idea that she would encounter that same man again. If she and Jess had known, they would've just sped past the police man, trying to push him out of their minds, not wanting to think about what would have happened if they had stopped. But neither Erin or Jess had known about this. They'd stopped.
"Cheer up, Erin," he said taking a quick glance in the rear view mirror before returning his eyes to the road. "I know you're upset," Jess continued, "But he'll be fine. Mr. Monroe's tough. He'll push through," Jess honked the car horn as a navy blue pick up truck sped past.
"Thanks Jess," Erin said, half smiling as she continued to look out the window. Her reflection was shown in the glare from the sun.
"What the-" Jess started. A police car was parked farther up the highway and was stopping every car that passed, looking in the window, and waving it on. A person a few cars behind Jess's screamed out the window, his complaint echoing off the nearby hills. The police man either didn't hear the man, or ignored him, because he kept his one-minute process going. Stop, look, wave. Stop, look, wave. The car in front of Jess's was sent on as Jess pulled up parallel to the police car. The police officer knocked on the driver's window and Jess rolled it down. The officer had a dark mustache that completely covered his mouth. His eyes were covered by dark sunglasses that provided contrast to his badged, blue uniform. He bent over and peered into the car.
"Is there a problem officer?" Jess asked looking around the car, trying to see if some hostage had magically appeared in the back seat or something. The police man didn't answer, but continued his search. He looked around for a bit more before pulling his head out of the car.
"Yer' good," he said with a swipe of his hand, indicating Jess to continue moving. Jess moved the car forward, and soon they were speeding down the highway once more. Erin turned around in her seat and peered out the back window. The police man was performing the same search on the car that had been behind Jess's.'Strange,' she thought. Erin had no idea that she would encounter that same man again. If she and Jess had known, they would've just sped past the police man, trying to push him out of their minds, not wanting to think about what would have happened if they had stopped. But neither Erin or Jess had known about this. They'd stopped.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Ms. Arcolff
Erin stood back, surveying the scene. She saw the paramedics she and Jess had called earlier, after Mr. Monroe had collapsed. Erin thought back to what had happened. It had seemed to happen so fast. Mr. Monroe had burst into the store. At first, Erin had been happy to see him, but he just ran straight past her to Luke. Instead of feeling angry, Erin just felt confused. She knew Luke was her friend. He never would have hidden the fact he knew Mr. Monroe. Maybe he just knew him by a different name. Like Edgar; Erin knew that was Mr. Monroe’s first name.
“Honey?” Erin’s mom came over towards her. Erin looked up from her thoughts.
“Are you all right? You seem sad. Mr. Monroe will be okay,” Erin’s mom said hurriedly, “The paramedics said that the hospital planned to keep him there for one more day. But when he heard this news, doctors say that he sat bolt upright in bed jumped out, and ran down the hall. They lost sight of him after a few minutes of chasing. Then you and Jess called the hospital, and they knew where he had gone; although they have no idea why he came here,” Erin’s mom finished, sighing heavily. Erin looked past her mother into the crowds of people. Onlookers who had been at the store during the incident, and nosy people who had seen the ambulances parked outside and had investigated. Luke walked over and Erin introduced him to her mom.
“Hello Luke,” she said, “You can call me Ms. Arcolff.”
“Hello,” Luke replied quickly averting Ms. Arcolff’s gave to look at the floor. He was very nervous. He just didn’t think he could look any Arcolff family member in the eye without felling guilt about not informing Erin immediately about the key. Ms. Arcolff left Erin and Luke to go talk to a paramedic. Luke couldn’t take it anymore, but before he could speak, Jess walked up to Erin.
“C’mon Erin. I’ll drive ya’ home. Mom still needs to shut down the shop,” He said. Erin stood up and followed Jess obediently out the door. Luke watched them go. ‘I just made a friend,’ Luke thought, ‘and I may have just lost one too.’
“Honey?” Erin’s mom came over towards her. Erin looked up from her thoughts.
“Are you all right? You seem sad. Mr. Monroe will be okay,” Erin’s mom said hurriedly, “The paramedics said that the hospital planned to keep him there for one more day. But when he heard this news, doctors say that he sat bolt upright in bed jumped out, and ran down the hall. They lost sight of him after a few minutes of chasing. Then you and Jess called the hospital, and they knew where he had gone; although they have no idea why he came here,” Erin’s mom finished, sighing heavily. Erin looked past her mother into the crowds of people. Onlookers who had been at the store during the incident, and nosy people who had seen the ambulances parked outside and had investigated. Luke walked over and Erin introduced him to her mom.
“Hello Luke,” she said, “You can call me Ms. Arcolff.”
“Hello,” Luke replied quickly averting Ms. Arcolff’s gave to look at the floor. He was very nervous. He just didn’t think he could look any Arcolff family member in the eye without felling guilt about not informing Erin immediately about the key. Ms. Arcolff left Erin and Luke to go talk to a paramedic. Luke couldn’t take it anymore, but before he could speak, Jess walked up to Erin.
“C’mon Erin. I’ll drive ya’ home. Mom still needs to shut down the shop,” He said. Erin stood up and followed Jess obediently out the door. Luke watched them go. ‘I just made a friend,’ Luke thought, ‘and I may have just lost one too.’
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