Take Over Chapter 4 "A Friend"

Steve, TJ and Kyle quickly made their way to the front door.  Steve pulled it open, “Bren?”

“Thank God!” The girl gasped as she plunged through the door and hugged him around the neck. Bren hugged each one of them and then stood back and stared at them with tears in her eyes. “Where have you been?” she asked.

“Us?” TJ said. “Where is everyone else?”

Bren was too overwhelmed with emotion to answer.  She pushed pass Steve, went into the living room and collapsed on the couch.  She ran her fingers through her short, dirty blonde hair.  Then she looked at them with a big smile.

 “You don’t know how glad I am to see you,” she breathed.

“We got that,” TJ said.

“What happened?” Kyle asked, anxiously.

“Sorry. It’s just… I’ve been hiding for days now and I have not seen anyone,” Bren began. Then she asked, “Can I have some water?”

“We’re not sure that’s a good idea,” said Kyle.

“Why?” Bren looked at him strangely.

“Well, we think it might be contaminated,” Kyle told her.

“Contaminated? With what?” Bren asked.

“We saw the quarantine sign and… well…”

Bren looked confused, “What quarantine sign?”

“The one outside of town,” Steve explained.

Bren stared into space as she thought about this. That would make some sense, she thought. “You don’t have to worry about that.  I have been drinking the water and I’m fine.”

Steve sat down in a chair, leaned forward and asked again, “Where has everyone gone?”  

“Please let me have some water and I’ll tell you.”

Kyle went to the kitchen; got two glasses, went to the sink and filled one for Bren and one for himself. Then, before heading back to the living room, he grabbed some crackers.  He handed an appreciative Bren the glass and he began to eat.

Bren took a long drink and set the glass on the coffee table.  She brushed back a strand of hair from her face.  “Thank you,” she said to Kyle. “Where have you guys been?”

“We were up at the cabin, but I think you have a lot more explaining to do,” Steve said, showing his impatience.  He could not believe she was taking her time to fill them in on whatever was going on.

“I’m not sure what exactly happened,” she started, “Callie and I were over at Kim’s house.  We went to bed around midnight,” she looked at the ceiling as if trying to remember or make sense of what she had seen, “I couldn’t sleep.  So I got up and went into the kitchen for a drink of water.  I stood by the window and noticed a few trucks, large ones, pull up the street and stop.  I went into the living room to get a better look at what they were doing.  It was strange because none of the trucks had their lights on.  Then a bunch of people in some kind of space suit looking things, exited the trucks. Two of them took a big hose and started heading toward the house.  Some of the men had guns…I …I was so scared.”

She took a shuddering breath and hugged herself. TJ noticed she was shaking. “They approached the door of the house.  I ran upstairs, not sure of what they were going to do. I called out to Kim’s dad.   That is when I heard the front door behind me get forced open and a hissing sound.  I turned around to see that the men with the hose were spraying something into the house.  When I reached the top of the stairs Mr. Helgum was standing there.  He yelled to ask me what was going on, saw what was happening, then moved me to the side and, and….” she looked up at the boys, tears running down her face. “They shot him.  I panicked and ran down the hall.  Mrs. Helgum came out of their room. I yelled at her to run but she didn’t listen. She ran past me to Mr. Helgum. Kim and Callie came out. I tried to grab them but I was too late.  They screamed and I turned to see what they were looking at.  Mrs. Helgum was lying there in the hall, her hand stretched out toward us.  I went into Kim’s room pulling Callie behind me, but she would not move. I yelled at her to come and then she just… collapsed.  That’s when I saw the mist from whatever that man was spraying beginning to fill the room. I held my breath and went to the open window.  I climbed out on the roof and down the tree.”

Steve could not believe what he was hearing.  Had Bren told him this while everyone was still in town he would have thought it was one of the crazy stories she liked to tell.  This… this was too much.  Men spraying some weird mist, guns and worst of all, shooting Mr. Helgum.

Bren continued, “I hid in the bushes and waited, but they didn’t come after me. The next thing I knew it was day time. I was still lying there, under the bushes.  I must have breathed some of that mist or whatever and it made me pass-out.”

The boys stared at her in stunned silence trying to process all that they had just heard. 

TJ spoke first, “Where are the bodies?”

Bren looked at him, “I don’t know.  I went into the house and it was like it had never happened.  There was no blood, no bodies.  I ran out the front door and looked around.   I then went the Shellic house next door.  No one answered when I knocked.  I tried to call mom and dad but the there was no dial tone on the phone.  I got Kim’s bike and road into town. ”

It was painful for Bren to recount this living nightmare.  She knew it had to be done, but she also knew that these guys, no matter what sympathy they had for her, would never understand what she felt.  She had been completely and utterly alone. No other person had been left, no phone, no radio and no TV.  She felt tears welling up in her again, “Please tell me you guys are not a dream,”  she smiled at them, the thought of not being alone anymore was almost too much to bear. 

“Later that day the men came back. I was in town when I noticed their vehicles coming up Main Street.  I hid.  They stopped in front of the coffee shop and went inside.  I heard a woman scream and then I saw them carrying Sarah out.  I went to your house TJ, and hid in the old fort.  I didn’t know what to do.  Once they were gone I got some food and blankets and went back to the fort.  I stayed there all night and the next day, until I was sure they weren’t coming back.

“Then I got restless. I had to do something so I thought I would take Mr. Helgum’s car to get help.  It wouldn’t start.  Then yesterday morning they came back to town.  I did my best to stay hidden.  They went from shop to shop on Main Street and then house to house in the neighborhoods.  Twice I thought they were going to catch me.  Then they went over to the power station at the edge of town and worked there all day.  I decided then that I would follow them.” 

“Where?”  TJ asked.

“The old mine.  I followed them to the edge of town, but I could not keep up on the bike without being seen.  So I just went the way I thought they had gone.  I reached Dell, cut off and could see their dust on the dirt road.  I took a roundabout way; trying to stay in the trees,” Bren remembered how her heart raced when she came to the road leading to the mine.  She had almost turned around and given up.

“I left the bike in the bushes and hiked along a side trail keeping the road in sight.  Then I reached the bluff that overlooks the mine entrance.  I couldn’t believe it.  There were school buses, and trucks and men with guns all out in front.”

“Jasper’s mine?” Steve asked. 

“Yes.  I realized then I couldn’t do anything. Not against men with guns, so I came back here and hid, then I heard your jeep this morning.”

Take Over Chapter 3 Taken

Chapter 3   Taken

Stefani awoke, her mouth dry and her muscles stiff. She thought her eyes were open but it was so dark she could not be sure. 

“Hello?” she tried to speak but it came out as a croak.  She tried to swallow; it was near impossible.

Slowly she sat up.  Her head felt like it was spinning.  She put her hands to her forehead and rubbed.  The spinning slowed down and after a while stopped.  She strained her eyes to see where she was. 

Something brushed up against her and she tried to scream but it came out as a moan.

“Don’t be afraid,” a voice came from the darkness. “You’re not alone.”

“Where am I?” she said in a whisper, “Who are you?”

“I am not sure where we are, but my name is Ali.”

Stefani felt a hand on her shoulder.

“What is your name?” the faceless voice asked.

“Stefani.”

“Stefani!” a familiar voice spoke now “Is that really you? It’s me, Kim.”

“Kim,” Stefani said.  Kim was one of Stefani’s best friends.  Some relief came to Stefani. The thought that she was not alone brought a little comfort to her.

Ali spoke, “Our guess is that you were drugged and it will wear off in a little bit.  Several of you came in that way.  Most have recovered, but there are still some of you that are asleep.”

Drugged? Stefani wondered, by whom and why?  She heard some shuffling behind her.

“Ali, please keep talking so I can find you,” Kim said.  

“I don’t know what to say,” Ali replied.

“Say anything.  I am almost there,” said Kim.

Stefani’s head was clearer now and she heard sounds of muffled sobs and sniffling.  She had no real sense of direction because of the darkness of the room.  She also had no idea how big the room might be.  “Here, Kim, over here,” she said in a hoarse voice.

 

This was all too much.  She needed Kim to be near, she needed something to be familiar.  “We are over here,” she said with desperation in her voice.

For the second time a hand reached out of the darkness and rested on Stefani’s shoulder.  She reached for it and pulled Kim close. The two held each other for a long moment, tears streaming down their faces.

“I thought…” there was a sob “I thought I was all alone,” Kim said, breaking the silence.

“There are a lot of us in this room,” Ali said. “We were brought here on school busses.”

“What do you mean?” Stefani asked.

“Well, I had gone to school and at lunchtime there was an announcement for everyone to meet in the gym.  When I got there the gym was full of students.  As far as I could tell it was every grade. They had the younger kids sitting on the floor and the older ones seated on the bleachers.

“Then we were told to line up.  They loaded us up on buses and we left town.  I think we are somewhere near the old mines, but I’m not sure. Anyway, when we stopped they separated us; boys on one side girls on the other.  Then they had us separate again by age.  We were scared, we had no idea what was happening. They walked us to the room we are all in now and shut the door.  I am not sure how long ago it was because after we were all in they turned the lights out.  I think it must have been at least overnight.  Then just a few hours ago the rest of you were brought in laid on the ground and, well, you know the rest,” Ali finished. 

The sounds of sobbing were again heavy in the room and Stefani, Ali and Kim listened, helpless and hopeless.

Take Over Chapter 2

 THE TOWN

TJ sat in the passenger seat trying not to show any signs of his anxiety about the situation but he could not stop the churning in his stomach.    What was going on?  Was his family safe?  Were they sick? 

He kept a steady gaze on the horizon trying to see any indication of what might be going on at home.  He wished he had some of the super powers the characters in his books had.  He could fly in, assess the situation and handle it with a swift kick or punch or some super laser eye vision.

“Guys,” Kyle said, breaking the silence. “ Don’t you think we should pray?”

“Good idea,” TJ said.

“Lord,” Steve began, “ we don’t know what is going on, but you do.   Direct our steps and please keep our families and friends safe.”

“AMEN,” they said in unison.

The three continued on in silence. They were about ten minutes out of town now and coming to “The Ridge” as it was called.  It was a small hill that went between a hogback. The town sat low in a valley with a Mesa to the east and the hogback to the west. The bulk of the towns 1500 people lived in the town.  It boasted of one stop light, and a K-12 school. Most of the people commuted into work sacrificing the hour or more drive for some peace in a small community.  The rest were farmers, ranchers, local business or work from home professionals. 

TJ and his family moved there when he was eight.  Shortly afterward he had met Steve and Kyle at church. They practically lived on the same street and had seen each other almost every day for the last eight years. 

The closer they got to town the more agitated the three became.  They crested “The Ridge” and started down into the town.  There was not a soul in site.  Every shop was closed and the town’s only stop light was flashing.

“What is going on?” TJ asked.  He stared out the window at the empty store fronts. 

“I don’t know…” Steve said. Something was very, very wrong. “Maybe we should head to the sheriff’s office.”

“Good idea,” Kyle said. His heart was racing a little. 


Steve made a left turn off of Main Street and onto Fifth. The town was set up on a grid of numbers that ran north and south and letters ran east to west.  Steve pulled the jeep to a stop in front of the sheriff’s office.  There was not one single patrol car visible. The three exited the jeep and went to the door.  It was locked.  TJ started pounding on the door hoping by some chance that someone, anyone was inside.

“TJ, I don’t think anyone is in there,” Steve said. 

Steve stood peering out into the street, “We’ve got to get home”

They got back in the jeep and, disregarding the speed limit, Steve headed toward their homes.  He rounded the corner to their street and slowed.  TJ’s house was the first and on the right.

“I’ll check my house and then come down to yours,” TJ said.

TJ jumped out of the car and bounded up the steps to his house and knocked. He had a key but he hoped he would hear a “who is it” from his dad or mom or sister.  He took the key from his pocket and with a racing heart he opened the door.  His fear of them being gone was confirmed as he stepped inside.

“Mom, Dad, Anna?”  he said tentatively. He set about checking each room. Finally he sat on the edge of his bed, hot tears making trails down his face.  This can not be happening, he thought.


***************************************************************************************

Kyle stood in his empty kitchen staring down at a half empty dog dish.  His eyes burned as he gritted his teeth and fought back tears.  Everyone was gone.  Even the dog.  What could have done this? What disease was so bad that they had to take everyone away and where had they taken them?

He turned and ran out of the front door towards Steve’s house.  He noticed TJ standing in the window as he approached.  He entered the house without knocking.  Steve was seated at the diner table TJ turned toward Kyle.   No word were said.  There was nothing to say. 

“How could an entire town be taken away and why?” Steve said “What disease could be so bad that they would have to remove everyone?”

“I don’t know,” TJ said, “I wonder if we are in any danger.  If it is in the air we….WAIT!”  he yelled at Kyle. 

Kyle was standing at the refrigerator, glass in hand.  He was about to fill his glass with water. “What?” he said, “I’m thirsty.”

“What if it is in the water?”

“You’re crazy,” Kyle said

“No,” Steve said, “TJ might be right.”

“Listen, if it is in the water no one would be able to drink it and they might take everyone out of here just to make sure,” TJ said.

Kyle set the glass on the counter and wiped his hands on his pants.  The thought that he could have exposed himself to some terrible disease, unnerved him.  “Can I at least get something to eat?”

Steve and TJ looked at each other. Steve said, “I guess that would be OK, but the power is out so I wouldn’t open the fridge.  There is no telling what you will find in there.”

Kyle went to the cupboard and took out some crackers. He looked at the box and then thought again.  Eating crackers without something to drink was not an appealing thought. “ Well what now?”  he asked to no one in particular.

TJ sat at the table with Steve “I guess we film the town for evidence and then head to the city to see if we can find anyone and if they can help or if they know anything.”

“Have you tried the TV?” Kyle asked.

“We haven’t had TV for years,” Steve said.

“Neither have we,” TJ said. “But we do have radio.”

“Yeah,” Steve said he arose and headed to the counter.  Mounted under the cabinet was a radio where his dad would dock his Ipod.  He pushed the buttons. “Oh right. No power.”

“That is strange,” TJ said “I can kinda understand evacuating everyone, but why turn off the power and why not leave someone to make sure everyone was gone?”

Bang! They all jumped. Silence. Then the three were startled by a pounding at the front door.

TAKE OVER a new story (adventure)

Thud! TJ awoke with a pillow to his face.  “Mmmm,” he moaned.

“Let’s go TJ,” Steve said.  “I want to be on the road before sun is up.”

“This is cruel to wake me up before the sun is in the sky,” TJ complained.

“I know right? Steve, what’s the rush?” Kyle asked.

“I just want to get home.”  Truth be told Steve had a feeling that something bad happened back at home.   He wasn’t one to be ruled by his feelings, but he just could not shake this one. “Besides we have been here all week and I am ready for my bed.”  There, he thought,  that gave them some truth.

“Ok,” TJ replied “but you’re buying lunch since you woke me up so early.” He was then struck by a rolled up sleeping bag.



The ride back from the cabin was mostly in silence.  TJ’s head bobbed and weaved for most of the three hour ride. Kyle did his share of snoring.  Steve liked the silence; it gave him time to reflect on their trip to the mountains. 

It was a scouting trip for their movie, Shoe. They found all the locations they wanted to shoot the film and marked them.  TJ then began working on the story board.  It had been a productive week and he was looking forward to getting the rest of the “Usuals”  up there to began filming.  This would be their best film yet. They had completed five films now and one had almost won an award last year. 

Steve smiled, thinking about their first film three years ago.  They were thirteen and his older brother, Mark, had been director and writer.  It was their first major film shoot complete with lights and onsite shooting.  Now they were scouting out for there new film, the biggest of the projects yet. 

Timothy’s dad had written the script and it was a very promising one.  After they had read the script they re-wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote it again; adding a thing here and removing something there until finally they believed they had a winner. They thought for sure they would finally break into the Indie film festival and get recognized. They were now in the production faze.   Timothy or TJ as everyone called him was the sound man and storyboard artist.  Steve was the main character and Kyle was the muscle, well, the grip or best boy. 

They were on the main highway to town now and the sun was finally up. Goshen, was a small farming town in Colorado east of the Rockies.  A place where everyone knew each other and everyone liked it that way.  Kind of like Mayberry, Steve thought.  Still, while he loved the town he wanted to get out to see other states, other countries.  Not that he wasn’t grateful for living in a small town, it was just that he wanted to see what else was out there.

A bright red sign pulled him away from his musing.  He had never seen  the sign before, he took his foot from the accelerator to read: WARNING. ROAD CLOSED AHEAD. NO DETOUR AT THIS TIME (QUARANTINE IN AFFECT FOR THE TOWN OF GOSHEN)

Steve’s heart sank.   Is this some joke?  he thought.  “Guys” he said.

“Guys, wake up,” he said with a little more urgency.

“What’s up?” Kyle asked, groggily.  


“Something is wrong. TJ wake up!” Steve said, striking TJ on the shoulder with his right hand.

“What is it?” Kyle asked.

“I don’t know” Steve replied. 

“It is so hard to get some sleep around you guys,” TJ said with a yawn.

“The sign back there said the road is closed and Goshen is under quarantine,” Steve said, trying to keep his voice from quavering.

“ What?… you’re joking,” TJ said.


“TJ, I’m very serious,” Steve was about to explain when they crested a small hill and ahead the road was barricaded. “ See.”

TJ sat up straight, “What did the sign say?”

“Warning. The road is closed. There is no detour and Goshen is under quarantine.” 

“ Quarantine from what?” Kyle asked.

“It didn’t say. Should we turn around?”  Steve questioned.

“No.  If my family is in trouble I am going to find out what is going on,”  TJ said. “How about your cell phone, Steve?”

“Yeah,” Steve pulled the jeep to a stop about fifty feet from the barricade.  He pulled out his phone, pushed the ‘on’ button and… there was no signal.  He put the phone on the dash.  “What now?”

“We could go back to the highway and come in from the east,” Kyle suggested.

“That would take almost three hours,” TJ said. “ I say we go around the barricade and see if there is someone ahead to tell us what is happening. “

“What if we get in trouble for passing the barricade?” Steve asked.

“Look, our families are over there and if they are being quarantined I’m sure the authorities will understand us wanting to get back to them,” TJ said.

“I guess your right,” Steve said hesitantly.

Steve turned the jeep to the right of the road and drove around the sign.  

Finaly An End To the Worst Day

Turns out the red, white and blue lights were not Lisa’s shining aura.  Ms. Gilmore, that was the old lady’s home I had entered, she had called the police.  They took me into the station for questioning and called my parents to pick me up.

My parents took me to the hospital where they determined that my right elbow had been broken.  They gave me a shot because unbeknown to me I am allergic to bees.  They said my eye was ok and the swelling should go down in a couple of days. 

Lisa came to visit me in the emergency room and even signed my cast.  Her mother made her apologize for saying she hated me.  I apologized for ruining her night and promised I could make it up to her.  Then the unbelievable happened. She smiled at me and kissed me on the forehead.

Worst Day Ever Big Night Continued

From this point on I will be unable to confirm the exact times. My cell phone was inadvertently left in our vehicle that was towed to the storage yard.

It was close to the time to leave and pick Lisa up. She called me and I reassured her that I was fine and that I would make sure her night would be the best night she ever had. Once I was done and she was convinced I received a call. It was the limousine service. They called to advise me that there was an accident on the highway and they would not be able to pick me up at the designated time, in fact they were going to give me a full refund and a coupon for the next ride; because they were not going to be able to show up at all.
I was undeterred. Rather than calling Lisa, God’s gift to humanity, and worry her about our night I figured I would walk over and politely explain what happened and see if her mom could give us a ride.

I went to my room to prepare. I found it a little difficult to get my hair to cooperate since I was unable to use my right arm. By now it was about three sizes bigger. The swelling was almost to my wrist and I was pretty sure it was broken. I was able to do my hair in such away that it mostly covered the lump on my forehead; unfortunately I wasn’t able to do anything about the black eye or swollen lip. (I had thought about using mom’s make up but decided against it).

Once I was done in the bathroom I took out the tux. I found that when your arm is swollen long sleeves are difficult to wear, by now I will admit I was desperate. NOTHING and I mean NOTHING was going to stop me. I used a pair of scissors and removed the sleeves. (I do not recommend this unless you can afford to by a new tux). I took one last look in the mirror and well considering what I had been through I thought I looked pretty good.

I went into the bathroom and before I tell you what happened next let me explain that my right eye was almost swollen shut by this time so my vision was not at its best. I reached for my tooth brush and my advise to you is to not store your pimple cream near your toothpaste; enough said.

I made it out of the house with flowers in hand and was now walking the three blocks to Lisa’s house. I knew that given our history, and me saving her life and all, she would not mind in the least, my appearance.

The sky was clear, the birds were singing and a bee was buzzing.  It started near my ear and I casually swiped it away; it was determined however and kept insisting on landing on the flowers I was carrying.  I put the flowers in the right hand and then gave the thing a good whack.  That did it or so I thought. 

The bee went away only to get his friends.  The bees began to swarm around me like there weren’t any other flowers left on the planet.  I knew if I was going to get to Lisa’s in one piece I would have to defend myself.  I took the flowers in hand and began to slash and strike my enemy with dogged determination.  Soon there were to many, for even a physical specimen such as myself, to fight off.  I ran.

Now if I had full use of my eyesight, I probably would have seen the small hedge that was before me.  I didn’t.   I fell right on to Mr. Harold’s lawn.  He obviously had not read the water restrictions; because not only were his sprinklers on, they had been on for a long time.  How do I know you ask.  I know because there was a large mud puddle right were I fell.  While the mud made a softer landing, which I appreciated, it did nothing to further my already dire appearance.

That did it. At that very moment I realized that the world was against Lisa and me.  For some reason I was not to be with the one I loved, the one I would climb the highest mountain for and the one I would swim the deepest ocean for.  Any man who was half the man I was would give up, but not Jason P. Sanders.  No sir.  I would take Lisa to the dance, we would fall deeply in love and live happily ever after if I died on the way and had to bring myself back to life.

I straightened my jacket, took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  A little dog came out of the house across the street and began barking incessantly at me.  I growled back and it ran off with it’s tail between its legs.  That’s right no one was going to mess with me for the next ten minutes. 

I made it to the end of the street and turned north towards Lisa’s house.  My shoes squished and it was becoming harder to move because my jacket was stiffening with the mud. 

I was a block away.  The next few moments are a little fuzzy, so forgive me if I don’t give you the exact story.  I think the dizziness in my head had something to do with it.  I approached Lisa’s door and knocked.

No one answered at first. I figured she was just busy beautifying herself; as if she could look more stunning than she was. I have to admit my palms were sweating, my hands shook a little and I found it a little hard to breath.  The breathing part may have been because of the bee stings.

The porch light was turned on and it stung my good eye.  The door opened and there stood an old lady.  I introduced myself to Lisa’s grandma and politely asked if she was ready.  The lady must have had a hard time hearing me, my lip was still swollen after all.
She began to shut the door and I put my hand out.  I didn’t want to be rude but I had been through a lot.  I insisted again and tried to speak as clearly and loudly as possible. I can be sympathetic to seniors and understand they can be a little hard of hearing.  She left me standing there at the door.  That was more like it I thought.  I walked into the entry way.

I looked at the photos on the wall and quickly came to the realization that this was not Lisa’s house. Panic struck me. I had been to Lisa’s house once, maybe twice and I was pretty sure she did not have yellow flowered wall paper; however that was not what gave it away.  On the flower covered wall was a picture of a man, that was…let’s just say he was not of the same nationality Lisa was.  Just when I begin to think maybe it was some distant relative the lady returned.  She was carrying a shot gun.

I did what any self respecting man would have done.  I ran.  I turned pulled the door open let out one of my signature screams and ran.   I was half way down the block when I stopped and a good thing I did too, because I had arrived at Lisa’s house.   There was no mistaking it now.  She and her friends were there all dressed up in their ball dresses and staring.

I figured they were surprised to see me in such good shape and dressed to the nines.  I walked up to the porch and gave Lisa my best smile.  She was stunning.  I swear to you the world lit up with red and blue and white.

She stood there with her mouth open.  I lifted the stems (that was all that was left of the flowers) and complimented her on her drop dead gorgeous looks.  I thought the moment was too much for her because she had tears in her eyes. 

That my friends is when she informed me that she hated me and never wanted to see me again.  I was in shock.  I had worked so hard to get here and now all my dreams were dashed, just like that.  One moment, one statement, one slammed door; it was too much.  I am not ashamed to admit this I actually felt like crying.

The Worst Day Ever The Big Night

That brings me to today, our senior year. That summer Tommy Sills moved away to Michigan, his dad had been relocated by his company. Lisa was quite upset at this turn of events and I was there to console her. I admit I did have to resist the urge of explaining to her that Tommy was not supposed to be in her future anyway; I figured I would wait until we were married to poke fun at the loser.

In the interest of time I will fast forward to my current situation. Lisa was in a long distance relationship and had refused any advances from all the other guys in school. She had a problem though, she wanted to go to the Senior Ball, but she was to embarrassed to go alone. That is where I came to the rescue again. I assured her I would not consider it a date and that I respected her commitment to Tommy, the scum. Furthermore I would take her to the ball and she wouldn’t even have to dance with me.  I knew; however, that after she experienced a night of romance with me she would dump Tommy and be mine.
630 a.m.
Beep, beep, beep. My phone alarm went off. I reached over to my lamp stand picked the phone up and turned over on my back. It was same every morning no change there. I turned off the alarm and looked at the calendar. There they were the words I had waited so long to see on my screen…DATE WITH LISA. It was Friday and my teenage dreams of love and miracles were going to come true.
Now I am not a superstitious person, but I could not afford to have anything go wrong on this night of nights, so when I got out of bed I paused a moment and realized I had gotten out on the wrong side. Recognizing my error, I jumped back into bed and got out on the other side. The following proceeded to happen:
635 a.m.
Stepped on skateboard, that someone had left on the side of my bed, fell forward struck head on bookshelf. Bookshelf fell hitting the back of head.
6:40 a.m.
Made it to bathroom without incident. Discovered large bump on forehead from bookshelf. Felt a little dizzy.
6:42 a.m.
Got in shower.
6:43 a.m.
Soap in eyes. No hot water. Slipped and struck head on wall and elbow on shower floor.
6:44 a. m.
Had to use left hand to comb hair, right elbow swollen and can not bend arm. Bump on head larger.
6:47 a.m.
Pulling on pants with one hand, fell, struck elbow again, may have loss consciousness.
7:00 a.m.
Heading downstairs to breakfast with family. Stepped on Lego left by little brother, hopped on one foot and fell down stairs. May have loss consciousness a second time.
8:00 a. m.
Poured cereal and milk, apparently the milk was sour. Gagged and realized I was going to miss the bus.
8:15 a.m.
Walking to school, walked through cobweb, tried to wipe away, forgot right elbow injury. More pain
9:00 a. m.
Arrived at the end of first period. Received lots of stares. Mr. Cordell, my government teacher, tells me to go to the nurse right away.
9:10 a. m.
Made it to the nurse’s office without incident. Mrs. Schroder or Nancy to me, we had become good friends over the years due to the time we had spent together.
She had a funny look on her face when she seen me. I politely asked about her grandchildren. She grabbed my right arm, she was not aware of it’s condition. I let out a yelp. She quickly apologized and had me sit down. Ice was applied to my elbow and forehead. I was instructed not to leave the nurses office.
10:15 a. m.
I must have dozed off. The ice was gone and my head was propped by a pillow. A polite lady from CPS (later I learned this was the Child Protection Service). I don’t remember her name, but she asked me several questions that made me uncomfortable. The police officer standing behind her didn’t help either. I thought they were very nice asking about my parents, my injuries, my little brother. The lady patted me on the arm and told me to wait. (According to my dad, he and my mom were called to the school and questioned by the same lady.) The lady left the room while the police officer had me remove my shirt. I really did not understand what the big deal was. I had some bumps and bruises sure. Up until this time I had not taken a look at my appearance when I stood to remove my shirt I glanced at the mirror that was to my left ( I didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to confirm the muscle growth). My face was a mess. The lump on my head was the size of a baseball. My eye was surrounded by black and blue color. The eyeball was blood shot and my bottom lip was swollen. I grimaced. Once my shirt was removed I noticed large round bruises, I assume from the fall on the stairs, covered my chest and back. The nice policeman helped me with my shirt, my elbow was still swollen.
12:30 p.m.
I was sent home and assured that after I rested I could return for the Senior Ball. My dad explained that the incident would be recorded but no action would be taken at this time.

12:50 p.m.
Arrived at home and went straight to bed.
4:00 p. m.
Woke up a little groggy. Looked around bed before getting out and confirmed no hazards. Still unable to bend right arm. 3 hours ‘til Senior Ball.
4:30 p. m.
After much pleading mom takes me to florist, picked up corsage and bouquet. On the way home mom’s vehicle get’s struck from behind pushing us into another vehicle. Airbag strikes knot on head. Very dizzy now. Neck and back pain began. Refuse ambulance treatment. Dad comes to the scene and takes us home. Mom’s vehicle is totaled.