I'm Already Dead

Chapter One | The Day that ruined me

Chapter 1 • The day that ruined me

I'm not sure what's wrong with me. I never know what's wrong with me. Well, I sort of know. I just don't know how to handle it. What's happening to me, exactly? It all started about a year ago. I was walking to the grocery store to buy some food for me and my family, when I saw, right in front of me, a man shot another man. I was traumatized on the spot. The man said to me, "You keep your silence, and you keep your life. Understand?"

"Yes," I said, quietly.

"Good." he said, and ran away before the police arrived.

When the police arrived, I was still standing there, in shock. A policeman asked me, "A witness called the police and said you were one of the witnesses. What did you see? What did the person look like?"

My heart literally sank, and my stomach started to hurt. "Um.. I swear, all I saw was someone run away. I didn't get to see what they looked like." I lied.

"Did you see what they were wearing, at least?" said the policeman.

"All I saw was that he was wearing all grey." I lied again.

"Okay, thank you for being honest," my heart sunk once again when he said that. I knew I wasn't honest. "You should go home, it's not safe around here."

"Okay, I'll just walk home from here."

I said.

"I don't think it's safe to walk home, it's starting to get late, plus the criminal is still on the loose right now. I'll take you home." said the policeman.

The police officer drove me home in his police car. Even though I was being taken home safely, I was still traumatized and scared because of what happened that day. I also felt a large wave of guilt wash over me as I was being taken home. What would my mother and my father think? What about my little sister Abby?

When we arrived, the policeman and I walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. My stomach dropped when I found out who answered the door.

"Catherine! Where have you...?" My mother's sentence trailed off when she saw the policeman.

"Catherine...? What did you do?" said my mother.

"She didn't do anything wrong, ma'am. Instead she was honest about a crime that she had witnessed today. It takes a lot of bravery to be honest about this." said the policeman, calmly.

"Was she hurt?" said my mother, worriedly.

"No, she was left unharmed." said the policeman.

"Thank you for taking her home, sir. I'm very thankful for your kindness and generosity." said my mother, praising him.

"No problem. You folks have a safe night." the policeman then walked back to his car.

"Sorry about not getting the groceries." I apologized.

"Groceries?! Never mind that, Catherine, I'm going to make you some tomato soup. " said my mom.