I Watched Him Die

Prologue

-Prologue-

-1991-

They were best friends.

The people around the neighbourhood used to call them Batman and Robbin, they where never apart.

Jason didn't remember when they first met, they where young, no older than three. Ever since that they had done everything together.

Jason recalled the time when they were about six and they ran into the local corner shop with tissue wrapped around their face and toy guns in their hands. Ms Robinson, the owner feigned fright and handed them two comic books in return for her life.

Conner's dad died when he was eight and he spent a lot of time in Jason's. Jason's mum loved Conner, she treated him like her own and likewise with his mother. Conner stayed in Jason's house every Friday night, it was one of their rituals.

They bought each other friendship bracelets at Christmas when they both turned eleven and neither had removed it from their wrists. Much to the annoyance of both parents.

That's what they where looking at the night they walked home from football practice.

Conner was showing Jason the bracelet and Jason felt slightly ashamed that it was in is pocket and not on his wrist, unlike Conner's.

It wasn't a far walk from their houses, that's why they where aloud walk home on their own, even if it was nearly nine.

It was raining, but neither minded. They loved rain, they would stare for hours out Jason's bedroom window on the Friday nights that they weren't out on their bikes or watching movies and eating something that his mother made them.

The speeding car brought them back to reality as they talked about the upcoming football match, although neither paid much attention, that was until the car came to a violent stop. The noise echoing through the estate they where walking in. The smoke from the exhaust being swept quickly away by the gusts of wind.

Jason wanted to run but his feet wouldn't move. Conner stood there, motionless and scared as the four men jumped from the car and walked toward them. Conner backed away, loosing his footing and falling onto his back.

Jason screamed but with no result as one of them, a tall man with a dark baseball cap and scarf around his mouth grabbed him and dragged him to the cold, wet concrete floor. The others where kicking Conner in any place that was available, he yelped a horrific noise that Jason had never heard coming from a human being before and that's when the man on top of Jason laughed, the yelping stopped and the only noise was the heavy breathing and continuous kicks from the attackers.

He wanted to get sick with what he witnessed next.

The man grasped Jason by the hair and neck and put him facing his best friend. His large fingers surrounded the twelve-year-olds head, Jason could smell the sweat and alcohol off him.

The knife glistened in the moonlight as it was driven again and again and again into the unconscious, helpless young boy who lay there, not putting up a fight, not screaming, not breathing.

They sort of jogged off. Not a fast, sloppy run that most murderers would do after killing someone. Not a quick getaway in a waiting car. It was as if they where strolling out of a club and leisurely hopping into the car that was still running.

They didn't care that on that night Conners mother, who had already lost a husband was about to lose her only son. They didn't care that they where going to leave Jason without a friend whom he loved. They didn't even care that they had forced someone to watch his friend being attacked or that the assault would leave lasting scars. Not on the outside, for scars can heal, but  internal ones. Those stay with someone until the day they die.

Jason knew he was dead before he got to him. His eyes where open and in the films whenever their eyes are open their dead.

He fell to his knee's beside his friend, holding his head up, calling him, trying to wake him up even though he knew it was over.

The car could be heard screeching around the corner, the smoke left lingering in the air.

The rain was washing the blood away as quick as it was coming out of him. Jason tried desperately to keep pressure on the wounds but there where too many.

His tears where mixed with rain as he lay there, holding onto his friend.

His eyes fell to Conner's limp wrist, hanging delicately by his side.

There it was,

The friendship bracelet that, only moments before was the subject of conversation between the two. Now though, now it was meerly hanging on. Blood dotting parts of it as well as wet mud.

Jason pulled if from his wrist and put it with his, engraved on one was 'Friends' and on the other 'Forever'.

And that's what they would be,

Friends Forever.