Can anyone hear us?

15

I wore black shoes, jeans, a gray hoodie and a black hat with gloves. I needed Prince back. Dad could have hurt him. I walked along the sidewalk, people eyeing me cautiously. The local pound came into view. As I walked up to the door, I noticed it was locked with a chain and deadbolt.

Of course I didn't bring an axe with me. Eyeing the building, I saw there was a window in the back. This building could have a number of triggers and alarms. Only one way to find out of there are any...

I threw my elbow at the window but stopped before I could smash it. If I'm caught, I could get expelled from tomorrow's game. Should I risk it?

As if on cue, my phone rang. I quickly turned the ringer off and ignored it. It rang three times. I checked my messages and it was coach. I shut my phone off knowing I had to focus.

As I took a deep breath, my elbow hit the glass and it shattered. I waited for an alarm but none came. Glad, my shoes crunched on glass while crawling through the window.

Cages lined the walls with now awake dogs staring at me. Prince has to be here somewhere...

Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me. I quickly ran to a nearby storage closet and shut the door in the dark. Brooms and vacuums filled it leaving me almost no space to even stand.

Looking through the crack in the door, a guard came in with a flashlight. He was armed with a gun. He looked at the cages first, then shine his light on the pieces of glass on the floor.

"Hello?" He called.

Suddenly, he pointed his flashlight beam on the closet door and began to walk towards it. The door opened with a squeak and the guard searched the cleaning supplies but never saw me. I peers down at him from the ceiling. My hands were on one wall and my feet on the other holding me up horizontally.

Relieved that he closed the door, I waited until the footsteps retreated to another room. I heard his Walkie talkie going off because he probably alerted someone.

I tried to slowly crawl down but my arms gave out and I plummeted to the cleaning supplies. Landing hard on brooms and buckets, I cursed. The guard probably heard me. I scrambled to my feet and rushed back out through the window, hearing the guard call out after me.

Luckily he couldn't catch me and gave up quickly and never saw my face. I continued to run until I reached the house and collapsed on my back panting, trying to catch my breath.

The coach walked up to me with his wife and chuckled.

"Aron, what are you doing?" He smiled. He noticed that I didn't smile back and sent his wife into the house to get ready for bed. He walked over to me and knelt besides me.

"What did you do? Are you hurt?" He asked.

"No, I'm fine." I tried to stretch my back out but grimaced in pain.

Coach looked at my shirt and on the back was a thin line of blood.

"If you don't tell me I'm suspending you from tomorrow's game."

"I," I hesitated, thinking of an excuse. "I tripped and scraped my back on a rock. But I'm fine. It's not like I'm dying."

He gave me a doubtful look and I knew he didn't buy it.

"Clean yourself up. Get rest." He walked inside the house. I gathered my belongings on the lawn and turned my phone back on.

I forgot why coach was trying to call me earlier and Ted had left me many messages.

Vex in hospital. Injury got infected.

Where are you?

It went on and on. I texted Ted back:

Hey, just out. Not sure about game. Kinda hurting too.

He responded right away:

Hurt?

Me: yeah not bad. Back will be sore tomorrow.

T: what you do?

Just then my dad came ripping out of the house.

"Why did you go to the pound!" He yelled. Hopefully coach couldn't hear.

"I wanted to see if Prince was okay."

"I didn't hurt him. Don't ever leave without me knowing." He slapped me against the face.

"Do you miss Colin?" I asked. I knew I shouldn't. He was taken back by the question and walked calmly back into the house. I pulled my knees to my chest and began sobbing. Colin shouldn't have died. I should have and I should have saved him.

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8 years ago...

"How was school?" I asked Colin. He was in 6 grade and I in 8.

"Fine. I failed my test, though."

"Just like me." I laughed. We began to cross the road when no cars were in sight. I didn't know where the crossing guard was today.

Half way across, a car came racing from a turn, swerving on the road. I could tell he was drunk and he never slowed down.

"Colin!" I yelled and grabbed his arm. I tried to pull him away but a crossing guard came running and grabbed me away. Before I could look back, I heard tires squealing and a crash. Running over to Colin's figure sprawled on the ground, I noticed a bloody patch on his forehead dripping blood on the concrete.

"Wake up wake up wake up!" I shook his shoulders but his head lolled to the side. Tears dripped onto his face and the crossing guard ran over.

"The police are on the way." She said and tried to pull me away but I hung onto his shoulders.

"No! Don't!" I yelled but she pushed me away from my brother. Just then the police came and an officer grabbed my hand.

"Come with me." He said.

"No! I don't want to leave Colin!" However the officer made me sit in the back of his car.

Colin was placed in the hospital under a coma and was asleep for 3 weeks so far. By that time, a reunion for graduating middle school was today.

As I got my dress clothes on and my mom drive me to the school.

"Colin you better be here." I whispered, still believing he would wake up.

I sat down at a table but ignored the speech with my clouded eyes. Continuing to glance at the door, I realized Colin would not be showing as the reunion ended.

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I felt a hand on my back and I jumped, startled. Coach was sitting besides me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked and I wrapped my arms around his neck, sobbing into his t shirt.