Son

11 I killed him

"Please" I begged as I was lifted and forced forward. There were still half the boys to go and I was putting in all my efforts to not step through the dead boys blood and go up to the machine. "Please" I begged again digging my heels against the squeaky gymnasium floor. One of the guys got bored and brought out a gun and shoved it against my neck. "Move" he growled and I did. I was shoved up against the machine and I put my hand up to steady myself. The team leaders hand shot out like a cobra and constricted around my wrist. I couldnt see him because blood had seeped into both my eyes and was causing imeasurable pain. He observed my hand closely to see the platinum wedding band. He looked at me and grinned "Come on boy, let's see if we've hit the jack pot" I sucked in a breath as my head was forced into the machine and painfully held down. There was a beeping a few seconds before a red light flashed uncertainly. The guy punched the machine and held my head down again. This time a few seconds more, almost if it was thinking if this was worth it. Red light. I was shoved onto the floor and he kicked me out of frustration. "I really thought it was you then" he growled before kicking me in the stomach again. I gasped for air trying to function and pulled myself away. But at least I had gotten away from them for some divine reason. Thank God.

"It can't be him anyway he's not from here" Mr Clark said angrily.

"What?" The team leader asked. "I said he doesn't even go to this school, he's a transfer student from California" he said defiantly. I groaned trying to crawl away and get up to get ready to run. "Just shut up. You Cops think you have any power but you don't. The only thing your good for is mass oppression, we do the real work" he growled pushing officer Clark back onto the benches. I was still trying to breathe through the pain but I could see the kids dead body out of the corner of my eye. I closed them for a few seconds then opened them hoping he had moved. He hadn't. 

After an hour or so of stunned silence all of the boys had been 'registered'.

Some of the kids were crying, some of them were just staring. Other kids were clutching their faces where they'd been hit.

"We're done" the team leader said and the men filed out. Mr Clark stood up and started calling ambulances. He checked the kids body then put someone's jacket over him to cover his head. He checked a few other students then walked towards me. Teachers had started guiding pupils out to classrooms. I had someone's shirt they'd given me and pressed it against my eyes trying to blink the blood out.

"Hey are you okay?" He asked kneeling down to my level. I nodded looking around the scene. How many other schools endured this. How many other kids died. We're they looking for me? Of course they were. I caused this. I killed him.

I killed him.

Tears started rolling down my face, they were tinted red and I pressed the shirt against my eyes. "Hey hey" Mr Clark whispered, it'll be okay, it's okay, we're going to fix this" he comforted but I pulled away. I killed someone. It wasn't going to be okay.

"I'm going to take a shower" I said emotionlessly. He nodded with a worried expression. "If you need to talk?" He suggested and I nodded. "I'm good" I smiled before walking out.

I went into the changing rooms and just turned the shower on. I didnt bother taking my clothes off. I had been dragged through blood and had my own pour down it. My hair dripped out the crimson dye. I collapsed against the shower wall and tried to gather myself. I couldn't, I killed a boy. I had escaped. They sent people after me. As a result a boy died. I started to struggle breathing. I couldn't come to terms with it. Reg found me twenty minuets later just sitting under the water trying to feel something.

"There you are, are you ok?" He asked and I looked up at him. "He's dead Reg. He's dead" i said putting my head in my hands. "Shit man" he said pulling me out of the shower. He sat next to me our backs against the lockers. He put an arm around me gently and pulled me towards him so I was resting on him. "I killed him" I whispered my voice breaking. "Hey no, no, that's not true. That kid was messed up long before, he needed help and in that situation with those kinds of people he was always gonna get hurt, he's done it before. These people need help, and it's not your fault they're not getting it. The only reason he wasn't dead before is because it's a small town and everyone knows he couldn't hurt a fly. He tried to pull a gun out on the Cops to try and get them to shoot him once. It's only cause they new him is cause they didn't shoot him. He should never have been in that vunreble situation. We're kids Rhett. We're just kids. It's the schools fault. It's my dad's fault. It the police's fault. It's their fault. But it could never be ours, we have no control we are just kids." He said confidently. I shook my head. "They were looking for me" I said burying my head. "Adults like to pretend that their actions are because of us. We took this job because of you. We voted for this president because of you. It's never true. Adults are liars. Don't forget that. They'll try and bring you down and they destroy so many kids who end up working and hating their job but doing it for the money or their parents. It's all bullshit Rhett. If you werent there it would have been someone else. The best thing to remember Rhett is that you're replaceable. Go do what you want because the world isn't going to stop moving if you do. Fuck adults. You didn't kill him I didnt kill him. Only the people who let him be vunreble to be shot killed him." He said hugging me angrily. I hugged him back and we sat there comforting each other.

Mr Clark knocked on the door a little later and poked his head in. "Oh there you boys are, are you ok?" He asked. We nodded solemnly. "I wanna get you boys home, especially you Rhett, you've got a shinner there, here's some ice" he said handing it to me as we walked out of the door. I nodded and said thanks holding it up to my eye where the guy had beaten me with his gun.

"I need to make a phone call if that's all right?" I asked and he nodded. "If you want me to talk to your folks or want to arrange going home I'll help you whatever ok?" He smiled gently.

I phoned the only number I thought I could trust. Please pick up please pick up.

"Hello it's the Smithern household" a small voice said and I instantly smiled. "Hey Jake it's Rhett" I said and I could hear his smile down the end of the phone. "Rhett Rhett aw I haven't seen you in a long long long time. I've built a space rocket and I asked mummy to show you but she said you'd been off traveling with pirates." He said and I grinned "Where is mummy Jake?" I asked the boy of six. "Uh I'll get her hold up talked to Elwood for a minuet" he said passing the phone to his baby brother. I grinned as I heard the two year old bite on the phone and hit on the ground laughing. "Hi Elwood" I said, I knew he couldn't hear me but it was comforting to know he was there. "What you talking about Jake, I told you not to pick up the phone" a woman's voice said "but mummy-" Jake said and I smiled tears built up in my eyes. I wiped the stray one away and tried to hold in the others. "Rachel?" I asked desperately. I heard her take a breath "Oh my God Rhett, is that you? Jesus boy, oh Jesus, oh lord Mary Joseph." She cried out clutching the phone close. "Hi Rachel, I missed you" i said trying to keep my voice steady. "Jake why didn't you tell me it was Uncle Rhett." She said enthusiasticly "Oh my darling boy where are you?" She asked hopefully "You're coming home arent you?" She asked and I sighed and leaned back.

"I can't. I don't know how, I'm safe, I'm staying with a cop and his son, they've been good to me. But people are after me and I don't think they're gonna let me leave. I can tell you where I am but I think it's going to take a while. I love you Rachel and I really want to see the two boys. But I'm not in great shape right now. People came to the school looking for me and they busted me up quite bad Rachel." I looked down and held the phone close "they killed a boy Rachel" I whispered "he didn't know what he was doing and they killed him. I can't do this Rachel. I cant-" i cut myself off.

"Oh baby, oh baby, everything's gonna fix itself. Oh don't you worry I'll be there for you. Just tell me where your at and we'll come get you" she said soothingly in her motherly voice.

"Thanks Rachel" I smiled gently.