Survivor's Guilt Book 1 The Breaking Of An Old System

Chapter 8: "Rookie" The Young Police Perspective

Flashback, March 5, 2004.

Today, I'm out patrolling in the slob west district which is very close to Ironforge. I turn left down Beaver Ave, driving past the giant school called stonewall middle. Everyone seems to be outside today which very weird considering all the recent waves that have risen. I continue down the road for another five minutes until I see a crime happening. There's a child gang member from the gluttonies robbing a convenient store.

As I leave my car, I begin to walk closer towards the store. I try to get a better glance at the kid before I take him down. The child looks to be around the age of nine or ten. I sneak in through the side door which was a distance away from the boy. I hear the boy, "Give me the damn money!!! I'm going turn this piece of shit Stone Mart into upside-down circus!!!"

I hear the child beginning to click the gun. I jump from behind a cover wall and run towards the boy, "Kid; let the guy go now!!!"

He turns towards me with tears running down his eyes. I ease in for the gun, but the kid closes his eyes and starts shooting. The bullets were flying all over the place. The guy at front desk was frozen in fear while all this was happening. I jumped over the cash register and tried to throw the guy to the ground to get cover.

My eyes opened widely as I watched the blood come out of the man's pierced bullet hole. At that moment I recognized that we, as police, are supposed to protect and serve no matter what. I got back up and tackled the little boy, then snatched the gun right out of his hand. I'm now standing over the top of this defenseless child who looks to be afraid of this world.

While he's down on the ground I get on my knees, "Why kid? Why would you associate yourself with such a horrible life?"

The boy opened his eyes and began staring at the lights, "I had no choice. Everything I cared most about is gone now. I didn't want to yet give up hope but..."

Before he could finish, there was some gang members I heard outside. They all started blazing up the place while saying "Get your little ass out here, your job is done! We don't need no extra cops."

The boy ran out while the chaos was happening. As they leave, I call in the incident. A few hours passed, and the Stone-Mart is now a crime scene. I go to the camera room and watch the replay of the video which was behind milkshake counter. I and my other colleagues watch it along with me.

Everyone looks at me with questionable facial expressions and once I leave the room I get a call. The police chief, "You know you committed a crime jackass! What the hell were you thinking rookie! Why not bring the little delinquent into custody or do something more professional than stand there like a scared little dog! Where was your courage! You basically aided his mischievous deeds. Is that what we teach you rookies down in training nowadays? I'd hope not, either you're suspended for going against conduct."

I go into my car, check my phone and I was bombarded with at least forty texts within the last two minutes. As I'm driving home I can still the man lifeless body lying there, the boy's frightened eyes. In his eyes, he was saying " Save me from this life."

I get out of my car and walk into my medium sized house. I took my clothes off, down to boxer and tank top. I walked down the hallway into my revision cave. It's a place where I write my experiences down and try to improve upon them. This would be my thirty-third mistake in my career.

This is the first one that has cost someone's life. If I were, to be honest with myself I don't think I made the wrong move letting him go but I messed up allowing the guy to die. I could've handled it so much better than how it went down. I don't know why I stood frozen like a statue. Maybe I've already lost my conviction after being yelled at so much.