Several months ago I posted a couple chapters of a story I called Witness. I took the story down due to lack of motivation, but I have a renewed interest in the story and am therefore reposting (Thanks to Hoedogg and Lucky Star for telling me you liked the story, you guys are the inspiration and I hope I can live up to your expectations this time out!). I have cut the prologue, in which Annie told three year old Sam and David that their father had died, because I used the prologue to start another story, The Road Home. So, this story picks up right in the middle of the action. The narrator, for anyone who didn't read the original Witness, or anyone who read and forgot, is Sam Camden, age 18. Chapter one as I am posting it now is the original chapter one and two, combined.
Disclaimer: The 7th Heaven characters aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them to tell a story. Please don't sue. All non 7th Heaven characters belong to me.
I like dark fics. This story is going to be very dark. It starts with character death. Please don't flame me if you don't like it. (Constructive feedback is totally different, and greatly appreciated) I'm telling you now so you can make the choice to read it and I hope you do. So here it is...It comes with a read at your own risk warning. Some material may not be suitable for all readers.
Please remember this is a work of fiction. All similarities to persons or events is purely coincidental. That said, it's time to begin.
Witness
By Dark Inzanity (c) 2002
Chapter One
Grand Rio, Texas (A fictional college town)
2017
"Come on, Cam," A foot jarred my bed, and my body. I moaned and kept my eyes shut against the assault. My bones still ached from last night and I felt like my head might explode if I moved suddenly. "Quit whining, you sissy. It's time to get up."
"Shut up, Quinn," I shot back without lifting my head.
Quinn yanked the pillow out from under my head and put it over me. I didn't even bother to protest, but I sat up when he took the pillow away. I tried to focus my eyes, but the room was spinning out of control. I cradled my head in my hands and fell back onto the pillow.
Quinn kicked the bed again. "Ten minutes, sissy boy, or we leave without you."
"Okay, okay." I sat up again and took several deep breaths to quiet the rumbling in my head. "Give me fifteen so I can take a shower."
Quinn sniffed the air. "All right, but don't waste time fixing your hair."
"Haha." I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Cold air chilled my body. I wasn't sure I could stand. I tried, and even though the room spun out around me, I managed to keep my balance long enough to get to the bathroom. I slammed the door and turned the lock and braced my hands on the sink.
I couldn't bear to look at the face in the mirror. 'Who are you?' my mind screamed in silent disgust. It was me, but not me. A shell of me. A grotesque caricature of myself. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and turned away.
I reached for the shower hoping the streaming water would drown out the sounds of puking.
The shower felt good on my aching muscles, but did little to cleanse my soul. I walked back to my room naked and dripping wet. I dressed quickly, despite the nausea rising in my throat, and joined the others downstairs just under the fifteen minute time frame.
Quinn patted me a little too rough on the shoulders. "Glad you could join us today, Cam," he smirked.
I sighed and stole a glance upward with a silent prayer to get me through this day.
*.~.*
I watched in horror as Quinn and the others threw stones at the house. One by one they looked at me, expectantly. I dug my toe in the dirt, kicked at a rock. I bent to pick it up and hurled it at the house.
Dear God, I didn't have a choice. If I didn't throw rocks at the house, Quinn wouldn't be able to stop the others from throwing the stones at me. That's why I did it. I had no choice, because I'm going to look out for number one always.
That's how I got in this mess in the first place.
I like to think I'm tough, and I can handle anything. Mostly that is true. Quinn just happened to witness one weak moment when I lost my will. I was on the ground, taking the beating of my life for nothing more than looking at a pretty girl, which pissed her boyfriend off. Quinn jumped the bastard and gave me the assistance I needed to get back on my feet.
Next thing, the guy lay on the ground curled up in the fetal position, gasping for breath just as I had been before Quinn interfered. The difference was that guy was not going to get up on his own no matter who came along to help him.
I read in the paper a few days later that he was transferred back home to West Virginia to recuperate. He nearly died, the article said. And he had no idea who attacked him. His girlfriend couldn't remember anything about the guys either, though she said she thought there were two assailants.
Quinn took me under his wing after that. I moved out of the dorm and into the house where Quinn lived with six other guys. Quinn is the undisputed leader of the group, what he says goes, most of the time. Rick is Quinn's right hand man and has at times over ruled Quinn's authority. Rick tried to get Quinn to dump me on the side of the road, but Quinn refused and after a few left hooks to his face and gut, Rick backed down.
Bobby, Marc, Kent, Jason, and Sam round out the others. There's already a Sam, which is why Quinn calls me Cam. My last name is Camden.
I don't always agree with the things my roommates do, but I have to go along with them. Quinn's word will only hold them off so long, unless they quit questioning my loyalty to them.
I wonder just how throwing rocks at some old lady's house is proving loyalty, but here we are, and throwing rocks at some old lady's house I am. I don't even know why. What did she do? She probably looked sideways at Rick or Jason when they went to the 7-11 last night.
Most of her front windows were broken out. I hoped she had money to repair them. I wondered where she was, if she was home. Maybe huddled up in a corner or under a bed, trying to hide from an attack. I knew, if anyone decided to break in, there wouldn't be anywhere that woman could hide.
I shouldn't have thought it.
Rick whistled his dog-call whistle. "Let's go see what she's got that we might want." And of course everyone nodded eagerly, almost salivating with the prospect.
Rick took Marc and Kent around back. Quinn, Bobby, Sam, and I headed for the front. I had no choice. I knew it by the glaring look Rick threw at Quinn before he went off, 'Keep Cam in line' it seemed to say.
We walked hunched over, as if she didn't know we were out here already, and when we reached her front porch, Quinn put his finger over his lips. He tried the knob, it didn't give. That hardly stopped Quinn. He pushed his hand through the already broken window pane and unlocked the door by reaching in through the broken window.
We met up with Rick and the others in the kitchen. Quinn gave out directions, telling each of us what room to search for valuables we could easily take. He said nothing of finding the old woman, and I wasn't sure if I should hope to find her and keep it quiet, or hope not to find her so I couldn't get busted for trying to help her. Because I would. I would try to hide her from the others.
I managed to get away from everyone and used my cell phone to call 911. I gave them only the basic info and I hung up quickly before anyone could find me and catch me in the act. I thought my heart would pound out of my chest, but I did it. I called for help and I could only hope it would arrive in time. I hoped it was enough.
It wasn't. Marc found her in the coat closet, buried under a pile of coats and blankets. He dragged her out and called for the others. I wanted to pretend I didn't hear, but I didn't want to end up on the receiving end of Rick's fury so I joined the others in the living room.
I knew what Rick meant to do, and I prayed to God to help her. I couldn't stand up to Rick. Quinn was my only friend in this group, the others would over power him if Rick wanted to go after me. I just hoped I could hover unnoticed in the back ground.
In the end it didn't matter. Rick had his way with her, and Quinn after him. Bobby was about to take his turn when Marc screamed "Cops!". The police had come without lights or sirens to tip us off, and they surrounded the house before anyone even knew they were there.
Rick freaked out, running back and forth from one door to the other. I almost laughed at him. I would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so messed up but my ass was on the line too. And that was nothing to laugh about.
*.~.*
Disclaimer: The 7th Heaven characters aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them to tell a story. Please don't sue. All non 7th Heaven characters belong to me.
I like dark fics. This story is going to be very dark. It starts with character death. Please don't flame me if you don't like it. (Constructive feedback is totally different, and greatly appreciated) I'm telling you now so you can make the choice to read it and I hope you do. So here it is...It comes with a read at your own risk warning. Some material may not be suitable for all readers.
Please remember this is a work of fiction. All similarities to persons or events is purely coincidental. That said, it's time to begin.
Witness
By Dark Inzanity (c) 2002
Chapter One
Grand Rio, Texas (A fictional college town)
2017
"Come on, Cam," A foot jarred my bed, and my body. I moaned and kept my eyes shut against the assault. My bones still ached from last night and I felt like my head might explode if I moved suddenly. "Quit whining, you sissy. It's time to get up."
"Shut up, Quinn," I shot back without lifting my head.
Quinn yanked the pillow out from under my head and put it over me. I didn't even bother to protest, but I sat up when he took the pillow away. I tried to focus my eyes, but the room was spinning out of control. I cradled my head in my hands and fell back onto the pillow.
Quinn kicked the bed again. "Ten minutes, sissy boy, or we leave without you."
"Okay, okay." I sat up again and took several deep breaths to quiet the rumbling in my head. "Give me fifteen so I can take a shower."
Quinn sniffed the air. "All right, but don't waste time fixing your hair."
"Haha." I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Cold air chilled my body. I wasn't sure I could stand. I tried, and even though the room spun out around me, I managed to keep my balance long enough to get to the bathroom. I slammed the door and turned the lock and braced my hands on the sink.
I couldn't bear to look at the face in the mirror. 'Who are you?' my mind screamed in silent disgust. It was me, but not me. A shell of me. A grotesque caricature of myself. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and turned away.
I reached for the shower hoping the streaming water would drown out the sounds of puking.
The shower felt good on my aching muscles, but did little to cleanse my soul. I walked back to my room naked and dripping wet. I dressed quickly, despite the nausea rising in my throat, and joined the others downstairs just under the fifteen minute time frame.
Quinn patted me a little too rough on the shoulders. "Glad you could join us today, Cam," he smirked.
I sighed and stole a glance upward with a silent prayer to get me through this day.
*.~.*
I watched in horror as Quinn and the others threw stones at the house. One by one they looked at me, expectantly. I dug my toe in the dirt, kicked at a rock. I bent to pick it up and hurled it at the house.
Dear God, I didn't have a choice. If I didn't throw rocks at the house, Quinn wouldn't be able to stop the others from throwing the stones at me. That's why I did it. I had no choice, because I'm going to look out for number one always.
That's how I got in this mess in the first place.
I like to think I'm tough, and I can handle anything. Mostly that is true. Quinn just happened to witness one weak moment when I lost my will. I was on the ground, taking the beating of my life for nothing more than looking at a pretty girl, which pissed her boyfriend off. Quinn jumped the bastard and gave me the assistance I needed to get back on my feet.
Next thing, the guy lay on the ground curled up in the fetal position, gasping for breath just as I had been before Quinn interfered. The difference was that guy was not going to get up on his own no matter who came along to help him.
I read in the paper a few days later that he was transferred back home to West Virginia to recuperate. He nearly died, the article said. And he had no idea who attacked him. His girlfriend couldn't remember anything about the guys either, though she said she thought there were two assailants.
Quinn took me under his wing after that. I moved out of the dorm and into the house where Quinn lived with six other guys. Quinn is the undisputed leader of the group, what he says goes, most of the time. Rick is Quinn's right hand man and has at times over ruled Quinn's authority. Rick tried to get Quinn to dump me on the side of the road, but Quinn refused and after a few left hooks to his face and gut, Rick backed down.
Bobby, Marc, Kent, Jason, and Sam round out the others. There's already a Sam, which is why Quinn calls me Cam. My last name is Camden.
I don't always agree with the things my roommates do, but I have to go along with them. Quinn's word will only hold them off so long, unless they quit questioning my loyalty to them.
I wonder just how throwing rocks at some old lady's house is proving loyalty, but here we are, and throwing rocks at some old lady's house I am. I don't even know why. What did she do? She probably looked sideways at Rick or Jason when they went to the 7-11 last night.
Most of her front windows were broken out. I hoped she had money to repair them. I wondered where she was, if she was home. Maybe huddled up in a corner or under a bed, trying to hide from an attack. I knew, if anyone decided to break in, there wouldn't be anywhere that woman could hide.
I shouldn't have thought it.
Rick whistled his dog-call whistle. "Let's go see what she's got that we might want." And of course everyone nodded eagerly, almost salivating with the prospect.
Rick took Marc and Kent around back. Quinn, Bobby, Sam, and I headed for the front. I had no choice. I knew it by the glaring look Rick threw at Quinn before he went off, 'Keep Cam in line' it seemed to say.
We walked hunched over, as if she didn't know we were out here already, and when we reached her front porch, Quinn put his finger over his lips. He tried the knob, it didn't give. That hardly stopped Quinn. He pushed his hand through the already broken window pane and unlocked the door by reaching in through the broken window.
We met up with Rick and the others in the kitchen. Quinn gave out directions, telling each of us what room to search for valuables we could easily take. He said nothing of finding the old woman, and I wasn't sure if I should hope to find her and keep it quiet, or hope not to find her so I couldn't get busted for trying to help her. Because I would. I would try to hide her from the others.
I managed to get away from everyone and used my cell phone to call 911. I gave them only the basic info and I hung up quickly before anyone could find me and catch me in the act. I thought my heart would pound out of my chest, but I did it. I called for help and I could only hope it would arrive in time. I hoped it was enough.
It wasn't. Marc found her in the coat closet, buried under a pile of coats and blankets. He dragged her out and called for the others. I wanted to pretend I didn't hear, but I didn't want to end up on the receiving end of Rick's fury so I joined the others in the living room.
I knew what Rick meant to do, and I prayed to God to help her. I couldn't stand up to Rick. Quinn was my only friend in this group, the others would over power him if Rick wanted to go after me. I just hoped I could hover unnoticed in the back ground.
In the end it didn't matter. Rick had his way with her, and Quinn after him. Bobby was about to take his turn when Marc screamed "Cops!". The police had come without lights or sirens to tip us off, and they surrounded the house before anyone even knew they were there.
Rick freaked out, running back and forth from one door to the other. I almost laughed at him. I would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so messed up but my ass was on the line too. And that was nothing to laugh about.
*.~.*