I am warning my readers that this story has no connection to any book or TV show… that I know of. It is simply just an English short story project I wrote last year in grade 9. Please still read and comment
Together
I glance up from my friend Melanie's face to the light blue slide, my son Jamie's favourite, my late husband; Jasper had to teach him how to share it with the other kids.
Jamie wasn't where he was a couple seconds ago, waiting patiently, tapping his bright green tennis shoes in the fine, light brown sand, to a tune that was probably playing in his over imaginative head. I scan a cross the rainbow of colours that make up the playground, and my Jamie is nowhere to be found.
I rise from the painted brown, wooden bench, which is bolted to the cement ground; Melanie is staring up at me with her vibrant green coloured eyes, wondering what I am doing.
"JAMIE" I holler… he doesn't come running; my heart drops into my stomach. Melanie jumps up running into the park, knowing exactly what's happening. With her long, blond hair in pig tails, and with how petite she is, she almost looks like a child too. She's looking in every possible place where Jamie could be, where, I hope his just hiding, but I know he is no where near that playground now.
Jasper, my husband was a very rich man; he died in an accidental fire, last year when Jamie was five. It was all over the six O'clock news. We live rich lives, and about a week ago we stated to get random phone calls, threats about kidnapping my son if we didn't give them a large sum of money. Melanie told me to phone the police, they were helpless, saying to phone again if something more serious happened. This is definitely serious.
I'm in shock. I can only see blurs of the other parent's children running around. I realise why I only see blurs when I blink and feel the warm tears stream down my cheeks. I don't want to lose my son too.
Melanie comes back to my side
"Ren." Melanie says, her voice catching, she takes a deep breath to gain composure. "We should call the police." I move my head to nod yes, but I don't move my right hand to take my cell out of my blue denim jacket. Melanie sighs and grabs it for me, I hear the three beeps when she dials the number in, but I don't hear what she tells them.
I slide out of the passenger side of my black Mercedes sedan , and I walk up the front walkway, of our villa; Melanie is in front of me getting the mail from our butler; Jared, in the foyer, though the large, thick mahogany front doors.
The police told us to go home, and if they heard anything about my Jamie they would call back. Jared closes the heavy wood doors behind me. I see Melanie staring at a rather large piece of mail.
"Jared, did you see who dropped this letter off." Melanie asks holding the paper up, the letters look every colourful and different sizes.
"No Mel, I mean Ms. Moore." Jared stammered to say Melanie's last name, trying to keep their "secret" affair from me.
"Come here Ren I think you should read this" states Melanie. I walk across the dull coloured Persian rug to stand next to her, and lean against the oak table with a picture of my family, Jasper, his red hair, and gray eyes, Jamie about four, with my big blue eyes and his fathers hair, me with my raven black hair, blue eyes, all of us baring big smiles on our faces.
In Melanie's hand is a white piece of paper with letters that looks like they were cut out of a magazine read.
We have your son,
we will call soon
to indicate how much money
you will give us
to get Jamie back.
The sound of the telephone ringing makes both of us jump, knocking the table, the picture rocks, but doesn't fall over. Jared walks off to answer it, unsure what's happing.
"Ms. Riley it's for you." Jared says with the sliver cordless phone receiver in his hand, holding it out towards me. I gulp, hoping its Jamie's voice, or the officer Melanie was taking to, to tell me everything's alright, and they found him.
I put the receiver to my ear, and turn to see Melanie staring at me with wide, curious eyes.
"Hello." I breathe out.
"Mom!" I hear Jamie scream out. My stomach leaps into my throat, but a deep, voice, which sounds like the devils, blocks Jamie small, scared voice, with his words and my stomach fall to the floor.
"Three million dollars, meet at abandon warehouse on 66th street and Garner Ave, five pm today, alone, unarmed or you'll never see your son again,"
"Mommy!" I hear just before the caller hung up.
I whisper the word Jamie. Melanie is starring at me with the same expression. I tell her everything that "the devil" said.
"We should call the police now, update them." Melanie says.
"No, Mel they won't do anything, just like with Jasper's death."
"Jasper's death was an accident, Ren." Melanie has a dumbfounded look on her face.
"You don't think this is all tied together?"
"Oh." Melanie whispers, having at the details put together.
"Jared what time is it?" I ask.
"There O'clock, Ms. Riley." Jared says behind me with a curious expression on his face. I reach over, and grab my car keys out of Melanie's hand.
"Where, are you going?" Melanie demands.
"The bank, then the warehouse."
"I coming with you… just wait two seconds I, uh… have to go to the bathroom." Melanie says ascending the stairs. Does she not see the urgency to this, only three million dollars and I could get my Jamie back.
"Hurry up… he's all I have!"
The bank wasn't that busy, we got in and out fast. The clerk gave us a weird look when we wanted 3 million in hundred dollar bills. But we got it, and now where waiting, well more like ganging confidence to do this, outside the, gray and darkened, smashed windowed warehouse on 66th and Garner.
I jump out of the car, Melanie is right behind me. I pull on the door, surprised to find it unlocked, it proves that this is a real and I'm not just crazy, and we could all be in harm. When we walk through I see Jamie, his big blue puffy eyes, round cheeks, and Jaspers red hair, he shouts my name, and jumps up to run toward me. One of the two, muscular men wearing black from head to toe and ski masks so you can't see their faces pushes him back into a chair. One comes towards us, Melanie handed them the money, her eyes glaring at him, and the one holding Jamie down with one of his large, black gloved hand lets him go, he runs straight into my arms. I Hug him and kissed his face. Unbelievably happy he's safe.
I don't notice Melanie pull the gun she must have got from my closet that Jasper had just in case, out of her purse. It makes a loud noise. Jamie and I jump three feet in the air, it misses both of the men, and they pull their guns out from behind them. I hear the shots, then a blinding pain, I look to the left of my, Melanie is lying flat on her back, the bullet, made a hole in her chest. My thoughts immediately go to Jamie, when I look at him it is clear that it is too late for him. I gasp for air, wishing, hoping still that this is only a horrible, dreadful dream, and I place my hand on my stomach and feel a warm, sticky and wet texture on my stomach, I look down my shirt is stained red from blood. I hit the floor; the sound of my head hitting the ground is distant a sound. My mind fades out to Jamie, Jasper, Melanie and I altogether.