Prologue
1990
Mr. and Mrs. Marner were on their way to their only son's first marching band competition. They were so proud of their little boy.
"But...but Mr. Greene, sir, I..." Thomas cried, "I may never see my parents again alive!"
They were driving down a long, narrow road, with no one else on it. The surround sound was turned up, the radio blasting the band's songs.
"I'm sorry Tom," Mr. Greene replied sadly, "There's nothing I can do. You made a commitment to marching band, and we go on in a half hour. I'm sorry, but you just can't leave."
Suddenly, they saw a blinding light from down the road. They thought nothing of it and continued on.
"But sir, my parents..." Tom began.
The light turned into the headlights of a car, then it was too late. Swerving wouldn't help them now.
"But nothing. Go get your trombone out of your case and start warming up with the rest of the band. End of discussion." said Mr. Greene. Tom said nothing else since everyone knew that when Mr. Greene said "end of discussion", there was no changing his mind.
The car approached them with great speed. They heard the honk of the horn, then metal crunching, bone snapping...
Tom slowly walked over to his case pulled out his trombone, and warmed up. The night continued on, the band performed, and had a wonderful show. After the competition was over and the band was loading on the buses, one member said, "Hey, where did Tom go?"
A bloody heap of skin and bone was all that was left of the Marners. Their corpses lay mangled on that road, the car a wad of metal on fire. And Tom Marner didn't know that his parents were already dead. He had hoped for a chance to see them, but it was too late...
1990
Mr. and Mrs. Marner were on their way to their only son's first marching band competition. They were so proud of their little boy.
"But...but Mr. Greene, sir, I..." Thomas cried, "I may never see my parents again alive!"
They were driving down a long, narrow road, with no one else on it. The surround sound was turned up, the radio blasting the band's songs.
"I'm sorry Tom," Mr. Greene replied sadly, "There's nothing I can do. You made a commitment to marching band, and we go on in a half hour. I'm sorry, but you just can't leave."
Suddenly, they saw a blinding light from down the road. They thought nothing of it and continued on.
"But sir, my parents..." Tom began.
The light turned into the headlights of a car, then it was too late. Swerving wouldn't help them now.
"But nothing. Go get your trombone out of your case and start warming up with the rest of the band. End of discussion." said Mr. Greene. Tom said nothing else since everyone knew that when Mr. Greene said "end of discussion", there was no changing his mind.
The car approached them with great speed. They heard the honk of the horn, then metal crunching, bone snapping...
Tom slowly walked over to his case pulled out his trombone, and warmed up. The night continued on, the band performed, and had a wonderful show. After the competition was over and the band was loading on the buses, one member said, "Hey, where did Tom go?"
A bloody heap of skin and bone was all that was left of the Marners. Their corpses lay mangled on that road, the car a wad of metal on fire. And Tom Marner didn't know that his parents were already dead. He had hoped for a chance to see them, but it was too late...