A note: a highly skilled writer named Hacen, has returned to If you have not read his stories: The Road to Where We Are and Madeline, then I suggest you go do it now. Go now. Read them. That's an order. GO NOW! Done? Okay. On with the story
Lizzie sat down at the table across from Murdoch and began to tell him what had caused the enmity between her and Kate Sanders.
"Remember the Digital Bean incident"
"How could I forget? I was the one getting shot at, remember"
"Oh, yeah. Well, the day after the incident, I was still a little rattled. So I went to the lake to
calm myself down. I was out there for awhile, by the time I decided to leave, it was dark, and I was
tired. I got in my car and was driving home when I... when I "
Something had obviously happened to upset her very badly when trying to remember it.
Murdoch could only guess at what.
"Lizzie. Did you hit someone"
She nodded. The tears were falling hard and Murdoch himself began to cry silently, tears
streaming down well worn paths from a certain previous loss. Death was still difficult to deal with
even if that person was someone you didn't know personally. He walked over and hugged her in his
arms.
"It was a little boy. He died. I killed him." She cried even harder now. Murdoch had noticed
how she was acting since the Digital Bean incident. She was always tired like she didn't sleep at
night, her eyes were always red and puffy, and she always looked a little gaunt. He also remembered
that a young boy had been killed in a hit and run earlier that week. Now he knew how.
"This still doesn't explain the thing with you and Kate"
"She saw it happen. She threatened to tell the police that I did it. She said she'd tell them if I
didn't become her personal slave. I panicked, so I agreed. She's been making me do horrible things.
She made me have sex with some fat ugly slob." Murdoch gasped. 'That bitch.' he thought.
"But the worst part about it was that she had made a mask out of a picture of Gordo, so it
would look like it was him"
Murdoch didn't want to hear anymore. He let go of Lizzie and walked over to the living
room. He decided right then and there that he had to help Lizzie, but how? He then came up with a
rather brilliant plan. He got up to tell Lizzie about it, but had only taken two steps when an
unbearable pain gripped his heart and forced him to the floor. It hurt so bad. It felt like his heart and
lungs were being crushed. He puked blood and passed out, letting the darkness take him...
Strength. Strength comes in many different ways. The strength to lift a heavy object. The strength to admit your love for someone. But true strength comes from admitting your mistakes and having the will to rectify them. If we all had this strength, we would be better off. Murdoch has tremendous strength in many ways. He has made it his mission to pass this strength on to as many people as possible, and to teach them a better way of life, through love. The man with the sword and handgun, despite his appearance, wishes for a peaceful life away from pain. And he is willing to show his true strength to get it. But as he does he questions himself. "Am I strong enough? Can I do it? Will I do it?"
