Author's Note: This is the beginning of the story I have started writing. It includes the prologue and the first chapter. I got the inspiration for this from watching some detective and criminal justice shows, and this is sort of meant to be a mystery like ones you may see on some of these shows. I am still working on the plot line and the title of the piece will make more sense when I get more into the story. The forward is written by the narrator of the story. Please leave any comments or criticism you have.
Forward:
Funny thing life is. Taking you where you don't want to go, places you don't really want to see. Surroundings change, people change, and suddenly nothing is the same. Bashed, beaten down, no place to go but forward. For most, this situation one or two times tops. Just a little bump in the road, right? Push it aside and keep going? Sure, maybe for you it works. For someone like me, this is my everyday life. My name is Alexis Hannigan. I am 18 years old. Welcome to my world.
--------------------------------------------
Prologue:
It was just after dusk when Gregory Phillipsen arrived to his house. It had been a long, frustrating day, and he was ready to just get inside and drink away his pain. Gregory lived on the outskirts of town by the woods, which made for a long drive to just about anywhere. Earlier that day, his car had not started, making him an hour late for work. Upon arriving, his boss had ridiculed him in front of the entire staff, threatening to fire him if this were to happen again. He received several snickers and smirks for the rest of the day.
With a depressed sigh, Gregory got out of his car and entered the house. He strolled over to the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of Miller Lite, turned on the television, and began channel surfing.
"Aw dammit! First work and now I miss Glee?" he shouted to no one. Finally settling for Two and a Half Men, he began to down his beer.
As he was beginning to feel woozy, Gregory heard a faint knocking at the front door. Belching loudly, he turned in the door's direction and hollered, "Go away!"
The knocking proceeded, and after much yelling, he finally got up to answer. When Gregory reached it he wrenched the door open with unnecessary force. "What do you wa--" he began, but no one was there. "I swear to God if this is some prank!" he cried out to the darkness. There was no answer.
Gregory slammed the door and went back inside. Rubbing his eyes vigorously he went to the kitchen for another beer. As he closed the refrigerator door, Gregory froze on the spot. The beer fell out of his hands and shattered to pieces.
In the doorway leading to the living room stood a tall man dressed in all black. He had a hood drown down most of his face except for the mouth.
Gregory watched in horror as the man slowly stepped closer to the kitchen.
"Hello Gregory," he said in a deep voice. "Rough day?"
Gregory's eyes widened even more. "Wh-what do you want? Why are you here?"
The figure let out a chuckle. "Oh Greggy. We all want things, do we not? I am just like you. We can help each other." He took a step closer.
"What are you talking about?" Gregory cried, knees shaking uncontrollably.
The man reached into his pocket, making Gregory flinch. Finally, he pulled out a coin. "I have a...proposition for you," he said as he flipped the coin up and caught it. "I need you to do something for me. You work with computers do you not?"
"Why?" Gregory whispered, relieving himself slightly.
The coin flipped in the air once more. "Now is no time to the questioning me Mr. Phillipsen. I need to know if you are willing to help get me 'off the grid,' as you say." He caught the coin and set it on the table in the kitchen. "You see, there is a file that has captured some...information that I don't want slipping out."
Realization struck Gregory, nearly making his knees collapse completely. "It's you isn't it? Th-the one in the p-papers! You're the--"
"Yes, yes, we all know the name," he said with a stark white smile. "Are you going to help or not?"
Greggory gripped the table for support. Then he breathed, "What's in it for me?"
The figure's smiled never faltered. He began to walk around the table to where Greggory was standing. Now, less than a foot away, he leaned in and whispered in Greggory's ear, "Everything. Whatever your heart desires, whoever your heart desires. You could be rich, powerful. No one needs to know about this exchange." The man took a step back and continued, "All you have to do is log into that system."
Greggory's legs began to regain feeling. Everything! he thought. How easy this would be! After a deep sigh, he looked the man full in the face for the first time that night and said, "Okay, I'll do it."
---------------------------------------------
Trees. Branches. Green. Black. Red. Images flew past me with each step as I ran through the forest. Branches whipped my face as I drove deeper into the heart of a new level of Hell. I tried to escape him, but I knew he was getting closer. It was only a matter of time.
Blood ran down the side of my head. My feet ached as blurred image after blurred image flashed before my eyes. Step after step drove me farther on, towards a destination that wouldn't come. He was right behind me now, sensing my weakness, tasting my fear. I could practically feel his ice cold breath on the back of my neck.
"There is no escape, Alexis," he said, his words like daggers penetrating my skin. "You can't run forever. Not from me."
I felt a hand on my shoulder as I was thrust to the ground. My arm hit the forest floor with a gut-wrenching crack. I coughed up a sickly shade of red as I lied helplessly on the ground. I could feel the bone sticking out of my arm as more blood fell to the forest floor. My blood.
He loomed over me, a menacing smile stretching across his face. I felt a foot connect with my stomach, and a faint cackle as I began to loose consciousness.
"Welcome Alexis," he said
I opened my mouth to scream but no words would come. This is the end, I thought. This is what it has come to. I closed my eyes, and felt hands grab my shoulders.....
"Alexis! Alexis! Wake up, we're gonna be late!"
My eyes flew open. Bright lights flooded my vision as I tried to blink my surroundings into focus.
"Finally, your up! I was worried about you."
Eyesight now in focus, I looked around the room to find Stella Norman, my roommate. Rubbing my eyes vigorously, I twisted out of my bed and began wiping sweat from my forehead.
Stella looked at me with a concerned look. "You okay? You were shaking an awful lot."
"I'm fine," I answered. "Bad dream."
"Well you better hurry up and get ready. Class is in twenty minutes."
I widened my eyes. "What? Why the hell didn't you wake me up sooner?"
She glared at me. "Well your up now! Don't yell at me for trying to help you."
I glared back and began collecting my books as quickly as possible. Stella grabbed her bag and said goodbye to me, leaving the room. She obviously didn't seem to take things like college as seriously as I did. I mean, it was Harvard after all.
After I had finally found the last book, I slipped on my shoes and sprinted out the door. Of all days, I had to have my first class all the way on the other side of campus.
Even as I bounded across sidewalks and hallways, being late was not among the thoughts that swam in my mind. Rather, it was the dream, the same dream I had been having since the day of the accident. After that point, I had had that reoccurring nightmare whenever I was worried or something bad happens. I was worried, that's for sure, but I had hoped the latter wouldn't be the case.
I was nearing the last hallway before the lecture hall. Finally reaching the double doors to the class, I checked my watch. Lucky for me, being a cross country runner payed off, because I was just in time. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the metal handle and opened the door.
Forward:
Funny thing life is. Taking you where you don't want to go, places you don't really want to see. Surroundings change, people change, and suddenly nothing is the same. Bashed, beaten down, no place to go but forward. For most, this situation one or two times tops. Just a little bump in the road, right? Push it aside and keep going? Sure, maybe for you it works. For someone like me, this is my everyday life. My name is Alexis Hannigan. I am 18 years old. Welcome to my world.
--------------------------------------------
Prologue:
It was just after dusk when Gregory Phillipsen arrived to his house. It had been a long, frustrating day, and he was ready to just get inside and drink away his pain. Gregory lived on the outskirts of town by the woods, which made for a long drive to just about anywhere. Earlier that day, his car had not started, making him an hour late for work. Upon arriving, his boss had ridiculed him in front of the entire staff, threatening to fire him if this were to happen again. He received several snickers and smirks for the rest of the day.
With a depressed sigh, Gregory got out of his car and entered the house. He strolled over to the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of Miller Lite, turned on the television, and began channel surfing.
"Aw dammit! First work and now I miss Glee?" he shouted to no one. Finally settling for Two and a Half Men, he began to down his beer.
As he was beginning to feel woozy, Gregory heard a faint knocking at the front door. Belching loudly, he turned in the door's direction and hollered, "Go away!"
The knocking proceeded, and after much yelling, he finally got up to answer. When Gregory reached it he wrenched the door open with unnecessary force. "What do you wa--" he began, but no one was there. "I swear to God if this is some prank!" he cried out to the darkness. There was no answer.
Gregory slammed the door and went back inside. Rubbing his eyes vigorously he went to the kitchen for another beer. As he closed the refrigerator door, Gregory froze on the spot. The beer fell out of his hands and shattered to pieces.
In the doorway leading to the living room stood a tall man dressed in all black. He had a hood drown down most of his face except for the mouth.
Gregory watched in horror as the man slowly stepped closer to the kitchen.
"Hello Gregory," he said in a deep voice. "Rough day?"
Gregory's eyes widened even more. "Wh-what do you want? Why are you here?"
The figure let out a chuckle. "Oh Greggy. We all want things, do we not? I am just like you. We can help each other." He took a step closer.
"What are you talking about?" Gregory cried, knees shaking uncontrollably.
The man reached into his pocket, making Gregory flinch. Finally, he pulled out a coin. "I have a...proposition for you," he said as he flipped the coin up and caught it. "I need you to do something for me. You work with computers do you not?"
"Why?" Gregory whispered, relieving himself slightly.
The coin flipped in the air once more. "Now is no time to the questioning me Mr. Phillipsen. I need to know if you are willing to help get me 'off the grid,' as you say." He caught the coin and set it on the table in the kitchen. "You see, there is a file that has captured some...information that I don't want slipping out."
Realization struck Gregory, nearly making his knees collapse completely. "It's you isn't it? Th-the one in the p-papers! You're the--"
"Yes, yes, we all know the name," he said with a stark white smile. "Are you going to help or not?"
Greggory gripped the table for support. Then he breathed, "What's in it for me?"
The figure's smiled never faltered. He began to walk around the table to where Greggory was standing. Now, less than a foot away, he leaned in and whispered in Greggory's ear, "Everything. Whatever your heart desires, whoever your heart desires. You could be rich, powerful. No one needs to know about this exchange." The man took a step back and continued, "All you have to do is log into that system."
Greggory's legs began to regain feeling. Everything! he thought. How easy this would be! After a deep sigh, he looked the man full in the face for the first time that night and said, "Okay, I'll do it."
---------------------------------------------
Trees. Branches. Green. Black. Red. Images flew past me with each step as I ran through the forest. Branches whipped my face as I drove deeper into the heart of a new level of Hell. I tried to escape him, but I knew he was getting closer. It was only a matter of time.
Blood ran down the side of my head. My feet ached as blurred image after blurred image flashed before my eyes. Step after step drove me farther on, towards a destination that wouldn't come. He was right behind me now, sensing my weakness, tasting my fear. I could practically feel his ice cold breath on the back of my neck.
"There is no escape, Alexis," he said, his words like daggers penetrating my skin. "You can't run forever. Not from me."
I felt a hand on my shoulder as I was thrust to the ground. My arm hit the forest floor with a gut-wrenching crack. I coughed up a sickly shade of red as I lied helplessly on the ground. I could feel the bone sticking out of my arm as more blood fell to the forest floor. My blood.
He loomed over me, a menacing smile stretching across his face. I felt a foot connect with my stomach, and a faint cackle as I began to loose consciousness.
"Welcome Alexis," he said
I opened my mouth to scream but no words would come. This is the end, I thought. This is what it has come to. I closed my eyes, and felt hands grab my shoulders.....
"Alexis! Alexis! Wake up, we're gonna be late!"
My eyes flew open. Bright lights flooded my vision as I tried to blink my surroundings into focus.
"Finally, your up! I was worried about you."
Eyesight now in focus, I looked around the room to find Stella Norman, my roommate. Rubbing my eyes vigorously, I twisted out of my bed and began wiping sweat from my forehead.
Stella looked at me with a concerned look. "You okay? You were shaking an awful lot."
"I'm fine," I answered. "Bad dream."
"Well you better hurry up and get ready. Class is in twenty minutes."
I widened my eyes. "What? Why the hell didn't you wake me up sooner?"
She glared at me. "Well your up now! Don't yell at me for trying to help you."
I glared back and began collecting my books as quickly as possible. Stella grabbed her bag and said goodbye to me, leaving the room. She obviously didn't seem to take things like college as seriously as I did. I mean, it was Harvard after all.
After I had finally found the last book, I slipped on my shoes and sprinted out the door. Of all days, I had to have my first class all the way on the other side of campus.
Even as I bounded across sidewalks and hallways, being late was not among the thoughts that swam in my mind. Rather, it was the dream, the same dream I had been having since the day of the accident. After that point, I had had that reoccurring nightmare whenever I was worried or something bad happens. I was worried, that's for sure, but I had hoped the latter wouldn't be the case.
I was nearing the last hallway before the lecture hall. Finally reaching the double doors to the class, I checked my watch. Lucky for me, being a cross country runner payed off, because I was just in time. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the metal handle and opened the door.
