I was only fifteen years old when it all happened. I was just an average ninth grader trying to make it through high school. My name is Ace, and I almost died. Multiple times.
I had a few friends, Michael who was a smart, tall black basketball player, Chris, a white, dark brown-haired boy who was a tenth grader unlike Michael and me who were in ninth grade. I have a girlfriend named Rose, who is an average height brown-haired Latina girl with an above-average personality.
The story begins at around 9:43 pm on a Friday. Chris and I were hanging out in an alley talking about random things such as school, life, our girlfriends, and just making jokes. It wasn't uncommon for us to sit back and watch cars go by for hours. By the time that black dodge would roll around, we'd both be far from attentive.
"Sofia and I are going to be going on vacation together at the end of the school year," Chris said excitedly. I nodded and my mind drifted to thoughts of Rose. "Yeah, I was planning something like that for Rose. She invited me to her Quinceanera," I said slowly, trying not to slur my words too much. I was too tired for this.
"I want to throw a party for her directly after maybe," I said. Chris pointed to a red Mercedes Benz Convertible. "I want a car like that one day," He said. We'd talk about what we wanted for ourselves every so often, but it was never really too in-depth. "I want a big house with Rose," I said. He smiled. "You seem really in love," He adds. "I mean, why else would I stay with her so long?" I ask. Rose and I had been dating since seventh grade.
"I don't know, you're sort of hard to predict," He said. I shrugged. "Hm," I said. I looked over at a woman walking and watched as she passed by. As she walked behind the wall, a bag was thrown over her head. She screamed, and Chris quickly grabbed his phone, got up, and started to run. I followed his lead. A black dodge rolled up and I saw a camera flash. Whoever was in that car was stalking us. I never thought much of the black dodge, but as I was running, memories of seeing that dodge drive by the same spot every night came flooding back. I caught up to Chris and we hopped the fence at the same time, action movie style.
We ran separate ways, he was going to his house, and I was going to mine. When I got there, I climbed the treehouse next to my window. I opened my window and stepped onto the polished wood floor of my room. The smell of cologne was thick in the air and a few dirty clothes littered the floor. I got my phone out of my pocket and opened my messages to check up on Chris. I hope he got home safely. I'd texted him: Yo, did you get home? Then put my phone down and started to clean my room for the first time in about a month.
He texted me back in about five minutes, saying he was fine and not to worry about him. I liked his message and put my phone down again. My mom came into my room looking worried. "Ace where were you?" She hugged the air out of my lungs. "I called you for dinner but you didn't answer," Her voice sounded shaky. "I was studying with Chris, remember?" I asked, knowing full well that I never told her I was going to Chris's house.
She seemed to relax. "O-oh right," She said. She'd always believed me. I felt bad, but it got me what I wanted. She'd talked my ear off for about ten minutes about staying safe and stranger danger. Stranger danger…that reminded me of that black dodge. I got scared all over again as mom walked out of the room. I went to take a shower, but before and after I took my shower, I checked the window with extreme paranoia.
I face timed Rose as soon as I got out of the shower. "Hey," I said. I just wanted to hear her voice and see her face. That's all I needed. She set up her phone at her desk. It seems as though she was studying late that night, judging from the piles of books and papers and notebooks and pencils. She was wearing that slightly revealing light blue tank top/crop top I had bought her a few months ago. "Hi, how are you?" Her voice has always been comforting to me, even before we started dating. "I'm a bit stressed out right now," I admitted. She pouted cutely. "No more stressing," she wined.
"I know….I-I just saw a few things I probably shouldn't have," I told her. She wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion. "What did you see?" She asked. I waited a few seconds before answering. "I was hanging out with Chris in the alley earlier, and I saw this woman get a bag put over her head and probably kidnapped," I said. My voice had started shaking so I cleared my throat.
I hated sounding or looking weak in front of Rose. I was supposed to be her hero…yet here I was, weak…afraid. The shame of not helping that woman, running, and baring my soul in front of Rose was too much for me.
"It's okay baby," She said, then paused so she could finish writing. She put down her pen when she finished. "I still want you, that's never going to change, okay? It doesn't matter what you do, or how you respond to a problem…you're still my superhero," She finished. That made me feel warm inside. I'm still her hero…
She'd started calling me "her hero" back in eighth grade when I'd caught her bridal style before she could trip and crack her skull open.
We'd talked for a while bit about different things. Then went to sleep on the phone. I had a dream that I was being chased by that black dodge. In my dream, a man driving said "Do it and I'll take what matters most, that isn't a threat…that's a promise," Then rolled the window up. I'd fallen through the ground and woke up.
When I woke up, I was sweaty and shaking, so afraid that I almost couldn't get up. As I got dressed for school that morning, the man in my dream was the only thing I could think of. Why would he say that? Do what? What does he want from me? I didn't have the answer to any of those questions. But one answer remained.
They're coming for me…