LJI Exhibit A - Week 1 - "Am I Crazy?"
By popular demand, the next chapter of my serial, the Suicide Kings. Warnings (highlight to view): Suicide, alcohol and prescription drug abuse, sexual abuse of children
The Fall of a Suicide King
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David and Andy were walking through the halls on their way to lunch. While looking down Andy happened to spot something interesting. It was a paper football! “Hey, let’s play during lunch!” he said. David was all about this and off they went.
The object of the game was not to get the football through the goal posts made with fingers, but rather to catch the person on the nose with the flick. David lined up the shot... and noticed there was writing in the football. “Andy, look what we have here! A girl wrote a note! I wonder if there’s anything interesting in it...”
David unfolded the football with a sly grin on his face. After reading a few words that grin was gone.
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“I can’t ever promise anything in this line of work, but we have no reason to believe she is just going to start drinking again. Especially if you make sure she can’t get her hands on alcohol.”
“Yet she got it from almost anyone she was around before she came to us. Nor do I want to give up drinking because she’s troubled.”
“Well sir, you have to do what you have to do, and for her I really suggest keeping anything you really don’t want her to have locked up.”
“I can’t lock up half of my house and take care of her at the same time!”
“Like I said, I think she’s learned a few things while she’s been here. If I didn’t have confidence she’ll be okay leaving here I wouldn’t be discharging her. But being careful isn’t a bad idea.”
“You sound like you’re sure and not sure at the same time.”
“You sound the same way about taking her home, sir.”
Her grandpa shook his head. He knew pulling her out of the rehab house was really the best thing for her, but the psychologist’s thoughts matched those of his wife. Still he was going to be stubborn about the matter.
“I took a chance on her dad, and look how that turned out. I might just be that stubborn in my old age.”
----------
Amy and David stayed in the treehouse after the rest of the Kings had left. David pulled out the note he grabbed and showed it to Amy. Her facial expression twisted into something between compassion and disgust.
“You know, I wish we could bring her in. But how can I do that to Andy and Aubrey?”
“The same way you brought me here. You wanted me in the Kings less than anyone else.”
“You know we’re taking a chance with her and them, and you know what the stakes are. I’m not quite that crazy. No, we can’t do it.”
“And then who will? Crazy is the one thing we all have in common. We have to do it.”
Amy nodded, realizing he was right.
----------
David and Andy went into school that morning, but didn’t quite make it through the front door when they noticed someone had collapsed on the sidewalk behind them. David being David dragged Andy along with him in a full-sprint in response. Rachel, their old nemesis, was passed out on the ground. Andy yelled for help while David checked her over for any obvious clues as to what happened. Her bookbag was open and had another “water bottle”. He was carrying the note and a King of Diamonds, intending to give it to her. Her gaunt, frozen expression made him realize that she was not simply drunk.
It was about a minute later that teachers ushered him aside so they could stand over her and gawk. After what seemed like hours paramedics arrived and carried her off. No matter how long it actually was, David thought it was too long.
----------
“Opening our headlines tonight, Jim Buntsen was sentenced today to 20 years behind bars. Buntsen was convicted last year of a number of crimes in connection to operating a strip club with underage girls as performers. The judge commented during sentencing that he was “an unremorseful, methodical criminal” and that “he was willing to put his own child in the middle of his scheme to protect his own ends”. Prosecutors during the trial said...”
The reporter kept going on and on. Amy and David were watching the news. They had heard about the case from before Rachel came back to school but nobody wanted to talk about it. Rachel had been mocked by her classmates for her cavalier attitude towards authority that they guessed had to do with being allowed to do whatever she wanted with her parents and otherwise living in that situation. They couldn’t help but wonder how she was going to take the news.
Rachel was watching the news as well with her grandparents. Her elders just sat there quietly in resignation as the reporter went on about the gruesome details of the case. Rachel thought about her life in the strip club - while never performing herself she was a part of the business, cleaning the place and occasionally hanging out in the DJ booth. She got all the drinks she wanted from the bartenders out of blackmail that she would rat them out with the rest of the establishment. She never did go to anyone about it in the end; police raided the place one night when she wasn’t there. For how screwed up her living was, it was not lacking for money, and she wanted two things desperately: her daddy who could do no wrong even though she knew what he was doing was deeply wrong, and for the money that would let her do and get away with anything she wanted.
Her grandfather spoke. “Well, you were going to find out about this eventually anyway. Might have been better that you saw it now. I wish I didn’t have to tell you this, but they aren't going to let anyone under 18 see him...”
Rachel cut him off. “WHAT? How could they do this?”
“I know you liked your old life, but you shouldn’t have had it. Nobody should have.”
“But it was MY life, and THEY took it.” She stormed off to her room and started writing.
----------
“You told me you thought she was going to be alright.”
“I told you I can’t promise anything in this line of work.”
“You told me that you didn’t think she was going to drink again.”
“I didn’t think she would.”
“I don’t suppose you thought she would break into our medicine cabinet and steal my Vicodin and Klonopin, and then wash it down with my vodka?”
“I’m glad she pulled through after that. She really beat the odds.”
He was still furious, but sobered by that thought. “So what happens now?”
“Now, my plan is for her to stay here for another course of therapy. It may or may not work, just like I told you the last time she came.”
“What makes you think this time will work any better?”
“She just might realize how close she came to not making it. You’re probably heard of a moment of clarity, yes? Sometimes going this low does it.”
He was resigned, but realized it wasn’t going to do any more good going on and on about how they got there. “I don’t think I can do this again.”
“I hope you can, because after she gets done here she’s going to need a place to go. She needs one that loves her for who she is, and nobody can do that like you two can.”
They both nodded. “I have to think this one through, a lot. At least I have time to ask myself just how crazy I am.”
----------
There is an open spot in the circle in the treehouse. A triangle-folded note and the eponymous playing card had been tacked to the wall a while ago.
----------
This is a work of original fiction submitted for LJ Idol, Exhibit A. If you liked it, the author, or both, please remember to vote for it!
The Fall of a Suicide King
----------
David and Andy were walking through the halls on their way to lunch. While looking down Andy happened to spot something interesting. It was a paper football! “Hey, let’s play during lunch!” he said. David was all about this and off they went.
The object of the game was not to get the football through the goal posts made with fingers, but rather to catch the person on the nose with the flick. David lined up the shot... and noticed there was writing in the football. “Andy, look what we have here! A girl wrote a note! I wonder if there’s anything interesting in it...”
David unfolded the football with a sly grin on his face. After reading a few words that grin was gone.
----------
“I can’t ever promise anything in this line of work, but we have no reason to believe she is just going to start drinking again. Especially if you make sure she can’t get her hands on alcohol.”
“Yet she got it from almost anyone she was around before she came to us. Nor do I want to give up drinking because she’s troubled.”
“Well sir, you have to do what you have to do, and for her I really suggest keeping anything you really don’t want her to have locked up.”
“I can’t lock up half of my house and take care of her at the same time!”
“Like I said, I think she’s learned a few things while she’s been here. If I didn’t have confidence she’ll be okay leaving here I wouldn’t be discharging her. But being careful isn’t a bad idea.”
“You sound like you’re sure and not sure at the same time.”
“You sound the same way about taking her home, sir.”
Her grandpa shook his head. He knew pulling her out of the rehab house was really the best thing for her, but the psychologist’s thoughts matched those of his wife. Still he was going to be stubborn about the matter.
“I took a chance on her dad, and look how that turned out. I might just be that stubborn in my old age.”
----------
Amy and David stayed in the treehouse after the rest of the Kings had left. David pulled out the note he grabbed and showed it to Amy. Her facial expression twisted into something between compassion and disgust.
“You know, I wish we could bring her in. But how can I do that to Andy and Aubrey?”
“The same way you brought me here. You wanted me in the Kings less than anyone else.”
“You know we’re taking a chance with her and them, and you know what the stakes are. I’m not quite that crazy. No, we can’t do it.”
“And then who will? Crazy is the one thing we all have in common. We have to do it.”
Amy nodded, realizing he was right.
----------
David and Andy went into school that morning, but didn’t quite make it through the front door when they noticed someone had collapsed on the sidewalk behind them. David being David dragged Andy along with him in a full-sprint in response. Rachel, their old nemesis, was passed out on the ground. Andy yelled for help while David checked her over for any obvious clues as to what happened. Her bookbag was open and had another “water bottle”. He was carrying the note and a King of Diamonds, intending to give it to her. Her gaunt, frozen expression made him realize that she was not simply drunk.
It was about a minute later that teachers ushered him aside so they could stand over her and gawk. After what seemed like hours paramedics arrived and carried her off. No matter how long it actually was, David thought it was too long.
----------
“Opening our headlines tonight, Jim Buntsen was sentenced today to 20 years behind bars. Buntsen was convicted last year of a number of crimes in connection to operating a strip club with underage girls as performers. The judge commented during sentencing that he was “an unremorseful, methodical criminal” and that “he was willing to put his own child in the middle of his scheme to protect his own ends”. Prosecutors during the trial said...”
The reporter kept going on and on. Amy and David were watching the news. They had heard about the case from before Rachel came back to school but nobody wanted to talk about it. Rachel had been mocked by her classmates for her cavalier attitude towards authority that they guessed had to do with being allowed to do whatever she wanted with her parents and otherwise living in that situation. They couldn’t help but wonder how she was going to take the news.
Rachel was watching the news as well with her grandparents. Her elders just sat there quietly in resignation as the reporter went on about the gruesome details of the case. Rachel thought about her life in the strip club - while never performing herself she was a part of the business, cleaning the place and occasionally hanging out in the DJ booth. She got all the drinks she wanted from the bartenders out of blackmail that she would rat them out with the rest of the establishment. She never did go to anyone about it in the end; police raided the place one night when she wasn’t there. For how screwed up her living was, it was not lacking for money, and she wanted two things desperately: her daddy who could do no wrong even though she knew what he was doing was deeply wrong, and for the money that would let her do and get away with anything she wanted.
Her grandfather spoke. “Well, you were going to find out about this eventually anyway. Might have been better that you saw it now. I wish I didn’t have to tell you this, but they aren't going to let anyone under 18 see him...”
Rachel cut him off. “WHAT? How could they do this?”
“I know you liked your old life, but you shouldn’t have had it. Nobody should have.”
“But it was MY life, and THEY took it.” She stormed off to her room and started writing.
----------
“You told me you thought she was going to be alright.”
“I told you I can’t promise anything in this line of work.”
“You told me that you didn’t think she was going to drink again.”
“I didn’t think she would.”
“I don’t suppose you thought she would break into our medicine cabinet and steal my Vicodin and Klonopin, and then wash it down with my vodka?”
“I’m glad she pulled through after that. She really beat the odds.”
He was still furious, but sobered by that thought. “So what happens now?”
“Now, my plan is for her to stay here for another course of therapy. It may or may not work, just like I told you the last time she came.”
“What makes you think this time will work any better?”
“She just might realize how close she came to not making it. You’re probably heard of a moment of clarity, yes? Sometimes going this low does it.”
He was resigned, but realized it wasn’t going to do any more good going on and on about how they got there. “I don’t think I can do this again.”
“I hope you can, because after she gets done here she’s going to need a place to go. She needs one that loves her for who she is, and nobody can do that like you two can.”
They both nodded. “I have to think this one through, a lot. At least I have time to ask myself just how crazy I am.”
----------
There is an open spot in the circle in the treehouse. A triangle-folded note and the eponymous playing card had been tacked to the wall a while ago.
----------
This is a work of original fiction submitted for LJ Idol, Exhibit A. If you liked it, the author, or both, please remember to vote for it!