It stung. 

There was pain. 

In that moment, all I could feel was a burning sensation overloading all my senses. 

It made it so that I couldn’t hear the screams of my mother, nor see my dad hopelessly trying to comfort my mom. I couldn’t taste the blood in the back of my throat. I couldn’t smell David’s horrible cigars. I couldn’t feel the pool of blood growing beneath me slowly engulfing the cold wet ground. And then the burning started to fade, the pain retreating, slowly making room for death. I could feel the black darkness start to take me, the grim reaper’s boney hand extended towards me to help guide me back home. 

The darkness increased. 

All I could think about was how I got here in the first place, how the decisions I made when I was seven would eventually get me killed years later. 

“Higher, higher!” Riley screamed as mom pushed her on the swings. David and I played in the sandbox, him making sandcastles and me destroying them with my miniature bulldozer, being young and carefree. After we got sand everywhere, David and I went on a bike ride to the pond down the street. Our spot as we called it. Next to the big willow tree where we had carved our initials, we held hands and skipped rocks on the water, watching as the stones sank. The ripples sent shock waves over the calm, clear surface, showing that every action has a reaction, that has its own reaction, and a reaction after that, until it eventually fizzles out. We sat down and watched as the sun set, our hands still intertwined, both of us smiling, and yet neither of us were watching the sun directly. I could still see the reflection of the water in the whites of David’s eyes. His brown eyes seemed deeper than the pond itself. He started to get closer to me when my mom showed up and said it was time for David to go home. My mom took my hand and gripped it tight, so tight where it hurt. I tried to wiggle out to say goodbye to David, but mom wouldn’t let me out of her grip. 

“Finn,” My mother started once everyone sat down at the dinner table. “We need to talk about David.”  

“What about him?” I asked confused.

“Your father and I have talked about it and we think you shouldn’t be friends with him.”

“What?” I asked. They hadn’t mentioned this before.

“We think he’s a bad influence.” My mother said holding my hand.

“We’re just looking out for ya son.” My father added, cutting his steak.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s just that David has one future in store for him and you have another,” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “and your futures don’t intertwine with each other.” Somehow my mother’s explanation made it worse.

“Bottom line is son you’re too good for him.” My dad clarified through a mouth full of mashed potatoes.

The next day when David came over to play, I told him.

“I don’t think we should be friends.” 

“What?” He said with tears starting to fill his eyes as he stopped building sandcastles. 

“I don’t think we should be friends.” I repeated, calm, cold, and collected.

“Why?” 

“My mom said that you're a bad influence, I’m too good for you, and our futures don’t intertwine.” I said, looking him in the eye with a monotone voice. He ran away crying.  

Turns out that my mother was right, after that I saw him sitting outside the principal’s office, he looked me dead in the eye and I remembered earlier in class he got caught sneaking someone answers to the test. Another time I was on my way to art with my friends and I saw him outside the principal's office again, but this time with a black eye and a busted lip. He had gotten into a fight after school the day before with a couple of low lifes, just like him. He looked up and tried to make eye contact with me again but I kept on walking. I saw him in the paper, he had gotten arrested trying to hotwire a car. The other kid bailed and David got off easy though with just some community service. 

For whatever reason we couldn’t seem to get rid of each other completely. We would meet occasionally by our tree, hold hands and skip rocks. But when we were in front of people I made sure to distance myself from him. When we were in middle school, I would randomly pull him into an empty classroom to makeout then leave. That was until I met Claire, Claire was perfect, she was nice and sweet, and exactly the girl my mother wanted me to date. I remember one day me and Claire were hanging out and talking on a bench outside of school and David walked by, he caught my eye and smirked. 

“What was that about?” Claire questioned.

“Nothing, he’s just some dead beat.”

“That’s for sure!” She chuckled. I put my football jaket around her shoulders and put my arm around her. I saw David turn his head back and we locked eyes with each other. His were filled to the brim with tears threatening to slip out.

I mouthed. “Our spot, ten o’clock.” He nodded showing that he understood and kept on walking. Then ten o’clock came.

“What the hell was that!” David shouted walking towards me.

“What the hell was what?” I said walking towards him.

“What do you mean, ‘What the hell was what’ I’m talking about you having your arm around that girl!” He yelled.

“Hey hey hey, shhh,” I said, cradling his face in my hand, “I don’t know why you’re so upset.” 

“Because you had your arm around that girl.”

“I don’t know why you’re so upset but if it makes you this mad for no reason maybe stay away from me and Claire when we’re at school, or anywhere really.”

“But what about social studies? And home ec? And why did you have your arm around her”

“What about them?” I said pulling him closer to me and lowering my voice.

“Well we have those classes together.”

“Okay, just skip them.” I said putting our foreheads together.

“I can’t just skip them. My momma would kill me.” 

“Hey, do it for me, for us,” I said, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. “Okay?” I asked. 

“Okay… but you’ll let me look at your notes so that I can do the homework and stuff right?”

“Mhm yeah sure, Bye!” I said leaving him standing by our tree. 

A couple months later, I went to our tree for the last time with David, or so I thought. 

“Hey.” I hear David say. I turned from where I was standing at the edge of the pond to see him leaning on our tree, his signature mischievous grin still intact.

 I made my way over to him, “We need to talk.” I started before he put a finger on my lips and replaced it with his lips, crashing on mine. As much as I loved the kiss I needed to talk to him, “Wait wait wait wait.” I said pulling him off of me. “I’m serious, we need to talk.” 

“Okay, then talk.” He said resuming his original position.

“We need to stop this,” I said, gesturing between him and me. “My mom was right, you’re a bad influence on me.” 

“Wait what?” he asked, shocked.

I repeated myself, “My mom was right you’re a bad influence on me and we need to stop this” 

“So that’s what you think,” He scoffed, “Let me ask you, who’s the one who calls the other up at random hours of the day because he’s getting sick of his girlfriend? Huh? Who is the one who made me steal the keys to my dad’s car so you could show off to your precious little girlfriend?”, He said stepping towards me at every accusation, “Who was the one who made the other give him the answers to the test because you and your friends were up late partying and didn’t have time to study?,” His breathing became ragged, “Who was it who failed Social Studies and Home ec because you told me to skip them?” He said while pointing accusingly at me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What do you mean! You made me steal my dad’s car! So he turned me into the cops! And beat the sh*t out of me! You’re the one who made me slip you answers in class and then when we got caught you made it look like I was the one trying to cheat off of you! You’re the one who made me mugg those girls because you needed the cash because you took Claire out for a fancy dinner the night before and needed cash. And you were the one who made me steal those cars because you needed money and a new ride to impress Claire! And I was the one always taking the blame for it! I was the one who got beat up because you owed money to some bad people! I was the one who failed the seventh grade because you insisted that I didn’t attend my classes!” He shouted.

“You didn’t have to do all that sh*t! I never told you too! You’re delusional David. You need help.”

“What do you mean! You know I love you and would do anything for you! I have since we were kids! I tried to move on but everytime I did you would get sick of your girlfriend and beg me to come crawling back! You used me! And I let you because god damn it Finn, I would do anything for you!” He screamed. People were starting to stare at us.

“David. People are starting to stare.” 

“You’re still ashamed of me.” He said, backing away from me in shock.

“Why wouldn’t I be? You’re a criminal, a failure, and you’re making a scene. And I’m turning you in once we’re done here.” David kept on backing up in shock until he hit the tree. 

“H-how could you?” Tears poured from his eyes.

“I’m turning you in for all the cars you’ve stolen. You’re a criminal, delusional, and you need help.”

“You made me this way.” 

I turned him in the next day. He went to juvie and eventually in prison for stabbing a fellow inmate. As for me, I was doing all right. I became an accountant, married Claire, had two beautiful kids, a boy and a girl, and basically lived the white picket fence life that I had always wanted. The truth was I couldn’t help but think that if I had stayed friends with him, I might have been able to be a good influence on him. 

Then Thanksgiving came and I stopped by my parents house early before dinner to help my mom set up. My kid sister was there watching the parade as I imagined my kids were doing back at home. 

Suddenly I heard someone knock at the door. “I’ll get it!” I called from the living room. I ran to the door to be met with a gun to my face. 

It was David, finally released from prison after all these years. 

“D-david.”

“Shut up and get in the car.” He said, his voice low and gruff. Really how could I say no with a gun pointed to my face. I climbed into the truck and he slammed the door closed and locked it from the outside. After a few minutes I could hear whimpering that I recognized as my little sister. He had my family. After he forced them into the car he drove for what felt like hours. Once we stopped he opened up the trunk and forced me out and took me to a place I recognized. It was our spot, our tree. It wasn’t the same as the last time we were here. Above the spot where we had carved our initials decades earlier there was a heart and inside was mine and Claire’s initials. 

“Well, well, well if it isn’t perfect little Finnigian. Miss me?” 

“What do you want, David? I’ll give you whatever you want, just let my family go.”

“Wow I’m surprised I’m good enough to talk to you, Mr. High and Mighty. What do you think I want?”

“Money?”

“No!” he shouted, “I want you to apologize for ruining my life!

“What did I did to you? You got yourself into this mess Williams.”

“Is that really what you think! You made yourself into the good guy here haven’t you?.”

“I was a kid! I’m sorry life turned out so bad for you, but that wasn’t my fault! Are you really gonna make yourself a murderer because of what happened years ago?” I asked, pleading for my life.

“I loved you. And you used me and manipulated me! You turned me into the police and then lied in court!” 

“You’re right! You’re right, I manipulated you when I was a kid. I am very sorry that you did the things you did. If you let us go we will get you the help you need!” I pleaded.

“You’re never going to change.” He said, jabbing the gun to my forehead.

I turned to my family where they were tied up on the shore, I looked my dad in the eye and then there was the shot. Then...

Burning.

Pain.

Darkness.