“Hey where’s Bill? I can’t see him, I wonder where he is he’s so short that you can’t find him.” a group of basketball players teased Bill as he walked past them.

Bill ignored the boys and continued walking. Bill tried remembering everything that his parents had ever told him. “Just because you are smaller than the other boys doesn’t mean you aren’t as strong as them, it’s what on the inside that counts.” That saying ran over consistently in his head. The first bell rang and Bill rushed through the hallway and was pushed through all the children running past him. He entered his 5th grade classroom with everyone staring at him.

“You’re late.” Mrs. Conway said.


“I just stepped inside while the bell was ringing.” Bill explained.

“No excuses, you are supposed to be at your seat before the bell rings.”

Bill rolled his eyes and sat next to some of his classmates. Everyone at school knows Bill as the son of the famous NBA player Tyrone Carter. Others thought of him as the short, awkward laidback kid that no one wants to be around. He was often bullied but he prefers to keep it to himself.


“I can’t wait until this day is over” Bill whispered.


Hours passed by and Bill waited anxiously to get out of school and to basketball practice. Basketball was the only thing that Bill was good at. Everything else, well..not so much. He has been held back once because his first grade teacher believed that he had a hard time telling the difference between a square and a triangle. Mrs. Carter argued to the teacher that Bill was only joking around and that he was learning at a slower pace than the other children. But, she was finally convinced to let Bill stay in the first grade one more year. Bill wasn’t the perfect child either. He was more of a troublemaker and enjoyed pulling pranks on his teachers. One day, he decided to go with the old trick of sticking a thumbtack on the teacher’s chair. His plan didn’t work as well as he hoped for. Instead, a kid sat on the chair and was sent to the hospital to get it removed. Ever since then, everyone despised him and called him a “freak” or “loser”. He knows that he is unique but hated the way other kids treated him.

“ Bill can you stay after class?” Mrs. Conway pleaded.

“No I have to go to practice.”

“That can wait, you are failing this class Bill, either you change or you will have to repeat this grade once more. I need to speak to your parents about this.” Mrs. Conway nagged.

Bill hated Mrs.Conway out of all of his teachers. She always wore the same brown wool sweater everyday, had her gray hair tied up in a tight bun and always carried a pencil on top of her right ear. She always picked on Bill for every single thing he did.

“My mom and dad left to go to LA, my dad coaches this basketball team and it is really important for him to be there.” Bill acknowledged.

“Well atleast I need to speak with a guardian. Your mother left me a note that has a note that says you have one guardian that will take care of you for one whole week. His name is Roger Alves, am I correct? ”

“Yes.” Bill bolted out of the door as fast as he could. His teacher annoyed him so much that he couldn’t take it anymore. First it was his mother, now it was Mrs.Conway. He feels as he is not free of making his own decisions anymore. He wishes more than anything in the world to have someone that would let him do anything that he wanted, because obviously that is not what he is getting. He walked at a slow pace to basketball practice while dribbling his father’s “lucky” basketball. Mr. Carter gave the ball to Bill for his tenth birthday present.




“You need this more than I do, I hope you make the team.” His father once had said to him. That stayed in Bill’s memory for quite some time. It was a special moment that he will never forget. Both him and his father have a special bonding. He loved his mother as well, but he secretly favored his father more.

Once he made his way inside the school’s gym, he saw his P.E teacher standing beside the wall directing kids where to stand. The basketball net was ready for him and Bill knew it was his one and only chance to fit in with the cool kids. There was so much pressure drawn on to him and that made him feel agitated. As the other boys were whispering and cracking jokes, Bill started to rub his hands together. It was a thing that Bill did whenever he became worried. Bill swallowed hard, his heart was pacing at a fast rate. Never has he been so nervous in his whole entire life.

“Alright everyone my name is Coach Sanchez and i'm here to see if you have what it takes to be on the basketball team. We will start off by standing in a line from shortest to tallest. Shortest will go first.” Coach requested. His head turned to Bill when he said “Shortest.”

Bill took a step towards the net. He tried his best to ignore his surroundings. He held the ball and released it like his father taught him. He opened his eyes to check if the ball made it through the hoop.

“Whatcha doin’ kid? open your eyes so you can see where are you trying to score.” Coach Sanchez insisted. Apparently, he spoke to soon. Bill already scored and started to do the dougie.

“Not so fast kido you have more to go.” Coach explained.
Another hour past by and Bill couldn’t believe what he has done. He has done everything so perfectly that Coach started to applaud him. Some boys started to pat him on the back and started to cheer him on. “Geez Carter you play like you are on the NBA, mind teaching me some of yo tricks sometime?” they would say.

“Alright Bill, you made the team. In only one condition, if you can improve your grades and you for sure will make the team. Can you make that promise? I’ll see you on Monday.”Coach declared.

“Okay I’ll see what I can do.” Bill agreed. He turned his back away from Coach Sanchez. Great, now he is anxious to find out whether he made the team or not. Bill had his doubts set on Coach. Bill had the feeling that one of the main reasons why he was not allowing Bill to make the team right away was because of his height. Most of the boys were at least 5 ft 6. And well, he hasn’t gotten to that point yet.

On his way home, Bill spotted the same homeless boy on sidewalk chewing on the string of his hoodie. He seemed lonely and depressed.The expressions displayed on his face were miserable. Bill wasn’t good at making friends but he was certain that this time he could give it a try. He took long strides towards the pale boy and smiled.

“Hello, my name is Bill, what’s your name?”

“ Andy.” he looked up and smiled.

“I like your jacket.” Bill complemented.

“This thing? are you kidding, it's all torn up. This is all that I have to wear.” Andy shrugged.

“That’s fine, I got a lot more clothing at my home, you should come along.” Bill offered.

Andy rose up from the ground and started to follow Bill. Both of the boys walked down the avenue all the way up to Bill’s million dollar mansion. They both got to know each other more, and realized that they had a lot in common. The two boys instantly became friends. Andy told Bill all about his life, and how complicated and unfortunate it was. And, how his mother and father left him at an orphanage when he was just an infant. Andy describes how the nuns taking care of him would harass him verbally and spit on him. As years pass by, Andy couldn’t bear to take all the suffering and ran away from his misery but still remains unlucky. Bill stared at Andy in disbelief the whole entire time he was speaking. Bill never realized how good his life was.

“Alright we're here.” Bill finally spoke. He dug into his pockets and found a snicker’s chocolate bar wrapper, coins and finally the gold key. When he lifted up the key his hands had chocolate smeared on it. Bill looked down in disgust and realized that he left some chocolate in his pocket for over a week now. He shrugged and unlocked the front door. A gust of wind blew from the inside of the home. There was a sweet scent of Cocoa and maple syrup. The white marble floor was nicely polished that you could see your own reflection on the tile. The staircase extended for what seemed a mile. Dark cherry wood was on display for you to hold on to the railings.

“Up this way.” Bill jestered. Andy followed his lead and made their way up to Bill’s bedroom. His room was the first door on the right. Across was the bathroom where Bill did a one hour session of smoothing out his afro and trying to look beautimus everyday.
“Step inside bro welcome to my palace.” he remarked. Andy already made himself comfortable sitting on the luxurious king sized mattress with a flat screen tv popping out.

“Dude your place is amazing. Its funny how every single spot in your house smells like chocolate, but your room smells like dirty socks. You should try doing your laundry once in a while.” Andy teased.

“That’s because I wear these lucky socks and I refuse to wash them.” Bill laughed.

“Ok do whatever you want...” Andy replied.

“So yeah this is basically my bedroom, this is where I spend most of my time.” Bill explained.



Bill showed off all his trophies and medals that he earned from basketball over the years. All of his walls were painted the color blue, Bill’s favorite color. All of Bill’s clothes were nicely folded in a special handcrafted dresser. And of course his bed was perfectly arranged with three feathery pillows. Comfort was something that Bill had to have. His windows were cracked open all the way. You could hear loud noises coming from his street in the middle of the night. While Andy was blabbering off about how much he always wanted to play the video game GTA, . a faint noise of music started to approach. One of Bill’s favorite songs, “Gas Pedal” was playing from a distance. Bill briefly looked out of the window to see where the noise was coming from. A shiny black mercedes pulled over on to his driveway. A tall, caucasian sunburnt man climbed out of the vehicle. He slammed his door shut and had looked like he smelled something unpleasant. Bill was under the impression that this was Roger.
The doorbell chimed and Mrs. Carter answered the front door. Bill leaned against the door to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Hello, my name is Roger Alves, I will be taking care of Bill while you are on vacation Mrs. Carter. I’ll make sure he does all of his homework and chores.” he stepped forward and shook her hand.

“Thank you Mr. Alves, here is the key to the house. My husband and I will call consistently to make sure Bill is alright.” Mrs. Carter replied. A few murmurs continued, and that was that. As soon as he heard the door shut, Bill automatically knew that he was stuck inside the house with a man that he does not know about. For all he knows, Roger likes hip hop/ rap. That was a plus for Bill. Maybe this week won’t be so bad after all. He unlocked his door and crept alongside the staircase. He ordered Andy to remain silent while he left. He tried to not make as much noise as possible while still managing to spy on Roger. Bill stared down at the stairs and found Roger lifting up his legs on his father’s leather seat. Roger seems like a chill man that will allow him to do whatever he pleases.

“Hello there.” Roger greeted. He leaned against the sofa and began munching on a bag of hot cheetos.

“Hi.” Bill mumbled. He took his hands out of his pocket and began to rub them together.

“My name is Roger. I i'll be watching you for a week now boy, do all your work and chores. Please don’t let me remind you every second. If you need help, feel free to ask me. Otherwise go away.” He turned his back towards Bill and continued watching murder mystery shows. He seems a little strange, Bill thought. He shrugged and went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Bill’s stash was stocked up with tubs of ice cream, pizza, and foods that Bill certainly did enjoy. Just when he took out a soup ladle and unwrapped the “Chunky chocolate banana nut” ice cream. He felt a mysterious presence on him. A dark shadow overcasted among Bill.
“That’s my favorite flavor. Mind sharing?” he stared down at Bill.
“Yeah sure, no problem”. Bill handed a spoon and the tub of ice cream.
“Hey I heard you tried out for basketball. You made the team, but your mother didn’t want me to tell you this because she wanted you to raise your grades. But I suppose it’s better for you to know. I bet you are as talented as your father.” he concluded. Roger gladly took the ice cream and ran away to the sofa. Bill sighed in distress. Why did his mother keep it to herself? That was information that he needed to know. And for Roger’s information, that was his favorite ice cream flavor as well. And that made him angry. It’s just ice cream, but for Bill the value of it was equivalent to a piece of gold. Bill just grabbed any piece of food that was lingering in the fridge and sprinted upstairs to his room.

When he returned, Andy was playing with Bill’s XBOX. Bill wanted to ask Andy how he knew how to work the gaming system if he never owned one. That really made Bill suspicious, but continued eating his ice cream. A couple hours flew by, and Andy said that he had to leave. Bill lead him to the entrance and said goodbye. As soon as Andy left his home, Bill was left alone with Roger. He prefered to stay in his room because he was afraid that Roger would come and bother him. But no, he was alone in his room and had no one to talk to. Bill hated the fact that he was all alone. If he was isolated in that room for another minute, he would surely lose his patience. He later decided it was time to explore. Where should I go? he was thinking. The very first thing that popped up in his head was to investigate Roger’s room. Just to get to know him a little better you know? Bill tiptoed on the hardwood floor across the hallway. The ground creaked every now and then but Roger didn’t seem to notice. He turned that black doorknob. He continuously jerked the door handle and it didn’t seem to budge. The door must be locked for a specific reason. Bill rummaged through his pockets and found the gold key. The key unlocked every door in the household. When he finally unlocked the door, he didn’t find anything amusing. Just dark brown walls and boarded up windows. Roger obviously had a dislike for sunlight. But what was covering the windows caught Bill’s eye. Blue paper that held scientific equations and had microscopic handwriting printed on top of it. He stepped closer to read the text. He was completely clueless to what the information held.
A few days later, Bill found Andy petting a cat on the streets. Bill carried the Blueprints along with him. He would be lucky if Andy had an idea what this all meant.

“I don’t know what to tell you.” Andy said. “This looks like it has a relation to developing bombs.” he explained. He held the blueprints over his eyes to clarify that the drawing had.

“This doesn’t make any sense.” Bill interrupted. “Why would Roger want to make bombs? what, to explode my house? that is pathetic.”

“I don’t know man, you should probably get out of your house, Roger seems like a creep. And, really who still wears MC Hammer pants? that is so 80’s.” Andy confessed.

“That’s not the point Andy! I could be at risk at getting murdered by this man and all you care about is his MC Hammer pants?!” he shouted.

“Alright we will spy on this weirdo if you promise me to let me wear your hoodie.” Andy responded. He glared at the blue hoodie and waited for Bill to hand it over. Bill pulled off his favorite sweater aggressively and threw it at Andy’s face. “A little softer?” Andy groaned. Bill rolled his eyes and returned back into his home. He didn’t really need Andy’s help at the moment, after all why would Roger would want to demolish his house? Really, what did his house have to offer besides his father’s expensive sportscar, olympic sized pool and a tennis court. All of a sudden, things started to make sense. But still, he shouldn't trust a homeless boy that could just be seeking attention. Bill didn’t want Andy to come along, but it was already too late. He was following Bill’s lead inside the house and kept asking Bill irrelevant questions. Bill diligently agreed that Andy could tag along as long as he didn’t open his loud mouth whenever Roger was around. The two rascals barged into Roger’s bedroom once more.


“Gosh, his bedroom is even worse than yours.” Andy announced. He was coughing when he picked up a filthy pillowcase. “Really? he has an empty bag of cheetos under the bed, a ripped up Beatles poster and a worthless sheet of tic tac toe. I’m out.” Andy signaled the peace sign when he exited the room.


“Get back in here, we are not done.” Bill yelled. “Look I found more blueprints and a copy of the newspaper. There’s even a cut out piece of an article with Roger’s face printed over it.”
“America’s Most Wanted” was printed on top of the article. Bill glared at Andy while they stared at each other in horror. “Okay so maybe you are right, I need to stay away from him and call my mom.” he implied. Andy nodded his head and disappeared in a matter of seconds. Bill reached over to the telephone and dialed his mother’s cellphone. Something didn’t seem right. Every Time Bill called her, she always picked up the phone. The wires must be disconnected, Bill thought. He looked outside the kitchen window and spotted lightning and rain clouds pulling up. Rain poured hard against the roof of his home and the sound of thunder boomed. Bill’s hands started to shake when he hung up the phone. Nothing scares Bill more than thunderstorms. Especially when he is alone with a supposed “criminal”.

At 10:00 pm, The phone started to ring for a couple seconds, but when he answered the phone, there was no presence. Bill bolted upstairs into his room while shutting his windows and locked his door. He shoved himself into an open space into his closet. He quickly grasped onto an old teddy bear and squeezed it tightly. Now, he felt safe. The doorbell rang but he didn’t bother to move.There was a loud pounding noise coming from the door and the sound increased into a powerful thump. That terrified Bill because he was afraid that someone would break in and kidnap him. He started to hear loud shouts coming from below.


“It’s me Andy! open the door now, its freezing out here.” Andy shouted.


Bill sighed in relief and carefully made his way downstairs. He opened the door to find Andy standing on his doormat drenched in rain. He was shivering from the cold and his hair looked like it was used to dry the floors. The stench of him was awful but Andy blamed it on his cat. Bill ignored him and let him inside. Andy rolled into a ninja somersault and started to swing his nunchucks. “I’m ready.” he said determined. Both of them quietly ran across the living room and into the bathroom. “If you want to be a spy, you have to look like one. Bill your hoodie is not good enough. You have to wear something black, here.” Andy handed him a black jacket and a black skirt.


“I’m not wearing that skirt, but I will take the jacket.” Bill spoke. Andy smirked and pulled over a black mask on his face. He let a scream and sprinted upstairs.


“What are you doing? you are supposed to be quiet and following my lead. Roger is going to know we are up to something.” he proclaimed. It was already too late. Andy was pounding on the ground upstairs and throwing items across the hallway.


“You are going to wake him up Andy! stop it.” he shrieked. At the same moment, he heard another door slam open. He saw a dark figure taking a few steps down the hallway and stopped right in front of Bill. He recognized the figure to be Roger. He looked exhausted and wore this green facial mask that made him look like shrek. He was wrapped up in a navy fluffy robe.

“Bill go back to bed for goodness sake, you are making too much noise. Get your weird friend out of here. He is incredibly annoying and not letting me sleep. If you two don’t leave, you will lose some of your privileges and I will punish you. Now get out of here!” he remarked.


Bill ran past Roger to find Andy. He wasn’t about to listen to any other adult besides his parents. Bill shrieked when Roger grabbed his arm furiously and pushed him down the staircase. Bill suddenly believed what the article said. Andy was right and he should have listened to him. Blood dripped down his forehead and poured on to the carpet. His head started throbbing and wasn’t about to take the pain. He began to cry but got right back up. He wasn’t about to let this man defeat him. Bill had to search for Andy or else he could be at risk of getting hurt too.

Bill searched everywhere possible and checked the basement last. He pulled the light switch on. There he found Andy sobbing in pain and rocking back and forth in a cradle position on the rusty carpet. Andy uncovered a scar left on his right cheek. Horrified, Bill tugged on Andy to get up and leave that moment. Andy didn’t budge and had a terrible expression on his face.


“C’mon Andy we have to go! he’s a psychopath. I know what you have been talking about, I believe you now. He is coming after us!.” he whispered. Andy remained silent and didn’t bother to move.


“I can’t move Bill, my leg is broken. You have to go without me it’s your only way to make it out alive.” He started to choke and said “You are my best friend after all, and I wanted to let you know that.” Andy choked.


“Don’t be so dramatic Andy, you are not going to die for God’s sake, please get up now!” he ordered.

A gunshot was fired upstairs. Bill tugged on Andy and pulled him over his shoulders. He gently dropped Andy inside a cabinet and locked him inside. A second gunshot was fired. Bill scurried around the house and searched to find a hiding place. He remembered what Andy had told him. He decided to get out and leave everything behind. First he has to pull Andy out of the cabinet and carry him outside into the yard. When he held Andy into his arms, he saw Roger standing at the basement’s doorway.


“Where do you think your going? I specifically told you to stay in bed Bill, you do realize the consequences you are going to have to face. Same with your poor old crippled friend right there.” he snarled.


“No! I want my mother now, you can’t do this to us, what have we ever done to you?”


“Your mother? she’s been gone for a while. She’s been dead for about a couple days now. Your poor, defenseless mother wasn’t clever enough to realize her car had some major issues. Now you know why she hasn’t been answering her phone.” he paced across the room back and forth. “Or maybe she simply doesn’t love you.” he murmured.


“Shut up! tell me where my mother and my father are. Or else I will kill you for everything you have done.” he said. Those last spoken words startled himself.


“You are a stupid little boy and you have spoken the wrong words.” Roger proclaimed. He pulled out a sturdy rope out of a tool box and tied it around Bill’s wrists and legs. Bill screamed and pounded on Roger to let go. Roger was a much bigger size than Bill. Bill was determined never to stop fighting. Giving all his strength and power, Bill socked Roger in the face. Roger let out a painful cry and wobbled against the door.
Bill searched the whole room for his one and only friend. There he was, unconscious and not able to make a noise. Now that Bill was tied up, he had no way to defend himself. He couldn’t help Andy. He was convinced that he was left there to die. He started to get blurry visions and a sickening feeling in his stomach. He blinked a few times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. Andy’s body disappeared and was carefully displayed in the corner right next to the washer machine. Terrorized by the whole entire situation, Bill shuts his eyes tight and wishes that his nightmare is over.

It almost seems like he was woken up from a dream , Bill wakes up in the attic with his hands and feet tied up while he sits in a wooden chair. He stretches and realizes that he has an agitation in his neck. He began to panic and started to chew on the knots to free himself. The rope was too sturdy, and after a while the rope numbed his jaw. The attic was filthy and the ground was scattered with piles of dirt. There was a sour smell rising above the surface. Mice swarmed among his surroundings while nibbling on moldy bread. He spotted Andy lying on the ground with his arm wrapped around a shiny object. The other hand was occupied with a sharp edged material that he will use to help Bill out of the chair. For some unknown reason, he still was unconscious.

“Pssst Andy, hey wake up.” he whispered. “Andy i’m not playing get up, if you're tired go take a nap...just not right now. ”


Andy started to yawn and gently rose up from the ground. He didn’t seem like he had full focus on everything and tripped on one of Bill’s childhood toys. He fell to the ground and stayed there. Now Bill’s luck was gone. His accomplice really isn’t taking his injuries well.


“What’s going on up there? you are tied up there for a reason. Stop making that racket or else I will come back up there and you will get what you deserve.” Roger shouted.


Bill waited for a while until Andy became aware that he too, was in danger. Andy rose up from the ground once more, and this time he looked like he was ready to fight back. His expression on his face was completely different than what he expected. He smiled and his icy blue eyes beamed with sincerity. He began to mumble to what Bill seemed to think it was a chant. Bill was astonished by the fact that Andy got up and began to speak again. He knew that Andy got some sort injury towards the head, but it wasn’t normal the way he was reacting. Andy stopped a few feet in front of Bill and stared at him for quite some time. Bill couldn’t adjust to what Andy was saying. Andy began to laugh in this deep laughter and started to tell jokes that sounded like they came out of the back of a laffy taffy wrapper. He took one last step and said something that Bill will never forget.


“Now, that you are my bestfriend, we are allowed to share stuff , allowed to play games and do exciting things together. But you have more valuable things than I do, and I feel that it would be great if we exchange once in a while. But there is a positive and a negative side to the idea. I would like to live your life, Bill.” he pauses for a long period of time. “We are like brothers, except there can only be one of us. So you can’t live any longer.” He pulls out a gigantic knife.


Bill screams for help and does the best he can to get out. He manages to untie the first knot and rips it out. Great, he has three more to go. Andy presses him down with his bare hands. He pushed a lot of his arm strength and hovered one hand over Bill’s mouth, and the other over his nose. Suffocating him, Andy releases and began to speak again.

“Shut up, my father is going to hear you. And if he thinks its me who is making the noise, he will beat me up too.” he said angrily. “See this?” he waves the knife around. “This will be used on you the sooner you let out a few words or screams. Are we clear?” he smirks. Bill nodded his head struggling to breath.

A few hours past and Bill is lacking patience. Streaks of sunlight flowed through the cracks of the attic. No more darkness for now, he seeks his killer is roaming around. No sign of him so far. Bill uses a lot of force to heave himself out and escape. A brief smell of burning flesh crescend around the room. Must be coming from below, Bill thought. Footsteps were heard coming closer and closer. But no one came. All the weight was lifted up from Bill’s shoulders until he saw the face of a killer. Andy leaned against the rusty wood wall with a toothpick in his mouth. His eyes suddenly turned sullen, like there was no soul. He turned his head towards his father and mumbled a few words. Roger nods his head in satisfaction. This is it, my life is going to be taken, Bill thought. Bill shut his eyes hard and swallowed really hard. Silence buzzed through the air and Bill swore he could hear the soft breathing against his face.


“Should we wait dad? we need to get him to start talking. It would be idiotic if we killed him and leave without any information to where the money is there would be no point of killing the useless kid.” Andy informed.


“Yes son, you are intelligent and I’m proud to say you are my son.” Roger praised.


Andy ripped the tape off of Bill’s mouth. Bill flinched in agony and let out a whimper. A hard slap ran across his face that shook Bill’s head. That’s when he remembered. Don’t let out a single noise or word. That rule is already broken and that narrows his chances for survival.

At that very moment visions appeared in his head of good memories of his life. He loved it when his mother splitting her twix bar with him on a summer afternoon. Or the time his father gave him a haircut that ended up to turn into a bowl cut. Well, that memory was not the best but still had some bittersweetness to it. They both ended laughing about how dumb he looked and his father teased him for a while about it. Bill doesn’t know if his parents are alive or not. That bothered him so much that his heart was aching. Who knows if Roger was lying and keeping everything a secret just to make Bill’s life miserable.


“Alright punk, tell me where you keep your money and your prized possessions. I need more variety in my style. You have until the count of three to confess or else your life is over for sure.” Andy explained.


“Fine, I’ll tell you, but I think you would have a hard time accessing the money. You would have to search for the key, which is incredibly hard to find. I’m sorry but I don’t know where it is my father was the only one who could access it.” Bill said confidently. “Just don’t kill me please, i'm begging you. Take all the stuff you need, take all of it.” he pleaded.

That very moment helicopters swarmed over his home like there had been an invasion. Roger and Andy scowled at each other and began packing up their tools. Andy caught Bill’s eye and gave him the “I’m not finished look.” Both of the acquaintances bolted up and down the stairs with their large suitcases, stuffing them with Bill’s mother’s fine china and jewelry. Bill hated them with all his gut. Never was he so angry and all of his frustration swelled inside his system like fire. Bill shredded through the ropes with all his power. Ripping the tape to pieces, he quickly grabbed the knife that Andy left on the ground. He held it in his right hand and adjusted his shoelaces to make sure he wouldn’t trip. Bill used his peripheral vision to see the window in the fight corner and had the chance to use a ladder to get outside into his front yard. The problem was that the house was three stories high. Either Bill was going to have to attach the rope and slide down or jump out with the risk of getting injuries. There was no way he was staying in that hideous room. Bill followed his boy scout instincts and attached the rope to the window sill. He made sure that it was sturdy enough for him to slide down. He was sweating from the heat building up inside the room he couldn’t breath. He went faster before time would run out. When he was finished he shifted his body out of the window and began to ride down carefully. He didn’t want to get those stubborn burns that you get from rubbing against objects at a rapid speed. Enough was enough. He had to get there down unless he wanted to die. He reached to the bottom and felt the grass. The smell of fresh breeze calmed him down.

Now that he was out, he had no choice but to run and yell for help. He got up and started to run. He felt a sharp grip around his ankle. Andy pulled him back while Roger grabbed a trash bag and put it over Bill’s head. The struggle to get out was almost impossible. Helicopters continued to pass by and that startled Roger. He tugged on Andy to leave and hid in the backyard. You could hear the faint cop sirens coming closer. The words coming from the helicopter said something like “This is the LAPD looking for a 30 year old caucasian male, green eyes, approximately 6 ft 1. Wanted for robbery and murder.” it blared out. Andy bolted toward the garage and tried to work the mercedes car engine. The car didn’t turn on because he didn’t carry the keys with him. Only Bill had them, but he had them safely tucked in his pocket. Now both of the robbers had no other choice but to hide from the police. This was Bill’s one and only chance to run away. As much as he wanted to escape, he had to take his precautions with those two.

“If you ever try to escape your going to be dead in a flash. Don’t even bother to try.” Roger snapped. Bill agreed to stay with them a little while because the sight of any killing weapon intimidated him. Andy and Roger forced Bill to make up a story that included false information on what recently happened. About how he has those cuts and bruises smacked across his face. Or how he has a concussion. Minutes passed and the police knocked on the door. Bill stepped up to the door and remembered exactly what the men told him. He was so startled about the fact if he told the police, he would be safe and Andy and Roger could be arrested. Or, don’t tell the cops and be safe but stuck with these people. Bill was over thinking the idea. Once they got out of jail, they both could track Bill down and murder him. One choice could save his life. Which one was he going to pick? He has to confess it now.


“Have you seen these men around the neighborhood? they have been wanted for a year and there is a reward for a million dollars.” the bald cop informed. “Please tell us now so you don’t waste our time, there are plenty of more houses we have to visit.”


Bill stood there was not a clue of what to say. He mumbled a few words but the cops couldn’t translate on what he was saying. Beads of sweat trickled down his neck. Now was the time to tell them.


“ I..I think I have seen those guys around. Yeah they been to my house and tried to...no never mind, that’s not the same people. I don’t know who they are. ” He nervously said.


The cops shook their heads. They knew Bill was obviously lying. When Bill was lying he often rubbed the back of his neck and blinked way too many times. One of the other cops pulled out a notepad and clicked the back of a pen and began to write. The bald cop continued to ask questions to make Bill finally tell the truth.


“Son, you don’t have to lie anymore. We know that the men are hiding in your home. We tracked them down already. So you don’t have to worry anymore.” he spoke. The cops walked inside the house and started to pick up items and taking photos. One of them cocked his gun and hid behind some walls. Bill felt like his was watching an episode of CSI. They targeted the ceiling and everything to make sure they weren’t going to fire anything. No sign so far they paced back and forth searching for any clues. A loud thud came from the garage. Both of the cops pounded on the door and knocked it down. Searching everywhere for Andy and Roger, the cops rummaged through boxes and the garbage bin. They even searched in the cars to see if they were at least in the trunk. Of course not, the loud thud could have been them just trying to escape. The bald cop held a walkie talkie and whispered something to another officer. They were gone, but that didn’t mean that they were not going to be caught.

Bill spotted the two robbers from a distance running towards 711 and hijacking a BMW. The gas engine roared and off the car speed up in a high voltage making screeching noises through the parking lot.


“I see them, they are heading to the highway.” Bill shouted. The officers jumped inside their police cars and included Bill in the investigation. Bill was fascinated the whole idea. His mother would have forced him to stay home, but no Bill wanted feel the rush of excitement. The cops commanded him to remain silent and don’t fire any weapons without permission. Bill agreed and sat there with patience through the scene. The car jolted and off the car followed the BMW. Racing at a speed of 108 m/hr the car sped up even more.

“Relax kid, don’t be afraid if you hear any shooting. Our windows are 100% bulletproof. Stay calm and do what Officer Jackson told you to do.” Bill assumed right away that Officer Jackson was the bald man. “There he is!” the cop yelled. Officer Jackson pulled open the window and started to open fire towards the black car. The car made a 360 spin and continuously kept it’s motor going. Officer Jackson’s car accelerated at a high speed until the gas ran low. By the time the fifth bullet hit clashed against the windshield, Roger’s vehicle came to a stop. All that Bill could remember was that he saw Andy roll out of the car and tried to fire the gun at a group of policemen. It didn’t take long for Andy to be gunned down. His body slammed against the asphalt while blood poured out of his wound from his shoulder. While his eyes were shut, he leaned over and tried to reach for a weapon. There was no more strength for him to pick up the gun. Too much blood was coming out. One more person was left. The LAPD rushed to search who else was inside the car, but Roger was nowhere to be seen. Crime investigators were involved and used notepads to sketch out a picture of Roger. Bill explained with great detail about how Roger looked. Everyone left the crime seen. From that moment on, Bill never seen Roger and Andy ever again. All that was left was his parents. He hasn’t heard from them longer than a week. His mother would have been calling him constantly. His father would have sent him photos of their vacation.

“Excuse me, may I please call my mother. I just want to know if she’s ok.” Bill questioned. Everyone exchanged worried glances.

“I’m so sorry Bill, but we don’t know what else to tell you. Your mother died in a car explosion. We believe that Roger was the ringleader in this situation. We uncovered some blueprints that were related to bombs. We tracked Mr. Alves down and he is tried to eight counts of murder, three counts of robbery and same with his accomplice Andy.”

Bill stood there in shock with tears rolling down his face. He knew it all along. Roger had murdered his mother.

“What about my father?” Bill cried out.

“ His body has never been found. He was taking the bus to the airport, and there seems to be that the bus driver ran into a sliver of black ice and slid across the pavement into a ice cold river. There seems to be survivors, your father might be one of them.” Officer Flores said confidently.

“Come here boy, everything is going to be alright.” a woman officer said. She hugged him tightly while Bill was sobbing onto her shoulder. Bill knew that Andy was gone and dead. But not with his parents killers. There was no way he was going to let him get away things.

“We are going to find Roger, no matter what. Can you trust us with that?” Officer Flores said. Bill nodded his head and collapsed onto the ground. Cars honked and caution tape was being taped to every spot possible.

The intensity of the room confused Bill for a few seconds. Where was he? He reached to grab his clothes. There was a unique feeling to it. His beloved blue hoodie was gone. He realized he was wearing a hospital gown that was very uncomfortable. He noticed that there was a blurry screen from far away. The light was flashing from the little black box that he soon recognized as a television. His vision adjusted to the screen and it took him a few seconds to see what the screen said. The channel was switched to FOX news. There was a well dressed woman that held a microphone. She was implying some information about a crime scene that occurred the previous day. The sketch of Roger appeared on the television screen which made Bill uncomfortable. He was still on the run and the cops still remained unsuccessful with searching for him. His body ached as he reached over for the remote control. His head felt like a brick was launched towards his cranium. He rubbed his head to see if his afro was still there. Yes of course it was, but there were some stitches on the back of his skull. No surprise to him. He wasn’t interested in the other injuries that he carried. A young brunette nurse rushed inside the room with a cart that held some of Bill’s favorite foods. She rolled them alongside his bed and pressed a few buttons.

“Hello, my name is Nurse Nicole, but you can call me Nurse Nikki for short. I will be taking good care of you while you are here. Your grandmother gave me a list of all the things that you enjoy and they will be at your display.” she smiled. She rubbed some cherry red lipstick on top of her lips. Her tan skin glowed in the sunlight when she opened the curtains.
“Thank you so much Nikki.” Bill notified. He lied down and snuggled with his pillows. He was thinking about everyone that he knew and how they were doing. His grandmother must be in the city to visit if she gave the nurse some information.
“Nikki? how is my father?” Bill questioned.
Nurse Nikki sighed and breathed in deeply. “Your father is alive and remains with good health. Although he tends to have some intense injuries to his legs. He doesn’t seem like he will be able to ever walk again. But, once you feel well enough to walk again, you may visit your father.” she concluded. Bill knows that his father is paralyzed, but at least he survived and that’s what counts. He couldn’t wait to get out and reunite with her father. He released a few tears and had a miserable night.

The following morning his grandmother surprised him with a milk chocolate cake. She looked upset as well, and brushed her dangly black curls. She sat beside him and cut one slice for Bill, the other for her. They both delighted the desert while she was telling some funny stories about how his mother was as mischievous as him. Bill laughed the whole time and enjoyed his grandma’s company. She told him that she was going to stay with him for a few weeks until his father was fully recovered and able to spend time with Bill again. Bill didn’t mind it, he loved his grandma.

“Now remember Bill, your mother loved you. She is watching you from heaven and wants you to be the same good-hearted son you have always been.” she explained. She kissed him on the forehead and said her goodbyes. Bill took what his grandmother said courteously. She boarded on the city bus and called him constantly while he was at the hospital. He received many gifts and “get well” cards from his classmates and even Mrs. Conway. The doctor commanded him to stay in the bed but he refused to.
Some nights he would creep into the hallways and visit the hospital cafeteria. His favorite meals were served including mac and cheese, pepperoni pizza, and some fountain drinks. That made him feel great and he never starved one moment. The only thing that he loathed was the daily shots he received from Nurse Nikki. His head was recovering steadily. He actually appreciated all the attention he was getting. Yes he loved his parents, but they were always occupied by their jobs that they never had quality time with Bill.
“Someone special is here to visit you.” the main doctor stepped in. He pushed the door open and in rolled a man on a wheelchair. Bill couldn’t believe his eyes. His father was in a better shape than he expected. He greeted him with a bold smile and still carried the laughing marks by his charcoal brown eyes. He rolled his wheelchair towards Bill. Tears filled up in his eyes. He disconnected the cords that were connected to him. He immediately bolted to his father and hugged him tightly. He wouldn’t let go of him for about 5 minutes until Mr. Carter finally tapped on his shoulder to let go.
“I missed you.” he coaxed. He questioned Bill all about the incidents that have been occurring. “I knew I didn’t trust that man, I shouldn’t have allowed your mother to hire him.” he cried out. “It’s too late now.” he proclaimed. Bill ran up to the cake and cut a huge chunk for his dad.
“That’s my favorite kind of cake, did your grandmother make this?” he smiled in delight. He swallowed the cake while Bill was describing his experience at the hospital. Mr. Carter told him that at night time, they should sneak out and go to the donut shop. Bill agreed and already had the chocolate swirl donut on his mind. While Mr. Carter was speaking, Bill knew something didn’t seem right. The color of his eyes weren’t the same as usual. They had a strange tint of yellow. He sat back in his wheelchair and held the plate of cake on his right hand, the other hand occupied with the telephone. A large thump clanked against the tile ground. The telephone was lying on the ground disconnected. Mr. Carter was shaking out of control at a frantic rate. The nurses rushed in and sent him to the operating room. Bill became really worried.

Bill followed all the surgeons, nurses and doctors. Nurse Nikki signaled one of the surgeons to escort Bill out of the room. He pleaded them to not let him stay, but none of them bothered to listen. He was sent immediately to the waiting room stuck with a fussy two year old and his mother. He kept himself busy playing jenga and staring at the clock impatiently. The doctor with the first name Ray, as the doctors called him walked in. He carried his mask in his hand. He tapped the Bill on the shoulder and motioned him to walk towards him. Why me? Bill thought. He left his set of toys and joined Dr. Ray.
“Bill,” Dr. Ray choked up, “I have some bad news for you. Your father passed.” He confessed.

Bill whimpered and shed the most tears he has ever cried out.

“Why him? I don’t understand, at of all the people why did Roger choose to kill my parents. Why couldn’t he just kill me instead?” he yelled. He let out all of his frustration and began kicking and screaming. He hated Roger so much he wanted revenge. Dr. Ray and his assistants pinned Bill down to a chair. Everyone in the waiting room were watching him with curiosity. One woman ran up to the secretary and asked her what was going on. The secretary whispered in her ear about his father. The woman turned around and sat back down.
“I can help out.” she said. “Here take it, don’t be shy.” she handed him a card with her number and the name of her job. Apparently she was a psychiatrist that worked back in New York. That was all the way across the country but he will manage to take a flight with his grandmother. He hesitated boarding on a airplane after hearing what had happen to his parents. He was imagining bombs exploding while he was on his flight. No matter what he was telling himself, his grandma would force him to go anyway.
“It’s for the better.” she kept telling him.

Bill had already experienced enough. The last thing he needed was his grandma to not be in his life. After his grandfather had passed years ago, she has been living a single life . She visited Bill every Christmas and sent him presents for his birthday. She was almost like Bill’s second mother. He grasped her hand and accepted the offer to go.

It was 3:00 A.M when the alarm blared. He pounded the alarm to shut off but the darn thing wouldn’t turn off. His grandma was startled by the batman theme song playing. She convinced Bill that she would buy Bill a new alarm clock when they go to New York. He rubbed his eyes and giggled softly. It was too early in the morning for Bill to take a joke. Grandma poured a cup of coffee and lifted her suitcase. She was more than ready to go then Bill. Bill ignored his grandmother’s nagging and continued packing his clothes. The hospital’s care team were aware that Bill was leaving. Dr. Ray presented him with a cherry flavored lollipop. It wasn’t that good to Bill’s opinion but he learned to accept what others give him. He ran up to Nurse Nikki and gave her a huge hug. He thanked her and signaled his grandma to start boarding the taxi. Unfortunately, there was rain pouring outside. The streets were flooded from all the rain. Bright lights shined from the street lamps and reflected on the pavement. The taxi driver offered to take their suitcases to the trunk.
“Are you ready for the journey ahead?” his grandmother questioned him.
“Well yeah I guess, But what do you mean exactly?” he responded.

“You are coming to live with me for now on. I'll bake you your favorite treats and you will have a great time.” she smiled.

Bill beamed with excitement and stared straight ahead waiting for the taxi driver to start the engine. The patch in heart was suddenly sewed back together. This is going to be a long trip, he thought. Although he didn’t mind, he wondered where Roger could be. He wishes more than anything in the world that the cops didn’t shoot him so he could experience the pain and misery while he was at prison. He imagined Roger in an orange suit with handcuffs around his tattooed wrists. He will rot in prison for a fact. This is what Bill wanted. He hoped that the police would catch him eventually so he can finally live in peace again.
The taxi driver leaned against the steering wheel and stepped on the gas pedal. He speeded up to the airport so they wouldn’t miss their flight. He was very polite and tried making small talk with Bill. Bill tapped his foot while he held his grandma’s hand. Not wanting to let go, grandma unlocked the door and stepped right out. She had already sensed that Bill was getting rather clingy. He tagged along and followed her towards the entrance. The airport was larger than he expected it to be. It seemed like millions of people were in a rush for their flight. Some tourists recognized Bill as the boy whose parents were murdered. He didn’t like the way people were acknowledging him. It only made him feel worse. But he knew that they weren’t being negative of some sort. They spoke to him with sympathy and gave him a lot of attention. The airplanes made that blaring noise when they flew up in the air on the cold and rainy days. Bill eyed the gigantic screens around every corner of the airport. A swarm of people surrounded every monitor. Bill had trouble seeing and squeezed his way through.

“Finally!” one man shouted. “It’s about time they caught that jerk!” the man started to clap. Others began to clap and shouted some things loudly that a flight attendant told them to quiet down.
“That’s the kid!” somebody pointed out. A few people turned around and glared at Bill. He stood there with curiosity. “They caught Roger Alves.” someone whispered. Bill didn’t believe anything that the people were saying. But once he listened to the monitors, he finally came to a conclusion about it.
“Roger Alves sentenced to life in prison.” he read. The best feeling rushed across him. He will be stuck in prison, and he would never have to hear from him again. He darted to his grandma, who was drinking coffee in a seat. Once she heard the news, she sprang up from her chair and nearly dropped her coffee.
“Good. Now he can pay for everything he has done.” she said. She reached into her purse and grabbed her inhaler. Apparently dancing wasn’t grandma’s thing. Bill sat next to a chair nearby and unwrapped a burrito. He chowed it down like he had never before. Never in his life was he so hungry. All the commotion involving Roger and Andy distracted him from eating. His grandma chuckled and made a phone call. Once she snapped her phone shut, she proposed the idea of meeting the psychiatrist at her office at 4:00 P.M sharp.
“Don’t worry grandma, I’m very punctual.” he joked. She rolled her eyes and lifted her suitcase.
“Speaking of being punctual, we don’t want to be late for our flight. Hurry up and and finish that burrito.” Grandma informed. Bill threw the yellow burrito wrapper in the garbage bin and frolicked into the airplane. Bill can live in peace now, no more dealing with Roger, or any other bad guy.