I was walking home from school one night. It was late and there was a light rain falling. Mr. Gossage, the band teacher had kept me late to practice for an upcoming band competition. I kind of felt he kept me late because I reminded him of his son a fellow flute player in the band. His son had gone missing a few months ago when I had my accident. I could tell he had an ulterior motive but I played along.
I guess that day of the accident I must have tripped and fell or something. It was just outside the old meat warehouse they closed up a few years back. Kids like to go there and party. The building is a shambles with falling bricks and they keep it locked up and boarded up but the kids seemingly cut new holes in the fences just as soon as they patch up the old ones. Sometimes I dream about it. I'm with some of those kids that hung around there. Skateboarding, skating and partying.
With the city cut backs it's a real rarity these days anyhow, that anyone shows up to inspect the situation.
I slowly began to realize a man with a ponytail and glasses was following me. A black van was slowly creeping along beside him. I had the oddest feeling about it and then I got a little scared. Thoughts about Sandy, Steve, Christie and Don... and the other kids that have gone missing. Was I going to be next? I took it easy and played it cool until I got to the corner of Addison. I changed direction and started running west toward the park.
Man, I took off running like a bat out of hell! I was really flying there for awhile. The guy started falling behind and then I heard him jump in the van and slam the door. The Vehicles engine revved and it's tires squealed... I dropped my gear behind some hedges to lighten my load and ran up a one-way street. I figured it was a good way to lose my pursuers. No one was out between the rain and the late hour to help me in time.
The van driver took a hard turn and raced up the one way street against the flow of traffic. Another car already under way down the street. He gassed it up and jerked it toward the side walk, jumping the curb, knocking over some garbage cans and finally coming to rest after hitting a tree. The driver of that car was hurt. As I glanced back I saw blood on the broken windshield before steam began to rise and obscure my view through the rain.
The van was nearly upon me when I saw Mrs. Schilling at her doorway. She was holding the door open and told me to hurry up and get inside. I guess she realized what was happening. The van was right behind me and stopped. I ran inside and she quickly closed the door and locked it. I was hyperventilating but managed to thank her between gasps. I told her I think we should call the cops. She gave me a glass of water and a paper bag. She told me she'd take care of it. Just breath into the bag. "Deep slow breaths now..." she said over and over.
When I regained my composure, she handed me the water. She was very attentive and watched me closely. I guess she must have been a really good mother. Her son and I played together a few times before he disappeared. I gulped it down. It had an odd slight after-taste to it... I got really dizzy, my knees felt weak and I collapsed to the floor. I think that bitch drugged me... She suddenly opened the door and the man with the ponytail and glasses entered along with Mr. Gossage. He was on his cell phone.
I heard him say "tell the others... we have him, thanks!" I tried desperately to get up but I must have passed out during the effort.
When I started to awaken I heard Mr. Gossage talking to some others. "Listen, we've been over this... he was there and he is the only one who knows what happened. To my son, to your sons..."
What the hell are they talking about? I decided to play dumb and listen for awhile. Another voice said "Do you think he killed them?" What?!? "I tried to get up and yelled "I didn't kill anyone!" I blew it, I was handcuffed to a thick metal chair. It was bolted to the floor and my legs were each tied to a chair leg. There was a collar around my neck, like a dog chain. As I looked over the room I was in a basement. There was a parent of each of the missing kids that I knew and some others I didn't recognize.
The man with the ponytail and glasses was infront of me. He was holding a large needle and he squirted a bit up in the air. "Well now... that's what I'm here to find out Walter..."