Twisted Endings: 5 Disturbing Stories (7 page)

"Hey you!" someone shouted.

Rick figured it was a truancy officer and threw his hands up in surrender.

"Hey! You!" with more force.

Rick turned to see three huge figures walking towards him: the Wilson boys. They were bigger trouble than he was. Donnie, the oldest, had been arrested twice for beating the crap out of his parents. John was thrown out of school for molesting his French teacher. And Billy, well, he never said anything but he was big and ugly.

Rick held his breath as the three tyrants stood behind him in dirty overalls.

"This here is our territory," Donnie said, pointing his finger in every direction. He smelled like cat piss.

"You tryin’ to steal our territory?" John joined in.

Billy just stared down at him and cracked his knuckles.

Rick pretended not to hear them and continued to rescue the princess, until the Gameboy was yanked out of his hands and sent sailing over the overpass. He ran to the side of the overpass and watched his life’s work smash into tiny fragments. It had barely missed the back of a Honda.

“You’re buying me a new one,” he said to Donnie as he walked up to him. Donnie stood a foot taller and was twice Rick’s weight. Rick could take him.

“You guys hear somethin’?” Donnie asked, looking at his brothers.

“I think I heard me a crybaby,” John answered.

Billy nodded in agreement.

“Listen —” Rick started to say. The next thing he knew he was on his back with a sore jaw.

“You listen,” Donnie said. “No one ignores me. Hope you’re ready to get your butt kicked.”

Billy knelt next to Rick. With his huge, freakish hands he lifted Rick to his feet. He held Rick there like a nail about to be pounded.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he muttered. The last thing Rick needed to do was explain to his mom how he got beat up when he was supposed to be at school. “Let’s make a deal.”

“I don’t make deals,” Donnie said.

Rick couldn’t catch his breath. These guys were just scary. The thumping against his chest became faster and harder.

“But whatcha got in mind?”

Billy gave Rick a disgusted look and loosened his grip.

He had to make something up, quick. There’s no way he could beat these guys in a fight. He looked around for inspiration. The first things Rick saw were two rocks in front of his feet. They were about the size of his right hand.

“Um,” he tried to think fast. “Those two rocks. Let’s have a contest.”

“Them two rocks? Billy, hold him tight. Ain’t got time for this crap.” 

“I bet you like fudge. Fudge packer.” Rick knew those were fighting words no straight bully could back down from. Especially a stupid bully.

“Heck no. What kinda lame contest we talkin’ ‘bout?” Donnie said, tugging at his hair in frustration.

“Those two rocks,” Rick said, pointing his chin at them. “Let’s see who can throw one the farthest. If I win, you let me go. If you win, well, you know.” He knew he would lose but figured it would give him the chance to run.

“Let’s just kick his butt and get outta here,” John said.

Billy tightened his grip on Rick’s shoulders.

“No way. We’re doin’ this. Donnie Wilson don’t back down from nothin’!” Donnie spit at Rick’s feet. “Let him go.”

Billy shoved Rick onto the ground. Rick looked up at him and smiled,  making a kissing motion with his lips.

“Here,” Donnie said, shoving one of the rocks into his hands. “Get ready to lose!”

John and Billy surrounded Rick on each side when Donnie stepped to the edge of the overpass. There went his escape plan.

“You sure ‘bout this, Donnie?” John asked, scratching his head.

“Course I’m sure!” he answered, scowling.

“Don’t get nobody killed.”

“Better them than me,” Rick mumbled. He knew no one was going to die but he had to find a way to keep these idiots from beating the crap out of him.

“What’d you say?” Donnie asked, squinting his eyes.

“I said ‘Good luck, buddy.’”

“That’s what I thought.”

Donnie took two steps back and slung his rock as far as he could over the interstate.

Rick prepared to throw his rock at the back of Donnie’s head, then watch him plunge to a gruesome death. Rick was about to get his butt kicked anyway…he could take one of the morons out with him.
No, not like that
. His mom taught him killing was wrong.
Darn her.

“I didn’t see where it landed,” Rick said.

“Don’t need to,” Donnie chuckled. “My brothers will be the judges.” All three of the morons laughed.

Rick stepped up to the same area Donnie stood. He was resigned to losing but determined to win. After all, was he not the greatest video game champion ever? He had spent years honing the strength in his wrists, and it all came down to this moment.

He cocked his arm and threw the rock with all the fury of a tiger.

Donnie shoved him back onto the ground before he could see how far the rock went.

“Time to die, loser,” he said.

Billy stood over Rick, pounding his fists together.

Tires squealed against the pavement below them as a car spun out of control on the interstate. They all froze for a moment to listen to the event play out.

John ran over to the edge of the overpass. “What’d you do?” he said, looking back at Rick.

Donnie and Billy ran over to join him.

Rick knew this was his only chance to run and he took it. He ran deep into the woods. All he could picture was a car fighting to stay on the pavement as the driver fought to keep control. His mind’s eye saw a large hole in the shattered windshield as the driver steered helplessly to stay alive. Rick could hear the clinking and shredding of metal as the car rolled over and crashed.

He stopped in the middle of the woods, sat down, wept, watched, waited. No one came. Nothing happened. Rick was unsure of the time because his watch had been in his backpack. If the Wilson boys didn’t turn him in then the cops would find his backpack on the overpass. He couldn’t escape from what happened.

The sun started to set.

Rick knew he had to do something. His mom would be home and wondering where he was. He had to maintain his cool and act like nothing happened. He had to hang on to the possibility no one would ever find out.

Rick started the dreaded walk home.

He stepped cautiously into the backyard. Everything felt normal. He mentally prepared the excuse he would make for being so late. He had stayed at school for extra tutoring in math.
Honest
.

As Rick walked around the side of the house to the front door, he saw his worst nightmare; a police cruiser. Some cop was just sitting in the driveway, waiting to bait him. He turned as fast as he could and started to run.

“There he is!” a heavy voice shouted.

“Stop him!” another voice joined in.

Rick ran back into the woods. There’s no way the cops would catch him. He had no idea how he would explain everything to his mom.  She would be so disappointed. He looked over his shoulder to see two cops barreling into the woods after him.

“Crap!”

He tried to run faster but didn’t have the strength.

“Stop, son! We need to talk to you!”

Rick wanted to say, “You’ll have to catch me first, coppers,” but thought it might entice them to try harder. He wasn’t going to spend the rest of his life breaking boulders with a sledgehammer. He was just a kid, a sweet, innocent kid for God’s sake!

He looked over his back, and tripped on a tree root, falling face first onto the ground. A long scratch ran down his cheek and he tasted blood. Rick tried to stand but had to stop.

“Hold it right there, son.”

The cops escorted Rick back to the house. He prepared to tell them how the Wilson boys caused everything to happen. If anyone was hurt or injured, it was their fault.
The Wilson boys, I tell ya, the Wilson boys!

They stopped on the front porch and one of the cops motioned for Rick to sit down on a patio chair.

“Don’t you know better than to run from the cops?”

“I need to see my mom.”

“Let’s talk first.” The officer looked around with raised eyebrows at his partner.

“I’m not telling you anything until I see my mom!” Rick crossed his arms and stared straight ahead. He knew he had the right to remain silent. His mom would clean this mess up.

“You don’t need to tell us anything. Look, your neighbors aren’t home and we couldn’t contact your dad.”

“Leave my dad out of this,” Rick argued. “He doesn’t want anything to do with us. My mom will be home soon.”

“Just listen. There’s been a bad car accident, son.”

“It’s not my fault! The Wilson boys —”

The officer held out his hand. Rick knew he had to shut up. He couldn’t incriminate himself.

The officer cleared his throat.

“Your mother…she, um,” he paused and took a deep breath. “She was on her way home.”

Rick waited, confused.

A drop of blood trickled down his cheek and splattered on the ground.

“Son, your mother’s dead.”

OTHER BOOKS BY

TIMOTHY D. MCLENDON

TWISTED ENDINGS 2 is a collection of five mystery and suspense stories with unexpected endings. This collection revolves around a workaholic who believes his wife is cheating on him with the pretty boy next door. A lesbian teenager who tries to convince her parents there is nothing wrong with her lifestyle. Two veterans who stand up for what they believe is right, no matter the cost. A soap opera star searching for her birth mother. An insomniac who will do anything to sleep. 

This is beautiful and dark and creepy - just how I like them. -
Debra G.
 
Wow! Did not see that coming...you covered religion a bit, sexuality, and violent crime. I think it's great. -
Douglas S.
Fascinating and imaginative. -
David W.
Let me just say, you are a master of the plot twist. This flung me around in so many unexpected directions that I was kept in a perpetual state of suspense. -
Thomas B.
Lots of action here, lots of high voltage drama. -
Sabra S
.
A CRACKING story with a real twist in the tail. A modern Greek tragedy of misunderstanding. -
George B.
 
Real people, a real mystery and real conflict. I can't wait to read more from you. -
Electric W.
 
You got me with the ending. It does the old-fashioned thing a story is supposed to do--it offers the facts or clues or relevant incidences that present a situation, and in the end something has changed. -
Peggy M.
I thought this was terrific! I especially enjoyed the O. Henry-like twist at the end. -
Eva S.
I never saw all this coming. I would never dream this up in my worst nightmare. I gotta give you high marks. -
Bill R.
I can't express how much I enjoyed your story. I could not get over the surprising end. -
Marly A.
 
Truly poignant drama ... a kick-ass short. -
Evan F.

TWISTED ENDINGS 3 is a collection of four mystery and suspense stories with unexpected endings. This collection picks up where TWISTED ENDINGS left off. A father fights to save his daughter. An aunt fights to save her niece. A crook fights to save a hostage family. And Jake returns to run the soap store, and fight for the lives of the innocent. 

From start to finish we are unsure, unsettled, struggling to think ahead to a satisfying ending where those we care about get out alive. Lots of fast-paced action, girls in jeopardy, and even a child in trouble and danger. There is jeopardy everywhere, in every word, action, and possibility. I was on the edge of my seat! -
Sabra S.

So many twists and turns, I can't stop reading. -
Otis B.

Excitement and a lot of action. -
James K.