Tattered sleeves	

“Oh god, oh god where are my shoes,” I said out loud to myself as I searched for my converse I have had for as long as I could remember. I was biting my keys in my mouth as I struggled to put my shoes on. My apartment seemed as small as a closet, with random knick-knacks from my parents and their travels. I, of course, didn’t go on their little fun adventures to Puerto Rico or France. I had “better things to do with my life,” as they would say. When I was younger we were poor and could barely pay the rent for our house, and now that they won the lottery, they spent their money like it didn’t matter at all. I am thankful that they pay the rent for my apartment, but other then that, that’s the only thing they do for me. Once I could live on my own they kicked me out. Before I left I stole a sweater that was my moms. I loved that sweater when I was younger. But back then it was more like a dress. The sweater wasn’t great material and it wasn’t that attractive, but it was warm. The ends of the sleeves were tattered from wearing it so much. The area that my apartment was located in wasn’t the greatest neighborhood. A man with a shopping cart full of cans and bottles passed me as I struggled to pull my shoe over my heel. It was in the middle of autumn and the wind started to pick up while I got into my old Volkswagen Passat. I put the key in the ignition praying it would start the first time; even the third time would be fine. 
	I ended up turning the ignition 14 times and it didn’t start. “Stupid car!” I screamed and my arms flopped to my sides. I hunched over, and put my head on the steering wheel. There was no way I was going to get to that job interview in time. Closing my eyes I turned the ignition once more. Nothing. All of the sudden I heard a knock at the window. My eyes quickly looked up. There was a guy, just standing there. I slowly cranked the window down (that's how old the car is). 
	“Hi, I noticed that you were having trouble with your car,” he said. I could tell he was not trying to sound creepy. 
	“Oh….. Yeah,” I said half laughing. “My stupid car just doesn’t like to cooperate I guess,” I said trying not to stare his bright green eyes.
	“Well I am pretty good with cars, I do own a repair shop,” he said with a bit of sarcasm in his voice. I thought for a moment. Am I going to get out of the car and let a guy I have never seen or met in my life try and fix it?  He backed away assuming I was going to open the door. Well he looks nice, I thought to myself. He didn't look like the average carjacker. But, there was something about him that didn’t seem too right.
	I opened the door and stepped out of my crappy car. I was wearing red tights so my legs immediately got goosebumps. That then led me to the thought of the man. He was wearing a T-shirt. It was like 30 degrees out. I looked around, no one was around. I then began to worry. “Wow a Passat, haven't seen one of these in a while,” he said sort of slowly. He had his hand in his pockets. 
	“Yeah I haven’t either,” I said. I walked up to the front of the car and lifted up the hood. The engine was smoking. I backed away and rubbed my eyes. “Why did this have to happen today?” I said to myself a little too loudly. 	
	“What was going to happen today?” he asked. By know I knew he thought he was acting too creepy. I don’t know what about him, but I just didn’t think he could hurt anything. He looked so innocent. 
	“Oh, nothing,” I said “I just had a job interview today,” I said looking at the ground by that point, about to burst out in tears. 
	“Well you could still probably get there,” he said very sympathetically. 
	“I don’t think so, I mean look at it, it looks like it’s about to explode!” I said sort of stuttering. I looked at him. His eyes lit up. All of the sudden he grabbed my hand and started pulling me to run. I started panicking. “What are you doing!” I yelled at him. “Let go!” we ran across the street into an alley. He quickly pushed me behind a dumpster. At this point I regretted getting out of the car. In the middle of my thought the loudest noise I have ever heard burst my eardrums.  He then ran behind the dumpster and acted like my shield. A small wave of heat went passed us. I screamed, forgetting the guy was still there. Then the sound and heat was over. I was almost hyperventilating when he stood up and looked out across the street to where my car used to be. My neighbors started to come out and all the cars that were around, alarms started to go off. He pulled me up and said “We gotta go.”

	Everything around me was blurry. I could only see the shapes of the objects around me. I  looked down at my hands. I was still holding the hand of that guy. I had no idea where we were going but I knew that he saved my life. But how did he know that was going to happen? And why did it happen? An explosion like that wouldn't just happen on accident. My thoughts were getting all jumbled up in my mind. I couldn’t figure this out while I was running with some stranger. I could barely run or even walk. I kept stumbling and tripping over my feet. The explosion made my ears feel echoey and I couldn't hear anything. I was so shocked I was still hyperventilating. My sight was coming back when the guy opened a car door and pushed me in. I fell into the seat and put the buckle on. The next thing I knew we started to drive away. 
	My hearing and sight was back now, but my head was pounding. 
	“Who are you! What was that!?” I yelled at him while rubbing my eyes. There was a silence. “What was that!!!” I screamed at him even louder. He started to drive really fast now.
	“There’s these people,” he said. I could tell he was thinking about this carefully. “And all I know is that they wanted you dead,” he said out of breath. They want me dead? His words were running through my mind.
	“What did I do??? Who are these people? And why would they want to kill me?” My hands were covering my face because I had a pounding pain in my head. I was going through all my memories, and I couldn’t find any for someone to have a reason to kill me! There was a very long pause before he said something.
	“Your parents never won the lottery. And they never traveled around the world to those places,” he said. 
	“What are you talking about!? How do you know that they won the lottery? How do you know about this? And what do you mean they didn’t win the lottery! Who are you!?” I screamed at me him.
	“My name’s Donnon,” he said. But this time he was talking differently. He had an accent. Why was he covering it up before!? I was getting frustrated that he wasn't saying anything to me. 
	“Okay, Donnon why do you all the sudden have an Irish accent? Will you tell me that?” I said in a angry tone.
	“It’s not Irish for gods sake! Why do people get us mixed up like that! I’m Scottish!” he sort of yelled back at me. I could tell he didn’t mean to burst out like that. 
	“Alright, alright I’m sorry. But why did you cover your accent when you were talking to me earlier?” I said.
	“Okay, I’m going to tell you but just try not to talk,” he said. I was bracing myself for something really bad, but a half of me didn't know I was believing him. “So three years ago your parents ‘won’ the lottery, but that never happened. Your parents were part of an organization or ‘secret club’ where rich people go and feel even more powerful-”
	“-But wait, my parents aren’t or never were rich,” I told him.
	“I said no interrupting. Yes actually there were rich. Back when this happened, people hated the organization. They would kill whoever was in it. Yes the organization was bad, and they did bad things, and killed people, but your parents wanted to protect you. When you were young they started to realize what was going on so they pretended to be poor so people wouldn't threaten them, or you. After you turned about 17 they were fed up with the organization and wanted to leave, but they couldn’t. Before you are accepted, you sign a contract. A contract meaning you can’t leave, meaning you have to do everything they tell you to be worthy of the club. They didn’t care and tried to leave discreetly, but the club knew. The organization thought they would be a threat if they, left so they took them. When you turned 18 you were old enough to live on your own so your parents begged for them to leave you alone. They agreed to do so. But they didn’t want you to worry about them or find out about the organization, so they made it look like they traveled.” I couldn’t believe my ears. My eyes were wide. I was looking into the past. My parents fooled me, they tricked me into thinking were poor? So that whole time I had to watch my friends get new bikes and get fancy clothes just so they didn’t look rich, but really they were the entire time? 
	“Okay Donnon, I believe you, but who put explosives in my car?!” I said raising my voice. 
	“Well the organization did, and I don’t know why they want you dead. And I don't quite understand why they didn't want you to join the group,” he said worriedly. Those words felt like they shot me in the chest.
	“They want me dead? And why did they make such a public death for me? A car explosion doesn’t just happen like that, police will investigate.” 
	“I know, I Know! That’s what I can’t figure out. It could be a publicity stunt. When they kill someone its always obvious. In 2004 they killed a CEO of a huge business by incinerating him. They leave finger prints everywhere on purpose but none of them can be tracked. Police go crazy,” he said. I was starting to wrap my head around the whole thing but there was one thing that didn’t make sense. 
	“How do you know all this?” I demanded. I looked at him, he blinked really slowly.
	“My father used to be in the group. He told me everything that they did. He and your parents were best friends, they both wanted to bring the club down. They reason why he told me everything was because he never wanted me to join. He wanted me to know how bad those people were. Last year he left for work and never came back. He knew about what happened to your parents and he was trying to figure out what they did to them. He went to the leader of the group and demanded that he tell him where they were. When I got back to our apartment that night, there was a note on the table. The note explained everything that he was going to do that day and that he probably wasn’t coming back. But on that letter there was one thing he told me to do. He told me to find you before they tried to get rid of you. He wanted me to tell you everything. See, what the organization does, is that if members have kids, at a certain age they are automatically in. The only way they can be brought down is if we tell everybody. I know the leader. We can help people discover them.” I was amazed. Just my simple poor life lead up to all of this? Why? Only a few months ago they “left for Puerto Rico” but really they were being kidnapped. But they did all of that to protect me. 
	“Donnon, how long ago did they take your father?” I asked him. There was a short pause.
	“A few weeks ago. It took a long time to track where you were since your parents covered all your tracks. But I managed with my dad’s notes,” he said. I looked down at my seat belt. I felt guilty for all the times that I yelled at them or did anything that offended them. “But!,” Donnon said very loudly, “there is one more thing  I forgot to say. He was trying to track your parents ever since they were taken. He meant to go to the leader and demand to know where they were, so he looked like a threat. They would take him to wherever they were. He is meaning to contact us when he has information,” My mind was getting all mixed up with my memories and what Donnon had been telling me for the past 30 minutes. I had been trying to hold back my tears the entire time, but I just couldn’t anymore. A silent tear ran down my cheek. My eyelids were overflowing with them now. I shut my eyes and they all came pouring down at once. Donnon who was now trying to concentrate on wherever we were going, noticed that I was crying. 
	“Hey, don’t be upset-” he stopped. “You never told me your name?” he said trying to cheer me up. My head darted in his direction. 
	“Come on, you know all this but you don’t know my name?” I said smiling. He made an awkward smile and looked as though he was guilty. “Well, just for kicks, my name’s Estelle,” I said laughing and crying at the same time. 

	I had been asleep for another hour. We were still driving. I woke up to the breeze flipping my hair. The window was open and I could smell the ocean. My apartment was on the outskirts of Southampton, but hadn't been to the ocean in at least six years. I rubbed my eyes not used to the bright sun. I was still wearing the the red tights and that old sweater of my mother’s. I couldn't think about my mom or else I would tear up again so I shook that from my mind. “Where are we?” I asked in groggy tone. 
	“We are in the outskirts of Bristol. My father gave me directions to the headquarters. It’s somewhere near Liverpool,” he said sounding like he hadn't had a wink of sleep in days.
	“How long have you been driving?” I asked him. He rubbed his eyes. 
	“About a day and half,” he said not sounding so proud of himself.
	“Omigod are you a freaking fool! You look like you could pass out right now. We have to stop, you have to rest.”
	“No. We can’t. There could be someone following us. we can’t risk it,” he said.
	“Well, either way we are going to risk it if you can’t barely stay awake!” I said demandingly.
 	“And plus, you haven't told me why we are going to Oxford to find the headquarters,” I said with a raised eyebrow.
	“We are going because we have to find away to get our parents out.”
	“So… we are just gonna march in there and ask to see them?”
	“Well, no. I still need to find out how, but I do have somewhat of a plan… but I don't want you to do it, it’s just too dangerous.” I turned around in my seat. My first thought was why am I listening to this man who claims all of these things. Should I really be listing to him? Would a normal person do this? Or would they be struggling to get away. I mean I had no idea my parents were part of the organization, and now I was in a car with the guy who knew there was some random explosion. I took a deep breath and looked out the window. I could sense Donnon looking at me. He scratched his head sort of awkwardly and bit his lip. “Estelle… I know all this is crazy but you just got to hang in there. There is no where else you could go that would be as safe. They don't know what I know and they think you’re dead. We are ahead of them.” I turned back around and looked at him again. His shaggy brown hair was a mess and bright green eyes had heavy bags under them. I smiled at him. The thing is, I don’t think I have smiled in months. “		“What?” he said all confused. He looked at me like there was something wrong. 
	“Nothing! Its just that ever since my parents ‘left’ I haven’t gone anywhere. Just my small apartment in Southampton was the only place I had. I don't know it’s just so exciting.” He laughed. which was the first time I had heard him do so. 
	“You know, you would think someone in your position would be kind of a little bit more upset and distraught,” he said laughing. 
	“Well I know that! And don’t get me wrong. I am determined to find them, but I have just never experienced something like this.” I smiled again and  looked back out the window.

	 Before I knew it we were just outside out of Liverpool and Donnon still hadn't stopped. I offered to drive but he didn’t let me. When we got to Liverpool I demanded we stop so he could rest. We stopped at a small motel with nobody else staying in it. “I don't have any money,” I explained to him.  “All I have is 8 pounds.” 
	“That’s alright, my dad gave me his savings.” We got two rooms next to each other and tried to fall asleep.

	My father told me to keep her safe. He told me to never let her leave my sight. And I knew that was important. I had driven about three days without a wink of sleep. It tried my hardest but I was fast asleep when it happened. The door was open in between our rooms. I had to let her have her own space. But they were so quiet. I didn’t even hear her scream. I had been so fast asleep that I didn’t hear anything. I got out of bed at six and went to get her up. The bed was made and everything looked like it did when we got there the night before. I checked everything. I immediately knew what had happened, and a wall of guilt hit me. It was all my fault, I should have kept driving. They took her. But how? Her car exploded, so didn’t they think she was dead, or were the following me the entire time. All of these thoughts were running through my mind until something struck me. Why didn’t they take me? Are they testing me in some kind of sick way just for their amusement? I was so confused. I ran out the door to look in the parking lot. No car was there, not even mine! “They took my car!” I yelled out loud to myself. My heat was racing. They obviously took her to the headquarters and took my car so I couldn’t get there! I ran down the stairs of the motel and ran across the street to a pub. There were only about four cars in the parking lot. I chose one and threw a rock at the window. There was a huge crash and the car alarm went off, so I had to hurry before anybody came out. I unlocked the door and bent down to hotwire it. I quickly got in and closed the door. The car started and I drove out of the parking lot quickly. I was now determined to find Estelle and my father. I didn't care what happened to me, I just had to find them and try to get them out. The dark thought hit me. The thought I had been waiting to talk to her about, but I never did. Her parents were most likely dead. That is what my father told me. If they killed her parents secretly, then they will kill her secretly too. I winced. It was all my fault. I had to find her.


	

	


	
 


















Tattered Sleeves, 6-8, p.1