Marty's Submission Ch. 01

Marty.

Marty Peg.

She was unknowingly selected, not for testing or for observation, not to see what tv shows are the best or worst, not to see how she changed from child to women.

No.

Marty was selected to see what influences make teens more suicidal and which make them less.

So in some way it is observation and testing, though more general observation, she was selected out of all the girls in her small town. The men running the operation selected girls and boys throughout the country, in every town they would go find these kids and and watch them for one year, to see if seasons had anything to do with it.

The guys in charge had been watching Marty for a little over four months now, and they knew how she spent most of her days, in the woods, alone. They would see her get up in the mornings, make herself and her usually drunk father breakfast, then head to school if it was on that day. After school she made a beeline for the woods and disappeared for hours, only to reappear frowning deeply, her clothes ruffled, her hair messy. If this kept up they would have to send someone in to see what was going on.

After coming out of the woods hours later, she would hurry home, and without hesitation head inside, every few nights yelling would erupt from her father's house, his loud voice would ring out through the yard out front. They could never tell just what he was yelling about, but it wasn't good whatever it was.

"Guys we have to get some microphones into that house, maybe some cameras on her, we need to know where she goes after school and what triggers the old man, without that information, we can't possibly continue watching this girl. Ideas? Come on throw 'em out there."

Jim: "Well boss, while she is at school we can sneak in the house and but microphones and while we're in we can put cameras on her clothes, the ones she wears more often than others. How's that?"

Boss: "Not bad Jim, but how do you know you can get in during the day?"

Jim: "I lifted her key and made a copy."

Boss: "Good man, how about the old man, you know he doesn't work, which means I have to ask how is he paying the bills?"

Jim: "He falls asleep around noon and doesn't wake up till the kid gets back, I'll get in there once I have the equipment."

Boss: "Good, let's get it done people."

"Marty! Pay attention, the bell rang, school is over, you've been sitting there for five minutes with your head in the clouds, if you're not here to work, I would like to go home, so get out!"

Marty:

Marty gathered her things quickly, she was late now, she had been day dreaming again, and knew she would get in trouble for being late, she was worried, and she hustled down the hall and off school property.

She walked quickly, her heavy black boots crunching over gravel, she glanced at her watch and swore under her breath, she was already ten minutes late, she threw her bags over her shoulder and ran into the woods, there would not only be a price to pay for her being late, but for her poor test scores this week.

Boss: "Check in."

Jim: "Waiting for her to come out of the woods-- there she is, got to go."

Jim sat in his truck, a little ways down the road and watched as Marty came out of the woods, she was trying to fix her clothes, and he couldn't help but notice the blood on her cheek and on her shirt front. Limping slightly, she headed towards home, and her angry old man, Jim couldn't help but feel bad for her, she seemed to always look worse, so he did something that he promised he would never do, he got involved.

Driving up next to her, he rolled down the window and called out to her,

Jim: "Hey sweetheart, you need a ride?"

Marty:

Jim: "Come on, you look a little worse for the wear, let me make it easier for you."

Marty:

Jim: "It's just a little ride."

She stopped walking and Jim stopped the car, unlocking the door he waited, hoping that she would decide to get in and let him help her. Marty came up to the window and peered in at Jim, he smiled at her, it was kind and soft, he meant it, she climbed in and buckled up.

Jim started driving, glancing over at Marty as they drove on, he couldn't help but notice the bruises on her legs and arms, he couldn't help but wonder how and why.

Jim: "So, how old are you?"

Marty:

Jim: "Ok then, do you like music?"

Marty:

Jim: "Well what about school? What grade are you in?"

Marty:

Jim: "Maybe some quiet."

The rest of the drive to Marty's house was taken in silence, and as they pulled up, Marty's father came charging out of the house, he halted on the porch taking in the stranger giving him the coldest look possible. Marty started to climb out of the truck, but Jim couldn't help stop her before she left, he had a rotten feeling in his gut and wanted to make sure she was ok.

Jim: "Wait. I don't even know your name."

Marty:

Jim: "Fine, just if you need help, heres my card."

Without looking at the card she grabbed it and shoved it down deep into one of her pockets, she deftly climbed out of the truck and shut the door behind her, but before she left, she turned and grabbed the window and for the first time, looked him straight in the eye.

Marty: "18, yes, 12th, thank you. Marty."

Jim couldn't have been more shocked if a cougar walked across the street in front of him, Marty turned away and ran up to the porch where her father stood waiting impatiently, but he snapped as she came in range and grabbed her bags, threw them down on the porch, and shoved her inside by the back of her neck, by the way her feet followed the rest of her body inside, he knew she fell, her father was on her then.

Jim ached to run in and help her, but he knew that would be taking it too far, he would blow the whole operation for his team and what he did already would change the outcome, though they wouldn't be able to see how, he knew it would.

He drove with a heavy heart and a guilty conscious, feeling that something big was about to change.