Forgiving Alexander O'Connor Ch. 01

At first I thought that he'd stumbled and was reaching over to help him up when I was pushed to the ground from behind.

"What the fu-" I watched as Jacob was kicked in the side and I didn't have to look up to see who was kicking him. I struggled to get up but I couldn't move.

"Get the fuck off me." I yelled and struggled to turn over forcing the person holding me to loosen their hold on me. That was all I needed and I was up and rushing towards Hartley and Jacob who was barely moving by now.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Hartley?" I yelled at him.

"Hold Him" Hartley called out and before I knew it I was being dragged away from him and Jacob. I saw Hartley bend to spick something up and I struggled to free myself to help my friend. The other guys had formed a semi circle around Hartley and Jacob who I could see struggling too his knees only to receive a kick to his face from one of Hartley's cronies.

I felt tears running down my face and I didn't realize that I was crying until then.

I screamed over and over for them to stop until I could no longer recognize my voice. They were going to kill him. I knew it I felt it in the pit of my stomach.

"Please.... God, you're going to kill him...Stop! Hartley! Somebody stop him! Help!" I was frantic, crying, pleading, and begging for them to stop all the while struggling against the hands that held me.

I couldn't watch anymore. I couldn't take it anymore I didn't want to see anymore. Hartley had a baseball bat in his hand and I didn't have to watch to know what he was going to do. I squeezed my eyes shut and cried out. I no longer knew what I was saying I didn't care. I heard two thuds and then I heard cussing.

"You fucking killed him man."

"Shit."

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

"He's fucking dead."

"He's dead man."

"Shit. Shit"

"I can't believe you fucking killed him, Hartley."

"I'm getting the fuck out of here."

"Fuck."

It took me a minute to realize that I was no longer being held, that I was lying on the ground. I heard them running down the trail and I got up and stumbled over to where Jacob lay. He was lying face down and I knew he was dead. I dropped to my knees beside him crying as I rolled him over. I fell backwards with a scram of horror. His face had been bashed in and all I could do was cry. I don't remember how long I knelt beside him crying. A hand shook my shoulder and I jumped away pulling Jacob closer to me thinking that Hartley and the others had returned to do me in too. But it was only Old Man Grump. It took two well-muscled police officers to drag me way from Jacob's body and I didn't go easily. I passed out not too long after the ambulance left with Jacob's body. I vowed that night that I would kill Hartley. I couldn't go back and change the past but I'd do whatever it took to ensure that Hartley had a painful death.

I was brought back to the present by the sound of Sam Cooke's voice and I know that a change is gonna come for me. Its been a long time coming, thirteen long years and I think of Xenia as I let sleep conquer me.