Bear in mind that, in general, it is the object of our newspapers rather to create a sensation-to make a point-than to further the cause of truth." Dupin in "The Mystery of Marie Roget"
― Edgar Allan Poe, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
That day Oliver didn't stray that far from me. Even the next day at school he was at my classroom waiting for me at the end of every hour. Oliver was older than me by a year though sometimes he didn't show it. He was showing it today. He wasn't hanging out with his friends either instead at lunch he sat at the table with me and the others. "I'm pretty sure everything is gonna be fine". I said. Oliver shook his head. "No no Cameron's gone missing since yesterday". Oliver said. The table got quiet. No one had ever seen Oliver this rattled.
Even me who had only been here for a couple of months had never seen Oliver like this. He even drove in the same car with me on the way to school. I had gotten my dads truck. Oliver's car wasn't fixed yet but he was still making grandad take him to school. Mainly because he had to be there early because of student body meetings.
But today he didn't go to the student body meeting and drove to school with me. "Meet me by your locker at the end of the day". Oliver said. "For what"? I said. "So we can leave together so I can make sure both of us are okay". Oliver answered. "Dude Cameron is not gonna come I'll be fine waiting by my truck". "No"! Oliver yelled. The whole cafeteria went quiet and was staring at us. "You wait by the locker like I told you to do". Oliver said. "I mean it"! Oliver looked around the cafeteria and quickly left.
"What's going on with him"? Jorge said. "I don't know". "You gonna stay at the locker"? Kitchi joked. "No". I chuckled. In truth I should've stayed at my locker. But instead I helped Noah carry her things to her moms car. "You sure Oliver will get mad". Noah said as I helped carry her books. "Yeah man he's my older cousin not my brother". We made our way to the parking lot where Noah's mom was parked. She didn't even bother to get out of the car and open the door for me or Noah. So I had to set down the books and open the door for Noah.
"Alright see you guys later" I said. Noah waved bye but her mother didn't even pay me any attention. I thought I might as well heat my car up. It was starting to get cold throughout the day. But when I went to find them I couldn't and I knew I always kept them in the pocket of my jacket."What the". I said, patting my jacket down. "Huh, maybe I did leave them in my locker". I began to make my way back towards the school when I heard the roaring of an engine. The roaring of my engine. I looked to where my truck was parked and there was someone sitting in the seat of my truck.
I couldn't quite make them out. But the more I squinted the more I made out who was sitting in my truck. "Cameron"! I yelled. It was like I activated Cameron and he sped towards me in my truck. I hurried up and jumped out the way making Cameron hit the flag pole. Everyone was screaming and running pass me. But I couldn't see anything but smoke from my truck. Cameron had nearly missed me by a inch. I was coughing and could feel my heart beating out of my chest. My arms were scratched up and I was crawling backwards trying to get up from the ground. The truck door slammed shut and Camerons shoes had stomped on the ground. This is what made me move my body and I stood up meeting eyes with a bloodshot Cameron with a metal pipe. "Cameron what are you doing"?! I yelled. "Walkman walkman walkman". He muttered the same words he had said yesterday when he attacked Oliver. I took a step back stumbling over some rocks and he swung.
Almost hitting me. "Help"! I yelled as he started chasing me around the parking lot. I could feel him on my heels. His breath on my neck. Cameron had never been this fast. I was always faster than him and outran him every time at practice. "You see Doreg"! He yelled.Who is Doreg and why am I being chased by this manic with a metal pipe? So many thoughts went through my head one of them being he was gonna hit me with this pipe and I was gonna end up in the hospital or worse.
"Someone help"! I started screaming like a woman in distress. Closer and closer he got towards me and I could feel his hand grabbing at the collar of my jacket. Then a screeching of car tires sounded and the sound of Cameron's body dropping off the ground. I stopped running and looked to find Cameron laying on the ground. Blood running out of his ears and his body was turned in a weird way. A girl I didn't notice was sitting at the wheel of the car breathing heavily. Myself was breathing heavily. I looked around for help for a guy who had just chased me with a metal pipe. Teachers began coming out of the school building. Oliver and my friends behind them.
Oliver was looking me all over asking me questions that I couldn't hear but was answering them. All I could look at was Cameron's motionless body on the ground. I didn't know whether Cameron was dead or not. He had to be look how skinny he was just bone and skin. Then a groan came from Cameron and finally I could hear.
"He;s in the hospital". My grandpa said as we all sat around the living room. "He should be fine, just a broken leg". I nodded still in shock from what just happened. "JC". My grandma touched my shoulder. "You think you should sit the game out tonight". I looked at Oliver who was staring at me with this worried expression on his face. That was a first. "Yeah I can play". It was thursday the game that would start off the season and I couldn't let what was going on my head stop me from playing. So I said yes.
But Oliver never took his eyes off me for a second. It was like everytime I turned around there was Oliver standing next to me or somewhat close to me. I had finally got some space from him when the game finally started. Everyone was there, even Noah with her camera.
We were in the lead. Oliver was calling every play and I had the ball most of the time scoring touch down after touch down. My mind was only on the game. Which way I could run so I wouldn't get tackled. "Final play guys". Oliver said.
"Even though we basically won lets give this our all". He said. He looked at me nodding as a way to ask me was I okay and I nodded back at him. I got the ball again. I was running down the field dodging everyone that was trying to tackled me running other guys into my teammates so they could tackle them anything to not get caught. I felt droplets on my skin. I looked up to the sky. It was about to rain and all I could think was thank goodness this is the last play. But a figure had appeared at the touchdown center making me stop in my tracks and the other stopped behind me. "Who is that"? A guy from the other team said.
I shook my head. "I don't- I don't know". I answered. It started to pour down heavily now and the figure started running towards us. Even though it was one person everyone began to flee. "Walkman"! The figure yelled and immediately I recognized this voice. It was Cameron. But cameron was supposed to be in the hospital somewhere. I dropped my ball taking a step back as other passed by me running. No one knew if he had a weapon or not so you couldn't blame them for running.
But I couldn't run. I was stuck and the images from earlier kept flashing through my mind of Cameron trying to hit me with that car. If he didn't kill me then he was gonna kill me now. Is this how my parents felt in their final moments? "JC"! Oliver's voice rang through the sound of the rain. I was breathing heavy and taking a step back as Cameron got closer and closer. Still yelling my last name. "JC get out of there"! Jorge, who had taken his mascot head off was rushing towards me. I was looking around at everyone running away. People were too shock and just staring at what was happening.
The more he got closer the more something appeared to be in his hand. "JC"! Oliver said, grabbing me and pulling me out the way of Cameron's attack. He had an axe in his hand. The red of the head glistened in the rain and Cameron raised up from the attack staring at both me and Oliver who was now sitting on the wet ground.
"Walkman". He whispered again. Oliver and I were stuck there in shock and Cameron began to raise the axe again. Neither me nor Oliver could move. We just grabbed each other bracing for the blow of the axe. "Get up now"! Jorge yelled, grabbing both me and Oliver. He had put the mascot head on Cameron who was swinging wildly around with the axe.
Jorge was stronger than he looked because he grabbed both me and Oliver and dragged us backwards out of Cameron's reach. The police quickly came and stunned Cameron with stun guns. He fell on the ground jerking from each shock they gave him. Everyone but me sighed in relief. I was still in shock staring at the hole Cameron had made in the ground from trying to hit me with the axe. "You okay". Oliver asked. I shook my head no. All I could hear after that was the sound of my family yelling at us. But I couldn't make out any words they were saying.