Picking Up The Pieces

Prologue

"You think someone is following you around?" my best friend Morgan laughed. We were sitting on the sidewalk that connected the community playground to our backyard. "Isabel, I know you love a good suspenseful story, but this is too much."

I shook my head, looking over my shoulder. A small family was leaving the playground, and we were the only ones left. I could almost sense that we were being watched.

"On Monday, we had a lock down at school," I started. "A real one, not a drill. And every night when I leave from swim practice, there's always this black car parked outside. Yesterday was the fourth time!"

"You're just being suspicious," Morgan shrugged. "Everything is fine." I looked around again before leaning in.

"Last night," I whispered," when Abby and Gale were gone, I heard a noise in the kitchen. When I came down, there was a man there. With some shiny arm! He looked me in the eyes and then jumped through the window."

"Is that why you skipped school today?"

"I locked myself in my room," I told her. "I'm scared, Momo." I felt a tug on my shirtsleeve.

"Isabel," Morgan whispered frantically. "A black car just pulled up." I followed her gaze to see the car shining in the sun. A man was seated inside, his window down. And he was staring at the both of us. Morgan whimpered.

"Shh," I said quietly.

"Isabel, he's staring right at us. I don't think we could make it home." I grabbed her hand and quickly looked at the forest behind us.

"On the count of three, we run into the forest. Find the cave and hide in there. I'll run to the treehouse to distract him."

"Isabel," Morgan said as the man opened the car door. "This isn't a story. What if he kidnaps you?"I squeezed her hand and closed my eyes. I was not going to think about that right now.

"One, two, THREE!" Hands held, we sprinted toward the trees. I heard a shout, and I glanced behind us to see the man in full pursuit. "Run, Morgan! Run!" Being faster, I was almost dragging her.

Once we reached the tree that marked the middle point, we split up. I could still hear him behind me. As fear took hold, I ran faster than I ever had before at inhuman speed. As I stopped to breathe, I heard a twig snap behind me. I dropped to the ground and grabbed a rock, only to see Morgan's eyes looking right at me.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper-yelled at her. "I told you to hide!"

"And leave my best friend to get kidnapped?" Morgan whisper-yelled back. "I don't think so." She looked over her shoulder before standing up. "Come on, there's a police station nearby if we run straight. We can hide there."

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"You almost got kidnapped?" Officer John asked sarcastically. During my time here, he was notorious for not taking his job seriously. "By who, the Easter Bunny?"

"Sir," Morgan pressed nervously. "Isabel isn't kidding. This guy has been following her around and stuff and he just showed up and-"

"Why is that camera down?" I interrupted suddenly, pointing at the security camera that was hanging by a few wires. Officer John sighed, and as he turned to look, I heard a soft gunshot, and he fell dead to the floor. Blood ran down his neck. Morgan screamed, and I covered her mouth as I pulled us behind his desk.

"WHO IS THIS GUY?!?" Morgan shrieked, and we huddled in the corner of the desk and the wall. I could hear my heart pounding. As Morgan and I looked at each other, I lifted a finger to my lips and pointed up. The man's footsteps were muffled, but easy to hear.

"I know you are in there!" he called out. "Just step out, come here, and no one else will get hurt." Morgan shook her head, but I ignored her. When I stood up, the lowered his gun. As I walked toward him, I hear Morgan stand up behind me.

"Hey, stupid!!" she yelled. I turned around to see the broken security camera sail through the air and hit the man in the chest. I looked back to him in horror.

"We don't need any witnesses," he said calmly, and he pointed the gun at Morgan's head.

"No!" I screamed, and I tried to block her as he let the bullet lose. It hit me in my shoulder and I fell to the ground screaming. The man looked extremely concerned and began to bend and check on me. Morgan shrieked bloody murder and raced towards him. She punched him in the stomach, picked the camera off the ground, and smashed it against his head. The last thing I saw was the gun fire again, and the bullet going clean through my best friend's chest.

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That was the day my world ended and I was forced into a new one.

My name is Isabel Stark. And this is my story.

Shoot me down, but I won't fall.

I am

T I T A N I U M