the pit

chapter one

I guess I should start from the beginning, that's how most stories begin anyway, unless they are some artistic shit that starts at the end instead of the beginning, but this isn't going to be like that.

It was a cold day in Wakefield, as most days in fall were. I had just gotten off the bus with my friend Danny, and started to walk home. I wasn't the biggest fan of Danny, I mean he didn't have a shit personality or anything, I just didn't like the look of his face. He had this weird pointed nose and thick eye-brows which made it very hard to look at him.

"Hey Jay, you got anymore of those chocolate things?"

Danny was quite large to be completely honest, and once you gave him some food, you couldn't be surprised if he ended up eating your whole fucking lunch. I guess it had been about 20 seconds since he asked me and I still hadn't answered.

"Hello? I know you can hear me your not deaf for christsake"

"Chill out dude I don't have anymore, you ate five of them at lunch already."

I was lying. I had about 10 left in my bag but I was saving them for later, besides I was probably doing the bastard a favor by not giving him anymore. We didn't talk for the rest of the walk back to my place. I was listening to some music on my phone and looking at all the trees with the leaves turning all different colors, getting ready to fall off. Trees must have it so nice, I mean all they do is absorb sunlight all day. They don't have to worry about what other tress might think of them, or who their going to sit at lunch with tomorrow, or if their going to fail history or not. They just sit in one place their entire life spans, absorbing sunlight and creating oxygen for shitty people to breath. All the trees kinda reminded me of how simple life had been when I was little. I used to jump into piles of leaves, damn that was the good times when i was 8 years old. Sometimes I wish my life could just be like that again, without worries or drama, damn that would be nice.

Anyways, Danny and I finally got back to my house after about 4 fucking years of walking and started to unwind from the long day. Of course, Danny went straight to the kitchen, while I went to sit down on this old gray couch that's in my living room. The thing was ancient and all the seat cushions were hard as a rock. Finally, after eating half of my goddamn fridge, Danny came in.

"I got to go, I have this social studies essay which is due tomorrow and I haven't even started on it."

That pissed me off in a way. I mean, who goes to someones house, raids there fridge and then dips? Of course, I didn't tell Dan that, the kid is about twice the size of me at least and he'll beat the fuck out of you over nothing. So I just said bye and he was gone. I sat on the couch for awhile, looking out the window thinking about this girl at school, Hailey Stevens. Fuck was she pretty, I mean practically half of the school was trying to get with her. We used to be friends when we were in 7th grade, but I hadn't talk to her since the beginning of High School. It kinda made me sad thinking about it, we used to be so close and now we barely even see each other. I don't understand sometimes why things have to change, especially when you have something good with another person. Maybe it's just the way the world works, people inevitable change, and the people around them change with it, but it still depressed the fuck out of me.

I watched this video for a little while on this science shit for a couple minutes. The guy on the show was this real smart ass, you know the ones who talk like they are about to have a philosophical break through every fucking sentence they say. He was talking about different atoms and how there are neutrons and electrons and shit like that, I wasn't paying much attention to be completely honest. I just kept thinking of that fucking girl, Hailey Stevens, and how I'd like to shoot her a text. I mean I never would, I'm too much of a pussy to even say hi to her in the hallway.

Anyways I was sitting on the couch doing jack shit when I heard a knock on the door. I'm not gonna lie I'm a pretty nervous guy, and my mom wasn't supposed to be home for another hour so lets just say I was a little scared when I heard the door knock. I got up from the couch and started walking toward the door. Instead of going straight to the door like a normal person would, I first walked into my living room and took a peak out of the window to see who was there. Standing on my door step where these two bulky fuckers with buzz cuts dressed in military out-fits, it kinda reminded me of my dad. He had gone out to some middle-eastern country a year back and I hadn't heard from him since Christmas. I liked the military, I mean, I didn't like how you had to leave your family for a long period of time, but I liked the order of it in someways. Anyways, they rang the door bell again, so I went over to the door and opened it.

"Is Mrs. Walker here at the moment?"

Damn, the fuckers got straight to the point, no "good evening" or anything, like if your going to knock on my door at least say hello for fuck sake.

"Not right now she's still at work."

The fucker on the right looked at the one on the left and kinda gave him an uncomfortable glance. But not 2 seconds after I said that, my mom's car pulled up into the driveway. She got out and walked up to the two guys.

"What's going on? Is this something about Dave?"

"May we come inside?" Said the guy on the left, damn he looked like a real stickler.

We walked inside and my mother told me to go upstairs. I thought that was kinda stupid, I mean I was fifteen, whatever they were going to say to her, I should be able to hear too. I went up stairs anyways though because I didn't want to get my ass beat, but I stayed just at the top of the stairs so I could listen into what they were saying.

The bigger one of the two, who first asked me if my mom was home, said in this real sympathetic, almost quiet voice, "I have been asked to inform you that your husband has been reported dead in Afghanistan at 1300 on June 15th, 2013. On the behalf of the Secretary of Defense, I extend to you and your family my deepest sympathy in your great loss." All I remember after that was the sound of my mom crying, and to tell you the truth, I barely remember that either.