The Tacky Man
This whole crazy mess had started with me and because of a stupid Pepsi can. Well, I lie, you see now I’m stuck here in this darn basement. There’s no way out! I know you’re probably like how and what made you think of a Pepsi can to blame, so, I’ll just blame the whole thing on me.
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I was walking up the street. I finally reached the corner and turned on it without looking up from the ground, the place I usually look at when walking. Yes, I know it’s strange but get over it. I then ran into some stranger who seemed to be in a hurry. As I scrambled to get up from the crash, I saw it was just some business sort of man. He was wearing a really tacky suit, a lime-green flannel patterned suit…weird. And that’s s like a scary site. He was apparently holding a briefcase which had opened when it touched the ground, talk about bad locks. But papers were everywhere, so I got down on my knees and started helping the man. He then quickly snatched all the papers out of my hangs and around me before I could peep at what they were! “ Please don’t read these, they’re important to my client…” He said looking straight at me. Jeesh, and I thought I was personal, but by the way the guy talked, he might’ve been a lawyer…or not? The man then got up and walked away quickly leaving my sitting there wondering.
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“Alicia! Get up! Get up!” Penelope repeated over and over again, when I fell in gym. Today was unfortunately Basketball Day. And let me tell you something, I SUCK! But I kept playing anyways. Penelope is my good friend in this whole crazy thing we call life! But this is about her only time she shows up in this story. So sad, but moving on! Scratch the good friend part and replace it with BEST FRIEND! We go way back, starting from head-start we were destined to be friends forever. I like that, I mean how awes--- “OUCH! Who threw the stupid basketball at me!?” I yelled angrily while holding the side of my head. Ouch was right. It was throbbing badly. The coach came over to see if I was fine. “ Hm…” Coach Bills had said, particularly looking at the side of my ear, “ Better go see Tills’; your ear’s bleeding and you have what looks like a slight dent.” Bills then wrote me a pass to the nurse.
Nurse Tillian, nurse tills’ for short, she’s one of the nicest teachers in the whole school. So yeah, Tills’ is pretty cool. Well, she checked my head out after sending some other kid out. He was probably trying to fake to get out of class. Ha, loser, I thought to myself. But then realized how I’m a loser, Darn! She called my mum and had me all cleaned up with a cotton ball in my ear. Tills’ went to go retrieve an ice pack for my head while I sat out in the school lobby-entrance.
I sat down in a soft green, cushy chair. It was comfortable but, there was an annoying tag on it. Hm, made in Uruguay, eh? Well that’s…cool? I guess. Someday I was going to make it to someplace cooler than Uruguay, BRAZIL!! Well I looked around some more. Now that I think about it, I’ve never really paid attention to my school, even though I’ve only been here for one year.
Tills brought me the pack finally and said mum would be here shortly, She then told me to go gather my things. So what do you know, I did. My locker was on the first floor, not far from the lobby-entrance. That’s What makes my locker great. Well, you see, out school (Berkley High) isn’t all that big, and that’s fine by me! While I gathered everything. Mr. Noel and Terri walked by,
Mr. Noel is on of ---well--- IS the youngest teacher in our school. He understands us better than anyone would ever. And as for Terri she’s our security guard. Terri the security guard is a middle aged woman with a really burnt hand. I heard she was cooking or trying to, and accidentally put her hand in the frying pan when trying to reach for some seasonings. Yeah, not pretty to look at but I have to say, it gives her character.
They stopped for a moment to ask where I was heading, but I guess they decided not to when they saw me picking up the ice pack. I walked towards the lobby in a graceful pace. I then saw my mum waiting for me. She had a warm, welcoming smile as I approached but also asked if I was okay. “Of course I am, I’m fine,” I said half-heartedly with a grin that said “ I’m a big girl now” look.
As we drove home, I looked out the window and watched everyone I could see. There were a few little kids at the park with their parents. It was a happy scene, but yet depressing. My father had died when I was two, so I don’t remember much. I never got the whole “have fun with both parents” thing. I started to get sleepy and dosed off.
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My favourite day of the week, Saturday. I read my book as mum took off shopping. I soon grew tired of that and went outside. “Wow, it’s sunny,” I said surprisingly. I usually rained here. I then went down the sidewalk again, reflecting on what happened down at that corner before. It still troubled me, like, what was that man hiding? Who was that man? I wanted to know badly. But decided to get on with my life.
As I turned the corner, I didn’t fall or trip anyone that time. I kept walking. All of the sudden a “whoosh!“ of a car passed by and stopped with a squeal. It freaked my out a bit, I mean c’mon! That car wasn’t going the speed limit! I kept walking till I reached the corner. I waited as the Don’t Walk warning flickered.
I walked across the street when all of the sudden, something hit me hard in the back of the head. I mean hard, hard enough to make me unconscious. And that’s exactly what it did.
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“Okay, not like I didn’t already have a concussion, but gee, thanks?” I said sarcastically and softly as I woke up finally. It was cold, and so was the concrete ground. Like where was I? Oh my gosh! Am I in a--a wine cellar? SCARY-NESS! There’s a cabinet of wine and other cabinets too. I finally started breathing more normally again and listened for clues.
I heard foot steps up ahead. Like soft, padding, be-careful-not-to-go-through-the-floor kind of steps. I soon heard voices coming near/ Where the heck was the door?
As I heard an echo of a door opening and closing, which was in some other room down here, I tried to stand up. That was when I realized I was tied up. I was to numb I couldn’t feel my wrists and feet. Two men came in, then another. The last one that came in was the tacky suit guy. But instead of a lime green flannel patterned suit he was wearing a bright purple jumpsuit with a white strip going down the sides.
“Well hello…again…” The man said with a crooked smile, “I think you owe us a few answers…” The man then gestured for the other two goons to come over. My eyes widen as I saw the one on the left holding a bucket of water. “Uhhh…who are you, where am I, and why are you keeping me captive!?” I asked, all the words just came rushing out. But any way the man was laughing and snickering, he could hear the fear in my voice. “Well, it wouldn’t and doesn’t matter who WE are…You’re in a wine cellar, well not really, let’s call this a wine room, and we want some answers. So, tell us, what’d you see in the briefcase and who have you told?” His smirk turned to a frown, “ and I advise you to tell the truth.: He then straightened up and waited for my answers.
Yeah, I’ll admit it, I was scared. But hey I’m sure I’ll make it out of it. Right? Right!?
“Um…well, all I saw were papers. But, didn’t see what were on them…” I said hesitantly. “Hmmm…is that so? Well, word kinda’ got out about my…papers. And now I’m on the run. Now yous’ sure you ain’t seen nothing on em’?” Said the goon on the right. He was extremely big and had a booming Australian accent. “Yes, I’m sure…but, can I ask you something?” I said, regretting wanting to ask them ANYTHING. “Of course, cupcake.” The man on the right had side with a wide wicked grin. This irritated me, not only did he call me “cupcake” but he said this with a mocking voice. “Okay… er… please, don’t kill me and when can I go home?” I said with an unsteady smile, almost bursting into tears. He then looked at the other goon and the man. The man then looked back at me, and started chucking. “Hm, you should know how this works,” He said with a crooked smile, “ I don’t let you go till’ I find out who ratted me out. Besides why would I let you go? You’d have ratted me out either way.”
Now was the time to panic. As they left me down there. The tears started rolling out. Before they closed the door I shouted, “ No one would believe me! Who would believe me!?: And cried. As the door closed I heard him say,” Why risk it?” And the door and light were gone. I was left in complete and utter darkness.
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So now you see my mixed up dilemma. Now I sit here listening to rats scattering around. The eerie sounds of the furnace not too far off also bothered me. All of the sudden something brushed against my hand and I jumped. Careful not to scream to have any attention drawn to me. It was a rat, sniffing the rope then nibbling it slowly. Working it’s way up to chewing it. It seemed like ages till; the little bugger stopped. I then broke the rest of the rope and worked on the rope on my ankles.
I was finally free, taking a minute for the numbness to go away. As I stood up, I groped the wall and walked slowly along it. I then reached the doorknob, and quietly and softly tried to open it. It wouldn’t budge at first but after I gradually tugged harder each try, it opened. Light came spilling in through the door crack. I poked my head out and took a quick glance around. No one was out there. I decided to walk out.
After three minutes of standing still and listening, I decided to walk softly down a hallway to my right. Looking at all the pictures on the wall, I see the crazy man in his past years…disgusting. I then notice a small round table against the wall, it had a cell phone on top of it. “Perfect…” I said softly and grabbed it, then kept walking. Finally I’ve reached the front door after going through the parlor. I walk outside and look at the dive way. They weren’t here. I then ran off the porch towards the sidewalk and kept running.
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I don’t know how long I ran for but, I know I got far enough. I then stopped and hid behind some bushes nearby. I took out the cell phone and dialed my mum’s number. A sorrowful and faint voice answered, “ Hullo-o?” She said--- more like whispered. “Mum, mum, it’s me. Please, please calm down, I need you to come get me!” I said quickly over her sobs and her “Oh Alicia” ‘s. She then asked where I was. This was a problem. “ ‘Old on…” I said taking a look around. There were streetlights around, a traffic light turned red, a top sign, and… oh! Some street signs! I told my mum these things and she told me to stay on the phone with her till’ she got here. I heard her frantically driving to get me. I then finally saw some view of headlights I told her and she told me that she wasn’t there yet It was too late though I had already stood up in sight.
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I quickly ducked back down, listening for the car to pass by. I suddenly peeked through the bushes to see where it had went. It had parked itself right near the bushes I had hid in. I listened to the big thug in the car, good thing he was too thick to have seen me a but ago.
“Eh…Marty…I’m outside over ere’ on Saint Brutes and er, um…that other street which I can’t read right now. You know where that is right?”
He took a pause, I’m guessing this Marty guy was talking.
“Yeah, yeah. It broke down! Quit--quit yelling!!” He said to Marty.
I then whispered to mum, “ Call you back, don’t call!” And hung up. So did the thug apparently. I waited as he did quietly. I then saw another car show up. It wasn’t mum’s so my hopes went down and the fear came back as I saw the tacky man step out--- who is obviously Marty.
“Eh there Jord.” Marty said. He walked up to Jord, smiling his creepy smile. “You know what I didn’t find back at the house while you left for a couple of bloody drinks!?” Hm?” He advanced forward slowly with each step his smile faded. “THE GIRL! JORD, THE GIRL! We are done for, if we don’t get a move on it!” He then pointed to the car. “Get in, we gotta get goin’…” They then walked to the car. “Hmmm…wait I forgot something…” Marty then turned back and said, “It’s time to relieve you Jord. Toodles…” And shot him with a pistol dead blank in the head. He laughed and then took leave.
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Mum came and got me, with the police with her. They took Jord’s body in to identify him and all that jolly good stuff. In the meanwhile I sat down at the station, waiting to be questioned. But, they put it off till’ next week. I don’t know how long it’ll take to find out those goons or how long. I’ll have to live with this, but, that can wait. In the meantime I’ll live life and wonder. As I do this today, I watched a Happy Birthday balloon escape from a party across the street. One day I’ll be free from all this, just like that balloon.
END
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Submission Name: The Tacky Man
