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| Identity and Change | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 25 2008, 03:14 PM (151 Views) | |
| IamSwitch | Apr 25 2008, 03:14 PM Post #1 |
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Identity and Change ----- ---- --- -- - Chapter 1 Grant Slemen left his house for work early in the morning, a little after six. It was still dark and the cool air sent a shiver down his spine as he walked over to his car, his junk pile of a motor vehicle. It was rusted from the salt they had put down during the winter and the light blue paint was wearing off. It had been a particular bad season this year. Every time he shut the door he closed his eyes anticipating the sound of parts falling off. As he started it up he checked the mirrors, they always seemed messed up in the morning. As he adjusted his rear view, the familiar orange glow of the still hidden sun became visible in it. By the time he got out to the main road leading into town, it would have the whole sky a nice variety of colers. This, with the landscape and view certain parts of his course allowed him, is what made getting up so early worth it. He turned the key. The car started and after he was buckled he backed off to the side so he could drive straight out into the road. It wasn't a very active road but motorists tended to go a little fast and he didn't trust the idiots he saw flying past on there motorcycles. Not that they'd be out this early. Grant pulled out of his drive way. After a few minutes he cracked his window a little. The refreshing cold air coming in would help him wake up a bit more for his usual hour long drive into town. He turned onto another road after a few minutes. He'd stay on this road for most of his journey. It had some of the most amazing sights he'd seen. The rising sun coming up over the mountains directly in front of him, sending streaks of pink and orange though the sky and bathing the fields in light. If he hurried he might be able to see the city skyline, which was always a treat too. He loved living so far out, even though he told many of his friends differently. His daily travel into town was like a ritual to him. If for some reason he didn't need to go into work, he still went out for an early morning drive. After the next road bend, the forested area he was currently in would transform into a large open area of land filled with fields separated by thin lines of trees. He'd coast down the long, gentle slope that would lead directly into it all. At the bottom, he'd pretty much start right back up another hill and after that the city would be visible. The sprawling suburbs, the industrialized district and the smaller but tall and beautiful center with sky scrapers and towers. A new one was being built and the crane on top was unintentionally positioned right next to the sun as it rose. Sometimes it looked as if the machine was hoisting it into the sky. Grant couldn't help but smile as he saw this. He glanced at his watch. 6:35. Ahead of schedule, he felt like taking a quick stretch. He stopped in view of the city. Just as he'd hoped, the sun was still being brought into the sky by the crane that from this distance was nothing but a silhouette in the brightening sky. As he got out, he popped the trunk to his car and moved around to the back. A silver, metal case sat secured in the center. He opened it and pulled out the expensive camera that was the main resident inside. This was his job, photography. He looked at the scene through his camera. A few adjustments and he snapped a few pictures. He'd add it to his collection at home, the heartless demons at work wouldn't care for it. After a few more minutes of waiting he placed the camera back into it's case and got back in the car. He still had to drive through the suburbs and the more dangerous part of town. Going into the outer limits of the city, the houses all had that perfect look to them. White fence and a freshly mowed lawn. Grant passed the newspaper delivery boy. Kid couldn't be more then eleven years old. This part of the town was a close community. All the neighbors liked each other and they even had set up watches so they could keep criminal activity and vandalism levels down. The police rarely had to come out here. After the suburbs but before the actual city began, there was a five minute period of driving where Grant was constantly ready to each for the wooden baseball bat he kept behind him in the back seat. Sometimes he'd see the locals looking at him, judging whether or not his car would be worth jacking. He took a small amount of pride knowing it wasn't. The houses turned from perfect to worn down, run down, uncared for shells of what the could have been. Half the inhabitants spent half there income on drugs and alcohol. Every corner held either a dealer or a pimp looking to make some cash. Neither seemed like a very successful business. Grant flinched as he heard a gunshot. He slowed down briefly to look around. As much as he hated this area of town, it was a habit of his to look for the situations that would get net him some money. A grungy, out of shape man came running out of an alley way. He struggled to keep his balance as he shoved both a revolver and a bag of what must be crack down his pants. Grant continued to watch him as the drugs slipped from his grasp and landed on the sidewalk. The bag burst open and the powder went everywhere. Another loud noise sounded, like a muffled gunshot. Grant immediately felt his car jerk over to the left and drop a few inches. He had a blow out. He steered the car over to the right and parked it. The crack addict was still in sight, struggling with the thought of leaving his stolen goods on the roadside. Grant popped his trunk again and got out to change the tire. As he did this the lost soul down the street decided to leave his profit behind and continued running. Not a moment to soon either. Another man, this one bleeding dangerously from his right shoulder emerged from the same alley the first had come out of. He held a pistol in his left hand. He raised it, aiming at the man who had probably inflicted the wound on him. The man must have been right handed, because the three shots he fired failed to hit the man as he disappeared around a corner. He gave chase, running right by Grant's car. He almost slipped as he ran by, not even paying attention to the puddle of blood that slowly grew around this unlucky bastards body. The dealer didn't even glance back at Grant, who lay there bleeding to death from a bullet wound in his back. As the man disappeared around the corner in pursuit, Grant heard two more shots and the screech of car tires. Blurriness was setting in and everything was getting darker. He heard a voice and felt someones hand on his neck checking for a pulse. The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was a curse word. - -- --- ---- ----- |
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9:00 AM Jul 11