My Response to San Chonino's Writing Challenge
"I'm no hero", I tell myself out loud as I look in the rearview mirror again for the umpteenth time. I'm headed from town hall where I just received a plaque and the key to the city for rescuing 2 little girls. It's the 2nd honor I received. Yesterday in a town 10 miles east of here (the 2 girls' hometown) I was given a medal and a huge gift card from Wal-Mart. All the papers in the surrounding areas did stories on me, even some national media carried it.
Out of all the things I experienced today the townspeople talking to me was the most surreal. Eight years ago Sheriff Brown came out to our house on a domestic abuse call. After years of beatings my mother finally called Sheriff Brown. My stepfather was waiting for him. He shot him 3 times as soon as he stepped out of his cruiser. My stepfather then went inside the house and killed my mother before killing himself.
Since then no one in this town as said 10 words to me. My two younger sisters went to live with my aunt back east. If you're wondering why I stayed here it's because my grandfather built this house . There's no way i'm gonna let a stranger live in it. Another reason is because I love my privacy, and no one here ever bothers me. I work out of town, shop out of town or online, and at home enjoy my satellite radio and television. The only thing I do do in this area is hunt.
Looking back on the day I became "a hero" the whole day was weird.
Last Saturday was like any other Saturday. I woke up, did my gardening, I exercised, showered and ate a late breakfast. The only thing I did different was look at the local newspaper. I don't normally read our paper. I don't want to know about church bazaars or who can grow the largest gourd or vegetable. Today it had an actual headline worth reading. All be it a horrible one. Friday two young girls from a nearby town were abducted from a playground, and on Thursday a young boy taken from a playground right here in my hometown.
Parents were worried for their children, and I didn't blame them. Our town's five man police unit was being overworked. False sightings and people trying to taking the law into their own hand's by stopping every unknown car.
On any other day I would relax with a glass of fine wine, good music and a great book. I have a special room I built in my basement. It's has a big screen TV and a super stereo system. It's also soundproof so I can escape this town whenever needed. But most times it's to escape the rest of the house.
I was feeling too restless in the room. I needed to get out of this house, this town. I would've gone hunting. I love to hunt, but I gone hunting a couple days ago and caught a little bear. I'm hoping to tame him and make him mine.
I drove to a town west of all the madness. I found a park and went for a long run. Afterwards while cooling off, I sat at a park bench looking at kids playing at the playground. Their parents reading magazines with their mp3 players on or other parents gabbing away on their cell phones thinking their kids are safe. Don't they know how many pedophiles there are in this country? How many are in this area? Don't they read the papers.
These mothers need to protect their kids. I wish my mother protected me and my little sisters. It made me angry. I needed to take a drive. I had no idea where I was going or what roads I was taking. Next thing you know I was next to a mini-van at a red light. I turned and looked and saw 2 young girls in the back. Soon as I seen the looks on those girls' faces I knew they were the 2 missing girls. I seen that look before. I seen it on my sisters' faces.
How can someone do things to little girls? Them bastards. They're not human. It started making me sick to my stomach to think what this guy had planned.
I looked at the driver and saw my .. I saw my stepfather! I followed the mini-van until it stopped at a gas station. I pulled in behind it. I opened my trunk and grabbed a tire iron. I walked up to my stepfather and struck him again and again all over his body. See how he likes getting beat all over. I don't know what happened after I started swinging. When I came back to reality police were all over the place, and my victim wasn't my stepfather at all.
It was some guy I never seen before, but he was just as guilty. The police tell me I'm a hero. I'm no hero. I'm nobody's hero. If I was a real hero I would've done something to save my little sisters' innocence from my stepfather. Then only I would have been robbed.
I'm finally home. I pull into my driveway, and there's 2 women waiting for me. My porch is filled with flowers and balloons. My mailbox filled with cards. I don't like attention. It's why I go to great lengths to blend in. I recognize both women. The first woman is a former classmate. She stills looks as beautiful as she did in high school with her long curly black hair and blue eyes. We dated for a bit, but the abuse I suffered from my stepfather makes any relationship impossible.
She said she is there to thank me for saving the 2 girls. How both mothers of the girls will be forever grateful to me. Then she tells me she hopes and prays someone can save the little boy who was snatched. Her son. I'm floored. I did not know. I didn't read the whole story in the paper just the headlines. She tells me how he was wearing his new Chicago Bears jersey , and how he rode his bike to the park to show his new jersey to all his friends. He didn't come back home. I have no words for her. It breaks my heart. I hug her. With tears in her eyes she tells me, "God bless you" and leaves.
The other woman waiting for me is my neighbor. She has lived next door to me for 5 years and has never said one single word to me. Not even a friendly wave or nod. Now here she is in front of my house with a big smile and a tupperware dish filled with cookies. I thank her and tell her it's been a long day and I'm really tired. She hugs me and kisses my cheek. She acts like we're best friends now. I hate hypocrites.
I race into my house. I need to get into my soundproof room. Away from everyone for awhile. I have had too much interaction today. I'm about to throw my neighbor's cookies in the trash when I realize my little captured creature might be hungry. I go down into the basement, open the door to the room and turn on the stereo. The music is blasting Pearl Jam's rearviewmirror. I untie my new pet. "Are you hungry? Here's some cookies for you." He looks at me scared, but he has the courage to speak, "Who are you?"
and as I look at his Chicao Bears jersey and his black hair & blue eyes just like his mother's I tell him, "I'm no hero."
Damn, I hate hypocrites.
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