Post by accountant on Jan 30, 2019 15:44:26 GMT -6
Hi all,
I know I've been gone for a bit, but I'm back now.
This is a new story that bubbled up in my brain. I don't know where it's going or how it's going to get there.
Please let me know if it would be worthwhile continuing.
Thanks muchly,
A.
A New Life
Chapter 1
- Changes
Darren Sommers couldn’t believe it as he was walked out of the building by security.
“How could this have happened?”, he thought to himself, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Unfortunately, IT and his manager thought otherwise. For all intents and purposes, an email had been sent from his work account to one of the company’s competitors detailing the schematics of the latest designs his group had been working on. While Darren had protested that the timestamp on the email was when he was in a meeting with his manager earlier that day, it didn’t seem to matter. Darren was done and out.
Darren had been with the company for the past three years and had made a name for himself during that time. He had moved to Fairfax from Hartford, Connecticut to start fresh when his five year relationship and engagement had fallen apart. Christine, his ex-fiancé, had been cheating on him and when he found her in bed with his best friend, Chad, he knew he had to leave.
Walking to his older Toyota Camry in the employee parking lot, he didn’t know what to do. He had only been with the firm for three years and without any references, or an explanation as to why he was dismissed, he didn’t know how he would find another job in his field.
Darren used the remote to unlock the car, and mindlessly opened the door and sat down in the driver’s seat. For the longest time he just sat there before putting the key in the ignition and starting it up. What was he going to do? “Thank God”, he thought, “At least Mom and Dad aren’t around to see this day.”
Darren’s parents had been killed in an auto accident two and a half years ago. With no siblings and no family nearby, Darren felt all alone.
Shaking his head, he saw that there was a puffy mailing envelope on the passenger seat. Curious, since it wasn’t his, he reached over and opened it. Inside, it held a CD with “Play Me” written in marker on it.
Thinking of nothing else to do, Darren put the CD into his CD player and heard the gentle whizz as the CD began to turn.
Suddenly, a familiar female voice came through his speakers and said, “Hey, handsome. I know you’ve had a rough day. I’m so sorry about your job. I really am. I need you to meet me at Hilbillys Bentonville Junkyard just off route 340, south of Front Royal, just north of Bentonville. Don’t go home. The townhouse complex will be blocked off by police by now. They’ll say a gas leak caused an explosion or something. Trust me on this and meet me. Do not go home. I repeat, do not go home. I’ll explain everything when you get here. Hilbillys Bentonville Junkyard, remember that. Well, that’s it for now. See you soon, Darren. By the way, sorry about your CD player.”
With that, there was a loud pop and a puff of smoke came out of his CD player before it died.
Darren was confused. The voice belonged to Laura, one of the other residents of the townhouse complex where he lived. Why had she left the CD in his car? How did she know about him losing his job? It had just happened. And why was she telling him to meet her more than 60 miles away at a junkyard of all places?
Darren had had enough and just wanted to go home. The townhouse was only a 15 minute drive away and since his radio wasn’t working, he drove in silence.
Soon, he was pulling off Route 50 and onto Alder Woods Drive which lead to his townhouse complex. He was surprised to see fire trucks and police cars in front of Garland Tree Court, where he lived. Pulling over, he walked to where a police officer had put up the yellow police tape and was ushering people away from the area.
“Hey, what’s going on in there?”, asked Darren.
“Who wants to know?”, replied the officer.
“My name is Darren Sommers. My townhouse is number 12548.”, said Darren, looking over the police officer’s shoulder at the firemen putting down the fire.
“Sorry, pal. Garland Tree Court is off limits. It looks like one of the units exploded. It’s probably from a gas leak. You’re SOL for probably the next few days. Nobody’s getting in until the fire guys put it out and say it’s safe.”, said the officer.
“Is anyone hurt?”, asked Darren.
“No, thankfully it was one of the end units and it blasted out towards the woods.”, came the reply.
“What am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go?”, asked Darren.
“I don’t know, buddy. All I know is that you can’t stay here. Move along.”, said the officer, shooing Darren away.
“Well, that’s just great.”, fumed Darren to himself, “I lost my job and now I can’t even go home, fan-effing-tastic!”
He stomped back to his car, sat down, and slammed the door.
Then a thought came to him. Laura had lived in one of the end units. She had told him on the CD that something like this would happen. She also knew about him losing his job. If anyone would have answers to his questions, it would be her.
He pulled out his cell phone, looked up her number in his contacts, and had the number dialed. After one ring, a message came back that the number was not in service. It was strange, since he had just got a call from her the other day asking if he wanted to come over and watch a movie together.
Knowing the only place where he would get answers would be at the junkyard, Darren started his car and began the drive out to Bentonville.
I know I've been gone for a bit, but I'm back now.
This is a new story that bubbled up in my brain. I don't know where it's going or how it's going to get there.
Please let me know if it would be worthwhile continuing.
Thanks muchly,
A.
A New Life
Chapter 1
- Changes
Darren Sommers couldn’t believe it as he was walked out of the building by security.
“How could this have happened?”, he thought to himself, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Unfortunately, IT and his manager thought otherwise. For all intents and purposes, an email had been sent from his work account to one of the company’s competitors detailing the schematics of the latest designs his group had been working on. While Darren had protested that the timestamp on the email was when he was in a meeting with his manager earlier that day, it didn’t seem to matter. Darren was done and out.
Darren had been with the company for the past three years and had made a name for himself during that time. He had moved to Fairfax from Hartford, Connecticut to start fresh when his five year relationship and engagement had fallen apart. Christine, his ex-fiancé, had been cheating on him and when he found her in bed with his best friend, Chad, he knew he had to leave.
Walking to his older Toyota Camry in the employee parking lot, he didn’t know what to do. He had only been with the firm for three years and without any references, or an explanation as to why he was dismissed, he didn’t know how he would find another job in his field.
Darren used the remote to unlock the car, and mindlessly opened the door and sat down in the driver’s seat. For the longest time he just sat there before putting the key in the ignition and starting it up. What was he going to do? “Thank God”, he thought, “At least Mom and Dad aren’t around to see this day.”
Darren’s parents had been killed in an auto accident two and a half years ago. With no siblings and no family nearby, Darren felt all alone.
Shaking his head, he saw that there was a puffy mailing envelope on the passenger seat. Curious, since it wasn’t his, he reached over and opened it. Inside, it held a CD with “Play Me” written in marker on it.
Thinking of nothing else to do, Darren put the CD into his CD player and heard the gentle whizz as the CD began to turn.
Suddenly, a familiar female voice came through his speakers and said, “Hey, handsome. I know you’ve had a rough day. I’m so sorry about your job. I really am. I need you to meet me at Hilbillys Bentonville Junkyard just off route 340, south of Front Royal, just north of Bentonville. Don’t go home. The townhouse complex will be blocked off by police by now. They’ll say a gas leak caused an explosion or something. Trust me on this and meet me. Do not go home. I repeat, do not go home. I’ll explain everything when you get here. Hilbillys Bentonville Junkyard, remember that. Well, that’s it for now. See you soon, Darren. By the way, sorry about your CD player.”
With that, there was a loud pop and a puff of smoke came out of his CD player before it died.
Darren was confused. The voice belonged to Laura, one of the other residents of the townhouse complex where he lived. Why had she left the CD in his car? How did she know about him losing his job? It had just happened. And why was she telling him to meet her more than 60 miles away at a junkyard of all places?
Darren had had enough and just wanted to go home. The townhouse was only a 15 minute drive away and since his radio wasn’t working, he drove in silence.
Soon, he was pulling off Route 50 and onto Alder Woods Drive which lead to his townhouse complex. He was surprised to see fire trucks and police cars in front of Garland Tree Court, where he lived. Pulling over, he walked to where a police officer had put up the yellow police tape and was ushering people away from the area.
“Hey, what’s going on in there?”, asked Darren.
“Who wants to know?”, replied the officer.
“My name is Darren Sommers. My townhouse is number 12548.”, said Darren, looking over the police officer’s shoulder at the firemen putting down the fire.
“Sorry, pal. Garland Tree Court is off limits. It looks like one of the units exploded. It’s probably from a gas leak. You’re SOL for probably the next few days. Nobody’s getting in until the fire guys put it out and say it’s safe.”, said the officer.
“Is anyone hurt?”, asked Darren.
“No, thankfully it was one of the end units and it blasted out towards the woods.”, came the reply.
“What am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go?”, asked Darren.
“I don’t know, buddy. All I know is that you can’t stay here. Move along.”, said the officer, shooing Darren away.
“Well, that’s just great.”, fumed Darren to himself, “I lost my job and now I can’t even go home, fan-effing-tastic!”
He stomped back to his car, sat down, and slammed the door.
Then a thought came to him. Laura had lived in one of the end units. She had told him on the CD that something like this would happen. She also knew about him losing his job. If anyone would have answers to his questions, it would be her.
He pulled out his cell phone, looked up her number in his contacts, and had the number dialed. After one ring, a message came back that the number was not in service. It was strange, since he had just got a call from her the other day asking if he wanted to come over and watch a movie together.
Knowing the only place where he would get answers would be at the junkyard, Darren started his car and began the drive out to Bentonville.