Chapter one - Untitled

“Police open up Now ”

Jewls jolted out of sleep. She sat up straight, fumbling for the lamp switch.

“Keep it off ” Her brother hissed from where he kneeled by the door. He was watching the stairs through a thin crack. From downstairs, was the sound of pounding on the door, and then,

“The police Open up ”

“What - what;s going on?” Jewels whispered, climbing out of bed.

“Can’t you hear?” Ash snapped, “It’s the police.”

“Where’s dad?” She crawled over to where her brother was.

“Probably running. Which is exactly what we’re going to do.” He grabbed his sisters hand and pulled her after him to the window. Downstairs they coud hear a loud thump as the door was busted open. Then were footsteps on the stairs and police shouting orders to each other. Jewels looked back towards the noise, still half asleep and confused.

“Come on, come on,” Ash said, yanking her back towards the window.. He opened the window and climbed out, balancing on the narrow roof ledge outside. Jewels grabbed his hand and followed him out.. She looked down at the ground, then closed her eyes and leaned back against the house. She heated heights.

“Jewels,” Ash snapped, ““Now is not the time to be scared. Come on ”

“I’m coming. I am.” Keeping her eyes closed she edged her way slowly along the rooftop. Ash turned back to her. He grabbed ger hand and yanked her after him. She almost stumbled but caught her balance. Behind her she heard a slam as their bedroom door was broken into. Then an officer shouted, “Hey - over here ” Jewels hesitated by the tree, looking back.An officer leaned out the window and ordered them to stop. She didn’t stop. She jumped onto the old tree after Ash and hurried down, still hearing voices from the bedroom behind her. She dropped off the tree and fell backwards. She scanned for Ash but couldn’t see him. It was too dark Their house didn’t have any outside lights. Thier Dad didn’t want t people to notice all the cars coming and going at night. Obviously, someone noticed anyway. Now where was Ash? He wouldn’t just leave her, she knew that much. A flighlight suddenly lighted the tree. Jewels hurridly scarmbled away from the light. . She pressed her back against6 the rough stucco of the basement. Damn, where was Ash?

One of the officers shouted to his partner,“I saw two of the them go down there ” The flash light started to shine around the tree. It came near her feet. She pulled them up close to her. She looked again for Ash, straining to see in the dark. The flashlight shone around her, barely missing her. She had to get out of there. She didn’t want to go to jail. It wasn’t like the grow op was her idea. Dad was the one with the gambling debts to pay off. Not her. She had to find Ash - someone grabbed her arm - she jolted and screamed - a hand clamped over her mouth.

“What are you doing?” Ash hissed, “Stay quiet.”

An officer entered the back yard, “I heard something,” he shouted to the one in the window, Where’d they go?”

“They went down that tree.”



Ash whispered to his sister, “Okay, we have to get to the fence, okay?”

Jewels nodded. Ash took her hand and started to slowly crawl along the house. He stopped by the corner and watched the officer in the backyard. “Okay, listen to me,” he said to Jewels, “When I say, we run for the hole in the fence, understand?”

Jewels nodded. Ash picked up a stone, tossed it a couple of time and got ready. “Okay - now ” In one motion he stood, threw the stone in a bush behind the officer and bolted, pulling Jewels behind him. Jewels ran after her brother - she could see the hole, they were almost there...

“Hey - over there ” A light suddenly shone on them. Jewels and Ash didn’t stop running. The officer pulled out his gun, “hey, freeze ”

Her heart thumping, Jewels turned to stop, but Ash grabbed her and pulled her backwards. She fell and but quickly regained her balance. When she realized Ash wasn’t going to stop she ran after him again.

“Stop now ” The officer shouted. She ducked under the fence just as the sound of bullets went off. She stood up and ran down the alley way, assuming ash was with her. Then she realized that no one was holding her hand. She stopped and looked back. Ash was just standing up from the fence. She started back.

“No - no - go ” He yelled at her, “just go ” Holding his arm, he started to run after her. Jewels turned and continued to run. She wasn’t sure where she was going, Ash was the leader, not her. She reached the end of the alleyway and hesitated - Ash was beside her - he grabbing her and started down the street..

“Ash-“

“Just run ”

Jewels listened. She ran beside her brother down the street. Their Nieghbours were awake now. Lights were turned on in houses. Some were coming out onto their porches. This an okay neighborhood they lived in. Gun shots were not common. There had been rumour though going around for some time at school about their fathers ‘occupation’.

“We have to hide,” Jewels managed to get out, “These people - they’ll all see us-“

“I know, I know. We’re getting to the river. I know what I’m doing. We have to throw off the police dogs.”

Jewels hadn’t thought about dogs. She had seen them on TV. Vicious animals pulling down some runaway criminal. This time though, she was the criminal. She ran faster, even though she didn’t hear anyone following. She didn’t look back though. She didn’t dare stop. Ash must know what he was doing. A minute later they reached the bridge that went over the river. Ash let go of her hand and started down the bank

“Ash, what are we going to do?”

“We’re hiding under the bridge.”

Jewels stopped. She didn’t like water. When she was a kid she had been pushed into a lake and nearly drowned. Ash has dragged her out in time. “I-I don’t think I can Ash.”

Ash turned and grabbed her. He looked at her and even in the dark she could see the intensity of his face, “Listen to me,” he said, “You have to, do you understand? Do you want to be blamed for what Dad did? Do you want to go to jail? You’re not a minor, neither am I. We’re old enough to be charged. We have to go in.”

Jewels ooked behind her, “I-I don’t see them. Maybe they gave up-“ A flashlight shone down through the trees and voices began talking to each other.. Then there was the bark of a dog.

Ash grabbed Jewel’s shoulders, “Jewels, now, we have to. Please, trust me, okay? I won’t let anything hurt you. I saved you before, didn’t I?”

Jewels swallowed and nodded. Holding onto her brother’s hand she started down the bank to the river. She took a step in and squeezed her eyes closed as the memories came back. She held onto Ash’s hand, not letting go, as he lead her into the water. She didn’t open her eyes. Not once. The water was cold and muddy against her skin. Her pajamas clung to her legs. They waded in and under the bridge. “You’re going to have to swim a bit,” Ash whispered to her.

“I-I can’t-“

“You have to. We have to get free. Come on. Just hold onto the beams under the bridge.”

Jewels nodded. The water was around her neck now. She was cold.. She reached up and grooped for the beams of the bridge. She found it and hung with one hand, trying to hold onto Ash with the other.

“You have to let go of me,” Ash said, “Just hold on to the bridge and follow me, and Jewels, if I go under, you go under with me and stay as long as you can, okay?”

Jewels didn’t answer. There was no way she could go under the water’; She just wasn’t going to tell Ash that. She followed Ash out to the middle of the bridge, and hung on. She didn’t know how deep the water was underneath her. Could her feet touch the bottom? Tenativly she reached. There was no ground. She felt panic begin to rise. No, she had to stay calm. She had to get through this. The voices of the officers came closer. The dog went to the end of the water and barked. Flashlights began to shine around the river. They were coming near the bridge. In the dark, the two figure just looked like another one of the poles holding up the old wooden bridge.

“Sta y perfectly still,”Ash whispered.

Jewels began to shiver. Her hands were getting tired from holding onto the bridge. She didn’t know if she could hold on much longer. Why couldn’t the police just go away and leave them alone? They hadn’t done anything. It was their father, not them. It had always been their father. The lights started getting closer to them.

“Ww have to go under,” Ash said, “Ready?”

“No-“

The flash light came there way

“Now ”

She felt herself be grabbed and dragged down under the water. She couldn’t swim, she panicked. Water was all over her - like when she was four, water covering her, pouring in her mouth, not being able to get out - Ash grabbed her, holding his hand over her mouth, keeping her down from the surface. She faught against him. She wanted to go up, she wanted air. Who cared about the police, she had to get up. She had to breathe. She had to get out of the cold mud. Ash held tight to her. She felt her feet hit the muddy bottom of the river. How deep were they? What if she couldn’t get up? She had to get out, now. She tried to kick up - Ash pushed her back down. Why was he doing this to her? Why was he trying to kill her? She had to get up, she kicked again. Tthis time she went upward - and suddenly someone was dragging her to the surface. She broke out and gasped for air.

“Grab the bridge and stay still,”‘Ash ordered. Jewels grasped for a hand hold above her. She held on, her hands cold, her lungs hurting from the fight under the water. She took deep gulps of air.

“Look,” Ash said, “They’re moving away. We had to make them think we weren’t here. Jewels, snap out of it, okay? It’s fine now.”

Jewels just held on, breathing, trying to stop the memories from coming. The water covering her. Fighting upwards, not being able to make it...then ash grabbing her and pulling her to the surface. Finally she opened her eyes and looked through the water streamign down her face to the police walking away down the river.. She could still hear their voices, sometimes muffled, sometimes clear..

“They couldn’t have made it across without us seeing them-“

“They have to be on this side-

“Check over there-“

Jewels began to shiver. It was cold. It was only October, but winter had come early. They had already gotten one snowfall.

“When - when can we go?” She asked, her teeth beginning to chatter.

“When they go, “Ash answered.

“Ash, I can’t hold on any longer.”

“You’re going to have to.”

“Ash - I can’t.”

“Don’t say can’t ” Ash snapped at her, “There’s no such thing as can’t, you hear me? You can and you will. We’re getting out of this.”

Jewels swallowed and nodded. “I’ll try.” Her hands were beginning to cramp from holding onto the bridge. She wanted to go back to her warm bed in the house. Then she thought of what was happening. What would they do if they did get free of the police?

“Ash, what - what are you we going to do - I mean, after-“ She coughed - Ash threw his hand over her mouth

“Quiet. Don’t make any sounds.”

“Sorry.” She swallowed down the rest of the coughs. She wanted to let go - to stretch out her hands. Why wouldn’t they leave? Why were they still looking? The officers were coming towards them..

“Okay, stay as low as possible,” Ash said, “Don’t make any sounds or movements”

Jewels nodded. The officers neared them

“Have you found anything?” One asked the other

“No. And the dog hasn’t picked up any scents either.”

The other one stopped and looked out over the water. “I don’t see how they could have gotten across. Maybe the dog picked up something else.”

“He’s trained-“

“I don’t care, he’s still an animal. Lets go back. At least we got the Dad. These two can wait. They’ll probably come after their old man anyway.”

The officers started away, up the bank, disappearing into the trees

Jewels heard Ash give out a sharp breath. “Okay, I think we’re free.”

“Can- can we go back?”

“Wait a few more minutes.”

“But Ash-“

“Just a few more minutes. I want to be sure they’re gone. If your hands are getting tired, hook your arm over the beam instead.”

Jewels tried to listen. She reached up and hooked her arm over the beam. It hurt too much though so she had to go back to holding on with her hands. Her clothes clung to her and her long back hair was plastered her to her head. She felt muddy, dirty, and gross. She waited; and continued to wait.. Finally Ash nodded towards the shore “Lets go back.” Jewels turned and started back, Ash behind her. Her feet finally hit the bottom of the river and sunk into the muck. It sucked each time she took a step. Finally she climbed onto the brambly shore. She climbed up and lay down, gasping for air. Ash sat down next to her.

“Are you okay Jewels? I didn’t want to drag you under like that but they were about to shine right on us.”

Jewels took a moment and then nodded, sitting up. “I’m okay. But...what do we do now?”

Ash leaned back on his heels, “I’m not sure.”

“I want to go home.”

“Jewels, wee don’t have a home to go home to anymore. Come on.” He reached out his hand to her. She took it and stood up. She felt cold and weak. Ash stood there, looking up the bank. Jewels crossed her arms, trying to hold onto whatever warmth was left.

“Ash,” She finally spoke, “What about Mrs. Morter?”
“What about her?”

“We can go to her.”

Ash looked at her, “Your teacher?”

“She would now its not out fault. We can go Just to get dry. Give us time to think. Please Ash? I’m freezing and we have to go somewhere.”

“I don’t know...” He continued to look up the bank.

“Where else then? Are we going to stand here and freeze? Ash, I’m cold.” she shivered harder. “I’m not as strong as you Ash. I need to go somewhere. It’s too cold.”

Ash turned and looked at her. She met his eyes. Finally he looked away and gave in., “Okay, we’ll go, but if I see anything suspicious, we go? Understand?”

Jewels nodded. She turned and started to walk up the bank. Ash grabbed her, “We’re not going by the street. The police are up there. We’re going on the bank until we get to her neighborhood.”

“But Ash - I have no shoes It hurts.”

“Just be glad I’m letting you go to Morter period..”

Jewels sighed. When Ash had made up his mind, there was no getting around it. “Okay, fine.” She turned and started off down the bank with Ash behind her. He walked on edge, watching the streets and houses above them for any signs that they would need to hide.