Sweet Revenge

CHAPTER 1
         “Oh Jonathon!” Kathryn giggled, slightly blushing. “So meet me at Milton's Pizza, say six o'clock?” Jonathon asked. “I'll be waiting,” flirted Kathryn.”I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.” Kathryn hung up with a sigh. She stared into space dreamily. The phone rang. “Hello?”
“Hey cutie!”
“Who is this?”
“Your boyfriend!”
“Jonathon! Hey! So I wa-”
“Who?”
“Oh. I mean, uh, hi Thomas.”
“Much better.”
“Uh, yeah.”
“So.. I thought you ditched that Jonathon loser already.”
“I, uh, not yet. I was planning on the ditching taking place tonight.”
“That's more like it.”
“Hehehehe,” Kathryn giggled. “Love you baby.”
“Love you too.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Kathryn clicked off the receiver for the second time that night. She was confused. Thomas was a nice, not to mention popular guy, but Jonathon was the one she liked. “No, no.” she persuaded herself. “Jonathon is a loser, a nobody. He has no friends. Thomas, on the other hand is the captain of the football team and always the center of attention. I love Thomas. No more Jonathon!
         Hours later, Jonathon glanced timidly at his watch. It was five 'till ten and Kathryn had yet to arrive. Tears filled the eyes of the young teenager. All hope of the relationship disappeared. She had stood him up! She had betrayed him! She was a stuck-up, backstabbing brat! She didn't know how he felt. She'd never had her heart be symbolically torn into two, her hope of love demolished. But soon she would. Some how, some way he'd get her back. She'd feel the burn. And she'd know why.

CHAPTER 2
         This all occurred sixteen years prior to the marriage of Kathryn and Thomas and the birth of their daughter, Lauren. All memories of Jonathon were forgotten. All hope, love, joy, memories, and tears with the boy had slipped Kathryn and Thomas' mind for good. But far away, some feelings had yet to be forgotten.
         Hate, regrets, and grief filled the heart of a certain someone. A man left with only a broken heart and memories. A man who was planning revenge. Revenge on the lovely Kathryn McDale.

CHAPTER 3
         “Mom! I'm leaving for Chad's place!” young and beautiful Lauren McDale shouted. Kathryn trotted down the stairs and shook her finger in utmost disapproval.”Not in that skimpy outfit you're not! Go change immediately.” “Mom! Come on! Everybody wears this!” Lauren emphasized. “I don't care if everyone wears their bathing suits to school! It doesn't mean you will be!” her mother lectured. ”Fine!” yelled Lauren as she heatedly ascended up the worn staircase.
         Thirteen outfits later, they came upon an outfit that they agreed on. It was the least revealing of Lauren's wardrobe. “Hmm,” Kathryn sighed. “Lauren doesn't understand that I am just trying to be a responsible parent and teach my daughter moral values. Hmm. Oh well. That's life. Teens will be teens and I am sure I was quite a pain at that age. But then again styles have changed dramatically since then. Oh well.” Kathryn sighed again as Kathryn walked out the door carrying her Coach© purse while chatting on her cell phone.

CHAPTER 4
         Meanwhile, miles away, Jonathon searched his brain for information such as an address or telephone number on Kathryn. All he could remember was her last name, Price and Thomas' last name, McDale. Assuming that they were still together, Jonathon figured her new name was Kathryn McDale. Suddenly a brilliant thought popped into Jonathon's evil, twisted mind. And the search began.
         Hours later, he had discovered his hunch about Thomas and Kathryn's relationship was correct and that they had conceived a child named Lauren approximately fifteen years ago. He also found out their phone number and current address by means of hacking into their personal records. A smile appeared across Jonathon's old, un-shaved, and filthy face.

CHAPTER 5
         At five 'till twelve Lauren sneaked into the house by means of the back door. Quietly, she began to tiptoe up the stairs. “Lauren!” The voice of her groggy mother pierced the air like a bullet. Boy, she knew she was in trouble now. “It is two hours past your curfew! I am extremely disappointed in you! I thought you had better judgment than that! Go to your room right now and get comfortable because you will be in there for the next week!”
“But-”
“I don't want to hear it!”
“That's not fair!”
“I'll tell you what is not fair! Being worried sick about your daughter for two straight hours is what's not fair!”
“Well I'm back now so-”
“I am well aware of that! Go to your room!”
“But-”
“I said now!”
Lauren huffed up the stairs, stomping her feet. Her mom didn't understand! She never did!

CHAPTER 6
         Jonathon had easily discovered Lauren's MySpace. “Ha!” he declared. This was the perfect opportunity to sneak information out of the vulnerable, young teenager. He entered a chat-room under the name of “footballmaniac44793” and invited “LaR3n” to chat. She accepted.

CHAPTER 7
         “Finally! Someone the talk to!” Lauren declared. Jonathon and Lauren chatted for many hours. This is what their chat consisted of:
LaR3n:                                        hey! Who r u??
footballmaniac44793:                    a boy
LaR3n:                                        lol. Duh. I mnt wat iz                                                  ur name??
footballmaniac44793:                    josh
LaR3n:                                        oh
LaR3n:                                        uhhhh......
LaR3n:                                        so wat iz up?
footballmaniac44793:                    nthn much! U?
LaR3n:                                        same
footballmaniac44793:                    so.. whr do u live?
LaR3n:                                        San diego! U?
footballmaniac44793:                    uh_
footballmaniac44793:                    same
LaR3n:                                        omg! Wow! Weird!!
footballmaniac44793:                    :)
LaR3n:                                        :) :)
footballmaniac44793:                    :) :) :)
LaR3n:                                        k. whatev u win
footballmaniac44793:                    thanx ... jk
LaR3n:                                        lol
footballmaniac44793:                    lol
footballmaniac44793:                    u got a bf??
LaR3n:                                        yah
footballmaniac44793:                    oh
LaR3n:                                        u got a gf?
footballmaniac44793:                    no
footballmaniac44793:                    um...
LaR3n:                                        hmm
footballmaniac44793:                    k...yeas
footballmaniac44793:                    :)
LaR3n:                                        i figrd tat. LOL
footballmaniac44793:                    watz ur name??
LaR3n:                                        Lauren! Duh
footballmaniac44793:                    wat??                              
LaR3n:                                        ur funny
footballmaniac44793:                    thanx
footballmaniac44793:                    u wanna meet??
LaR3n:                                        huh???
footballmaniac44793:                    like in person
LaR3n:                                        uh....
footballmaniac44793:                    i'll buy icecream
LaR3n:                                        itz a d8
footballmaniac44793:                    kewl so on Friday at                                                  goodberries say 8??
LaR3n:                                        see ya there
footballmaniac44793:                    so... waddya like 2                                                  do
LaR3n:                                        dance. U??
footballmaniac44793:                    wat do ya think??
LaR3n:                                        o..lol
footballmaniac44793:                    yah!
LaR3n:                                        i knew it wuz                                                            football!
footballmaniac44793:                    sure...
And the conversation continued for hours. But Jonathon had got what he wanted.

CHAPTER 8
         It was Friday and Lauren prepared herself to meet “footballmaniac44793.” Of course her mom was unaware of this so what harm could it do to meet him. Unfortunately, she was still grounded. But, of course, since when did she care about authority? This was her life and her decisions. As she dabbed on more blush and sprayed on some perfume, she glanced at the time. It was ten 'till eight. It was time to get going.

CHAPTER 9
         As Lauren walked out into the deserted premises of Goodberrys, a sudden chill washed over her. She turned and cringed back. A large, burley man stood behind her. “Sorry sir.” Lauren gasped. “Glad to meet your acquaintance ma'am. May you happen to be Lauren?” he questioned. “Yes. Are you Josh?” she asked, unsure of what to do. “Yesserie. So.....ice cream.”
“Oh...yes....uh....thanks.”
“Josh,” who unknown to Lauren was Jonathon, was much different than she expected. He was bulky, sleep deprived, and looked as if he hadn't shaved in weeks. He had dark bags under his eyes and needed a haircut desperately. “So...” Lauren started. “Here we are.” “Yup,” replied the man. “It's a lovely day. Thanks for showing up.” Lauren couldn't help thinking how ironic the statement he had just made was. The two of them were sitting at a rusted table under the dark and cloudy skies at a deserted Goodberries where nobody except for them, the birds, and the ice cream server were there. They began to talk of this and that for approximately thirty minutes when Jonathon suddenly stood up and declared, “Shall I get us some ice cream?”
         He walked behind her and then made a quick motion of grabbing her from behind, tightly covering her mouth. Lauren struggled to get away but with no success. The middle aged man stowed the helpless girl away into his red SUV. In the car he blindfolded her, tightly tied her wrists and ankles with rope and shoved a sleeping medication in her hand and forced her to take it. Soon, she was out cold.

CHAPTER 10
         Lauren awoke drowsily to the sound of footsteps. She hoped childishly that that night had been a dream, simply a nightmare. As she looked around, her hopes were diminished. Lauren lay in the corner of a cramped, dark basement smelling of old clothes and mildew. She jumped as the figure of her kidnapper appeared in front of her. Startled, she accidentally bumped into a small black box behind her. It tumbled off of the shelf, revealing photographs of a woman. She looked familiar. “Hmm,” Lauren thought. “That picture looks old. I wonder who it is.” But she had no more time to think. The man grabbed the box of photographs and thrust a small bagel and water bottle at the girl. “Here. Eat.” he said in a gruff tone.
         Lauren was glad to see the man leave. Out of nowhere clips of horror movies played through her mind. Scenes of kidnappings and later murders flowed through her head. “What will happen to me?” she wondered trembling. She became frantic. She searched the walls, for windows or doors of some kind. Yes! She spotted a small window in the top corner of the room! Her hopes were high. As Lauren raced over to escape, her hopes dropped. There, chained to the window, was a lock.

CHAPTER 11
         “Lauren! Lauren! I know you are angry with me but you have to eat breakfast sometime!” hollered her mother the following morning. Angrily, Kathryn trumped up the stairs. Lauren had a reputation of going days without eating when upset. She opened the door and gasped. Lauren's bed was empty and the window open! Where was Lauren? In the utmost disgust of her rebelling child, she dialed Lauren's cell phone number.
6-0-4-0-7-5-8 . The phone rang several times before it was answered. “Hello?” Lauren asked. “Lauren! Where are you? Why are you not home?” her mother screamed. Lauren prepared herself to answer but a rough hand snatched the phone away. “Lauren?” her mom demanded. “Oh hi sweetie!” Jonathon emphasized on the sweetie. “Hello? Who is this? Lauren?”
“No.”
“Lauren?”
“No.”
“Who are you? Lauren's boyfriend? Chad, is that you?”
“No.”
“Hello?”
“But I was somebody's boyfriend. A close friend, a companion. But she left me. Left me for the captain of the football team.”
“Who is this? I want Lauren! Give her the phone immediately!”
“And the girl left me standing at Milton's for three hours. Waiting.”
“Stop it! Who are you! Where is Lauren?”
“Oh yes. I thought she loved me. And I loved her. But I was wrong.”
“Hello? Lauren, are you there?”
“Mom!” Lauren started. But Jonathon slapped her across the face. He continued the conversation. “Why? Why is what I want to know.”
“Stop it!”
“Recognize this: JB+KP?”
“Who is thi-? Oh. Wait. Jonathon?”
“You guessed right pretty lady. Me and Lauren are having us a ball together.”
“What? Give me back my child!”
“No! I want you to know how it feels to be sad. To be beyond sad. To loose all hope. To have it seem like the world is coming to an end.”
“I'm sorry! I was young! Please!”
“Excuses, excuses.”
“Ple-”
“No! It's your time to feel the pain! And I have to go.”
“No! Please! Just let me talk to Lauren!”
“How stupid do you think I am?”
“I didn't mean...”
“I don't care!”
“Bu-”
“Time to go!”
“Noooo!”
Kathryn's screams ended with the click of the receiver. The nightmare had just begun.

CHAPTER 12
         “Thomas! Thomas!” Kathryn yelled to her husband. “Yes, honey?” he replied, while he reclined on the sofa. “Lauren! She's, she's, she's gone!...” Kathryn quickly explained the situation. He stared at her wide-eyed, and gaping in awe. Thomas frantically called 9-1-1 and explained all that had just occurred. Within minutes, police and crime scene investigators arrived at their house. An officer named Rob stood at the phone, waiting for perhaps another phone call from the criminal. Thomas tried to comfort his depressed wife. They hugged, but still not feeling any more hopeful.

CHAPTER 13
         “Get up! Now you stupid, little girl! Come here!” Jonathon demanded. Lauren jolted out of the corner in which she had been sitting and mad her way to her kidnapper, and perhaps her death. She stood, shivering in his precence. “Look! You will call you precious mother. I'm sure the police are monitoring all the phone so don't try anything funny on me. Demand at least $300,000 in return for you.” He thrust her cell phone to her. “Now.” Lauren took a deep breath and dialed her home. Meanwhile, at the McDale house the phone rang.
         Rob picked up the telephone. “Hello?” “Mom? Dad? This is Lauren!” Lauren cried. Officer Rob gave the phone to her parents. “Hello?” Kathryn questioned. “Mom!” Lauren was so excited to hear her mother's voice that it almost let her forget what extreme danger she was in. “Oh sweetheart! Are you alright? We'll find you! I promise! Oh, sweetie...” She began to sob. “Mom. Umm...Jonathon has an...er...um...request of $300,000 in return for me.”
“What?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, and he says if you can't pay the money, then you'll never get me back.”
“Yes, of course we will pay.”
“Good.”
“But where are you?”
“In the basement.”
“Where? Like, do you know the address?”
“No.”
Jonathon snatched the phone away. “Listen, Kathryn. 30 grand. Leave it by the McDonalds on Old Berg Street. Then you'll get your little baby back.”
“Jonathon. I-. Why?”
“Just do it.” And he hung up.

CHAPTER 14
         Hours later, the McDale couple and some police men went to the McDonalds and dropped off the money. But they didn't leave. They waited.
         Soon after, Jonathon showed up with Lauren, obviously in disguise. He snatched up the money and began to run when a young officer called, “Put your hands up! You're under arrest!” But Jonathon had different thoughts in mind. He shoved Lauren into the red SUV and pulled out a loaded gun. As did the five policemen. With three shots, two officers were dead and the other extremely injured. The two remaining officers raced around Jonathon. One grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and slammed him onto the hood of a nearby car. “OK. OK. I give up. I surrender.” Jonathon cried. The policemen loosened their grip. “Not!” He forced the policemen off of him and pushed one to the ground. The other officer tried desperately to pull Jonathon away, but was pushed away with such force that he backed into the wall of the restaurant; blood gushing from his head. Then, Jonathon looked down at the struggling man beneath his foot and laughed. He took a deep breath and shot. Kathryn gasped. Thomas ran t words Jonathon, but was also shot. Jonathon was a madman. Lauren shook the handle. She had to get away! It was locked. Kathryn screamed and ran t words Lauren but Jonathon was too quick. He hopped into the SUV and drove off, leaving Kathryn alone and scared.

CHAPTER 15
         Once they returned the Lauren's “prison,” Jonathon was angry. He pounded his fists against the walls and was throwing everything he could get his hands onto. Lauren was not sure what had upset him until she heard him muttering, “I am not a murderer. I just wanted revenge. Why? Why is this happening to me? Why? I am not a murderer.” Then he broke out into sobs, which turned back into rage. “Go! Get away! Just leave! I want to die!” screamed Jonathon. Lauren took this opportunity. She ran to the door. Locked. What could she do? Would she make it out alive? Lauren wasn't taking any chances. She hid in the corner behind an umbrella stand, hoping not the be seen. She peek from behind the stand just in time to see Jonathon raise his gun to his head.

CHAPTER 16
         What seemed like days later, Kathryn awoke, lying in a white hospital bed. Remembering Lauren, she tried to get out of bed. But a surgeon motioned for her to stay still and told her that if she tried to get up she may go into shock. A police officer questioned her and took notes. He had learned of the incident at McDonald's when a local resident called in and gave all the details He told her his name was Samuel. Samuel said that her husband, Thomas, could not be saved. Three out of the five officers had been killed and the others had barely survived. Kathryn pushed her fists into the bed. What would become of her life? Why was all of this happening to her? Tears trickled down her dirty face. Why? Why her?

CHAPTER 17
         Lauren watched Jonathon. He was about to commit suicide. She couldn't let this happen. He had taken so many lives, but this would be just one more life thrown away. She had to stop him. “Noooo!” she yelled as she jumped out to save him. BAM! She was too late. Jonathon hit the ground with a THUD. She sat beside him, weeping. Why she was crying she did not know. He turned his head and whispered to her, “Tell your mother that-” “What? Tell her what?” Lauren questioned. “Tell her I'm sorry and-”
“And what?”
“And what? What is it?”
But no more was to be said. Jonathon took his last breath and left the world as we know it. Forever.

CHAPTER 18
         Meanwhile, at the police station, they tried to find Lauren's location. Jonathon's death was unknown to them, so the were in a rush to pinpoint Lauren's location. Would they find her in time?


CHAPTER 19
         At the hospital, Kathryn was stressed out and struggling emotionally. Lauren was her only baby, and she couldn't loose her like she had lost Thomas. “Please let her be OK. Please. Please let her be alright. Please. Please.” Kathryn prayed. “Please.”

CHAPTER 20
         Moments later, thoughts of her parents and where they were filled Lauren's mind. t words. She headed t words the phone and called her mom.
         In the hospital, the phone rang. Kathryn answered the phone, dreading another call from Jonathon. “Hello?”
“Mom!”
“Lauren, sweetheart! Are you alright?”
“I'm fine.”
“What about Jonathon?”
“He..um..said he was sorry. Right before..”
“Right before what?”
“He shot himself.”
“Shh, baby. It's alright. We'll find you soon. Don't worry.”
“OK, Mom.”
“Hold on. I'm going to give the phone to Officer Samuel. OK?”
“OK!”
“Hello?”
“Officer Samuel?”
“Yes. Try to stay on the phone so we can trace your call.”
“OK! Thanks very much sir.” Lauren hiccuped.
“Yes ma'am. Please hold.”

CHAPTER 21
         Within minutes, the police had traced the call. They hurriedly located Lauren and arrived at the house. She was so happy to see them there that she hugged an elderly police man with a big gut. There was an awkward silence and she hopped into the patrol car. Soon she would be home to her mom and dad! Home sweet, home!”

CHAPTER 22
         “Mom!” Lauren raced to her mother and embraced her. “I”m so happy to see you! I love you! Where's dad?”
“Um...well...”
“Dad? Where is he?”
“He's...he's..uh...dead.” Kathryn sniffled.
“What?”
“Dead.”
“No, he...you know...that's impossi...”
“Yes. I am very sorry.”
Lauren was speechless. Tears toppled down her eyes and streamed down her face. Her dad. Gone? She couldn't believe it. “Honey?” her mom started. Kathryn tried to comfort her daughter, but with no luck. They hugged. At least they had each other.

CHAPTER 23
         Weeks later, Lauren and Kathryn had recovered from this loss but still missed him terribly. Although the tragedy of Lauren's kidnapping still haunted her and her mother, they lived their life as if it had all been a dream. “I love you Lauren.”
“I love you too mom.”
Again they hugged. Life was good.