Crazy Train

by Jennifer Sue

(A dark piece from my youth, contemplated but never done.)

Four police cars, a paramedic van, an ambulance, a fire rescue truck, and two fire police vehicles filled the circle of the cul-de-sac. The multicolored flashing emergency lights atop each vehicle were flashing illuminating the night. The result was a most macabre scene befitting a horror flick as the white, orange, blue and red flashing lights disoriented the nosy neighbors trying to walk through the crowded area. The more timid neighbors peaked from their doors and windows. The braver tried to get closer but the police turned them back. People kept going in and coming out of the Murphy home. The yelling and loud music that had been coming from the Murphy home earlier had forewarned the neighborhood that another blow-up was happening. Obviously this blow-up had escalated past previous examples. Finally the ambulance crew rolled the stretcher out of the house. A paramedic walked beside the strapped down youth making sure the IV bottle plugged into an arm did not dislodge. The neighbors recognized the boy as Ashton Murphy. What was unusual was the fact he was smiling broadly, something the neighbors had not seen the lad do for years. If he was injured, as the IV indicated, why was he happy? The weirdness only increased as the ambulance crew prepared to load the stretcher with the boy into the ambulance.

Ashton suddenly began to sing at the top of his lungs. “DUM DA DUM DUUMM! DUM DA DUM DUUMM! DUM DA DUM DUUMM! DUM DA DUM DUUMM! MENTAL WOUNDS NOT HEALING. LIFE’S A BITTER SHAME. I’M GOING OFF THE RAILS ON A CRAZY TRAIN! I’M GOING OFF THE RAILS ON A CRAZY TRAIN!”

 
"Hey," I called, more softly this time, "I won't let you down, Clara, don't worry. I've done this before."

"Hey yourself," she called back, without looking up. "For today, you just need to be better than nothing.
I'm not thinking past the morning rush."

The Faithful, North African and Middle Eastern Islamic nations, are plotting to seize the oil resources of the Middle East. By controlling the earth's oil and its major trade routes, they plan to bring the world to its knees. Then, when the entire world is kneeling, the Faithful of Allah will read to them from the Koran, preaching the message of Islam, the True Faith. The Faithful will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. But how far will they go? And how many lives will it cost?

Chapter *27*

No Mans Heath

“Urgh, I hate six o'clock,” Mand complained.

“It's ten past,” I declared .

“I hate ten past six.”

Although concerned with his grandma's reaction to his secret, Sam finds himself shopping with her for his first leotard.