Scraps of Patrick's Story

Note: there's are little "mild epiphanies" that I'm going to eventually string into a story. For now, you can just imagine what links these bits of stories together. I'll be adding more eventually. -lpi

He was running for his life; from what, he didn't know, and quite frankly didn't care. Running through the misty woods, staying about 3 steps ahead of his pursuer. But in the blink of an eye, his foot caught on a knarled root, bringing him to the hard dirt ground. A large shadow loomed over him, but before it could swoop in on him, a loud beeping noise cleared the shadow, the mist, even the woods.
Opening his eyes, Patrick realized that the pursute was only a dream; but realistic enough, he was dreanched in sweat. He slowly lifted his short scraggly figure from the bed, and stood in front of the long mirror propped against the wall. Running his fingers through his disheveled chestnut-brown hair, he thought to himself, I wonder what will go wrong today...
~-~-~-~-~-~-
"I'm not any more thrilled about this than you are," Patrick said bluntly.
"Well, that makes me feel REALLY welcome," Sarah answered, feeling slightly hurt. "I was thinking we could use this as a chance to get to know each other."
"What's there to get to know? What you see is what you get."
"Y'know, I've heard things about you..."
"Really?"
"And the thing I keep hearing over and over is that you're a loner, and that you have no friends. When I first saw you, I didn't seem to understand why, but now that I hear what's coming out of your mouth, I can see why." Sarah seemed on the verge of tears.
"Hey, I can't control what people say about me," he answered defensively.
"You can control how you act! That might change what people say about you!"
Patrick was getting nervous. "Y'know, people are staring..."
"Let them stare!" she shouted, tears running freely down her face.
"I thought new girls were supposed to be shy."
"Well, you obviously haven't paid any attention to me, have you? Oh, that's right; you keep to yourself! Well, next time you're in your own little world, think about how to shape up and get back to me on that! Until then, you can do this little project the way you like it: solo!" With that, she grabbed her books and stormed out of the library.
Patrick sighed. "Why can't I ever do ANYTHING right? What the heck is wrong with me?" He put his head in his hands and took a deep breath.
-~-~
She was sitting on her bed, sighing. "Why did we have to move to this place?" she asked herself. Then she heard slight tapping on her window. Curious, she went to the window, opened it, and looked down. There, on the back lawn, was Patrick. She came out onto the small balcony off of her room.
Clearing his throat, he called up, "Um, hey."
Sarah shrugged. "What do you want?"
Tugging at his collar, he answered, "I, uh, wanted to appologize for earlier."
Sarah couldn't believe her ears. Was this for real? A small smirk curled at the corner of her mouth. "Well?"
"Well, what?"
"What do you have to say?"
"Uh... I'm sorry for... um..."
"For what?"
"For... er, being a smart aleck, and being rude...uh..."
"Is that all?"
"And, I'll maybe try to change the way I act."
Sarah couldn't help feeling sorry for him. "You've never done this before, have you?"
He smiled sheepishly. "Do you really want to know?"
She shook her head with a smile. "Apology accepted, for now."
"For now?"
"Well, I'll see if you keep your word about changing the way you act."
He looked up at her. Clearing his throat, he brought out a small bouquet of flowers. "I, um, brought you flowers; y'know, to help make it up to you?"
She smiled. "I'll come down to get them."
"No need. I've got a rope. Can you catch?" Before she could answer, he tossed a giant knot up to her. She caught it, and he began to climb up to her balcony. Slightly out of breath, he reached the top, grinned, and nonchalantly said, "How ya doin'?" Sarah couldn't help smiling. "Uh, here's the flowers," he continued, handing her the bunch of small forget-me-nots. After she took them, he asked, "So, about that project..."
"We can start tomorrow. I've already started research."
"And I've got the supplies for the presentation."
"Cool. So, see you tomorrow?"
"See you tomorrow." He handed her the knot again. Going to the balcony together, she held the rope while he slid down, then she tossed the knot down to him. As soon as he caught it, he took off across the lawn.

As he slid into bed, he began to feel a strange feeling in his chest. Was he coming down with something? No, this was a... good feeling. It was a pleasant feeling that coursed through his whole body. After pondering it for a while, the answer came to him. "This must be how it feels to have a friend." Content, he slipped into sleep.
-~-~-~-~-~
Patrick tried to make out the features of the face that spoke to him in the dark. The voice had a thin face, with small, dark, sunken eyes that were constantly moving from side to side. The face was complimented by a scrawny body, slightly hunched over.
"Who are you?" Patrick asked, squinting in the dark.
"Is that really important? I'm not the important one here, you are."
"Me?" he wondered aloud.
"Of course. You have some, how shall I say, special talents that not all of us have. You don't have to waste them, you know. You can do some very useful things with them."
"Like what?" Patrick asked, getting suspicious.
"Oh, I can find things for you to do. What do you say?"
Patrick was unsure. Could he trust some guy who had ambushed him into a dark closet, and now asked him to use his "gifts"? What "gifts" did he have? Was he implying his way to cause trouble and be able to get out of it? How was he to know? And what about the promise he had made to Sarah? He couldn't bear to let her down.
"You're thinking about that new girl, aren't you? Oh yes, I know you two are good friends. She doesn't have to know; what she doesn't know can't hurt her, now can it?"
"But what if she found out?"
"What's it to you? You're a loner by nature, I can tell. You don't need people, especially females, to be happy. All other people do is judge you, despise you, insult you, desert you. Why do you need that? People turn their backs on you, why shouldn't you return the favor?"
Patrick thought about it some more. If he took this opportunity, it would give him something to do. What could go wrong?"Alright, I'm in."
"Good, good," said the stranger, an eerie grin spreading across his face. "I already have a job for you. I'll give you the specifics tomorrow."
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
“Is there a problem?” he asked, imitating nervousness, coming in slowly.
“Possibly,” the principal answered. “Have a seat,” he continued, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. Patrick took it. “You are, I assume, familiar with the incident discovered this morning?”
Patrick shrugged. “How could I not? Everyone in the school saw it.”
“Then you noticed that the tool used to do the deed was left at the scene? Covered with fingerprints?” the principal asked, cocking an eyebrow suspiciously. He was hoping to catch this troublemaker in the act. But Patrick showed no signs of cracking. He looked... what would you call it? Certainly not nervous, or terrified, or about to confess. Of all things, he looked calm and serene. Almost too serene. “Patrick, we have hired a professional investigator, and is taking fingerprints of all of students.”
Patrick looked exasperated. “Is that why I’m down here? To get my fingers all inky?”
“Patrick, other students have complied to this. Why do you have to make this difficult?”
“I’m being difficult? Do you realize how big of a hassle it is to come from a class on the other side of the school, worrying like crazy, and be told, ‘Sorry for the inconvenience, but we just want you to get your fingers dirty.’?”
“Why would you be worrying?” he asked, waiting for the confession.
“Don’t you get worried when you get called to see, oh, I don’t know, the superintendent? Or the governor? Or someone else really important?” Patrick asked frankly. The principal slumped back into his chair. This was not the answer he had expected. But, he had to admit, it was a perfectly legitimate answer.
Patrick sighed. “If I must, I will,” he said.
The principal smiled. “Good, good.” This is the moment of truth, he thought to himself. This will show, beyond a doubt, that this wise-guy is the one! This little insect that’s been itching me since the sixth grade! And this incident, along with the other mischief on his transcript, will give me reason to kick him out for sure! The investigator had just finished inking Patrick’s fingers.
With a smirk, Patrick said, “Careful you don’t smear it now. Don’t want to ruin the evidence.” The investigator rolled his eyes, but Patrick noticed a small smile on the corners of his mouth. Pressing his fingers against the paper, the principal was nearly jumping out of his skin from excitement. But when Patrick picked up his fingers from the paper, the two men were hugely surprised about what they saw: only black ovals. No ridges, no white-and-black striping. The principal was nearly twitching. He was sure that he had done it! He was ready to bet anything on it!
Patrick looked contented. “Well, boys. The black don’t lie. I knew that you suspected me. But, someone with fingerprints would’ve had to have done it. And, as you can see, I do not have them. You probably checked ‘my record,’ but I can see that you didn’t even glance at my medical record. Now, I’ll assume that you’d be saying, ‘Of course. I’m sorry we ever suspected you. You can go back to class now.’ Why, thank you, I thought you’d never ask.” And with a smirk of triumph, he turned and walked out of the office. Off the ol’ hook-aroo. If I can get away that, I wonder what else I can pull...
-~-~-~-~-~-~
"I'm glad that worked out. Now, you're ready to take on something more, ambitious," he said.
"Like what?"
"Well, I did a little digging, and I found out some stuff about that Sarah girl."
"What sort of stuff?" Patrick asked, cocking an eyebrow in suspicion.
"She's not as good as she seems to be. I found that she knows you did the thing at school yesterday, and is planning to frame you."
Patrick slammed his fist on the table. "She would do no such thing!"
"Or would she? Think about it," Carter said, leaning back in his chair.
Patrick sunk back into his chair. Now that he thought about it, she might do such a thing. This whole nicey-nice persona she gave off could just be a set up, to get him to slip up. "What do you have planned?"
Carter smiled that Cheshire-cat smile again. "I knew you'd come around. I need you to bring her to the old abandoned church, telling her you just wanted to show it to her. Then, I'll take care of her myself."
Patrick was taken aback. "What? What do you mean?"
Carter waved his hand, "You can be persuasive and naive, just wing it."
-~-~-~-~-
"This is going more smoothly than I thought, Derrick," Carter said, a smile of sinister satisfaction.
"It's, um, Dylan, sir," Dylan corrected under his breath.
"Whatever. I've been tracking this girl down for some time. And I tell you, it hasn't been easy, not in the least. It's been troublesome that her father's job causes them to move around constantly, but I've got the help I need to get it this time!"
"Brilliant sir," Dylan replied in his chronically wheezy croak. He paused a moment, his dull eyes crossed, deep in thought. "Er, can you tell me why you've been after this girl for so long, sir?"
Carter glared at his lackey. "You've been thinking again, haven't you Daniel?"
"Dylan."
"Whatever! But no matter; this girl has some information. Information very necessary in my ingenious plan."
"I see, sir." Carter was looking over some complicated diagrams and spreadsheets on the computer screen in front of him, muttering to himself.
"I can't go through with the next stage until I pry that information from her."
Dylan shifted nervously. "But, what if she's not willing to tell you?"
Carter gave him a sly look. "Dylan, you know that I have ways of, persuasion."
"But, what if those don't even work?"
He thought about this a minute. "If I have to resort to prying it out of her cold dead hands, that can be arranged."
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Patrick tried to ignore the horrid cold feeling in the pit of his stomach, to no real avail.
Sarah was still oblivious to his discomfort. "So, why are we going up to this old church again?"
He sighed. "I told you, I wanted to show some of the old places around here." She seemed content with that answer.
The great steeple loomed over their heads, silhouetted by the setting sun.
Patrick took a deep breath. "Well, come on."
Sarah was caught off-guard. "What, you mean we're actually going in?"
He shrugged. "Why not? It's never locked, and no one ever comes up here." Sarah seemed hesitant.
"I don't know, Patrick..."
"Aw, come on. It's not wicked old, you know; nothing's gonna fall on your head." He swallowed. "Trust me." The words seemed hollow and jagged in his throat. It seemed to worsen the feeling in his stomach.

Sarah pushed open the large oak door to the church; it echoed eerily throughout the sanctuary. The term "sanctuary" seemed to be an oxymoron in this context. Patrick felt a sizable lump rise into his throat.
"Wow," she exclaimed, her voice bouncing off the cobweb-strewn walls. "I can't believe this is real!"
"I can't believe it either," a voice from behind the pair called. They whirled around to see Carter, standing in front of where an altar would've stood, flanked by Dylan and two large brutes. Sarah nearly collapsed from surprise. "You're surprised to see me again, eh Sarah?" he asked her, coming down the stairs and up the aisle at a brisk pace, the two guards two steps ahead of him. "It's a small world, isn't it? You didn't think you could avoid me forever, now did you?" A wide malicious grin was spread across his face. Sarah slowly tried to back up, eyes as wide as a frighten deer's. But before she could turn to flee, the two guards seized her by her arms. Carter couldn't have been more delighted. "But, thanks to Patrick over there, you'll elude me no longer."
Sarah was stunned. "Patrick? But he would never do such a thing!" She craned her neck to look at Patrick. "Would you?"
Carter laughed. "You're smart, but you can be so naive sometimes! He's a loner by nature! He can never be true to a friend!"
Her eyes began to fill with tears. "You lied to me?"
Patrick couldn't bear to look at her."Well... you were going to blab about what I did!" he barked hoarsely.
Carter started laughing again. "Another gullible one! She couldn't have found out, your tracks were too well covered. I just had to put the situation in the right light to get you to help."
It was Patrick's turn to be shocked. "So... so, YOU lied to me?!" he stuttered.
Carter chuckled. "Well, 'lie' is such a harsh word..."
"I can't believe you lied to me!" Patrick shouted at Carter.
"I can't believe YOU lied to ME!" Sarah shrieked. She would've said more, but Dylan swung a gag around her head and tied it tightly.
"Now that's enough," Carter called out, snapping his fingers. On cue, the two thugs dragged her along the back and up a set of stairs. Patrick couldn't bear it any longer. He rushed out of the church, eyes glued to the pavement, hot tears stinging in his eyes. He sprinted across a nearby park, oblivious to the now pouring rain, towards a small grove of trees. As soon as he was behind a large maple, away from anyone who might see or hear him, he slid down the trunk to the dirt, and began to bawl. How could he have done this to himself, let himself be made a complete fool of? But, more importantly, how could he have led Sarah into this? He was such a freaking idiot! Sarah was one of the only friends he had. No, strike that; she was the only friend he had. Now she probably hated him, like everyone else. "Oh God," he thought aloud, with his head between his knees, "why can't I do anything right? How can I make this right again?" Then, almost as if it was a sign from above, the rain stopped, and a shaft of sunlight came down onto him. He slowly brought his head up. He didn't know how he was going to do it, but he was going to rescue Sarah and do whatever it took to make it up to her.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Sarah shuddered to have Dylan touch her as he tied her to a post up in the old choir loft. She wanted to scream from disgust when Carter took off her gag.
"There," he said in a faux sicky-sweet tone. "That's better, right?" She turned away from him. "Now, that's no way to act, is it? I mean, we haven't seen each other since, oh, since I can remember!"
"It's a wonder you can remember anything. You have a small head, but it's too inflated with that macho ego of yours!" Sarah cried.
Carter took on a fake surprised look. "Well! That's no way to talk, now is it?" he asked, turning to Dylan with a smirk. He tried to stroke her cheek, but she turned her head quickly to take a snap at his finger. "Geez! What do you think you're doing?"
"Trying to bite that finger off, that's what! Don't you dare touch me or I will bite you! You hear me!" she shouted, her elusive southern drawl slightly emerging.
Carter looked a tad nervous. "You know we're in a church, right? Y'know, you should be quiet in a sacred place..."
"We could be in God's waiting room for all I care!" she cried at the top of her lungs. Carter suddenly got a serious persona. He leaned in very close to her face; she turned away."I want to make myself clear: you know something I need to know. I don't want to hurt you to get that information..."
"Don't lie, you snake," she hissed. "You know you'd strangle me like the constrictor you are."
He glared at her. "I won't stand to talked to like that."
"Really? I thought that's what they would call you where you come from."
Surprised, he asked, "Where would that be?"
"Gehenna, of course."
Blind with fury, he wound up and slapped Sarah across the face. "You may be smart, but you need to be taught manners. I'm going to leave for a while, so you can think about if you will tell me what I ask you for when I ask you for it. If you do easily, I'll consider letting you go quietly. But, if you make it difficult for me, I'll make it difficult for you, understand?" She nodded, trying to glare at him, but not succeeding in hiding the fear in her eyes. Carter let this sinister smirk curl flicker onto his face. He handed Dylan the gag, snapped his fingers and motioned for the two guards to follow him down the stairs. Dylan started to reach to tie the cloth, but Sarah took a snap at him."Hey! Watch it!"
"You touch my skin, you're gonna be losing some. Got it, boy?" she hissed, her drawl tinging her voice.
"Alright, alright," he answered annoyed. "Geez, people are right when they say girls are picky and violent," he added under is breath. She clamped her teeth down onto his ear. "Ow! Ow! What the frick are you doing?"
"Oo ber-rer ake ah bah, oo ih-whih!" she shouted as clearly as anyone could while digging one's teeth into someone else's ear. Dylan resorted to whimpering. "Ay ih! Ah ain' oh-ah leh oo oh uh-ill oo ake ah bah!"
"Alright! Alright! I take it back!" he whimpered.
"Ah-ih?"
"Yes, I promise! I take it back!" She let go slowly; Dylan clutched his left ear, moaning in pain.
"Now, you were going to gag me again?" Sarah asked impishly.
Dylan hesitated. Did he want to risk getting bitten again? He slowly approached her from behind, tying the cloth over her mouth and onto the pole. "There! Now you won't be able to move even if you wanted to! And you can't bite me!" Dylan said with a snide smirk, chuckling stupidly. With that, he lumbered off down the stairs. Sarah sighed. Now that she was alone, she could collect her thoughts. She found herself bewildered, scared, but especially betrayed. She couldn't believe she had trusted Patrick! What an idiot she was! But, maybe it wasn't her fault; maybe Patrick just wasn't able to change. She leaned against the pole she was tied to and sighed against her gag.
Just then, she heard a door creak open, followed by quick footsteps. She froze. Then, without warning, a grappling hook shot into the air and grabbed onto the edge of the choir loft. Sarah's eyes widened in surprise. A few seconds later, Patrick's head popped up over the ledge. A grin spread across his face, and he said, "Miss me?"
Sarah wasn't sure whether to be ecstatic or furious. He swung himself over the ledge and climbed the couple stairs up to her. He sighed with relief that she was okay. A little shaken-looking, and a nasty five-star on her left cheek, but at least alive! He threw his arms around her in an embrace.
"I'm so happy you're safe!" She made some gutteral noises, motioning towards the back of her head with her eyes. Understanding, he untied the gag.
The first thing she did was take a breath of air. Then, she said, "Well?"
"Well... what?" Patrick asked, confused.
"Would you like to explain this to me?"
Patrick rubbed his neck. "It's kinda complicated, and..." He hesitated. "I don't want you to hate me for my stupidity. I have been, let's face it, a real idiot. I mean, probably the biggest idiot in the history of idiocy! And, and..."
Sarah gave him a frank look, then smiled. She sighed in mock exasperation. "Alright, I can stand to wait until later. But you'll have to work quick to get me out of here, I don't know how much this place echoes."
Patrick thought. Then an idea struck. "No, not yet."
Sarah's eyes widened. "What?! Are you insane?"
He gently shushed her. "We'll let Mr. Slither and Spunky think they've won. We'll have a system, see? We'll strike at the perfect moment, to catch 'em off guard."
"How will we know what the 'perfect moment' is?" she asked.
"I'll know. You can trust me; and this time I mean it, or strike me down!"

To be continued and filled-in.....