Rage of Envy Rewrite Project

draft 4 part 1

“I...I...I didn’t do it,” said Darrel Michaels, his voice matching the tremors of his body.

Kristin Claire dropped her purse as she stared for a minute. The scene was not like the vision she had earlier. Rick Hall’s body was bound to the under skeleton of the bleachers, not lying in the mud. The knife in Darrel’s hand was dripping with blood. Kristin took it and placed it in her pocket.

As Darrel stood up he waivered slightly. He looked down at Kristin, his brown hair coming to his shoulders and tears in his blue eyes. “You got to believe me.”

“I know you, Darrel. Even with everything that has happened you wouldn’t kill him. Not like this.” Kristin bent to wipe the knife in the grass but there was so much blood. She stumbled, getting blood all over her hands. She picked up the cellphone her hand landed on and wiped everything off on her jeans. She took a note from Rick’s shirt pocket and put it in her jacket.

Darrel stiffened. “We need to get out of here. Go tell the guys. They’ll know where to find me.” He ran out from under the bleachers and disappeared into the fading light.

A cheerleader pulled her partner under the bleachers, and they started kissing. Kristin ran and caught a glimpse of a figure in a red hoodie watching from across the street. She couldn’t worry about that now. She was down the street before realizing she had left her purse behind. She couldn’t stop and she couldn’t go back.

As she ran, Kristin went over how things had led up to this.....


Kristin was in-between classes at Heilman High School when she received a phone call from Mitch.

“What’s up?”

“I thought you would like to know. Darrel got a call from Rick to meet him later at the football field.”

“I must go to the newspaper meeting. They’ll fire me if I miss another one. Tell Darrel not to do anything until we talk.”

After she hung up, Kristin got the familiar pain in her head that came with her visions. She seen Darrel crouching over Rick’s dead body. A teacher found Kristin on her knees with a bloody nose and took her to the nurse. The nurse would not release her until Mitch came to escort her home. His voice had a somber tone.

“Darrel found out I told you about his meeting with Rick. He called Rick and arranged to meet right away.”

“Where were they going to meet?”

“The football field under the bleachers.”


Kristin ran out to the field, yelling for Darrel to stop and come to her. The cheerleaders were on their way out to practice.

Kristin noticed two figures, one standing and the other crouched down, under the bleachers.....



Caltrans Garage was the gas station owned by Tyrel Davis just a block west of the main drag. Shawn and Dean Galloway hung out there and pitched in where they could. The three of them lived in the duplex next door. Kristin and Darrel lived in the other half.

Kristin stopped and sat on the old car seat outside the garage. Shawn stood there, cocking his head like a curious puppy. His blond curls framed his round face like ears.

“Krissy?” asked Shawn. “You, okay? Where’s Darrel?”

Kristin burst into tears. She could sense Dean was in the garage and Tyrel was coming out of the house with one of his famous hoagies filling his large black hands. She pulled herself together and went into the reception area of the garage.

“How bad did it go?” asked Tyrel.

Shawn dragged Dean in from the garage. Kristin told them what had happened from when Mitch first called her.

“I think we all need to disappear. They’ll be looking for Darrel and me and it won’t take them long to get to you all.”

“We have a place,” said Tyrel.

Kristin grabbed a few essentials for her and Darrel. When she went back out, Tyrel was under the hood of the green hulk that was his van. All his belongings were Camouflage.

Shawn came running out of the house with his flip-flops in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. Dean was close behind him, hopping on one foot as he tried to put on his loafer.

“I’m going to break you in half!” yelled Dean.

“You need to catch me first,” said Shawn.

Kristin had to laugh. “What is it this time?”

“I just thought he should bring his latest Playboy issues. The ones there are probably getting icky.” Shawn made a wide turn and hid behind Tyrel.

Dean followed but skid to a halt when he seen Kristin.

“We don’t have time for this,” said Tyrel.

As they got in the van Kristin pulled the bloody cellphone from her pocket and tried dialing. It wouldn’t let her in. She realized she had Rick’s phone.



Supervisory Special Agent Kory Galloway didn't care for small towns, he said they always had too many secrets. That's why he didn't like being in Waterton. That and he was there to investigate the homicide of a young person. His SUV pulled up in front of the small colonial and Anna Morgan got out the other side. She was movie star gorgeous with her silky auburn hair and deep green eyes. Her heels were a little too high as was the hem of her skirt to be professional.

Galloway lifted his sunglasses off his blue eyes and used his handkerchief to wipe sweat off his dark patched face. A blonde curl fell on his brow, and he pushed it off to one side.

Sheriff Tom Cloud was the local law. He had a deep tan and dark eyes. His dark braid laid down the left front of his uniform almost down to his revolver. He met them as they approached the house. He looked worn out and wrinkled, much older than he should.

"It's a real mess in there," said Cloud.

"Tell me about the victim," said Galloway.

"Randy Simmons was a good kid, captain of the football team at the high school...

A deputy wearing the same uniform as Cloud with red hair and brown eyes approached them. "Tanya Simmons, Randy's little sister, says she has information we should hear. Also says Randy's car is missing. A '65 Pontiac GTO. A real classic."

"I'll go talk to her," said Anna.

Cloud took Galloway inside. The couch was tipped over. The coffee table was smashed. There were rips and slashes in a chair that was full of blood. Randy Simmons was on the rug in front of the entertainment center, His hands and feet were duct taped to the floor and he had multiple stab wounds.

A woman entered the house pulling up her hair in a pink scrounge. She was alluring with her evenly proportioned body and hypnotic green eyes.

"Hello, Jamie," said Galloway.

"Dr. Solanum, Kory, I'm here officially."

Galloway gave her a wink.

Dr. Solanum looked down at Randy's body and shook her head. "My lab didn't really need to catch this one. We're still trying to sort out that pile up from Highway 63. Someone dumped a body out of a moving vehicle."

"I heard that one was a mystery," said Galloway, "What can you tell me here?"

"Multiple stabbings with different sharp objects, probably all knives. Throat slit. Tongue removed. Duct taped in a sacrificial position," Dr. Solanum carefully removed a note from his pocket. "There's a two written on one side and an infinity on the other."

"The same as the Julie Norton scene," said Sheriff Cloud. "About a week ago. She was sexually assaulted. There was a note there with a one on it..."

"I'll check for any sexual assault when I get Mr. Simmons back to the lab. With his pants around his knees, I would just about say that's going to be a yes."

"We can expect more," said Galloway. "I'd better call in the rest of my team."....






“Mitch’s car is well known by police around here,” said Tyrel. “Of course, this hulk isn’t hard to miss.”

“So, we got to pick up Mitch?” asked Shawn.

“We’ll find him somewhere on the border,” said Dean. “He just texted me.”

They found Mitch on the border between towns. He jumped into the passenger seat and turned to look at Kristin. “At least Darrel’s not in jail.”

When the warehouse district had been booming, Tunning was where the workers called home. It was filled with small houses, apartment buildings, and low rent residences. It was considered worse than slums now. Homeless people squatted in what houses were available, pimps and their girls took to working out of the apartment buildings and street gangs made their presence known on the streets.

The van pulled into a garage next to a boarded-up A frame colonial. Shawn went to the side door and pulled on one of the boards. Two more slid out of the way revealing a hole that Shawn just fit into. He came and unblocked the back door.

Mitch switched on his cellphone flashlight. “Let’s go find Darrel.”

The house smelled of wet boards and mildew. It was pitch dark and the dust was thick in the air, making it hard to breathe. Kristin could sense they were getting closer to Darrel. There was a room just off the kitchen. Beyond the door lay Darrel face down and snoozing on a king-sized bed. Mitch cleared his throat. Darrel stretched and turned over.

“I was wondering when you would get here.”

Shawn peeked in through the door. “Tyrel wants to know if we can turn on the electricity.”

“Let’s wait on that,” said Darrel. “There are candles on the table.”

Kristin wrapped her arms around Darrel’s neck and kissed his cheek. “So, what now?”

“Hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.”

Darrel laid back down and Kristin rolled over. She couldn’t help but think of all she had been through with Rick Hall......




A couple of weeks ago everyone was talking about the death of Timothy Karson. Classes had let out and Kristin went to the girl’s locker room. The last thing on her mind was the recent obsession that Rick Hall seemed to have for her.

“Well look what we got here,” said Rick.

Kristin turned around. Rick was right in her face. Rick’s friends, Toby Bryant and Grant Mitchel were blocking the door.

Rick had that slick James Dean look that seemed so popular. Kristin knew it was all Botox and plastic surgery that had ugliness underneath. Toby Bryant looked like the monster he was, a star linebacker of the football team with a military haircut like his father so he wouldn’t have all those blonde curls. Grant Mitchel, on the other hand, had a head of black curls that looked good on him. Even though he was just the mascot of the team he had kept himself fit.

“Can’t you guys read? It says, ‘girls’ on the door,” said Kristin.

Rick stepped forward pushing Kristin up against the lockers. He put his hand on her leg sliding it up toward the edge of her skirt. Toby Bryant stepped forward eagerly. Kristin slapped Rick’s hand away.

“That’s okay, Kris, the rougher the better,” said Toby.

Rick leaned in. Kristin pushed him back. He moved forward again, and Kristin shoved him back over the bench. She did a twist avoiding Toby’s grasp and pushed Grant out into the hallway. She kept running.

When she got to the house Darrel was outside. She flung herself into his arms shaking. He got her to tell him what happened.

Darrel snored and rolled over.



Two days later, Darrel and the others headed to their favorite field for some mud football. Darrel caught sight of Rick with his Auto Club friends. They turned in that direction.

“Rick, I hear you have a problem with my girl,” said Darrel.

Mike Austin and Brian Applegate were with the usual trio. Mike was a shy geek with constantly wet brown hair and a sweaty T shirt. Brian was a bright redhead with the cocky attitude to match. They all belonged to the Auto Club called The Gators and were polishing and working on their cars.

“No problem,” said Rick, “I just thought that the five of us wouldn’t be a problem saying she was already doing the five of you.”

As Rick’s group laughed, Kristin could feel the anger in her group. Darrel hit Rick in the jaw.

Toby Bryant started moving toward Darrel. He stepped back when Tyrel stepped forward to meet him.

“Stay away from her, Rick, or you will be in a world of hurt,” said Darrel.

Rick just grinned, a trickle of blood in the corner of his mouth. “You can’t watch her twenty-four-seven and you rejects aren’t allowed near our school.”

Kristin curled up in a ball.



The day before his death, Rick made his move. Kristin was at the public library looking for books. Rick came up behind her and grabbed her bottom. When Kristin straightened up there was a knife at her throat. Rick moved his other hand to her crotch as he spoke.

“I could take you right here and no one would do anything. We tell everyone they saw nothing, that’s what they’ll see.”

Suddenly Darrel was there. He grabbed a handful of Rick’s hair. The knife pressed against Kristin’s throat and Rick’s hand dug into her crotch.

“Darrel,” whimpered Kristin.

Darrel didn’t blink. He grabbed Rick’s hand holding the knife and pulled it over Rick’s head.

“Let go completely Rick before I do serious injury to your back with my knee.”

Rick’s other hand slid away. Kristin put a hand to the trickle of blood at her nneck.

“Alright, Darrel, I’m okay. Let him go.”

“I told him what would happen. Am I to go back on my w ord?”

Rick turned pale and was shaking. Everyone else seemed frozen.

“Nothing will happen but your butt in jail,” said Kristin.

Kristin shivered and buried her face in the pillow.




The final incident happened the morning before Rick’s murder. Kristin was walking down the hall with her homework piled in her arms. Grant Mitchel tripped her. Rick rushed to her side. As he helped her up his hands went to her breasts and massaged. She pulled away from him and ran as everyone laughed. That afternoon, Rick and his friends were laughing about it in front of the convenience store. Shawn and Dean overheard them and told Darrel…..

It had all led up to Kristin finding Darrel over Rick’s dead body…..





Kristin walked to the kitchen, yawning and bumping into the wall as she tried to stretch. Dean was frying bologna and had coffee brewing in a large urn. Shawn was removing newspaper froom the windows. The glass underneath had shading film stuck to it.

“Morning Kris. Breakfast?” asked Dean.

“bathroom.”

“Over there.” He pointed to the opposite side of the kitchen.

Kristin used the facilities and then sat at the table.

‘Dry toast and black coffee?”

“Ice cube in the coffee if we got any.”

“I remember and yes we do.” Dean set the coffee in front of her. “We’re going to need things if we are going to stay here.”

Darrel entered the kitchen. “We’ll have to make a supply run. We just got to be careful.”

“At least we got the garage here,” said Tyrel.

“I need to go to my house. I need things to wear and these boots are killing me,” said Kristin.

“That says it. Shawn and Dean can get supplies and we’ll go to your place,” said Darrel.

“No way,” said Kristin. “We run into my sister or my mom and your goose is cooked.”

“We should check the news before we do anything,” said Mitch.

“I wish we had a computer here. I could look up the newspapers and what is being said on social media.”

“I think our only way out of this is finding out who really did kill Rick.”