Him

                                                                                                                        "Him"

                                                                                                                         Intro

         It has been seven years since the last time I visited this place, seven long years since I made peace with what happened.  I guess that I should explain some things first.  My name is Michael James Stone and I am just a normal, boring street cop, but it wasn't always like that.  The whole thing started on September 7, 1996.  I was the most popular freshman at Oakland High, the guy that all the guys wanted to be, all the girls wanted to be with, and of course the one with the rich parents. It was the best time of my life, and I felt like I was untouchable, that nothing bad could ever happen.  I don't think that I was ever so horribly wrong, because that was when he first struck.

                                                                                                     Chapter One- Untouchable?

         Michael slowly opened his eyes after a good night of sleep. It was a bright, mildly windy Saturday, the perfect day for a nice game of football. He looked at the alarm clock to see a bright red 7:34 staring back at him, just enough time to get a game in before lunch.  He stood up, hastily dressed, and bolted out of his room.  Michael could almost taste his mother's Saturday waffles as he walked down the stairs, half expecting to be the only person home.  He was surprised to hear his mother's annoyed voice, "What do you want me to do? I can't just leave him at home alone, and I have to be at work by 8."
         Michael deduced that his mother was talking to his little brother, Mathew's babysitter over the phone.  Mathew was four, and couldn't be left alone, which was bad news for Michael and his football plans. Just when Michael started looking for an escape Mathew exclaimed "Can i play with Mikey today?"
         "Never mind, I am going to leave him with Mike," said Mother before she hung up.
         "Noooo!" exclaimed Mike "I have been planning a game of football with my friends for weeks."
         "I like foothball, foothball is fun," said Matt, wearing his Spider Man underwear outside his pants.
         "Well you don't have a choice in the matter, so you can either take him with you or stay at home."
         "I can't stay at home! The guys are depending on me," whined Mike "and they invited the whole school to watch"
         "Then take him with you."
         "I wanna come!" said Matt, running around like a superhero.
         "I just said that the whole school is going to be watching, just look at him. I would be the laugh of the school."
         "I don't have time to deal with this, I will see you during my lunch break," she said before slamming the door behind her.
         "Lookie I am a foothball player" said Matt, with the underwear now on his head.
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         The football game was supposed to be a friendly game between the public high school and private high school in Oakland, but it got really competitive. There were two reasons that they are having the game; the first reason was because the game is fun, the other was to show off to the girls.
         "I have to watch him today, so deal with it!" shouted Mike, before the game.
         "I know, all I am saying is that he is going to slow the game down," said Charlie, Mike's friend, defensively.
         "Well since your ankle is injured why don't you watch him, Chuck. You are the only one who isn't going to be playing today," interjected Mike.
         "Fine, but you owe me," grumbled Charlie.
         "OK let's get the game going," exclaimed Mike.
         "Can I play?" asked Matt. Everybody just ignored him and set up for the first play. Mike returned the kickoff to the 4 yard line, with great cheers from the audience.  He then called the play in the huddle and had the team set up a quarterback sneak.  Matt ran onto the field just as the ball was hiked, and almost got ran over by an angry defender. 
         Right after the play was over Mike yelled "Matt go away!" Matt started crying and ran off the field.  The game continued as if nothing happened.  Mike made a few perfect passes and hand offs, but his team lacked at defense.  Mike's team was behind by six points, when there was only a minute left in the game.  Mike scored, tying them up, so it was all up to him to run the ball in for the extra point. Mike called a for a quarterback sneak, but instead of running the ball up the center he was going to hand the ball off.  The defense set up a strong line and the offense set up for a the fake.  The whole defense charged through the line and tackled Mike, while the fullback ran the ball in for the extra point.
         Mike was a hero, everybody on his team rushed up and to high-five him.  The two teams shook hands and the other team congratulated them on their win.  Then both teams packed up their gear and prepared to head home. Mike was the last person to pack his stuff away, because people wanted to congratulate him.  He looked up after putting all his stuff in his bag and saw Sarah walking toward him.  Sarah was the hottest girl in his high school. She was the girl that every guy wants to be with.  Mike awkwardly started to play with the strap on his bag. He is the kind of person that excels at most things, socializing with girls was an exception. "Good game Mike," she said.
         "Thanks," he mumbled, still looking at his bag.
         "Did you have fun?" she asked, trying to make conversation.
         "Yea, except when my brother walked on the field," he said, trying to keep his cool.
         "Oh that was your brother?" she questioned, acting like she didn't really know.
         "Yea"
         "You seem good with kids," she lied.
         "Thanks"
         "Where is he now?" she wondered.
         He looked up for the first time, "I don't know," he said worried. He started to look around and call out for Matt, but no luck. A stabbing pain of worry quickly started in is gut "He probably just went home," he said, "but I should go looking for him. I will see you later, I guess"
         "See you," she said, slightly disappointed.
         He grabbed his bag and ran off, calling for Matt. He circled around the field a few times before he headed home. He picked up the phone and called his mother as soon as he arrived "Mom, Matt ran off at the game and now I can't find him!"
         "What?" she asked "What do you mean?"
         "I mean that Matt is missing. He was there at the beginning of the game, but he was gone by the end."
         "Call the police, I am going to call your father."
         "I am sorry" he sobbed "It is all my fault, I was supposed to be watching him."
         "It is all right, we are going to find him. I will be home soon."She got home thirteen minutes after the phone call.
         "You got home fast, it usually takes you half of an hour."
         "I was in a hurry, just like now. We don't have time to chat," she said, "Your father is still on his business trip, and can't come home until tomorrow. I need you to wait here for the police and tell them what happened, I am going to go look for him. I will be back in about two hours."
         "Good luck," he said as she headed out.
         While he waited for the police to arrive he called Charlie, "Hello, is Charlie home?"
         "I haven't seen him since the football game," replied the worried voice on the phone.
         "Oh. Well then I guess that I wont waste any more of your time."
         "Wait, the police said that your little brother also went missing?"
         "Yes, so you think that they are together?"
         "The police seem to think so, they are going to interview some more of the kids that went to the game then they are going to go over there and ask you some questions."
         "Thanks for the update. I am sorry that your son is also missing," Mike said.
         The police didn't get there for more than an hour. They had him recall every moment of the incident and describe it in complete detail. The sun had gone down by the time the police finished questioning him. Just as they were about to leave