Tales Told-Chapter 1

Chapter 1

         Overall things in the Maslow home were fairly normal. Sam was the third of three children and although he often disliked his brother and sister, he did love them. Especially Kylie. Kylie was the youngest and Sam felt mature around her.

         Sam was a very bright, yet naïve child. He stood taller then most twelve year olds, but he had a tendency to slouch which made him appear much shorter. He had brown, curly hair that darted this way and that from his head. His mother had always said his best features were his eyes though. Sam had deep blue eyes that projected a depth of knowledge and understanding beyond his years.

         Sam also had one other thing that made him stand out from the other kids.
When he was nine he had been out in the shed playing with his father’s tools, and as he was strictly forbidden to do so, he had been trying to be sneaky about it. He rummaged through this box and that in the dark until a shiny object had caught the corner of his eye. He had put his hand in to grab at the alluring object but inadvertently, with his other hand had started an old yellow, power saw. The loud noise startled him so much that he instinctively pulled out his other hand and jumped back, severing the top knuckle of his left index finger.

         Now because of this the other kids called him stubby. This made Sam furious, and of course kids being kids, the madder Sam got the more they would persist. One child in particular found great pleasure in mocking and taunting Sam. Tommy Childs. Tommy wasn’t just a mean kid, Tommy was just plain evil. One day Tommy had caught Sam walking home by himself and shoved him into an alleyway.

“Well, if it isn’t stubby little Sammy.”

“Shut up Tommy! I told you not to call me that!” Sam yelled with tears beginning to well up in the corners of his eyes.

“Are you gonna start crying already?” “ What a little baby, I haven’t even hit you……yet.” Tommy sneered.

Sam could feel his heart beating in his chest, like a melodic drum, faster and faster. He began to clinch his fists very tightly at which Tommy laughed hysterically.

“What, you gonna hit me?” “Can you even make a fist with that stub of yours?”

         At that very moment Jake had been walking by and had heard Sam and Tommy screaming. Jake was the oldest of Sam’s siblings and although Sam didn’t like him much he did love him. And Jake loved Sam too, even if he would never admit it. Jake was a junior and much, much bigger then both Sam and Tommy. He knew all about Tommy as this was not the first incident between him and Sam.

         “Listen you little fucking rat,” Jake said as he grabbed Tommy by the shirt and slammed him up against a dumpster, “Stay away from my brother, or so help me god I’ll pound your face in!”

         Tommy just sneered like he always did. “You think I have not taken a beating before?” “You think I’m afraid of you?” “You and your brother had better watch yourselves cause I can handle myself, and I will stick both of you assholes.”

         Just as he said this Sam noticed Tommy had reached into jacket pocket and produced a vicious curved blade.

“JAKE LOOK OUT!” Screamed Sam.

The fear and desperation in Sam’s voice caught Jake off guard and he let up his grip on Tommy’s shirt and took a step back. Realizing the reason that Sam was yelling Jake quickly jumped back again and grabbed the back of Sam’s shirt and begin to slowly lead both of them out of the alley.

Realizing that he had them running scared, Tommy further pressed his advantage. “Not so fuckin’ tough now are you?” “You Maslow’s are all the same.” “Scared, helpless and weak.” “Next time I won’t be so nice.” “Next time I’m gonna stick ya.” At this Tommy turned and ran down the alleyway, climbing a fence and disappearing from sight.

Jake and Sam sat and stared at each other for a moment while both regained their composure. “What are we gonna do, Jake?” Sam whimpered.
“What we are gonna do is go home Sam, and keep your mouth shut, if Dad finds out I’ve been in another fight he will kill me.”
“But Jake,” Sam started,
“MOUTH, SHUT.”