Tags
addiction, Book Reviews, bullies, contemporary, drama, short-story
“Paper Images”
Logline: Jarian Martin, a former artist, is a compassionate young man who has dedicated his life to helping others. As the troubles of a difficult past strike closer to home, the life he must fight to save is just as important to him as his own…
Excerpt:
8 years ago…
It had been an ordinary Friday after school event for fifteen year-old Jarian Martin while he stood out by the football field waiting for his neighbor and best friend, Andy Hansen to appear. He had already been threatened with his usual daily ass-kicking from Bobby Clark in the library during last period. After the bell rang, he escaped his nemesis’s wrath with a clever short cut through the back doors of the gym, and ran the rest of the way to where he finally stopped to wait. Andy eventually would show up, happy and smiling about some date he had with one of the hottest girls in school for the movies later that night. Bobby would be on his heels, pissing and moaning about Jarian being picked over him to escort that girl’s equally sexy best friend. The only thing that kept Bobby for beating the hell out of him right there on the field was the sudden arrival of Andy’s big brother, Tony. Tony was the big brother Jarian wished he always had. In the end, Bobby Clark would get the hot date after all, because Jarian knew better than to even ask. His mom would say “no,” and in his house, her word was always the final rule.
* * *
Later in the night an unforeseen horror had Jarian sitting fearfully quiet, crouched in the darkest corner of his lonesome upstairs bedroom. He couldn’t remember how long he had been there, not that it mattered, but at least for the moment he felt he was safe. The low hum of central air coming up through the floor vent beside him was the only sound in the house next to the pop radio station playing on the stereo downstairs. Only his heart was beating loudest, he thought. Though the air from the vent was cool, hot beads of sweat poured from him like a waterfall down and across his bruised and aching face. In an attempt to brush the water from his eyes he discovered that his hands were soiled with grit and the once soft pinkness of his palms were now scraped and scarred with blood and dirt from end to end. The damage to his face and hands were small in comparison to what all that had happened to him.
* * *
Eight years later a phantom itch to a tiny knife scar on his top-left shoulder would hardly register to Jarian as he made his way in life. As a college student and crisis center volunteer, his hands were always full in concern for others, especially his roommate and childhood bestfriend, Andy Hansen, whose own life has spiraled into addiction. After years of struggling with Andy’s situation, Jarian is finally forced to take action. What he comes to find is in order to save one life, he may have to start with his own…
Amazon Customer Reviews;
“The author has done a great job and the narrative is as smooth as silk. ”Shazzam |
“You will find the answers to many questions toward the end of the short story. ”Arlena
“How far would any of us go to protect someone we love. ”Marla |
Note: This story is one of three, revised and redesigned in my new Ebook to screenplay project; “The Inhabitants of Magnolia Park.” http://amzn.com/B009MQM9FM Print book is not the same.
