The Day They Killed Him (standard:Suspense, 3533 words)
Author: shadowsinflames	Added: Dec 11 2003	Views/Reads: 3558/2436	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Rorey witnesses the murder of her older brother when she was 7, and is determined to track down his killers. Though it's not as easy as it sounds, 15 years later, when she falls madly in love with a stranger who has a secret he shares with her siblings.

It's been fifteen years, almost sixteen, but it doesn't really feel like
that. The hurt is still fresh, sometimes I still cry his name out in my 
sleep. But what cannot be solved cannot be healed. I was seven years 
old when they killed my brother Joey, I saw them do it. 

I was outside in the backyard, playing in the mud with my doll, when I
heard Joey's car pull up. Joey was twelve years my senior, but we were 
very close. He always told me that I was his princess and treated me 
special. Of course, with me being only seven, I was determined that I 
was going to marry him someday. At that age, I had no clue that 
marrying your brother was a bad thing. So, when I heard his car pull 
up, I was estatic and leapt up to greet him. 

I ran to the fence and opened in time to see three boys get out of a car
that had followed him. I don't remember much about the car, except for 
it was big, black, and imposing. It scared me the moment that I saw it 
and I froze to watch the most horrible day of my life unfold. I 
couldn't see who the boys were for they wore cowboy suits, with rodeo 
hats pulled low over their faces. They hauled Joey out of the car and 
slammed him against the car. Then they bunched around him and I 
couldn't see what they were doing. When they stepped away from him, I 
screamed out no in protest. He was slumping down the side of the car, 
blood staining his clothes. 

My cry caught their attention, one turned and stared me full in the
face. I only remember his eyes, so blue, cold, and afraid. I was also 
startled to see that he had to have been around Eve's age, ten or so. 
Then they were gone in a squeal of tires, leaving Joey collapsed on the 
ground. I ran over to him, screaming his name over and over again. I 
remember so much blood, on his clothes, on the sidewalk, on his car, 
and dripping out of his mouth. That was when mom finally came out, but 
it was too late. He died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital 
from several stomach and chest stab wounds. Needless to say, I never 
forgot that day, and unfortunately, I never saw the cowboys again. 

That was as I said, over fifteen years ago, my brother would have been
thirty one, married and with nieces and nephews for me to play with. 
But he never had that chance. And now he was missing out on Shauna's 
wedding. She's the first of my mother's children to get married, which 
is not a good thing. Mom had eight of us, ranging from Shauna, who's 
thirty three, to her surprise and miracle child, Candice or Candy, who 
is only five years old. We all have our excuses for not wedding. 

Mark was engaged for about six years to his high school sweetheart. Then
one day she just up and left, never gave an explanation. Mark was 
devastated of course, for he absolutely worshipped the ground she 
walked on. He's dated around, he is an attractive twenty nine year old 
after all, but he's never been able to get over her. I wonder if he 
ever will. Eve, she's twenty nine, has slightly different tendencies 
than any of us when it comes to love, so in effect, she'll never 
officially marry. Though she does have a life partner. Then there's me, 
Rorey, and I'm twenty two. I've just never found the right guy, no one 
seems to match up to Joey's great personality. And last able to marry 
at the time is Erick, he's twenty, and he's just not ready to settle 
down. He's all about the parties and meeting chicks, or better said, 
getting into trouble. 

So, Shauna getting married is a big thing, even if she is making us
wearing hideous bridesmaids dresses. They make everyone look like they 
weigh nine hundred pounds, or maybe that's the point. If we look ugly, 
no one can stand the thought of looking at us, they'll have to goggle 
the bride. Joey would have said I looked like a princess, he always 
told me I looked beautiful no matter how bad I looked. 

Candy came skipping in, her basket of rose petals tipping dangerously in
her hand, 'They're almost ready Rorey, they're almost ready. Christa 
and Jeanie are ready too. Though my roses are prettier, don't you think 
they look prettier?' It's hard not to be overwhelmed when she's excited 
but I nodded enthusiastically, sure that there was no difference in the 
flowers at all. She was one of the three flower girls, the other two 
were two of Shauna's children. Her offspring equalled four in all, 
Donavan who was nine, Christa six, Jeanie four, and Philip three. 
Shauna had done her best to get her entire family, including her kids 
which were her future husband's children, into the wedding, whether we 
wanted to or not. 


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