Living Shame Jamie Ott

Copyright Jamie Ott 2013. All rights reserved. No parts may be used without written permission. or more in!ormation" please use #onta#t details at the end.

$ubli#ation% &eptember 2'" 2013

Lucky Jasper Chapter 1 Ni#ole stood beside the tall pine tree and wat#hed him run a#ross the s#hool !ield. (ehind him" a do)en or so *ids !ollowed. +e ran" !ast" and leapt up onto the metal !en#e. ,i*e a spider using all its legs" he pulled himsel! up the !en#e" only to get both !eet #aught by the barbed wire on top. Now" he hung upside down as he tried to yan* his !eet !rom the metal #laws. Ni#ole ran up" slipped her arms around his ribs and pulled until his shoes ripped away. +is !eet #ame down" hit the !en#e and tou#hed the ground" and without a word" he bolted o!! into the trees. -$eter" wait./ she #alled. (ut he was gone. 0he *ids on the other side stood and stared. Ni#ole loo*ed up and noti#ed that both his shoes were hanging o!! the barbs. &he 1umped up" twi#e" grabbed his shoes and wal*ed away in the dire#tion that he ran. Just on the other side o! the !orest" she !ound him at the par*. On a swing he sat. +is !a#e glum and downturned" he swung" gently" pushing ba#* and !orth with his !eet.

A#ross the tops o! his !eet" #uts bled bright through his white so#*s. -+i $eter./ +e didn2t answer or loo* up. Ni#ole sat on the swing ne3t to him. 4n the dirt" right above his !eet" she set down the shoes. Cotton stu!! po*ed out o! the ripped plasti# tongue. &ome o! the la#es were #ut #lean in hal!. +e wiped his shiny" wet !a#e with the ba#* o! his ashy hand. On his !orehead" a dried lump o! blood loo*ed li*e a tiny vol#ano. 0he sight o! it made her hurt inside5 made her want to hold him" li*e she2d imagined many times already. &he rea#hed over and pla#ed her downturned !ist right above his lap. +e turned up his palms and she dropped a #ouple o! the polished red 1aspers they !ound at the bea#h. -4t2s almost dar*. 6e2d better get out o! here be!ore the vampires #ome./ +e #losed his hand around the stones and returned to loo*ing at his shoes. 0he par* light !li#*ered% it was the sign that the monsters time neared. &he sat in the sand" right by his !eet. ,oo*ing up into his !a#e" she put her hand on his arm and said" -Come on" don2t be sad./

Just then" the light !li#*ered and was blotted out !or a moment. 0wo men wal*ed toward the par*. 0heir !ronts were totally bla#*ed out be#ause o! the light o! the hori)on behind them. -Aaahh"/ she yelled. -0he vampires. 7un./ &he stood up and tried to yan* him by the arm" but he was immovable. -Just let them get me"/ he said and sni!!ed. -4 #an2t run with my shoes li*e this./ -+ey" *ids./ said one o! the men. -+ave you seen a dog" by any #han#e8/ Ni#ole got s#ared. &he2d wat#hed plenty o! television. 9ids had been *idnapped a!ter being lured by men loo*ing !or dogs. $lus" she2d seen two suspi#ious men wat#hing her !rom a vehi#le earlier that day. &he wondered i! these were the same men. -Come on" $eter./ &he grabbed him by the arm and pulled again. -6ait. 4 gotta try and put on my shoes./ +e slipped his !eet between the ripped up tongues" staining their tops with blood. &everal blo#*s east" they ran until they stopped and turned. 0he men were still shadows

be#ause o! the !ull moon behind them" but they were getting #loser. -&top !ollowing us" #reeps./ Ni#ole shouted. -Are you *ids o*ay8/ #ame a woman2s voi#e. 0hey turned and saw a woman wal*ing a dog. &he #rossed the street and stopped beside them. Ni#ole loo*ed ba#* to !ind that the men had stopped" too" and though she #ouldn2t see their !a#es" *new they wat#hed. -:eah" we2re !ine"/ said Ni#ole. -,et2s go./ 0hey too* o!! running again" and made it all the way to the #li!!s. At the very edge" they loo*ed below at the waves #rashing and roaring. -6ho do you thin* those guys were8/ as*ed $eter. -4 don2t *now" but that was s#ary./ -0a*e this"/ he said" handing her his mother2s gold #ross. +e2d lost the #hain wee*s ago. -:ou don2t want to get bit by a vampire be#ause o! me. 42ll ta*e whatever 4 got #oming to me./ &he turned it over in her palm. 0he ba#* had a long" deep s#rat#h that revealed a lighter #olored metal below. -0han*s"/ she said and slipped it in her po#*et.

&he sat" shivered and brought her *nees up to her #hest. +e put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder. -4 #an2t wait to grow up./ -6hy8 ;rownups su#*. ,et2s 1ust stay li*e this !orever"/ she said" leaning her head against his temple. -4 1ust want to leave. 4 hate this town. 42m si#* o! everyone loo*ing at me as i! 42m some pervert. 4 didn2t do anything. 4 would never hurt anyone./ -4 hope you never leave me. :ou2re my best !riend" !orever./ -4 promise that 42ll never go anywhere without you. 4! 4 do" 42ll always #ome ba#* !or you./ Ni#ole2s heart warmed at this" and !or a moment" she thought about *issing his #hee*. <oi#es" mu!!led by the sounds o! waves" made them turn. 0he two men were in the distan#e and nearing. -,et2s go./ she said. 0hey ran down the #emented path and veered o!! into the small wooded reserve. 0here were no pathways" but Ni#hole and $eter *new it well.

=own the gravel in#line" over pat#hes o! moss and beyond the grand oa* they went. 0wo minutes later" they were on the other side o! town. -Are you gonna be o*ay8/ she as*ed breathlessly. -:eah" 42ll be !ine"/ he said. -0hose guys will never get me. Just go home and *eep all the doors and windows lo#*ed./ >>> Ni#ole2s house was the big white one that too* up an entire blo#*. &he pulled a *ey out o! her po#*et and let hersel! inside. ?om sat on the #ou#h reading a tablet. Jeopardy was on the television. rom the o!!i#e down the hall" her !ather shouted. -Ni#ole" where have you been8/ &he was going to answer" but was distra#ted by the sound o! another voi#e shouting in her !ather2s o!!i#e. +e always had visitors in the evening5 o!ten business men" but sometimes real nasty loo*ing guys. ?om got o!! the #ou#h and wal*ed down the hall. A se#ond later" the sound o! the door being #losed was heard.

-6here have you been8/ her mom" then" as*ed. -$laying with my !riend./ -Not with $eter" again8 &tay away !rom him5 he2s dangerous./ -?om" don2t be ridi#ulous. 6e2ve *nown ea#h other sin#e we were babies./ -6hatever" Ni#ole. 0here2s !ood in the *it#hen. =o your homewor*5 go to bed. :ou *now the drill./ 0hat night" her !ather *no#*ed on the door. -+ey" daddy./ -:our mom tells me you were hanging with $eter again./ -=ad" he2s my !riend. @veryone2s mean to him. 6hy #an2t you be ni#e8/ -(e#ause you don2t understand" Ni#ole. +is !ather is a #hild *iller. 7ight now" a lot o! people got it in !or that !amily" and i! you2re seen with him" they #ould #ome a!ter you./ -(ut" why would anyone #ome a!ter me8/ -$eople don2t thin* things through. ,oo* at his house5 it2s been burned down. +is mother has been beaten into a #oma" and !or what" #ir#umstan#e8 4 *now it2s sad and that he2s 1ust a

*id" but we #an2t !ight the masses. 42ve got too mu#h on my plate right now" what with wor* and all./ Ni#ole didn2t understand what it all had to do with $eter" but she said" -O*ay" daddy./ 4t was better 1ust to agree" or else he2d never stop tal*ing. Not that she #ared be#ause" one day" she and $eter were going to run away together. As soon as he #losed the door" she !ell asleep with thoughts o! holding his warm hand.