Chapter One
by After a terrorist attack that devastates the nation, Robert Thomas Parks, U.S. Marshall, finds himself fighting for his life in central New Mexico. Read as he deals with the everyday struggles on his path to survive and maintain his humanity.
When he woke up he jumped up on the cot I made him as if he were a spooked animal, eyes darting back and forth looking for an exit or a weapon or something to defend himself with. Suspecting this may happen I slowly turned with a plate in each hand. Upon seeing my face he dove off the cot and grabbed a chair and held it high above his head as if to smash it down on my head.
I stopped in the middle of the kitchen and said in a calm voice, “it is gonna be kinda hard to eat when you are holding your chair above your head. Besides it is going to be too dark to see your food soon.” Setting the plates down on the table I turned to get some water and tortillas. I recognized the sound of the chair being placed back down. Turning to bring the water and tortillas he had taken the plate and ate with his fingers and gobbled it down.
“Hey, you better slow down it’s all your gonna get tonight so make it last.” I said with a smile.
“My name is Bobby, what’s yours?” I asked.
He took the cup of water and quickly drank it down and ate the tortilla. I asked his name several times that night but he didn’t answer. After we ate I showed him where to go to the bathroom. It was getting late and I was dozing in the chair not far from where he was and I guess I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know he is standing in the middle of the living room asking in an astonished and squeaky teenage voice holding toilet paper in his right hand, “you have real toilet paper?” I just smiled and nodded.
I found out that his family was headed out of town with all the other frightened people and there was an accident. His father got out of the car to see if he could help and several men started shouting at him as he turned to get back in the car someone hit him with a brick. His mother ran out of their car to his side just in time to take a baseball bat to the head. Ben took his baby sister of 4 years out the other side of the car and started to run when he turned around his sister was gone. Not a sound was made and he was too frightened to go back to look for her. I have heard him crying almost nightly, I can’t imagine the guilt he must be carrying around.
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