Witness: Short Story

I can't even draw up the inspiration to write the short story I'm required to write for History right now... These days just come sometimes. I only write well when my mind feels like cooperating, and when it doesn't and I try anyway, the results are usually subpar at best. So nothing new for today.

Instead, I'm posting a short story I wrote for school last year. Interestingly, I wrote this story almost exactly 1 year ago, so I revisited it to see how my writing progressed over the period. I probably would make a lot of revisions now, but I feel like posting it as-is for preservation's sake Hope you like it. (Warning: strong language inside.)

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The rap beats pounded out the window as we rolled down the street late at night, probably waking every house we passed. To them, we’re just jerks. But they don’t know what it’s like for us. Blasting your favorite music for all the world to hear with no one to tell you to stop puts you in a real position of power.

“Man, this 2Pac really knew his shit,” my friend Jake mentions from the driver’s seat. “Hey Dwayne, you think you can write this good?”

“Aw, hell yeah. This guy’s my main man. He’s my big inspiration. I can do way better that him.” I knew I could be a rapper when I grew up. I had what it takes. Nothing was stopping me.

Jake shrugged. “Okay man, but you know, you gotta be real good to make it as a rapper these days. You know, Kanye, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne…”

“Man, Kanye can’t rap.”

“He can rap a hella lot better that you.”

“Aw, shut up, nigga!”

Jake laughed as we pulled up to a stoplight. The streets were clear except a couple off to the side. The man pushed the woman, yelling in her face.

I tapped Jake on the shoulder. “Hey, look at that.”

Jake glanced to the side. “Aw, don’t go gettin’ involved in someone else’s deal. Let ‘em have at it. And don’t just sit there watchin’, that’s just rude.”

I tried to look away, but the fighting couple attracted my gaze. The yelling got more and more intense, and the rage kept getting matched by the other side. Suddenly, the man slapped the woman in the face, and she fell to the ground.

I hit Jake on the shoulder again. “Dude! You seein’ this?”

Jake brushed me off his shoulder. “I told ya, stop gettin’ up in other people’s business!”

I started to protest when I saw the man pull a gun from his pocket. I started to cry out when he pulled the trigger. Blood splattered across the sidewalk as the woman fell to the ground.

We both saw the accident. We screamed in unison as Jake slammed his foot on the pedal, flying down the street.

“HOLY SHIT!” yelled Jake “DID YOU JUST SEE THAT?!?”

“OF COURSE I FUCKIN’ SAW IT! HE JUST FUCKIN’ KILLED HER! HE SHOT HER IN THE FUCKIN’ FACE!”

Jake tried to collect himself. “All right, calm down! Calm down!”

I couldn’t believe him. “What the fuck do you mean, ‘calm down?’ He just blew her fuckin’ brains out! How the hell would I calm down?”

Jake turned off the music, his breath shaking. “Okay. We can’t do nothing about we just saw. That woman’s dead, and that’s it. We just gotta move on.”

There was a long silence as we sped down the street. The murder replayed itself in my head over and over again. I could tell Jake was seeing the same thing. We both were haunted by the image. I wanted to say something to make it better, to make it go away, but I knew there was nothing I could say. Neither of us had anything to say to the other, and yet we had so much to say to ourselves.

Eventually I couldn’t take the pressure of the silence. “Pull over,” I told Jake. “I’m gettin’ out. I’ve gotta have some time to think.”

Jake did as I asked without a word.

I stood on the side of the road, no idea what to do. Eventually I pulled out a cigarette and began to light it, but I stopped myself. I glared at the cigarette for minutes. That woman had just lost her life in seconds. She never saw it coming, and it was out of her control. If I could control my own fate, why would I do something like smoke when I can stop myself? I threw the cigarette on the ground.

Eventually, I turned around and rest my head on the wall behind me. Suddenly, my life was in complete confusion. I thought of all the deadly things I had done in the past – cigarettes, weed, my gang activity, all of it putting my life into jeopardy. I never thought about how little time I had on this earth before.

Then I thought about my dreams of being a great rap star. My dreams began to warp before my eyes. I only have so much time on this earth, and I want to contribute to the world how? With rap music? It all seems so stupid now.

I don’t know how long I sat there, but eventually a car pulled up. The door opened, and Jake ushered me inside.

“C’mon man, let’s go home,” he told me.

That night, I didn’t sleep a wink.