I went this far

Alright, I'd post my unfinished novel here so that I could get prejudged early.

Chapter 1-Planning a Crime

September 28^th… September 29^th…  September 30^th…

The days went swiftly for Adam Fleet, an ordinary folk of Friar town. Working as a university professor in Accountancy, he gets to encounter varieties of personalities, traits, moods and characters.  But one thing shook him and forever changed his way of thinking; one act that left him in bitterness, causing his future demise and turmoil.

He was hungry for vengeance and all he needed was to wait for the right time and chance. He planned this strategically for months until the right time came.

It was October, cold winds and scattered rains filled the days which gives the people of Friar town a gloomy feel. 

It was October, the sun showed itself late in the morning and it hid early in the evening, making the nights longer. More room for faintness, less for light.

It was October, a month of gloom, of darkness and of an eventual death.

***

Adam stopped teaching for a semester and spent his time watching Mr. Reen’s actions diligently until he got an idea of his routines. He found out that gentleman wakes up at around 5 in the morning and leaves his house bound for his business establishment 30 minutes later. He then goes home for lunch. That is an opening for anyone who wants to kill him since his wife and kids are out during this time. He stays in their house for 1 hour and usually takes short naps. He watched this for a week, with his two eyes open, sensitive to every detail of Reen’s actions. He did this trying to be as conspicuous as possible and enduring how hard it is to see the man who destroyed him and his dream and caused his life’s failures.

That was enough detail for him. He started to lay his plan.

Adam stood up from his chair and went to his room. His heart beats at a really fast rate and he feels great weight in his chest. He shrugged this off and stared at himself in the mirror.

“Aha, look at you. You little handsome man. You will not allow anyone to get away with destroying you.

“You are strong. You have the makings of a great murderer. One who wouldn’t be known not because he sucked but because of being so secretive and being ‘clean’ in his murderous acts.” He uttered this with great determination and went off a great loud laugh with his deep, manly voice.

He then walks towards his desk, gets a pencil and brown envelope containing papers waiting to be filled with words of his morbid plan.

He starts writing.

I was a well established human being living with my wife for one year. I was a candidate for being the next dean. I was living my life the way I planned it. And Gregor Motley Reen destroyed it. And now, I must destroy him in return. But unlike what he did to me, I would not give him a chance to get back on his feet.

No cry will be heard. No sob will be entertained. No, nothi. . .

His writing was interrupted as the pencil broke with the hard pressure that he inflicts on it. His anger. No, not just anger. His fury, his rage, all felt while writing the document. He then  stands up and gets a knife to re-sharpen the broken writing tool.

It was October. Cold. Morbid. The cold breeze makes everyone shiver like little wet cats under the horizon.

Chapter 2-The Victim, An Old Friend.

Mr. Gregor Reen, more commonly known as Greg by his colleagues, is a well respected businessman. He has been running his construction supplies business ever since he graduated from college.

He graduated at the University of Friar with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He was not the best student but wasn’t the worse either. He has his fair share of ups and downs, flaws and mistakes and imperfections too.

Gregor Reen and Adam Fleet first crossed paths as he became his student in his second year of studying.

Reen was reading a novel in the hallway while waiting for class when Mr. Fleet noticed him. No, they did not have the usual rough start between opposing forces. They actually acquainted quite well.

“And you are?” Adam said, intrigued by the boy’s different aura.

 Greg turned his head upwards to see who asks for his name.

“Gregor Reen, 2^nd year Business Administration student,” he responds, unaware that he is talking to his Accountancy professor.

“What are you reading?”

“I’m reading Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho.”

“That is one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read with mature content. Well, hope to see you in class, Mr. Reen. Have a good day.” Adam said in a convincing manner, perhaps in an effort to persuade.

“Thank you. I know, my friend lent me this book and told me how it inspired him too. See you Professor Fleet,” Greg said, shaking his hand.

***

The both of them felt comfortable with each other after a semester. Greg excelled in the subject as he was a natural at arithmetic. Adam enjoyed having him as a student. They shared the same interests in books, novel authors and principles.

During off days, they would spend time smoking and drinking boos. In fact, when the two have great problems, they’d try to escape it for a while through nature trips. A father-son relationship best describes what they have.

Chapter 3-Shoulder to Lean on

Once, Greg ran away from their house after being almost beaten by his dad.

“You little mischievous brat. . . Where did you put the money?” His dad, now furious, is pointing at his mom violently.

“I said I didn’t take it.” His mom is now crying.

He interferes. “If you really love my mom, trust her. Make sure your allegations are correct! And why would she bother getting the money without telling you?” He couldn’t take it anymore.

“Money is just money. It can be earned again. But a loving family, one with understanding, it is priceless. Nothing could ever replace it.” He added as he shakes.

His dad grabbed him by the neck. They both look at each other in the eye and as he sees his dad’s knuckles approaching his head, he lets loose of the grab and runs as fast as he can.

At that time, he doesn’t have anything in his mind except to escape his furious dad. He ran until he felt that his dad was too far to get him. He ran as if he was going to be eaten by hungry lions.

He looked at his cell phone and the first thing that came into his mind is to text his teacher who he treats like a father.

Adam didn’t fail Greg. He welcomed him with great acceptance and they drank the night away.

Adam was not the orthodox professional. When he’s outside the school, he allows his students to jam with him and just have a great time. This may be due to his youth still intact within him. This earns him the respect of many, making him popular and the desire of every accountancy, business, marketing or management pupil to be his student.

Adam treated Greg specially. He doesn’t tell him but Greg reminds him of himself way back when he was in his early teens. He saw something special from the boy. With this, they shared a bond but he still keeps his professionalism when they are at school.

Chapter 4-Laying the Plan

..No, nothing. He will lay a cold body, one with a far cry from justice. Justice. Justice that will never be served.

He continues to write.

Now that I have observed Gregor Reen’s actions, it is time to lay the plan. It is time for me to taste sweet vengeance.

Vengeance is only sweet if you’re the one seeking it. I’d rather flood myself in its sweetness than to be in bitter righteousness. No more mercy. No more.

At around 1 in the afternoon, when the coast is clear, I shall enter his house without showing any clues of my dark plan. I shall pretend that I am there because I want to tie up loose ends with him. I would also ask him about what his life has become since we parted ways. I’ll pretend to be interested and keep the despise I feel inside.

I will let him fall into my trap as what he did with me. I will let him feel the hurt.

I. . . I. . .

He stops writing as he sips four glasses of his favorite wine. He feels every drop, the arousing satisfaction, the heat, contrasting with the cold October winds. After feeling satisfied, he continues.

When he is trapped into my little trick, I shall take my gun and show it to him. I know his initial reaction would be that I am just tricking him. That’s how we treat each other. We mess around. But I’m done messing around with him. No more Mister Nice Guy. No more Mr. Shoulder to Lean On. No more.

I shall play loud music first with whatever he has available. And then shoot. He will lie a lifeless body with no chance of fixing himself. No second chance.

And he lets loose a laugh that seems to be forcing its way out of him.

But of course, I am a wise man. I know that I shall make things clean though it will be really easy since Friar town doesn’t have experts in forensics. I will keep my hands off everything. I’ll have my hair shaved off to avoid leaving any. And after I shoot him, I will pour Muriatic Acid to erase any evidence thoroughly.

No one will suspect that I did it. And justice shall not be prevalent. Well, actually, it will. It is just since he destroyed my totality. And this is the justice I need.

                                    Chapter 5-The Everest

Greg Reen’s father brought home a brand new Ford Everest car. He was already close to Adam Fleet back then. So once he decided to borrow his dad’s new ride. Excited as he was, his father refused saying that he might not be used to the car yet. But Greg insisted and when his father went out, he sneaked the car.

He nervously opened their garage door.

“Shoot.”

He exclaimed to himself, annoyed by the parking position of the car. It was hard for him to drive it backwards for it to be out of the garage but still, he has this nagging feeling to still continue.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

He inserted the key, turned it to the right and then revved up the engine.

“Brrrrmmm. Brrrrrmmmmm.” It growled. He nervously shifted the gear to reverse and moved the vehicle slowly.

Due to his nervousness, he went a bit too fast and scratched the back-left portion of the car and also damaged a few pots near the garage.

He shouted loud profanities, expressing his deep and negative feeling on what he is doing.

He was almost shaking when he told himself that he shall continue because the damage has been done and he just wants to make the most out of it.

He picked up a friend from a nearby village and saw Adam hanging around. He approached them and said,

“Hey, what happened to your ride?”

“Uhmmm. Ahhhhh.” He really couldn’t find the right words and was Adam said,

“Lemme guess. You sneaked it out and scratched it?”

“Oh sir, I mean Adam.” He laughed. The professor always told him to call him by his first name when outside the campus. “Yeah, I sure did. And now, I’m just making the most out of this damage. So, there.”

“Can you gimme a ride? I’ll pay you back by helping you with the paint job but promise me one thing. .”

“Sure.” He almost shouted in delight. “What’s the condition?”

“Well, you need to confess to your dad what you did even if the damage is unnoticeable after my help.”

“But ahmm. Why? What you don’t know won’t hurt you. Haven’t you heard that saying before?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that dude. But have you heard the response to that?”

“Well, actually not. Come and tell me about it while I give you a lift.”

Adam gets into the car, starts to make himself comfortable and then speaks while Greg starts to drive again.

“Yes, what you don’t know won’t hurt you. But, it’s only good until you find out. Keep that in mind dude. You can always get through mischief but you should not forget the repercussions of your actions.”

“Wow.” That was all he was able to say. It surprised him and also his friend. And it made them think.

That was the first non-academic lesson he learned from Mr. Adam Fleet.

Mr. Adam then told him to drive to a car-painting job where his friend works. The paint job was so successful that there was no real mark that he sneaked the car and damaged it. And as promised, Adam paid for it with the condition that Greg will confess to his father.

Chapter 6-Repercussions

“Dad.” Greg approached his father, obviously scared at what he might throw at him.

“I know what you did. You sneaked out the car.” His dad said in a flat, emotionless tone.

“Dad, I have to be honest with you.” He is turning pale with the anxiety that he feels. “While sneaking it out, I kind of scratched the back part. . “ He was speaking fast so that his dad wouldn’t interrupt but surprisingly, he really didn’t. “and, I got it fixed and it doesn’t look damaged now. I’m really sorry, Dad. I know how wrong I am.”

He was almost in tears when his dad hugged him and the hardness he felt on his chest was released. His father seldom hugged him as he was distant from him.

“Son, we could not do anything anymore. What matters is, you did what you needed to and you faced the music of your action. I’m glad you’re starting to grow up.”

Their mother joined the hugging and the family felt so bonded like never before. When we really become honest and we clear our conscience, things go better.

He now realized why Mr. Fleet did the task. This strengthened his love for him as a father.

After the confession and hugging, the Reen family had a great dinner which was filled with love for one another. They forgot their recent quarrels about nagging problems and they just let love flourish.

***

Greg was deeply moved by this that he decided to pay Adam back for the goodness.

He wrote a letter, which he almost never does.

Dear Mr. Fleet,

Thank you for the advice that you have given me. I have never felt this happy with my family before all thanks to your advice…………..

Greg stops writing and decides to just use another method of thanksgiving, thinking that a letter would be too mushy.

While watching the television, he was a new calculator with natural display which can compute the most complicated of mathematical and logical problems. 

“This is perfect,’ he thought. Mr. Fleet could really use a calculator like that since he still computes some problems manually which require so much time. It will aid him in teaching.

. . .Not 7,000, not 5, 000 pesos. It only costs 3,999 pesos. He heard from the TV Shopping Channel with the usual hyperactive tone of promo-disers.

Now, this is his problem. He only has a thousand and five hundred pesos left from his allowance. He is still mere 2500 short. So, he decides to start a racket to raise money. He really didn’t think of giving anything less to his professor. He felt that the calculator was the perfect choice.

He had to work part time at a local fast food chain for a week to earn the money. Though he wasn’t that inclined and used to working, he insisted as he was really determined to pay the professor back.

Chapter 7-The Time for Crime

It was like any other day in October in Friar Town. The mornings were foggy and freezing and everyone seems to be enjoying this. Greg is one of them, sipping his morning cup innocently, without knowing what was in it for him.

Meanwhile, Adam’s scenario could never be more different. He was hot and steaming with anger, a contrast from the said weather. He was never hungry for food but for vengeance and getting even. He looked at himself in the mirror and shouted,

“This is the day. This is my day.”

He sternly squeezed a little fly which passed onto his face and again, spoke,

“Gregor Reen, you shall be like a little fly who passed through me, looking harmless, yet being so damaging. And again, like this little fly, you shall perish. And perish with no second chances.”