Page 1 of Grim's Gem

Prologue

Grim

Thirteen years old:

“Please, Grant. Just let me come with you guys this one time. I'll be cool. I won't get in your way or anything,” I plead with my brother as he heads out our front door and down the cracked and dirty concrete pathway.

We don't live in the best part of town; actually, it's considered the worst city in the state, but it's home and is all our mom can afford. A single mother of two boys since our dad stepped out, she has to work two jobs, so we spend a lot of time at home alone. My brother used to stay with me every day, or we would go down to the old park at the end of the road and play catch or hit the baseball for a while. Then he got some new friends.

They’re older than him and me by a lot. I think they’re close to eighteen, and my brother’s only a year older than me. He turns fifteen next week and has been hanging out with them more and more. I barely see him anymore. Whenever I ask to go, he tells me no, that it's “grown folks' business,” whatever that means. He’s not even grown; he’s only a little over a year older than me, and I just want to hang out with them.

“You know I’ll always be here to take care of you. I have to do this, though, Gray. I need to leave, and you can't come with me,”Grant says, and I try not to let him see the tears in my eyes. It's not cool to cry, but I miss hanging out with my brother.

I stop and watch as he gets into a car with his friends. As they pull away, I decide to follow. Hopefully, I can keep up on my bike. They aren’t driving too fast through the neighborhood, too busy hollering at girls as they drive by or threatening the kids playing basketball in the street. I peddle fast, though, keeping hidden.

They drive for about ten more minutes to the old abandoned warehouses on the outskirts of town. They pull in and park in the back. I go around the side of one of the closer warehouses and hop off my bike before peaking around the side. They’re smoking and laughing, passing it to Grant, who takes a few hits and then passes it back. I’m about to come out and tell them I want to try a hit when another car pulls up. One of Grant's friends goes to the trunk and pulls something… no,someoneout of the trunk. I gasp when I realize it's a girl. Not just any girl either; it's Mary from Grant's class. They used to hang out after school, but Grant ditched her around the same time he started ditching me.

“Alright, G-Man. This is the bitch you’ve been obsessed with, right? We picked her up for you,” one of the guys says to my brother. Grant's face has gone completely pale, and he’s looking at Mary in horror.

“What did you guys do to her?” he asks them in such a horrified whisper I barely hear it. They all start laughing.

“We brought you a gift. You’ve been doing real good delivering packages and selling for us. We figured this was your last test and ultimate reward. Take her, here, in front of all of us, and then you’ll officially be in the gang. You know, after we takeour turns,” another one chuckles while grabbing his crotch and licking his lips.

Quickly, I grab my cell phone and dial 911. I try to talk as quietly as possible so they don't hear me, but my brother's words have me looking back up.

“No,” he tells them, hardness in his voice.

“No?” the first one scoffs. “This wasn't a request. You either fuck her now, or you’re out.”

“Then I’m out. I’ll deal drugs and deliver packages to take care of my family, but I will not rape anyone. Especially not Mary,” Grant says with steel in his voice.

“You little fuck. You think you just get to just walk away? You know the rules. There's only one way out now,” the oldest one, Razor, I think his name is, says before pulling a gun out from behind his back. Grant hasn't seen the gun yet. He’s too busy bending down and untying Mary. He helps her to her feet when she's free, and I hear him yell for her to run.

A shot goes off, and I close my eyes for a split second, then the scene comes back into view when I open my eyes. My brother, standing up at his full height, with a gun pointed at him, and a dark red stain falling over his light gray t-shirt. I hear Mary scream, and I watch Razor aim the gun her way, but I jump into action. I click the app on my phone with all those weird noises and sound effects. I blare police sirens, and that lights a fire under their asses. They don't waste time on Mary as she runs away. They all hop into the two cars and peel out, not even glancing back. I run to my brother as he drops to his knees before falling face first. I catch him right before his face hits theground and help him roll over. Tears are running down my face, but I can only think about saving my brother.

“HELP!!! SOMEONE HELP!” I cry and scream, but no one is around. There's a reason they came all the way out here. No one is ever around.

“Gray, listen to me,” Grant says as I place my hands over the shot in his chest.

“No, I need to get help. The cops should be here any minute. They will…”

“Be too late,” Grant says, and his voice sounds weaker than before.

“I need you to listen to me,” he says while I shake my head, not wanting to hear him say goodbye. He continues anyway.

“I need you to take care of mom. She is going to be hurting, just like you, so make sure you’re patient with her. Save her. Check on Mary. Make sure none of this shit today haunts her. Tell her family they need to get her away from here. Make sure she has a good life.” He takes a minute, and I realize it's getting harder and harder for him to breathe and speak.

“More than anything, I want you to get out of here. I saved a few thousand in the back corner of my closet under the cracked floorboard, under the carpet. Take it and make sure you get the hell away. Don't let this shit touch you. I never wanted to be part of their gang, but I was trying to save mom. I love you, Gray. I need you to promise me you’ll get out of here. That you’ll be successful and have a good life.”

“Stop talking, dammit. Just stop,” I sob as I lean my head down to his forehead and cry.

“Tell mom I love her.”

Then he’s gone.

Chapter One

Grim

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