Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2002 11:48:11 EDT
From: Jonasthewatcher@aol.com
Subject: no matter how far the watchers chronicle chapter 2

Hey guys here is chapter 2 it took a little longer to write but here it is.

If it's illegal or this type of writing offends you please do not read it.

No matter how far No Matter How Far
The watchers chronicle
Chapter 2
At the end of a day

When do you stand up and take control of your life? How do you do it? Why
do you do it? Where does the courage come from, and whom do you do it for?

Elizabeth stood at the railing of the Towns Bridge. She knew this was
permanent, she knew she wouldn't recover and yet her decision was made. One
tear left her eye and for the first time in her life she truly felt
free. With the Wind flying through her hair Elizabeth took one last breath
and she flew.

One year ago Matthew sat in a room at Little River rehab facility. He swore
to himself that he would not follow the same path that he was in
before. The one thing that he admired was now long gone and the person that
he lived for didn't even remember he existed. He had spent the night
looking for Margaret. His day had already been bad, but when he drove by
the Town Bridge he saw a girl standing on the railing. A sudden rush of
adrenaline kicked in and he ran just as she jumped. Matthew came from
behind and dove after her. He caught her by the cuff of her pant leg
causing her to hit her head with the railing and which knocked her
unconscious. Matthew with all of his force pulled the lifeless body up from
the railing. He grabbed her and put her on the passenger side of his car
and drove her to Little River general hospital. Holding her lifeless body
Matthew stormed in the emergency room screaming for help. He ran up to the
nurse at the registration desk who had already called for a bed. Two nurses
brought out a bed and they put her on it. A doctor came out and she pushed
Elizabeth into another room. Matthew watched in slow motion as the events
played out in his head. First he drove by the bridge and saw her standing
on the railing. Matthew doesn't remember thinking twice as he ran out of
his car and dove for her. He didn't even know her name but nobody should
die that way he thought. The room was again quiet. Matthew sat alone
staring out of the many windows looking at cars pass by. The scene was very
serene and gave him time to think about what happened today. He spent the
after noon looking for Margaret but ended up saving a girl. Taking a sip
from his cup tears formed in his eyes. He was in the same situation two
years ago when his brother jumped from that same bridge. He remembers it
like it was just yesterday. Matthew found the suicide note on his
refrigerator and ran all the way to the bridge. As soon as he got there he
saw his brother fall. That single event will be with him all of his
life. He had been down that road and he didn't miss it. After about twenty
minutes a Doctor and a police officer came out from one of the rooms in the
long corridor.

"Your Friend is lucky that you found her," said the doctor smiling at
Matthew.

"Um I don't know who she is, but she is a lucky person I guess."

"Oh then I guess she is lucky to have an angel like you to find her," said
the officer walking in on the conversation.

"Ah I wouldn't call myself that. Lets just say it's something I was meant
to do."

"Well either way her name is Elizabeth Brady. She is in a coma. Is there
anything more you can tell us?"

"When I caught her she hit her head with the railing. I think that's what
knocked her out. Other than that I got her here as fast as I could."

Matthew signed some paperwork for the police and headed home. He felt
slightly accomplished but the sadness of the situation crept back into his
mind. All the way home he thought on how she was at the same bridge at the
same time as his brother.

7:00 p.m. caffeine coffee house downtown Little River.  Reese tanner sat on
one of the coffeehouses many couches. Around him were several people having
a conversation. The conversation did not interest him in the least. In fact
Reese would much rather be alone, But according to his father he had to
keep up appearances. Today he was seated with the usual crowd of
uninteresting people that he sat at school with. The only interesting
person in this crowd he found out was Ian Lewis, but tonight he was nowhere
to be found. Uncomfortably seated between two girls Reese asked to be
excused and said by to everybody who all vaguely waved goodbye like he
wasn't going to be missed.

Reese Why do I bother with these people? They are so wrapped up in their
own world that they don't notice shit around them. Then there is always the
stupid comment on the less fortunate. Like it matters that we have a little
more in our bank accounts.

Reese stepped out of the cafe^Â to find Jennifer and Jessica walking
in. His Eyes were glued to his car as he came out to the parking lot. He
didn't want to be bothered by anybody not now and not today.

9:00 p.m.  Ian had gotten to know Tony and the more that he knew he was
intrigued. Down the street at her home Terry and Jack Lewis sat in front of
each other with a sour look on their faces.

"Jack what are we going to do?" Terry said with tears streaming from her
eyes.

"I know what I'm going to do, that little fuck is leaving my house. I will
be damned if I let one of those faggots live in my fucking house."

"Jack please he's still our son."

"I lost my son when he turned into a fairy." He yelled grabbing a bottle of
whiskey.

Ian said goodbye to Tony and walked out the door with a huge grin on his
face. But as he reached his house he found his father at the door. Jack
pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"Ian, I don't want you in my house."

Ian was taken aback at his fathers comments. He smelled the alcohol and
realized that his father was drunk so he was going to avoid him, but as he
reached the door her felt his fathers cold hand on his shoulder. Jack
turned Ian around with an angry scowl he slammed Ian to the ground.

"I know what you are you fuck."

"Dad what are you talking about."

"Get the fuck out before I kill you. Get out you faggot."

Ian got up and punched his father squarely in the jaw. His father stumbled
back upon the railing and spit some blood from his mouth.

"You piece of fucking shit. I'll be damned if one of you fucking queers is
going to hit me." Jack said reaching for a bat that he had hidden behind
the railing.

"Fuck you." Ian said

Jack swung his bat at Ian but was stopped by his wife.

"That is enough jack," she said looking sternly at her husband and the to
Ian.

"Ma I."

"Ian you did this to us. Now I want you to leave I can't stand the site of
you."

Ian ran and ran with no direction. He had nowhere to go. But disoriented he
unconsciously ended at Matthew's house. He sat down on the front steps and
started to cry.

Elizabeth opened her eyes to a cold classroom. She was seated in the middle
wearing a white robe several people were seated around her. They all had a
frozen gaze as they stared to the front of the room. To the front of her
was Ian. To the right of him was her brother to the left there was another
kid. To her right there was her old best friend Jennifer on the other side
a girl with scraggly clothes sat. She looked around to her back and there
was the new kid Tony that Ian was obsessed with, next to him was a girl
with red hair that she had seen couple of times, but she couldn't remember
her name. On the right of her there was another kid whose name she did not
know. Elizabeth stood up and walked to the front of the classroom where I
sat behind a glass desk with three giant screens playing behind me. All of
the screens were playing scenes from Elizabeth's day. The first one was
playing the scene where she stormed into the classroom and was greeted by
Ian. The second one was playing the scene where she ran away from Ian after
discovering he was gay, and the last one was playing the scene when
Elizabeth was on the bridges' railing. I was typing away this week's
observation when I caught sight of Elizabeth standing in front of me
dumbfounded staring blankly at the screens.

"So you came." I said standing up making my way towards Elizabeth.

"Who are you? Where am I? Am I dead?" she said looking at the remote on my
desk.

"No far from it. "

"Why am I here?"

"Well I need to talk to you and you need to talk to me. Life is not
simple. Your life is more complicated yes, but do you think that you really
disserve to die Elizabeth?"

"Why live when every day Life gets harder for me."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"Sometimes."

"Look at these people. I can show you their lives. They all have
problems. They did not take the same step that you took. For instance your
brother gets taunted, abused, threatened and they've even gotten as far as
spitting in his face, and it's not helping him that you are shutting him
out. He needs you right now. Your friend Ian goes through the torture of
hiding his true self from others just to make them happy. Next to him Reese
lives in the constant fear that his father is going to kill him if he
doesn't follow in his fathers footsteps. Jennifer over here lives with the
same secret Ian does. She is a lesbian. Margaret on the other side doesn't
know if her family is going to eat tomorrow. Now do you think that they
chose to live this way?"

"What do they have to do with me? My brother at least has my parent's
affection. And Ian Now has something to look forward to."

"And you don't?"

"What are you talking about?"

I grinned and picked up the remote for the screens I pressed the number
nine and it showed a picture of Elizabeth smiling. She studied it carefully
and looked up at me.

"That is not me."

"I assure you that it is. This is you in a weeks time."

"Why am I happy?"

"That I cannot tell you."

"Why not."

"Let's just put it this way if I told you then you wouldn't be happy. It
needs to catch you by surprise."

Elizabeth sat down in the same seat she awoke in thinking about what she
was told.

Elizabeth The guy in front of me looked a little young. I thought but his
deep black eyes seemed to bear a lot of wisdom, He was tall and handsome
with dark skin, and his features looked warm to me. He walked up next to me
and put his hand on my shoulder.

"So Elizabeth what's it going to be? Do you die wondering about your
happiness, or do you live and experience it."

"I don't remember the last time I was happy." I said looking at the
watchers long arm on my shoulder. "I guess I pick happiness."

"Good choice Elizabeth. Now you must understand that your happiness will
not come easy and you will have to work hard to maintain it. Ok get going
and remember you are not the only one living or dreaming."

"Um watcher how do I leave?"

"Close your eyes Elizabeth and all this will be forgotten when you awake."

I woke up in a hospital room. My parents were asleep in another bed next to
me. Robert was on the chair looking at me. I smiled at him, but started to
cry. I had not looked at him in a long while. He seemed older and he looked
tired.

"Robert Come here" he walked over to me and I gave him a hug.

"What's that for, I should be giving you a hug."

"Robert I'm sorry I shut you out. I'm sorry I did that to you."

"Lizzie I."

"No rob let me finish. I love you and it's not fair that I shut you out."

Robert hugged me tighter and tears fell from his eyes. He had his Lizzie
back, and I'm not going to leave him alone again.

Matthew pulled up to his driveway, and got out of his car. All he wanted
was to go to bed. And he was barely making it. As he reached the garage
door he heard sobbing. He turned around and walked to the front of his
house.

Matthew I walked to the front of the house and I found some guy crying on
my front steps.

"Look I don't know who you are but you need to leave." I said wondering if
the guy crouching down on my front step needed help.

Ian looked up at the guy talking to him. His face seemed vaguely
familiar. Matthew realized it was Ian immediately, and tensed up.

"I have nowhere to go." Ian said standing up.

"Look Ian I."

"Do you know me?"

"What?"

"Do you know me?" Ian asked inquisitively.

"Ian we grew up together it's me Matthew." Matthew said feeling hurt that
Ian didn't recognize him.

Ian sat down again and the guy in front of him became more and more
familiar. He hadn't seen Matthew since his brother committed suicide. Ian
remembered that nobody really liked Matthew and he was always the
forgettable one. They only talked to him because their parents were
friends.

"Um look I'm sorry Matthew. Where have you been? I mean we haven't seen you
for two years."

"What? You're kidding me right?"

"Ah no!"

"I've been to school on a regular basis this year and nobody noticed me."

Ian felt even worse and started to walk away when Matthew asked.

"Where are you going to go?"

"I don't know." Ian said turning back around.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Ian started to cry again. And Matthew grabbed him by the hand and led him
inside of his house.

Across town Tony sat looking out of his window with a smile on his face. He
was happy for the first time in a while but his negative attitude and his
suspicious mentality got the better of him.

Tony I know it's going to get fucked up sooner or later. It always
does. That is why I don't bother being happy. Shit the last time I was sort
of happy my parents told me we were moving. Fuck I wonder how bad it's
going to get.

As Tony sat thinking to himself the phone rang. He picked it up and said

"Hello?"

"Um Tony?"

"Who's this?"

"It's Ricky"...

At the end of the day do we go home? do we go out with our friends? or do
we eat with our families? our lives take us in different directions but how
we act on them is what makes us who we are.

Tell me what you think please email me your suggestions.
Jonasthewatcher@aol.com