Short Stories

- I Was Framed

A/N: HEYYYY! So sorry I haven't been writing much; I've had work, had to do all my entry stuff for University (YES, I GOT IN!!!), and yeah, it's been pretty crazy! :) But I hope that I can get a few things done and post them up, but we'll see...anyway, this was a story I did last year as an assignment for my English class (I just wasn't allowed to post it until after I got all of my results), so I hope you enjoy it :D

The thudding of footsteps echoed down the dark alleyway. It smelt of freshly fallen rain and decomposing trash. The pale moon shone with barely enough light to see where I needed to go. The stars seemed to dance in the sky above me, but I had no time to appreciate their beauty. My breathing was heavy. Clouds of my breath evaporated as soon as it hit the chilled air. Sweat trickled down the side of my face – I had to get away.

My mind whirled in a panic as I jerked my head left and right, trying to decide which way I should go. I had to be careful. One wrong move and it was all over. Shouts and dog's howls were slowly coming closer.

People had it all wrong. I had been blamed for a crime I didn't commit. Framed, in fact. And now they were after me. They wanted to catch me and lock me away like some kind of animal. Like I was a danger to the world and everyone in it. If I could get away, I could prove my innocence...somehow.

I gasped for breath. I needed to rest. My legs and chest ached, while my heart pounded. It felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. But I couldn't afford to stop. I tried to keep running, but my legs collapsed from underneath me and I fell into a murky puddle. I willed myself into a sitting position. My whole body was shaking, both from terror and the cold that now seeped through my wet clothing. I glanced down at the puddle and studied my dreary face. Unkempt black hair, tired dark eyes...the face of a twenty-two year old whose life had gone to ruin. I used to have a normal life. I was a regular guy. There was nothing unique about me.

Urgent shouts alerted me to the officers still approaching. They were almost here. My heart began to pound again and I struggled to get up. "There he is!" One of the men shouted in a hoarse voice. Four men charged towards me, their hands near their hips, ready to whip their pistols out. I scrambled backwards, pulling myself to my feet. I could hear the click of the pistols as they readied them. One, two, three shots sounded behind me. The bullets flew past me, clipping my arm. Pain seared up my arm from where the bullet had grazed me. It wouldn't stop me from running though, they were on my heels. Edging closer, and closer.

I burst into a bustling street. It looked like some kind of festival. Women were dressed in colourful upper-class dresses while the men wore suits with top hats and canes. Banners hung like vines from the poles, and people were reciting great pieces of literature by Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle and Charlotte Bront. They even had the old oil lamp posts alight casting a soft orange glow over the street. If I want to get away..."Now's my chance!" I finished my thought aloud in a hushed voice. I took off into the crowd. The officers would surely get lost and I would be able to slip away. I could hear them grunting and grumbling as they tried to make their way through the masses of people.

I fled into another alleyway nearby and came to another street, but this one was dead silent. I leaned against the brick wall and caught my breath. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a poster, a wanted poster. It was a photo of me. "Wanted: Charles Williams. Aged twenty-two. Wanted for mass-murder. Cash reward of-" I paused and my eyes widened. "Three-thousand dollars! Now that's overkill."

I couldn't believe they had put wanted posters up already. The murders had taken place around two weeks ago. I had been working as a forensic scientist and was assigned to the case along with my co-worker, Acacia Jones. She was a very selfish and cruel lady, often playing games with others to get her way. I remember the crime scene like it was yesterday. We had studied the crime scene, trying to find clues as to why the victims had died. Everything pointed to murder...until Acacia found evidence that linked me to the killing. She never explained it to me.

"Wait," I interrupted my own thought. "Acadia was the only one who had arrived at the crime scene first. No one else was studying it."

I knew that Acadia had threatened to ruin my life a few weeks prior, but I never thought she would do it. She had been annoyed about me getting a raise and being promoted to the head of the forensic investigation team. Could it be possible that she had somehow framed me? I wouldn't put it past her. "At least I have a suspect." I grumbled, infuriated by the very idea that someone like her would frame me.

Suddenly, a large hand grasped my shoulder and slammed me against the wall belly first. It was the officers. They'd caught me. I had been too absorbed in my memories and anger to notice they had snuck up on me. There was no point in trying to get away now. It was all over...

"How could I have let my guard down?" I sobbed as they cuffed my wrists and dragged me along behind them.

"It's off to jail for you, filth!" The largest officer shouted at me and swung his hand at me, slapping me across the face. "You'll never see the outside world again as punishment for the heinous crime you committed. I thought you were a decent person."

I didn't bother to argue. What good would it do? They thought I was the murderer, and they would believe the 'evidence' over my own word.

They may have caught me, but I will find out who framed me. I will find a way.

Even if it's the last thing I do.