infinite • chris chambers

Chapter 1

[edited: fair warning, this book was written years ago. I have gotten better since then, but a huge sorry for the bad quality of writing, and unrealistic scenes. if there are also spelling mistakes, which there are, don't mind them. carry on :)]

I was fourteen, going on fifteen, the first time i saw a dead human being. It happened in the summer of 1959. Along time ago...but only if you measure in terms of years. I was living in a small town in Oregon called Castle Rock. There were only 1,281 people, but to me it was the whole world..

Ariana tucked her shirt in, placing her black beanie on as she snuck out the back door. If her father heard her leave, he'd hide her..hard. She hustled through the bushes behind her house, then through the trees, then through more bushes, then she ran over to the tree house which belonged to her and her best friends. During this time, Gordie Lachance was heading back from Castle Rocks maine street, holding his new Magazine on True Police Cases. Gordie loved reading. He was the shy, reader, nerdy boy out of their gang. Chris Chambers and Teddy Duchamp were inside the tree house, playing thirty-one, arguing back and forth each time someone 'knocked'.

Ariana knocked the secret knock, and the two boys let her in.

"Your brother didn't see you?"Teddy asked her, taking a puff off his cigarette.

"Nope. Ace is with his gang, and my dad is drunk as usual,"Ariana scoffed, sitting down on the couch that was across from them and their table.

"How much did he drink last night after the party?"Chris asked, not looking up from his cards.

"About 6 bottles if i counted right."

Chris shook his head, taking a puff off his cigarette. Just then they heard the secret knock again.

"Guys, it's me,"Gordie announced from outside it. Chris and Teddy moved the table aside, letting him crawl up through.

"What'd you get?"Ariana asked, moving over for him to sit. He sat and pulled his magazine out, letting Ariana scan it over.

"True Police Cases,"Ariana read, then handed it back to Gordie, "nice."

"Hey, Gordoe. Wanna play? Ariana?"Chris asked, looking up at both of them. Ariana nodded and pulled over a chair, Gordie doing the same.

"Hey, how do you know a frenchmen's been in your backyard?"Chris asked after a few minutes of playing the game. Ariana and Gordie looked up at him and waited for him to speak.

"I'm french,"Teddy mumbled, fixing his cards.

"Your garbage cans are empty and your dog's pregnant."

Ariana and Gordie burst out into laughter, almost falling out of their chairs.

"Didn't i just say i was french?"Teddy said in frustration, rolling his eyes.

Chris tapped the table three times with his knuckles. "I knock."

"Shit man,"Teddy cussed.

Chris grinned. "Twenty-Nine."

"Twenty-Seven,"Ariana declared.

"Twenty-Two,"Teddy said, then they all turned to Gordie as he slammed his cards down, leaning back in his chair.

"Go piss up a rope!"

Teddy laughed, a little too loudly. "Gordie, you just bit the bag and stepped out the door."

Ariana and Chris both looked at each other, then rolled their eyes.

Teddy Duchamp was the craziest guy we hung around with. He didn't have much of a chance in life. His dad was given fits of a rage. One time he held Teddy's ear to a stove and almost burned it off.

"I knock,"Teddy announced to Ariana and Chris, throwing his cards down.

"You four-eyed pile of shit,"Chris scoffed.

"That pile of shit has a thousand eyes!"Teddy smirked. Ariana, Chris and Gordie burst out into laughter. Ariana accidentally fell over from laughing so hard. "What? What's so funny? Ugh, i've got thirty, what you guys got?"

"Sixteen,"Chris chuckled.

"Twelve, i'm out,"Ariana giggled, gasping for air. Gordie smacked her back, as if she was choking. Teddy glanced over at the laughing girl, smiling at her. He loved her laugh, her smile, her eyes, her-

"You laugh to hard, your gonna piss yourself,"Chris told Ariana, still laughing himself.

Chris Chambers was the leader of our gang and my best friend. He came from a bad family and everyone just knew, he'd turn out bad. Including Chris.

"Guys, let me in!"A voice yelled from at the ladder, under the tree house.

"Veeerrrrnnn"Ariana and Gordie groaned in sync. They moved the table, and he came up quickly.

"Oh man, you guys will not believe this. It's so boss. I'll tell you after i catch my breath. I ran all the way from home,"Vern told them out of breath.

Ariana, Chris, Teddy, and Gordie turned to each other. "I ran all the way home. Just to say I'm sorry, sorry, oh why can't i say it?"

"You guys are assholes.."Vern huffed, crossing his arms across his chest.

Chris held out his arm, telling the others to stop. "Okay, what is it?"

Vern grinned. "Okay, it's unbelievable. I-"

"I ran all the way home!"They continued to sing, teasing Vern.

Vern groaned. "Screw you guys."

Ariana giggled, leaning towards Teddy a little, making him stiffen up. "What is it, Verno?"

"Tell me, can you guys camp out tonight? You can tell them you are camping out in my backfield,"Vern asked with hope in his eyes.

"I might, but my brother might try to come find me,"Ariana said, giving her cards back to Chris so he could shuffle them.

"I think so. My dad's kind of on a mean streak. You know, he's been drinking a lot lately,"Chris admitted, dealing his cards to him and Teddy.

"You've got to man, you won't believe this. Sincerely,"Vern pleaded.

"So what are you pissin' and moaning' about, Verno?"Teddy asked, looking at his cards.

"I knock,"Chris repeated.

"Liar! No way you delt your self some pat hand,"Teddy accused, throwing his cards down.

"Make your draw, shitheap,"Chris said, then chuckled. Ariana rolled her eyes at them, then giggled.

"You guys want to go see a dead body?"