Sammy: A sample chapter
The following post is a sample chapter from my current Work in Progress. Through Hell and High Water is the first story in what I believe will be a trilogy of full length novels. This one is currently 110,000 words heading into the second round of editing. Despite what happens in this chapter, Sammy is in fact one of the main characters in the series.
"I can't believe you, I really can't." Mandy Jenkins snapped, her temper flaring after an evening of drinks with her friends, most of them fellow students.
"I'm sorry babe, I really am, but you know I don't like it when people start talking about that sort of stuff, it annoys me." Sammy Westford answered, never taking his eyes from the road. Mandy had woken him and begged Sammy pick her up from the bar she was in because she had drunk way too much to drive, and didn't want to have to take a taxi back to her place because her roommate would get angry with her for coming home so late. Mandy had been unlucky enough to make friends with a devout Christian called Emma Wilkinson during her freshman year at university and had never been able to shake her off since, although Mandy herself had been raised to be a rather devout Catholic, her parents to their credit understood her decision, or simply recognised her stubborn streak and allowed her to go her own way, find her own path.
Although, that being said Emma was a good friend probably the best one Mandy had ever had; even if her strong religious views and firm standpoint on sex before marriage had made for some rather interesting conversations when Sammy and Mandy had first started dating.
"I don't want to talk about it Sammy, you fucking embarrassed me in there tonight, I mean Jesus Christ, would it kill you to try and behave around my friends just once." She gesticulated wildly with her hands; Sammy didn't have to take his eyes from road to know that she was mad with him. She was drunk and therefore she was mad at him, although he would admit that on this occasion her anger, although slightly excessive was probably justified.
"I don't want to argue Mand, you're a bit drunk and those guys were taking the piss just because I don't have a college education or fancy car to drive you around in. I work hard to make my way, and you above all people should know that I actually enjoy what I do. I'm proud of who I have turned myself into so don't get angry with me, or take their side, not tonight." Sammy wasn't angry with her, she went out and got drunk very rarely, but whenever she did it was always the same routine, she would call him up, he would go get her and then they would argue about how he was rude to her friends. It was a cycle that stemmed from the main difference between them; their backgrounds.
Sammy was a 22-year-old construction worker, someone who came from a family of borderline degenerates, someone who was never given much of a chance in life, his two brothers were petty criminals, and his sister lived on benefits, in a house provided for her and her four children, while she chased child support payments from the four different fathers. His parents divorced before he was even born. Sammy was the baby of the family, the youngest by quite some way, and it was his conception in fact, which had placed the final lid in the coffin of their relationship, with his father questioning his mother's fidelity. The question was never answered; his father always preferred to pose such important questions with his fists or other handy appliances rather that with his tongue. Plus the very foundation of his questioning was rather unnecessary as he himself was only the father of Sammy's sister, who was conceived while his mother was engaged to another man (who for the sake of the record was not the father of either of Sammy's brothers). Sammy escaped home as soon as he graduated high School. Although he had the brains for it, he knew with a strange levelheadedness at an early age that he wouldn't benefit from going to college. He liked the idea of working with his hands, and so he packed his bags at the first opportunity and moved to a different city, away from his family in Denver, and began a series of cross-country adventures before finally landing in Baltimore, where he had been ever since, living just outside of the main city in the suburb of Edmonson. He had moved around a lot, living in rented accommodations, moving from city to city working construction for whatever company was hiring, before he was finally offered regular work with Whiting-Turner Construction whom had now been his employers for 2 and a half years. It was during this time that he first met Mandy Jenkins.
Mandy couldn't have been more dissimilar to Sammy if she tried, her family were rich, her father a doctor, head of cardio thoracic surgery at Johns Hopkins while her mother was a stay at home mum, dedicated to her children, never moaning, always willing to spend her time aiding them in whatever they needed, from conversations or advice through to simple transport, something Sammy's mum could never be bothered with. She was too self-obsessed to even notice Sammy had moved out of the house until three weeks later. The first phone call to check on his whereabouts came three weeks after he had left home, just as he was packing up his bags to move yet again.
Mandy had one brother who was training to be lawyer and while only in first in his year at Stanford he was already being headhunted by some of the largest law firms on both coasts, and even a few from abroad. Mandy herself had chosen to follow her father into the medical profession, choosing dentistry. It was in a bar near the University of Maryland where she was just beginning her second year that the Sammy and Mandy first met.
Their meeting was nothing special, although over the years as their relationship developed so did the embellishments they made to their tale. It went from a case of being squashed together at the bar trying desperately to order drinks, only for Sammy to turn around and sacrifice his turn so that Mandy could order only for them to find themselves trapped against the bar and unable to get back to their respective groups (which was as close to the truth as the tale ever got) to something far more interesting, versions of which included Sammy climbing onto the bar and walking across it, jumping to the floor only to sweep Mandy into his arms and walk out of the bar with her, it didn't matter what version they used (and the tale had actually become something of game between them, who could create the best meeting) the one constant was the mutual instant attraction.
Despite having next to nothing in common, different background and wildly varied interests; Sammy was a fan of action movies, particularly those from the 80's and early 90's while Mandy was more interested in the old Hollywood pictures, and of course a good romantic movie. Sammy read sports magazines and the occasional comic book, while Mandy was currently working her way through the classic English authors such as Thomas Hardy and the entire Bronte family. Yet despite all of this, there was something between them that clicked beside their mutual indifference to any one style of music. They had been together almost a year now, and slowly they had learned about each other, Sammy was slow to open up and still hadn't told Mandy everything about his past, or his family, but she knew that and was happy to wait. Mandy's parents had reserved their judgement of him, listening at first only to the background tales of his youth; however after having met him a few times they both admitted he was a nice guy.
They argued of course, but normally only over silly things, as is the case in any relationship. Their current interaction wasn't so much of an argument as more of a drunken conversation after an incident between Sammy and Nathan Woodrow a student friend of Mandy's who was obviously in love with her and determined to try and score points against Sammy every time they met.
"Why not tonight Sammy, what's the problem with having this conversation tonight? Do you think you can take me home and get some action from the drunken girl?" She slurred her words, slashing the air with her hands.
"Listen Mand, I am sorry, that guy is a cock, and the very thought of him makes me want to slap him in the face with a brick, I'm sorry but it's true, he baits me every time and I always fall for it, because he's an ass, and he wants you, to take you from me. I don't want to fight about this, so let's just go home, and we can talk in the morning when your head has cleared a bit." He reasoned, staying calm as best he could. Sammy forced himself to keep his focus on the road, not even allowing himself the chance to throw her so much as a sly glance.
"That's just like you Sammy, never talk it out, just let Mandy cool down and she'll give it up anyway. You never want to fight, you never argue back; well this time I'm not letting it go." She snapped, and there was a tone of pure frustration in her voice that made him believe her.
"Come on Mandy, I don't like fighting, you know what I saw my parents go through, not to mention the string of step fathers I've had. I've seen what arguments turn into." He said, trying to steer the conversation in a new direction.
"Well you can't hide from everything Sammy. You were happy enough to fight with Nate back there." She threw back the catalyst that had caused the fight in the first place; just in case he had forgotten.
"Drop it Mand, Jesus, just pipe down and let me get you home alright." Sammy was beginning to lose his patience. His grip tightened on the steering wheel, and although he knew he would never hit a woman no matter what the circumstances, he could still feel a rage building deep down inside him. He forced it down, arguing was the last thing he wanted to do, and he would avoid it at all costs.
"Why, are you gonna ignore me, sleep on the sofa, wait until morning and hope it's all blown over?" She continued to push, somehow intent on making a big deal over a snide comments that Sammy made when he arrived, – despite the fact that Nate had been throwing his own snide remarks around about Sammy pretty much the entire evening– and a refusal to sit down and have a drink.
"No, I was going to ask you to marry me you silly mare. I busted my balls getting everything set up the way I wanted before you came home." Sammy blurted it out; unable to keep his mouth shut any longer. He had been planning the best moment for several weeks; the ring purchased a few months before, just in case the opportune moment arrived early. He had spent the bonus he had been given by his boss on a bottle of expensive champagne and a punnet of strawberries, coupled with scented candles, and a plan for a hot bath scattered with rose petals. Only for Mandy to call and say she was going out for drinks instead.
"What?" Mandy's mouth stopped after that one word, her mind suddenly sobered as if the previous sentence had blown all of the windows out of the car letting the cool night air and steadily increasing rain sweep the alcohol away.
"That's right, I had this whole romantic evening planned, and everything was perfect until Nathan got in the way." Sammy began but stopped himself; he was finally beginning to turn the corner in this particular disagreement and didn't really want to go throwing any more fuel onto the fire.
"You were going to propose?" Mandy asked in a moment of clarity so stark and sudden that it slapped the remaining haze of her drunkenness and all thoughts of arguments out of her mind.
"Yeah" Sammy answered her, not really sure if an answer was needed.
"Were" Mandy repeated.
"Am" Sammy finally understood the previous sentence. He reached into the pocket of his overcoat and pulled out a small velvet box. "I had much bigger and better plans for this you know." He said offering the box across to his (hopefully) soon to be fiancée.
"This is one hell of a way to win an argument Sam" Mandy answered, laughing gently as she did. The smile that was stretched across her face, even in the darkness of the car was answer enough.
"Well, think of all the fights we can have in the future" Sammy joked; he took his eyes off the road and looked at her just for a second. He felt a sudden need to see the sparkle in her eyes, even if they were slightly reddened from a night of drinking. She still made his heart skip a beat, the delicate outline of her features, the way she poked her tongue out between her teeth when she smiled – really smiled that was – and the creases around her eyes when she laughed, her smooth skin, and full lips that gleamed in the halogen amber haze that was cast down by the street lamps.
Mandy giggled at him, and turned her head as if suddenly embarrassed, then sensing the weight of his gaze she turned and looked at Sammy; her face was youthful, and Sammy never stopped wondering how he had actually managed to keep someone who looked as amazing as Mandy and had the brains to match.. She opened her mouth to speak, to answer his question at last; despite the certainty of its affirmation, a yes was still the necessary prerequisite for the occasion. However, what came out was more of a blood-curdling scream better placed in a scary movie.
"Sammy" was the only discernible word that came out, her face was frozen in a look that was strangely placed between the height of orgasm and sheer horror, colour drained from her face, as if the blood had packed up and left before whatever unspeakable event was about to unfold could occur.
Sammy turned to look and wasted half of his remaining time with Mandy wondering what the hell he was seeing. Part of him thought it was a meteorite, or for slightly longer odds a UFO. The night sky was filled with bright orange sparks that were flying across the horizon, tumbling roughly, and without grace. It was only when impact was imminent that he realised what it was. A Mercedes, he wasn't sure of the model, not that it mattered when the car was a fireball heading in your direction.
"Jesus Christ. Mandy hold on." He yelled, grabbing the steering wheel and trying to find the brakes with feet that suddenly felt as though they were glued to the floor. Slowly his leaden left foot rose and tried to find the brake that his right foot refused to touch, but it was too late. The noise was tremendous, as the car, obviously having lost control at a crazy speed toppled head over tail towards them, somersaulting like an obese gymnast, thudding noisily each time.
Instinctively Sammy reached out trying to grab a hold of Mandy's hand, all he could hear was the thundering of his own heart, his no longer functioned on a clear or understandable level, and even Mandy's screams were nothing more than a distant murmur, as though she were trapped in another room, or at the end of a long corridor.
The automotive torpedo impacted Sammy's car on the edge of the hood, causing minimal damage, it was the sudden change in momentum that caused the car to flip over
"Shit" Sammy cried out as he felt the car begin to tip forward.
Despite the speed with which it all occurred, everything felt as though it were moving in slow motion. The change in the weight of the car, the crunching sound of the hood, engine and undercarriage being crushed, the strange, stomach churning sensation as the car left the ground, flipping over like a disc in a game of Tiddlywinks. Beside him, Sammy heard Mandy scream, her seatbelt forgotten by her intoxicated mind. She fell forward as the car and she fell into the windshield; her head hitting hard enough to crack the glass. As the car continued its first of many cartwheels Sammy saw a bloodied smear mark the glass as his girlfriend's head bounced free, her body falling against the roof as her head then made contact with the dashboard. Mandy's body followed a similar trajectory as the car, her legs crashing through the glass of the windscreen as the roof crumpled against the road surface. Sammy heard something snap; a burning pain thundered through his body, he didn't have any time to look, not that he could see anything anymore, for every image had blended together, his world a wash of darkness and fire.
The car flipped once more, the roof flattening even further even the seatbelt Sammy was wearing didn't stop his head repeatedly with the driver's side window causing his neck to whiplash with an audible popping sound. He tasted blood in his mouth and couldn't breathe; his chest was crushed, both lungs punctured. He also had a compound fracture in each leg, the femur protruding at about mid-thigh level. Finally, the car came to a stop landing upside down in the middle of the road, the engine somehow still revving angrily, the rear wheels spinning, steadily slowing while the aroma of spilled fuel began to fill the car.
"Mandy" Sammy coughed, blood spurting from his lips. Looking over to the passenger sea;, pain surging through his body, Sammy tried to find the woman he loved. He groped blindly as his wheezing breaths began to shallow. He was shivering and sweating simultaneously, and the pain he felt was beginning to dull as his body slowly shut down. He had lost control of his bodily functions, not long after the car began its second rotation.
The seat next to him was empty; Mandy had actually fallen out of the tumbling projectile in stages as it had flipped its way along the road Her head had been the first to come away, cut through as the car descended from its second flip; she had already fallen halfway out of the window when the road came crashing down again, snapping her neck and sending the head rolling down the road like a gruesome bowling ball. By the time the car came to a stop several fingers and her left arm were scattered loosely along the road like the lost items one spies when travelling any highway; a shoe, a book, things you often wonder how is it possible to lose while within a car. By sheer chance, the rear view mirror was still in place, and although cracked and missing several large chunks, Sammy could easily make out what was left of Mandy's body further down the road, a fit of spasms racing through her partially dismembered torso as the rain pelted down washing the blood from the road deck as if the world were trying to hide it.
His head grew dizzy, the gargling sounds of his breathing lessened, and with it the depth of each inhalation became shallower. Yet Sammy refused to give up. "Mandy" He struggled to make the sound, surprise at how strong it came out.
He received no answer, the still night air broken only by the steady ticking sound his engine produced. That was all Sammy heard, that and the gentle patter of the rain that was beginning to fall. Fat heavy drops at first, but the summer storm moved in quickly, the rumbles of thunder drowning out the emergency service sirens, while lightning cast a gloomy intermittent glow on the horizon, highlighting the blood and oil covered road, glinting in the open eyes of the head that lay directly between the two lanes, neatly boxed inside the diving lines. The blond hair that crowned it fanned out all around like a wedding train.
Sammy was long dead by the time anybody arrived at the scene, his face frozen in a twisted image, as if the last thing he saw was some ghastly creation making its way towards him.
