Disclaimer: Not mine. Song's not mine either. Don't bother suing, I have no money.
Author's Note: Second in my POV series. This one's Charlie. Please r/r!
Spoilers: A Proportional Response
One more murder in this town
It don't mean a thing
Just lock your doors and drive around
Mom comes home from her shift, looking tired. I hand her a mug of coffee, "was it bad today?"
She looks at me and gives me a small smile, "yeah, it was pretty bad. There was a gang fight on Green St. with five dead."
"What else is new?"
"Yeah"
One more murder in this town
Don't worry the rain'll wash the chalkmarks
From the ground
We continue to sit in silence when I hear Mom take a deep breath, "Charlie, one of the dead was Rakeem Johnson."
I blow out a puff of breath, "yeah, okay", I say.
Saturday night
Shot ring out
Add one to
The body count
Home alive
To see another day
Mom's a cop, but we live in a pretty bad part of town. A lot of my friends from when I was in high school are in gangs. I've lost too many of them to gang fights and drugs. Rakeem's number seven or eight, I'm not sure which. Mom says she feels bad for their mothers, but at the same time, can't help being glad that I'm still here.
Plead it to a lesser count
DA says without a doubt
3 to 5, you're on the street again
The next day, I see Mike when I go with Deena to the park to play basketball. He comes over when he sees me, "hey, man"
"Hey", I say, surprised, "I thought you were still in juvee."
"Nah, they let me out early, good behavior."
"Oh"
"You hear about Rakeem?"
"Yeah"
"Damn shame, and I'd just gone to see him too."
"The funeral's tomorrow."
"I'll be there"
One more murder in this town
Don't mean a thing, you get accustomed
To the sound
At the funeral, we stand and hear the words. There are no tears, we've all been to too many funerals and heard these same words too many times. They don't mean anything anymore.
One more murder in this town
Just block off the street and wrap the 'Crime Scene' Tape around
After, we go to where the fight'd gone down. There are still remnants of police tape floating around. "Bye man", I whisper, then leave. There's nothing else to do or say, it's over, and someone else is gone.
*Hosanna, hosanna!*
I can't feel a thing at all
When I get home, Deena's waiting for me on the couch. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine"
*Hosanna, hosanna!*
I can't feel a thing
It's funny, in a sad sort of way, but I'm not even sad anymore. I have heard the words "I'm sorry, but so and so is gone" so many times that I don't even care anymore. History has repeated itself too many times for it to make any kind of impact on me at all.
I can't feel a thing at all
I can't feel a thing at all
I can't feel a thing at all
I call Rakeem's mom and offer my condolences. I tell her how sorry I am and how I'm praying for her and her family. I say the same words I've said to countless of my friend's mothers. And I don't feel a thing.
I can't feel a thing
Later, Deena knocks on my door. "Charlie?"
"Yeah"
"You sure you're okay?"
I let out a breath, I know she's just trying to help, "yeah, I'm fine, really."
"Doesn't it make you sad?"
"Not anymore"
I watch her face as she registers what I'm trying to tell her, "oh", she says, then leaves.
I said I can't feel a thing!
Another one's dead, and I can't feel a thing. I wonder if I'll ever feel a thing again.
Saturday night
You call them out
Parking lot
I think I'll come about
Feel the terrors
Trigger you to Hell
I'm making dinner when mom comes into the kitchen, dressed in her uniform. "I thought you weren't going in today", I say, confused.
"Yeah, well I know you really wanted me to be at your basketball game on Friday so I switched my shifts", she says, smiling.
I break into a grin and give her a hug, "thanks".
"No problem", she replies, reaching for her cell phone as it starts to ring. She listens to whoever is on the other end, nodding her head. "Yeah, alright, I'll be right there." Hanging up, she turns back to me. "I've gotta go, there's a situation a couple of blocks away. See ya later."
I follow her to the door, "okay, bye love you."
"Love you too."
Plead and beg
For sympathy
"Take the car - I got a family!"
Here alive
And only sentiment
Renee Young arrived on the scene, finding and heading over to her commanding officer. Suddenly, shots rang out and everyone dove for cover. When the shooting stopped, Renee tried to get up, only to be stopped by searing pain. "Officer Young, Officer Young, can you hear me?" She tried to respond but she couldn't. Fear overcame her as she realized this was the end. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of Charlie and Deena. "Please forgive me", she whispered, as darkness overcame her.
One more murder
One more murder
Hearing the doorbell ring, I go over to open it and find Officer Juarez there, looking unbelievably sad. My heart starts to constrict as I think of the only reason why he would be here.
"Charlie, there was shooting at the scene, your mother was hit-"
I back away from the door, unwilling to hear what I know he's going to say, "no, no"
"Charlie, I'm sorry."
I hear sobbing behind me and turn around to see Deena standing there with tears running down her face. I'm unable to do or say anything as I feel my world crash around me.
One more murder in this town
In this town
Yeah Yeah, yeah, yeahhhh
It's raining on the day of her funeral. Deena and I sit still as the taps play and Lieutenant James speaks. All I can think of is how she's gone, just like everybody else, and this time it's my fault.
Yeah, yeah, yeahhhh
Yeah, yeah, yeahhhh
After the funeral, I lead Deena to the car. It's going to be hard, I know, trying to live without her, but I'm determined to make it. I'm going to prove to Mom that we're strong enough to beat it, we're strong enough to beat it all.
Yeah, yeah, yeahhhh
Yeah, yeah, yeahhhh
Finis
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