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Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters do not belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.
Going, Going, Gone
Debbie Finds Out.
By: 24
The sun shown on the water making it glimmer and shimmer. Jarod watched the water lap at the edge of the beach. He stood there clad in black and with his sunglasses on his eyes. It was going to be a beautiful day today and it was going to be hot too. He could already feel the sun on his face warming him. He went back inside pouring himself some coffee that he had just brewed. He went back outside after grabbing a donut too and sat in the chair. Finished with breakfast he sat his cup on the floor beside him, leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
A shadow fell on his face making him open his eyes and look up. He saw Miss Parker and Sam looking at him and he grinned at them. He no longer flinched or had the instinct to run anymore.
“Are you already sleeping?” Sam asked.
“No. I was just wanted to soak up the sun. It feels nice.”
“Did you get anything besides donuts for breakfast?”
“No, Miss Parker. I got some bagels and poptarts.”
“Where’s Sydney?”
“He’s down by the beach already.”
They glanced at the beach watching a lone figure walking down the beach. Jarod, Miss Parker and Sam talked a little bit and then they went in to get breakfast. Jarod opened the freezer and grabbed the ice cream and sit it down on the counter. He also got a bowl and a spoon.
“You are not supposed to have ice cream for breakfast.” Sydney said as he walked in.
“I had a donut and coffee. Plus ice cream is milk, so it has calcium. And its very good.” He smiled at Sydney.
“Jarod.” Sydney shook her head at him as he watched him spoon ice cream into a bowl and put the carton back.
Jarod sat at the table with Miss Parker, Sam and Sydney as they talked. Miss Parker stared at Jarod as he spooned ice cream into his mouth.
“How do you eat that so early in the morning?”
“This is a new flavor and its very good. Did you know that was my first discovery when I escaped? It was a cone of vanilla ice cream and I asked the vender how he got it fluffy, but he just looked at me strangely. People have known to look at me strangely when I ask about a new discovery. I don’t think they get that I never ate or found out about all the things that they take for granted. Like toys that you have when you were a child, or the things that you get as an adult. I never got those things as a child and I had to find them out when I was an adult. They also take for granted that a walk in the sun, or seeing the moon and stars is a great thing, but it is if you never saw them. Just imagine being locked up in a cell never having a look at the outside world or knowing about it and then escaping and seeing the wonder of the stars and the moon. Then taking a walk in the sun as it warms your face. Taking the joy of discovering twinkies, slinkys, pez, donuts and everything else.”
That day they all went for a walk and went to the local mall to go shopping. Jarod and the rest of them went into the candy shop.
“Miss Parker what are these?”
“Lemon Drops.”
“Are they good?”
“Yes, but they are pretty sour.”
“What are these?”
“Gummy Bears.”
“Humm, a candy made in the image of a furry cuddly children’s bear. Interesting. I heard these candies when Jason, Sam’s son told me about them.”
Jarod turned the gummy bear over and decided to put some into a bag to try them. Miss Parker, Sam and Sydney shook their heads at him.
“Hey look they have pez.” Jarod looked at the many pez dispensers. He grabbed one and added it to his loot. He paid for them and they walked out. They walked around some more.
“I’m hungry.”
“You’re always hungry.”
They walked to the food court and Jarod looked around.
“There’s so many things to choose from.”
He settled on one and ate Chinese food.
“This is very good.” He grinned at them.
“Don’t tell me you never had Chinese food.”
“Umm, okay I won’t.”
“You know we should go home and get on the job of doing what we’ve been doing.”
“I know. When I’m finished we’ll go back.”
Jarod finished and they walked back to their house on the lake. Jarod grabbed his laptop from his room and brought it down to sit it on the table. As he and the others waited for it to boot up they gathered the papers that they had already printed. They had been busy gathering information in shutting down the Centre. Broots was coming over today with Debbie. They lived in the same town, but wanted a house by themselves.
The doorbell rang and Jarod went to go answer it.
“Hi Debbie and Broots.”
“Hey, Debbie I got some video games in my room. I got them today for you. Go ahead and play them.”
“Thank you, Jarod.” She took off her backpack, coat and put them on the couch then went upstairs to Jarod’s room.
A little while later Jarod went upstairs to see what she was doing. He heard the game as she played it. She glanced up and went on with the game.
“Are you having fun?”
“Yes.”
He left her again and went down stairs.
Meanwhile Debbie put down the control and went back towards Jarod’s closet. She hadn’t meant to snoop in his closet, but she found a silver case and opened it looking at all the disks, but before she could do anything she heard someone coming up the stairs, so she closed it and went back to the game. She went back to the case and opened it again. She sat there watching the DSA’s and was so entranced in them that she didn’t hear Miss Parker check up on her.
“Debbie does Jarod know that you’re watching them?”
“No, I’m sorry. I was just curious. Why did they do that to him? He seems so nice and so innocent. Why would they do that to a person like him? What did they do to him?” The little girl cried as she watched the adult Jarod kneel beside his friend and cry. She had just finished watching when they stopped his heart and when he was younger. “I saw them stop his heart and he didn’t want that. Why do all those things to him? I saw Sydney do things to him to.”
“Oh, baby you should have never seen that. He wouldn’t want you to see that.”
“Will he be mad at me?”
“No, baby. He wouldn’t do that. He won’t get mad at you.”
“Let’s go downstairs.”
They walked hand in hand into the kitchen.
“We have a problem.”
“What is it?”
“Debbie watched your DSA’s.”
Jarod gasped and then looked at the little girl.
“Are you okay Debbie?” Jarod said as he dropped in front of the girl.
“I’m fine Jarod.” She said with tears in her eyes.
“It’s okay. I’m not mad at you. It’s okay.” He hugged Debbie.
“I’m so sorry Jarod. I didn’t mean to watch them, but once I did I just couldn’t stop.”
“It’s okay.”
“Why would they do that Jarod? You were just a child.”
“Because they didn’t view me as a child.”
“Now I know why you didn’t know about potato chips and why you like poptarts.”
“Yes.”
“What about your parents?”
“I’m trying to find them.”
“I’m so sorry Jarod. I hope you find them.” Debbie reached out to Jarod and hugged him.
“Thank you Debbie.” He hugged her back.
“Daddy did you know about this? What about you Miss Parker? I’ve already seen the disks with you on it Sydney.”
“Yes, baby I knew about what Jarod went through.”
“How?”
Broots looked at Miss Parker and then turned to his daughter. It was time to come clean.
“Because I was a part of the pursuit team of tracking Jarod and bringing him back.”
“No, daddy. Why would you do that?”
“Because I had no choice, baby.”
“What about you Miss Parker?”
“I was in charge of hunting for Jarod and bringing him back. I was his friend when we were children and that’s why I was put in charge of his pursuit team.”
“He’s not an animal he’s a human being.”
“I know Debbie.”
“How could you do that both of you?”
“Debbie I don’t blame them. Please don’t blame your father or Miss Parker.”
“How can you not blame them Jarod?”
“Because if they disobeyed they would have been in serious trouble.”
“I’m sorry daddy. I didn’t mean it.”
“It’s okay, baby. I don’t blame you.”
“I’m sorry Miss Parker.”
“It’s okay, Debbie.”
Debbie went back upstairs and put the case back into the closet.
“I’m sorry Broots I shouldn’t have left it in the closet. I should have put it somewhere else. She shouldn’t have seen them.”
“It’s okay Jarod. I don’t blame you.”
They went back to the computer and Jarod started to type again. Debbie was watching the whole thing in a spot where they couldn’t see. She watched as Jarod’s fingers flew over the computer.
“So where are the files?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m trying to find where they are at.”
“Are you sure you’re a genius? Pretender.”
“Hey, use my name. Yes, I’m sure I’m a genius. How else can I be a pretender?”
They printed out some more files after they found them in the Centre.
“Good some more evidence on the Centre.”
“We need some more.”
“I know Miss Parker.”
“Why don’t we stop and have lunch.”
“I’ll get Debbie.”
Debbie scrambled back to Jarod’s room and picked up the control again.
“Debbie it’s lunch time.”
“Okay daddy.” She put the control down and walked downstairs with her father.
When they had their plates in front of them Debbie spoke up.
“Jarod.”
“Yes.”
“What is a pretender?”
“Where did you hear this?”
“I was hiding on the stairs and I heard that word.”
“A pretender is a genius that can become anyone they want to.”
“Is that what you are?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re a genius too?”
“Yes.”
“What have you been?”
“Well, I’ve done a lot of pretends. I’ve been a policeman, Doctor, fireman, FBI, race car driver and many other things.”
“Wow.”
“Yes, wow is a good word for that.”
They ate their lunch in silence. After that they went back to their job of getting more files to take to the FBI agents that were waiting for them.
At the end of the day Debbie and Broots got ready to go.
“Goodbye Jarod.” Debbie said as she hugged him.
“Goodbye Debbie. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
The next day they had all the evidence they needed and handed it into the FBI Agents. They in turn said Thank You and left. They said they would be in touch with them.
A couple of days later the FBI called and would want them to come to the agency tomorrow.
Broots dropped his daughter off with a relative close by that night. She waved goodbye to her father and told him to say hi to Jarod. Ever since she saw the DSA’s she wanted to be nice to Jarod. She had even gave him a present that she had given to her father before she was dropped off.
They parked in the parking lot and they all walked up to the desk. They were told to go into the waiting room. They were each called in separately to give their statements.
Going, Going, Gone
Debbie Finds Out.
By: 24
The sun shown on the water making it glimmer and shimmer. Jarod watched the water lap at the edge of the beach. He stood there clad in black and with his sunglasses on his eyes. It was going to be a beautiful day today and it was going to be hot too. He could already feel the sun on his face warming him. He went back inside pouring himself some coffee that he had just brewed. He went back outside after grabbing a donut too and sat in the chair. Finished with breakfast he sat his cup on the floor beside him, leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
A shadow fell on his face making him open his eyes and look up. He saw Miss Parker and Sam looking at him and he grinned at them. He no longer flinched or had the instinct to run anymore.
“Are you already sleeping?” Sam asked.
“No. I was just wanted to soak up the sun. It feels nice.”
“Did you get anything besides donuts for breakfast?”
“No, Miss Parker. I got some bagels and poptarts.”
“Where’s Sydney?”
“He’s down by the beach already.”
They glanced at the beach watching a lone figure walking down the beach. Jarod, Miss Parker and Sam talked a little bit and then they went in to get breakfast. Jarod opened the freezer and grabbed the ice cream and sit it down on the counter. He also got a bowl and a spoon.
“You are not supposed to have ice cream for breakfast.” Sydney said as he walked in.
“I had a donut and coffee. Plus ice cream is milk, so it has calcium. And its very good.” He smiled at Sydney.
“Jarod.” Sydney shook her head at him as he watched him spoon ice cream into a bowl and put the carton back.
Jarod sat at the table with Miss Parker, Sam and Sydney as they talked. Miss Parker stared at Jarod as he spooned ice cream into his mouth.
“How do you eat that so early in the morning?”
“This is a new flavor and its very good. Did you know that was my first discovery when I escaped? It was a cone of vanilla ice cream and I asked the vender how he got it fluffy, but he just looked at me strangely. People have known to look at me strangely when I ask about a new discovery. I don’t think they get that I never ate or found out about all the things that they take for granted. Like toys that you have when you were a child, or the things that you get as an adult. I never got those things as a child and I had to find them out when I was an adult. They also take for granted that a walk in the sun, or seeing the moon and stars is a great thing, but it is if you never saw them. Just imagine being locked up in a cell never having a look at the outside world or knowing about it and then escaping and seeing the wonder of the stars and the moon. Then taking a walk in the sun as it warms your face. Taking the joy of discovering twinkies, slinkys, pez, donuts and everything else.”
That day they all went for a walk and went to the local mall to go shopping. Jarod and the rest of them went into the candy shop.
“Miss Parker what are these?”
“Lemon Drops.”
“Are they good?”
“Yes, but they are pretty sour.”
“What are these?”
“Gummy Bears.”
“Humm, a candy made in the image of a furry cuddly children’s bear. Interesting. I heard these candies when Jason, Sam’s son told me about them.”
Jarod turned the gummy bear over and decided to put some into a bag to try them. Miss Parker, Sam and Sydney shook their heads at him.
“Hey look they have pez.” Jarod looked at the many pez dispensers. He grabbed one and added it to his loot. He paid for them and they walked out. They walked around some more.
“I’m hungry.”
“You’re always hungry.”
They walked to the food court and Jarod looked around.
“There’s so many things to choose from.”
He settled on one and ate Chinese food.
“This is very good.” He grinned at them.
“Don’t tell me you never had Chinese food.”
“Umm, okay I won’t.”
“You know we should go home and get on the job of doing what we’ve been doing.”
“I know. When I’m finished we’ll go back.”
Jarod finished and they walked back to their house on the lake. Jarod grabbed his laptop from his room and brought it down to sit it on the table. As he and the others waited for it to boot up they gathered the papers that they had already printed. They had been busy gathering information in shutting down the Centre. Broots was coming over today with Debbie. They lived in the same town, but wanted a house by themselves.
The doorbell rang and Jarod went to go answer it.
“Hi Debbie and Broots.”
“Hey, Debbie I got some video games in my room. I got them today for you. Go ahead and play them.”
“Thank you, Jarod.” She took off her backpack, coat and put them on the couch then went upstairs to Jarod’s room.
A little while later Jarod went upstairs to see what she was doing. He heard the game as she played it. She glanced up and went on with the game.
“Are you having fun?”
“Yes.”
He left her again and went down stairs.
Meanwhile Debbie put down the control and went back towards Jarod’s closet. She hadn’t meant to snoop in his closet, but she found a silver case and opened it looking at all the disks, but before she could do anything she heard someone coming up the stairs, so she closed it and went back to the game. She went back to the case and opened it again. She sat there watching the DSA’s and was so entranced in them that she didn’t hear Miss Parker check up on her.
“Debbie does Jarod know that you’re watching them?”
“No, I’m sorry. I was just curious. Why did they do that to him? He seems so nice and so innocent. Why would they do that to a person like him? What did they do to him?” The little girl cried as she watched the adult Jarod kneel beside his friend and cry. She had just finished watching when they stopped his heart and when he was younger. “I saw them stop his heart and he didn’t want that. Why do all those things to him? I saw Sydney do things to him to.”
“Oh, baby you should have never seen that. He wouldn’t want you to see that.”
“Will he be mad at me?”
“No, baby. He wouldn’t do that. He won’t get mad at you.”
“Let’s go downstairs.”
They walked hand in hand into the kitchen.
“We have a problem.”
“What is it?”
“Debbie watched your DSA’s.”
Jarod gasped and then looked at the little girl.
“Are you okay Debbie?” Jarod said as he dropped in front of the girl.
“I’m fine Jarod.” She said with tears in her eyes.
“It’s okay. I’m not mad at you. It’s okay.” He hugged Debbie.
“I’m so sorry Jarod. I didn’t mean to watch them, but once I did I just couldn’t stop.”
“It’s okay.”
“Why would they do that Jarod? You were just a child.”
“Because they didn’t view me as a child.”
“Now I know why you didn’t know about potato chips and why you like poptarts.”
“Yes.”
“What about your parents?”
“I’m trying to find them.”
“I’m so sorry Jarod. I hope you find them.” Debbie reached out to Jarod and hugged him.
“Thank you Debbie.” He hugged her back.
“Daddy did you know about this? What about you Miss Parker? I’ve already seen the disks with you on it Sydney.”
“Yes, baby I knew about what Jarod went through.”
“How?”
Broots looked at Miss Parker and then turned to his daughter. It was time to come clean.
“Because I was a part of the pursuit team of tracking Jarod and bringing him back.”
“No, daddy. Why would you do that?”
“Because I had no choice, baby.”
“What about you Miss Parker?”
“I was in charge of hunting for Jarod and bringing him back. I was his friend when we were children and that’s why I was put in charge of his pursuit team.”
“He’s not an animal he’s a human being.”
“I know Debbie.”
“How could you do that both of you?”
“Debbie I don’t blame them. Please don’t blame your father or Miss Parker.”
“How can you not blame them Jarod?”
“Because if they disobeyed they would have been in serious trouble.”
“I’m sorry daddy. I didn’t mean it.”
“It’s okay, baby. I don’t blame you.”
“I’m sorry Miss Parker.”
“It’s okay, Debbie.”
Debbie went back upstairs and put the case back into the closet.
“I’m sorry Broots I shouldn’t have left it in the closet. I should have put it somewhere else. She shouldn’t have seen them.”
“It’s okay Jarod. I don’t blame you.”
They went back to the computer and Jarod started to type again. Debbie was watching the whole thing in a spot where they couldn’t see. She watched as Jarod’s fingers flew over the computer.
“So where are the files?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m trying to find where they are at.”
“Are you sure you’re a genius? Pretender.”
“Hey, use my name. Yes, I’m sure I’m a genius. How else can I be a pretender?”
They printed out some more files after they found them in the Centre.
“Good some more evidence on the Centre.”
“We need some more.”
“I know Miss Parker.”
“Why don’t we stop and have lunch.”
“I’ll get Debbie.”
Debbie scrambled back to Jarod’s room and picked up the control again.
“Debbie it’s lunch time.”
“Okay daddy.” She put the control down and walked downstairs with her father.
When they had their plates in front of them Debbie spoke up.
“Jarod.”
“Yes.”
“What is a pretender?”
“Where did you hear this?”
“I was hiding on the stairs and I heard that word.”
“A pretender is a genius that can become anyone they want to.”
“Is that what you are?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re a genius too?”
“Yes.”
“What have you been?”
“Well, I’ve done a lot of pretends. I’ve been a policeman, Doctor, fireman, FBI, race car driver and many other things.”
“Wow.”
“Yes, wow is a good word for that.”
They ate their lunch in silence. After that they went back to their job of getting more files to take to the FBI agents that were waiting for them.
At the end of the day Debbie and Broots got ready to go.
“Goodbye Jarod.” Debbie said as she hugged him.
“Goodbye Debbie. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
The next day they had all the evidence they needed and handed it into the FBI Agents. They in turn said Thank You and left. They said they would be in touch with them.
A couple of days later the FBI called and would want them to come to the agency tomorrow.
Broots dropped his daughter off with a relative close by that night. She waved goodbye to her father and told him to say hi to Jarod. Ever since she saw the DSA’s she wanted to be nice to Jarod. She had even gave him a present that she had given to her father before she was dropped off.
They parked in the parking lot and they all walked up to the desk. They were told to go into the waiting room. They were each called in separately to give their statements.
