Free The Ones Who Got Away by Amira MZ

went to the high school the same year as Jeremy was either a businessman in Sydney or was in the slammer for bringing drugs over the border.
     
    The Joshua that befriended Jeremy, as according to Danial, wasn’t the kind who mixed around with junkies but also wasn’t that bright. In fact, given Jeremy’s condition, Jeremy was smarter. I knocked on the door of the apartment which was ready to topple anytime soon. Dilapidated was not even the closest word to describe it. Imminent collapse was more like it.
     
    “Are you from the Thai place?” The man asked peeking from behind his door. His hair was sticking at weird angles and I wondered when he last shaved.
     
    “Nope and not the pizza girl either. I’m Hannah and I’m here to ask you about Jeremy. You‘re a friend of him, aren‘t you?” I gave him my sweetest smile, hoping that was enough to melt his heart and let me in.
     
    “It’s been ten years. Why now?” He asked, sounding suspicious as if I was the Feds.
     
    “Somebody thinks what happened to him wasn’t an accident.”
     
    “Come in.”
     
    The door creaked open and I stepped into the cluttered space. Old newspapers, yellowed with age was everywhere, there was an ashtray full with ashes and cigarette butts. The air smelled damp as if it had been circulating the apartment for the last decade. I walked across the room and heaved open a window, finally, I can breathe.
     
    Then, I saw a drawing of a man in an expensive suit, strangled with his own necktie stuck on the wall. I looked closer and realized the way it was drawn, matches the one in my handbag. The drawing of Jeremy’s train accident which was pictured as if it was not.
     
    “Who is this?” I asked, pointing to the disturbing drawing of the suffocating man.
     
    “My old boss.” Joshua answered, exhaling puffs of cigarette smoke that made my eyes watery.
     
    “Looks like the same artist.” I stated, showing him the drawing of Jeremy.
    “Joshua, are you trying to say something about how Jeremy died?”
     
    “I don’t know how he died.” Joshua denied it.
     
    “Then why did you leave these pictures at the grave?” I asked. By the way he reacted, I knew he drew it because he didn’t deny drawing it.  
     
    “It’s just something for him. A remembrance. Sort of like a gift for his tenth anniversary.”
     
    “Is this Jeremy on the tracks?” I asked, pointing at the boy that was drawn lying supine and motionless on the train tracks while two boys around that age looked on, laughing.
     
    “No, Jeremy and I are the ones by the sidelines. The one on the tracks is Matthew.”
     
    “Who’s that?” I asked, trying to search my head for a Matthew. Nothing came up and Joshua had already interrupted my thoughts with his story.
     
    ***
     
    “Don’t. Please don’t hurt JJ.” Jeremy pleaded. Joshua and Jeremy were on their way home from school by foot and they had to pass by the train tracks to get back. There was where they came across a group of guys. Matthew’s little army. Matthew was the popular guy. Rugby captain, loved by the students, despised by the teachers. And when Matthew wanted something done, he had his little band of bandits to help out.
     
    “Is that what I’m doing? Hurting him?” Matthew laughed mockingly. He was holding Jeremy’s prized possession, Jeremy’s teddy bear. And it did not seem like he was going to give it back to Jeremy. At least not in one piece.
     
    “Yes.” Jeremy said softly between tears.
     
    “Yeah, you’re right. I can hear him crying.” The other boys were chuckling. Some, yelling out profane words at Jeremy. One of them was holding Joshua captive, making him helpless.
     
    “Stop it!” and Jeremy tried to grab the teddy but Matthew was too tall and pushed him away.
     
    “Hey!” Matthew said “I can give your teddy back. All you have to do is say please.”
     
    “Please,” but in a flash, the cotton fillings of the teddy spilled out before his eyes. Matt had