• Never Give up

    PART ONE



    Wednesday, October 17th, 2025: Prologue

    How did I get here? That was the question that was always running through my mind. I asked it when my dad died, I asked it when my mother left me alone with my grandfather, and I asked it when my best friend was found dead. And now, I ask myself this question again. How, did an ordinary guy like me…end up in the middle, of the greatest war the world has ever seen? This, was truly hell.



    Monday, September 5th, 2006: Chapter 1

    I was starting R.A. Wesley Junior High today, and I was quite excited, it was all me and Chris could talk about for the past week. All 3 of my brothers had gone there as well, so I was a little nervous after the things they told me. They told me about how if you weren’t careful, you’d find yourself at the wrong end of a knife; this school had the highest percentage of knife injuries in the entire city. I never really wanted to believe them, but something about the way they said it got to me.

    My dad was driving me and Chris to school today. Normally he was at work, but he said he doesn’t mind missing an hour or so to take me to school. My dad was a caring man, but he knew how to be cross if he needed to. We weren’t leaving for another twenty or so minutes, so I decided to call Chris to kill some time. “Hello?” a woman answered; his mother. “Hi Ms. Mackinnon, is Chris there?” I asked. “Oh, hello Sam. Yes he’s right here, give me a second.” I could hear her calling for him. “Hey!” he answered a few seconds later, “you all set for school today?” he asked excitedly. I laughed. “You know it!” Chris had been my best friend ever since grade one. He and I were getting bullied by these two kids in grade 3, and they had us cornered. But luckily our teacher, Mr. Bishop, came to our rescue. Ever since that day Chris and I were best friends. We didn’t really understand why, but we just became friends. “My mom wants to know if your dad’s still driving us in,” he said, “I told her probably, but she said I should ask anyway.” I went to ask my dad. I knew he was driving us, but like Chris’ mom, it just makes sure. “Dad, you’re still driving us to school right?” I yelled. He looked around the corner at me. “Yes, don’t worry, I’ve made sure ever-“ He stopped talking to answer his cell phone, which had rung. “Hello?” He said. I didn’t know who he was talking to, so I just looked at him. His face went into a look of shock “What?” he asked, sounding a little afraid, and shocked “well how did it happen?” He demanded, now sounding a little upset. “Well don’t you have someone else who can fix it?” he asked. He now had a sad look on his face “alright, I guess I can fix it. Yeah I’ll be right over, bye.” He looked at me with the still upset look on his face. “Sam, I’m sorry, I just got called into work” he told me. “The automatic doors have sealed up and locked 3 workers in a corridor, and I’m the only one who knows how to fix it, so I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to take you and Chris to school. I stood there, thunderstruck and my mouth was open, but I didn’t really notice. “but Chris and I don’t have any other way to school, they took the bus off of our road.” I exclaimed. He looked at me, with a look that showed he was very upset. Then, a look of comprehension dawned on his face. “There is another way for you to get to school!” he said happily. “How?” I asked. “Moms working and you’re going to work” I asked. He grinned. “Yes, but there’s also my father, James Sam Macarthur”

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    “How much longer” I moaned. We were in my grandfathers’ truck on the way to school. “Not long now, and I told you to stop asking me!” he growled. Out of all my grandparents, I disliked him the most. Sure, he was laugh at times, but he was more of an annoying old man the rest of the time. “Sorry,” I mumbled. “Who forgot to eat their bran today” I whispered to Chris, and we both started snickering. “What are you two laughing about” He asked suddenly. We tried to look innocent “nothing grandpa, just thinking about how great Junior high is going to be” I said.
    Well whatever,” he grumbled “there’s your school up there.” I looked up with a grin, which slid right off my face as I saw two people I never thought I’d see again; Steve and Jeremy, the bullies from grade 3


    Chapter 2

    ”umm, grandpa? Can you drop us off closer to the school entrance?” I asked timidly. He looked at me “why should I?” he asked. Chris and I looked at each other for a second then I looked at my grandpa and told him the story of the bullies, Chris, and I. He looked at me, then shook his head. “Sam, you’re never going to get through life if you rely on other people to solve your problems, or running away from them” he said “you have to take charge. You never know, there might be a time where you have to figure out a big problem on your own, might as well get started now.” And with that he opened the doors and shooed us out of the truck.
    I looked at Chris. “So…” I started “guess we better go.” He looked down. “Yeah, I guess your right.” We started walking towards the school when, predictably, we were confronted by Steve and Jeremy. “Well look here, Jeremy.” Steve said, looking at us with a sneer. “It’s Ickle Sammy and Chrissy the sissy” They both started laughing. I was about to turn and run when my grandpa’s words echoed in my head. ‘Sam, you’re never going to get through life if you rely on other people to solve your problems, or running away from them. you have to take charge. You never know, there might be a time where you have to figure out a big problem on your own, might as well get started now.’ “and look here Chris, it’s The organ grinder and his monkey.” Now we were laughing and they were looking mutinous.
    ”Think your funny do ya Sammy?” He looked ready to hit me. He came up to me and jabbed me in the chest with his finger. “Well pay attention. You thought we was bad in grade 3? Well, were a lot worse then we were then. So you just watch your step, or you’ll be going home with more injuries then a war veteran.” And then he and Jeremy stalked off. “Well” I said to Chris “pretty unusual way to start the year.” Course I didn’t know, things were going to get a lot worse.


    Homeroom:

    ”Alright everyone, and welcome to the 7th grade! My name is Mr. O’Neil, and I am your homeroom teacher for the year.” Mr. O’Neil was a large man (no I don’t mean tall) with a large black beard and one of those weird moustaches the French or whoever have, the one with the two curls at both ends. Well anyway, like I said he was a large man, had a beard, but for some reason, his pocket was…beeping. There was this little electronic beeping, and if you looked closely, you could see a red and green light, flashing. Red, green, red, green… I was so distracted I didn’t even here him start attendance, until Chris hit me in the arm to wake me up. “Chris Stanfield?” He called. “Here” he raised his hand. “Sam Ma-“ BANG! The door burst open and the principal came in. “Blasted door, we really have to get that fixed.” He apologized for interrupting then looked at the class. “Hello new students, and welcome to R.A. Wesley Junior High!” There was a small applause. “Now usually I do a little speech on the rules when I come in here.” He suddenly looked a little concerned. “But I’m here to talk to Mr. Sam Macarthur.” I froze. “What’s wrong?” Mr. O’Neil asked. The principal walked over to the teacher and whispered something. Mr. O’Neil gasped. “M-Mr. Macarthur, please go with the principal, and bring your books with you.” He looked sorry about something. I looked sideways at Chris, he looked troubled. “Er, ok?” I picked up my books and followed the principal out. We walked for about 5 minutes, then we were at his office. “Step inside please” he said. I walked in and sat in the chair across from his desk. He sat down in his chair and turned it towards me. “Your father’s workplace called a while ago Sam,” he started, then seemed to struggle as to find what to say next. I sort of caught on. “what happened to dad?” I demanded. He looked at me with slightly watery eyes. “He…he’s dead, Sam.”


    Chapter 3

    I was running. I was running without any intention to stop. I ran past classrooms, past kids, past teachers, past the janitor, and out the front door. I just ran, with the words echoing in my head. ‘he’s dead Sam…’ Tears were running down my face. I finally stopped on the other side of the school, and I fell. I laid there for 10 minutes, slowly letting the fact creep in. My father had died when a door he was opening to save three trapped workers suddenly came back down, breaking his back. By the time they got the door off…no, don’t think about it. I pushed myself upright and wiped my face dry. I was still shaking, and I started walking back towards school. To top everything off, Steve and Jeremy were coming out the front doors, straight towards me. At this time, I had had enough. I walked forwards, staring through them, and walked right past them. But before I could get too far they both grabbed an arm and threw me down on the ground. “Where do you think YOUR going Sammy?” Jeremy said. I didn’t answer. Steve repeated the question, still I did not answer. He turned me around and twisted my arm. I gasped but refused to yell or scream. “for the last time Sammy” he twisted my arm a little more “Where do you think-why is your shirt wet Sammy? You been cryin’? Him and Jeremy actually stopped laughing and twisted my arm and picked me up and made me look at them. “Yes, for your information I was.” I said. “Why was you cryin’ Sammy, we didn’t do nothing to you.” Steve jeered. I bit my tongue; sure I could tell them, but they might make fun of me and do a lot worse then twist my arm. But my grandpa’s words echoed in my head again. “If you must know, I just found out my dad died, happy?” I looked down, but not before I saw the two of them…frown. They were frowning, as if upset. I looked back up, and Steve said “hey, uhh…sorry,” he mumbled. “Yeah, sorry” Jeremy put in. I was confused. “Why…” I began, but Steve cut me off, “Both me and Jeremy lost our dads too, we know how bad that can be.” He let me go, and backed a few steps away. I stood there, looking at them. These two tormented me since grade three, but now, something from that seemed to pass away. I was about to say thanks, before a yell behind me made me turn around; Chris was running full speed at Steve, who for a second looked shocked, then he looked quite untroubled. Him, Jeremy and I watched Chris run right at us, before he stopped and doubled over, catching his breath. “Get…lost…leave…him…alone” he breathed. I looked at him. “Chris, it’s ok, there not bothering me.” I told him. Then I explained what happened in the last while. He stood up straight. “So let me get this straight, your dad’s dead, and your telling me they stopped bullying you cause their dads died too?” He looked…well I don’t know what to call it. “Well, yeah” I shrugged. He shook his head, then looked from Steve, to Jeremy, to me, and back to Steve again. “Why should we believe these two aren’t trying to trick us into thinking there nice guys now?” he said, as he looked back at me again. Steve looked positively angry at this point. “You think I’m lying ‘bout mine and Jeremy’s dads being dead?” he said coldly. Chris looked determined. “Yeah, I do, got a problem with that?” Before I could say anything on what was going on, Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocket knife; about 7 inches long, and brought it up to Chris’ throat. “Big mistake, Chrissy.” And in a flash, he had swung the knife back, and jammed it into Chris’ stomach.
    END OF PART ONE