The 2 Criminals

• Hayley Jackson, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2022

I could hear footsteps approaching me. Not one, but two sets. This must be the house; this must be the right house. My partner Charlie kicks down the door, to see an open window, the wind from the window gushes through me, and I shiver. This is the first time me and Charlie have failed a mission. I must finish this; I must not let anybody else get hurt. As a cop I must do my duties. I climb out of the open window with Charlie following right behind me. We give each other the look, and we split up, and search both sides of the house. Charlie and I, find each other at the back of the house with nobody in sight. As clear as I know, we have failed this mission, we have failed this country, we have failed ourselves.

I hear a bang shot in the distance. Charlie and I look at each other and run towards where they heard the gun shot. We must not fail this time. I run as fast as I can, nearly running my legs off. I overspeed Charlie by a few meters, and I spot them. There is a dead body of a child, what looks about 9 years old In front of them. I clench my fists with fury and pull out my gun. I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. I decided to walk towards them. They stopped and looked at me with a guilty face. They got down on their knees, and one of them started crying. As I was a meter in front of them. I wasn’t prepared for what was going to happen next, it just happened in front of my eyes. He pulled out his gun faster than my eyes could see, and he shot me.