The Intervention

Developed by A. Sylvur with Drake’s Idea

Word Count: 1263

The thunder shook the earth and he felt the rumble throughout his body as he ran. Soaked from his head down to his boots, Drake ran raced through the dark alleyways, as he was once again, hunted like an animal. But this time, he didn’t do it. God changed him and he was certain they could see the change. For nearly a year, he hadn’t been in trouble. Not to mention the witnesses who saw him in church every time the church doors opened. In the sky, lightening streaked through the clouds as he swore he wouldn’t go back to prison for something he didn’t do. It just wasn’t fair. He paid his time, and now he wanted to get his life back. Though he knew that running was a sign of guilt, an old habit instinctively took control with no time for debate. Too late to make explanations, he made a mistake and knew no one would listen now.

At the age of fifteen, with his whole life ahead of him, Drake leaned his back against a building to catch his breath as the wind picked up. The strongest part of the storm was upon him. With his eyes toward heaven, he prayed for a miracle and divine intervention on his behalf. Through abuse, addictions, fear on the inside, and anger that gave him the strength to bear living, he fought tears of frustration. All he wanted was a fair chance, but life it seemed had a different path in mind.

Police sirens pushed him to his feet again and he headed toward a park. Still winded from the last bout of running, he endured the burn in his lungs as he took huge strides toward freedom. The sirens seemed closer and he prayed as his legs and lungs wanted to give up. Unable to go any farther, his knees landed in a puddle in the grass as his cell phone vibrated.

Winded, he struggled to protect his cell phone as he rasped, “Hello?”

“Climb the oak tree to your left. In a few minutes you’ll hear the sirens move away from you.”

“Who is this?” His lungs burned so badly it hurt to speak.

The voice laughed. “Has it been that long?”

Relief flooded his senses. “Oh God.”

“No, not God. Want to try again?”

“I know who this is and I know you’re not God.” Relieved, he nearly cried and endured the ache as he added, “I was just thanking him. Thank you too.” He closed his cell phone then proceeded to climb the giant oak tree with roots as large as twenty-year-old tree trunks that refused to stay beneath the ground.

Not long after he closed his eyes, the sirens began to drift away. Drake wasn’t sure how long he stayed in the tree. But, knew it stopped raining and just before he considered the jump down, he heard voices and froze.

“Dude, you gonna stay up there all day?”

He looked down. “Eric?”

“In the flesh.”

“Hey, Drake.” David nodded with a mischievous smile.

“David. Thanks, guys. I don’t know what you did, but thank you.”

David adjusted his cap. “Can’t tell you.”

“Trust me, I don’t want to know.”

Eric laughed softly. “Don’t I know it. So, what is it this time?”

“I didn’t do it. I swear.”

“We’re not the ones you have to convince.” Eric looked behind him. “Come on. We’ll get you dry and then you can rest some more.”

Drake jumped to the ground.

“Tacos?” David asked as he rubbed his chin.

Erik nodded. “Tacos.”

Winded, Drake nodded. “Tacos.”

Thirty minutes later, after tacos, they sat in their bachelor reserve and wondered what to do to help their friend.

“I don’t have anything.” David sighed.

“At the moment, me neither,” Drake added. “I think I should just surrender and plead my innocence. That’s all I’ve got.”

“I’m still thinking.” Eric shook his head. “Have any idea who framed you?”

Drake shook his head then looked around the room. “No, but where’s Dev?”

“I thought you said you didn’t want to know how we got the cops off your back?” Eric asked.

Drake laughed and shook his head. “So, he’s either locked up or trying to prove to the cops who he really is?”

Someone pounded on the front door. The three of them were on their feet in a flash. Eric lifted a shelf on the wall halfway down the staircase to reveal a hidden room. David shoved Drake inside then as he locked the shelf into place he heard Drake stumble and winced.

A familiar voice shouted for someone to open the door.

Relieved, David’s shoulders sagged. “Oh, dude. I thought it was my turn.”

Eric opened the door and Dev rushed inside.

“Ok. What part of ‘I changed my mind’ didn’t you guys understand?” He shook with fear, and anger as he glared with tear stained cheeks.

Eric peeked out the door, “Did they follow you?”

“No.” Dev walked in and found the sofa. His fingers ran through his frazzled hair. “Good thing one of you called in. They were ready to lock me up.”

“We didn’t call the cops.” Eric confessed.

Shocked, Dev looked for something to throw. “Well, they told me I was free to go. So, I guess they found Drake . . . Poor guy. I’ll miss him.”

“No they didn’t. He’s here.” David confessed somewhat confused.

“You’re kidding me?” Dev ran up the stairs as he inquired, “Then why did they let me go? Drake?”

A sudden knock from behind the wall on the staircase frightened Dev, who in reaction, screamed like a girl.

David reached out, grabbed Dev’s arm before the other young man leapt off the top of the staircase. “Easy. It’s just Drake.”

“Can I get out now?” Drake’s muffled voice asked. “Is it safe?”

Eric unlocked the shelf and opened it up. “Don’t know how safe it is, but they let Dev go.”

“They knew you weren’t Drake?” David asked Dev, who stared at the secret passage door with awe.

“No.” Dev shook his head. “They wanted to lock me up.” He focused back on the issue at hand. “They thought I was Drake because you guys yelled Drake’s name. They looked at me, so I panicked and ran.”

“That’s the initial thought process for any teenager. I read it in a magazine. So, instinctively we run.

Concerned, Drake pushed forward and asked, “So, you don’t know why they let you go?”

“Nope and I wasn’t gonna ask.”

“I hafta call.”

“Dude, are you crazy? You’re the one they’re looking for.”

Drake shrugged. “I can’t run forever and if they let him go, maybe, just maybe they know I didn’t do it.”

David nodded. “Kinda makes sense if you don’t think about it too hard.”

He used Eric’s phone and called the local police station. Eric, David and Dev listened as he spoke to the officer. After many questions, Drake finally hung up and announced, “They found their guy. Seems my pastor vouched for me when he saw the news on TV. I hadn’t realized I was in church at the time the girl received the drugs and I didn’t know I was on TV.”

“So, you’re clear?”

Relieved, Drake nodded, too emotional to speak, but thanked God for the intervention.

Eric clapped his friend’s shoulder. “Awesome. Good thing you were in church.”

“That’s a relief.” David was relieved then walked off as he said, “game time.”

Flooded with relief, Drake nodded as he followed his friends into the room.