Sammy Spirals Down

By Charles Thornton

Sammy loves Maggie his, his childhood friend. Sammy can't wait to get his first kiss from her on the first day of school this year.Wait to see what comes to life after school that faithful day. Sammy grows up tormented and rebellious. Ruining everything and everyone that he comes in contact with until he finally has an, ah ha moment. His misguided life will never be the same as Sammy starts a new life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles Thornton
• Release date: Feb 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311331762

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Sammy Spirals Down

by

Charles Thornton

Copyright 2014 Charles Thornton

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 1

Sammy rolled his head from side to side on the back seat of his dad’s brand new car. It was so good to not feel pieces of ripped seat poking him. The old car used to scratch his legs all up, but this car is soft and smooth. Mommy had been pretty mad when Daddy pulled up in the driveway with it, but Sammy thought that was just cuz she was a Mommy. Him and Daddy loved the loud engine. Daddy had told him that the ‘72 Dodge Dart was gonna be the car of the future. Sammy didn’t know what V8 meant, or how they fit 310 horses inside the engine – probably didn’t want to know. All he knew was that when Daddy turned that key the engine roared and vibrated his chest in the back seat. And he loved it!

Sammy was especially happy to be in the back seat this morning, even if it was really early and he was still tired. But today was the first time they were taking the new car to the beach and Sammy couldn’t wait! Atlantic City Beach was their favorite place to go. Mommy and Daddy took him swimming there every Saturday for as far back as Sammy could remember. He would always see the other Daddies standing around their hot rods and his Daddy would stay on the blanket with him and Mommy. Daddy always said it was because he wanted to spend the time with them, but Sammy knew it was because their old car wasn’t cool enough.

But now that Sammy was 7 and could be good enough to not mess up the car, Daddy was finally able to get a nice one. Nicer than all the other race cars that are gonna be there! Sammy thought to himself as he continued rolling his head back and forth, side to side, on the back seat. The ripples in the seat felt like head speed bumps and he tried to time the ripples with the beat of the song on the radio.

"I’ve been driving all night, my hands are wet on the wheel."

Turn it up Daddy!!

Daddy turned the dial on the radio and the speakers behind Sammy’s head started to bounce even harder.

"There’s a voice in my head that drives my heel."

Daddy started to sing with them:

"And my baby calls says she needs me here.

And it’s half past four and I’m shifting gears.

When she gets lonely and the longing gets too much,

She sends a cable coming in from above.

We don’t need to talk at all."

Now Sammy, already bouncing in his seat belt joins in on the part he knows:

"We got a thing that’s called radar love.

We got a wave in the air radar love."

By the end of the song Sammy was practically jumping out of his seat belt He and Daddy were both screaming at the top of their lungs. Mommy didn’t sing but he saw her head bouncing with the beat. Good enough.

You know Sammy, this is probably the trip that will cause your hair to turn completely white Mommy teased from the front seat.

Sammy tried to grab some of his hair from the top and look at it, but as far as he could roll his eyes up, it wasn’t far enough. He could see the tip of his finger and that was it. Every week Mommy says his blonde is getting blonder and his tan is getting tanner. And every week he forgets to pay attention after they go home. He made his brain remember to look in the mirror tonight at the hotel.

Mommy can I have my pop?

No, we’re not eating in this new car.

But I want to drink not eat.

Don’t test me.

Yes ma’am.

Harry, Mommy turned to Daddy. Just because the speedometer will go to 100 doesn’t mean you have to.

Chill Kath, I’m only doing 53. It’s just this manly engine you feel! Daddy revved the engine a little to make his point.

Yaaaay! from the back seat.

Sammy saw Mommy reach over to Daddy’s side of the car and squeeze his arm. The car slowed down.

When they pulled up to the hotel Sammy crooked his neck way up to see the top, but he couldn’t. It looked like a castle in his books. He always expected to see knights and horses when they pulled up. Nothing yet, but he’s still waiting. I have the best Daddy in the world to bring me to a castle every weekend!

Sammy was still humming Radar Love as he climbed out of the car. Daddy handed the keys to the guy in the red jacket and told him not to ‘scratch my baby’ as the other man in red pulled all of the suitcases out of the trunk. Sammy remembered when Daddy told Mommy that having bigger trunk space didn’t mean you had to fill it up with more junk. Then he giggled under his breath as he thought about the man in red probably thinking the same thing.

Sammy ran down the hallway to the elevator door, jabbing the button repeatedly as Mommy, Daddy, and the man in red tried to catch up. The doors opened and he bolted in. What number are we on again Daddy?

10.

Sammy jabbed the 10 button a couple times, then a couple more for good measure. As the elevator started up Sammy got that feeling in his stomach again. He could never tell if he liked it or not, because it felt funny but it also made him scared. Then the elevator kept going for what seemed like forever. Man Daddy, are we at the tippy top this time? he asked, knowing that Daddy always said the higher you are in the hotel the more money you have.

Almost. This time next year we will be for sure, though. Daddy rubbed the top of Sammy’s head and messed up his hair.

And I’ll get my own car, too. Right Daddy? Mommy didn’t say that like it was a question.

Of course, babe. Daddy pinched Mommy on her butt and it made Sammy giggle. Daddy had already gotten a promotion at the office, and he’d heard them talking about all the money’s he’s making now that Wilson, Pratt, and Morris would become Wilson, Pratt, Morris, and Sharp. That was Daddy’s name! He would be able to go to Daddy’s office now and see his own name on the building. Mommy even said they could take a picture of it with a nice camera. Plus Daddy was supposed to get all sorts of new stuff like a company car and a bigger office. Plus a ton of money!

When they got to the room Daddy pulled some money out of his pocket and gave it to the man in red. He’d always said that you make sure to take care of the people who take care of you. Sammy knew that was important so he made sure to remember it forever. He ran and jumped on both beds to see which was his. They were so much softer than the ones in the old hotel. Daddy, your cigarette people really make a good hotel! his voice was shaky from bouncing on the bed so hard.

Yeah, boy, the Marlborough-Blenheim is a cool place to stay.

It took forever for Mommy to put away all the clothes she brought. Sammy couldn’t believe she wanted all those clothes when they were gonna be at the beach for just two days. But he did as he was told and shoved all his clothes in the bottom drawer of the big dresser. Then he took off his shirt and threw it on the floor in front of the bathroom. And he was ready to swim. For two whole days.

After at least 10 whole minutes of waiting, Mommy grabbed her towel and sunglasses. Sammy knew this meant they were finally going down to the beach. The coolest thing about this hotel was that you could see the water from your bedroom. So Sammy had spent the past 10 minutes picking out his spot.

Mommy if we play by the yellow umbrella right there, we’ll be under our room. Then we can keep an eye on it for when Daddy comes down. Daddy had more blonder hair than Sammy and his skin didn’t get brown at the beach; it got red. So Daddy waited until after lunchtime to come swimming. Until then, Mommy didn’t let Sammy go very far into the water.

Slow down Mommy yelled toward the back of Sammy’s head as he was racing her to the water. Don’t go drownin’ yourself. You know I’m not getting my hair wet!

That’s why we’re gonna stay by the yellow umbrella. Cuz the people can stand up there! He was at the water’s edge before Mommy could say another word. Full speed he ran as far in as he could until the water was stronger than his legs and pushed him over. Face first into the water, salt going in his nose and mouth. Daddy always laughed at him for forgetting to close his mouth in the water.

Mommy sat down the chair and stuff she had, and opened the green umbrella right beside the yellow one. Sammy positioned himself right in the middle and tested which one was most up under their window. Mommy, put your chair on the right side of the umbrella…..no the other right side; my right side! So I can see right into our room! Mommy finally got it right and sat down. She opened her book and put on the giant sunglasses that always made her whole face disappear.

Alright Sammy, stay where I can see you.

Sammy spent most of the morning practicing his breath holding. Daddy could always swim farther and stay under the water longer. But this was gonna be the week that Sammy won. He could just feel it. He pinched his nose in his fingers, dunked his head under the water and started counting. One…two…three…..twenty…twenty one. He popped up out of the water, panting and dunked his head right back under. One…two…three…fifteen…sixteen! Mommy it’s not working!

You have to take a breath between dunks, honey.

That seemed to work. Sammy could almost make it to 35 if he rested. Surely that would beat Daddy. Sammy looked up at the hotel room. The light was still on in the window. Daddy was still working. Maybe now would be a good time to practice. Daddy could hold his eyes open under water. Sammy tried but it burned and he didn’t like it. But Daddy always said How can you see the sharks coming with your eyes closed? Sammy knew there were no sharks in the water that Mommy let him play in, but still. It was something he needed to know.

Sammy dunked again, this time with his eyes open. He could see a little, but there was really nothing in the water to look at. There were some tiny mintow fish that Sammy could never catch, and he learned to stop trying last year. But nothing else besides sand. Sammy came up for air and took a couple deep breaths. Maybe following the mintows would lead to bigger fish. So he dunked again and started to follow the mintows. But they were too fast. Up for air again. Deep breath. Back under the water.

But wait, what’s that shadow? A shark? Danny started to run but the water was too heavy. He couldn’t move fast enough. The shadow was right beside him now! Hair? He didn’t even have time to finish the thought. Something whooshed him out of the water, way up in the sky.

AAAAUUUUGGHHHH! Sammy screamed!

Gotcha! Daddy laughed as Sammy was still trying to get away from him, running in mid-air! Finally he realized that it was hands holding him, not a shark fin. He turned around and looked through burning eyes.

I saw you Daddy! I saw you! I had my eyes open! I thought you were a shark! A hairy shark ha ha ha!

Good, you’ve been practicing. I told you it would come in handy one day.

Daddy I was following the mintows to see if they knew where the big fish are.

Bud, if the minnows know where the big fish are, they’re not gonna go near ‘em. They’re big fish food.

Oh, then how do we find the fish that we can catch?

"Tonight we’ll