Royce's Wreckage

By S. M. Wright

Ambre Nicole Dabney is a young woman who grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada. As a member

of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Ambre is preparing to serve an 18-month

mission for the Church, and has been called to serve in the Chicago Mission. As with all young

men and women who leave home to serve missions, Ambre is full of excitement, fears,

expectations, and wonderment at being away from home and serving in a totally different

country. Meanwhile, Royce Airyn O'Malley is a vivacious young woman who excells at

anything she tries, both academically and personally. However, just weeks before turning

sixteen, tragedy strikes her family. Shortly after this tragedy, Royce finds out a shocking truth.

When these two meet in one of Chicago's public parks, Ambre in her innocence and

excitement, just wants to share the gospel with Royce. But Royce is jaded and street-wise

now. Will Ambre's enthusiasm about the gospel help Royce find the peace and happiness she

is so desperately needing? Or will Royce's life from the past five years come back to cause

trouble for both of them?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hawes & Jenkins Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9781637841921

Book preview

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Royce's Wreckage

S. M. Wright

ISBN 978-1-63784-191-4 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63784-192-1 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by S. M. Wright

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Hawes & Jenkins Publishing

16427 N Scottsdale Road Suite 410

Scottsdale, AZ 85254

www.hawesjenkins.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part One

Chicago, Illinois

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Part Two

Nova Scotia, Canada

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Part Three

Chicago, Illinois

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Royce woke up several hours later back in her room, but now it was dark outside and the lights had been dimmed. She was propped up in the hospital bed in a half-sitting, half-lying position. Her midsection felt stiff. Remembering a little of what happened earlier, she brought her right hand to where the pain had been earlier. She could feel thick bandages through her hospital gown, which had been replaced and was now devoid of blood. Her throat felt like she had eaten a plate full of sand and her head like a steel drum consortium had taken up residence and were practicing as if their life depended on it. She groaned, which caused movement from the corner to catch her eye.

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Stay tuned for the next installment of Royce's story in Royce's Realization.

About the Author

Introduction

This story is 100 percent out of my own imagination. Where I may have taken the liberty to fashion some of my characters after the traits of family, friends, acquaintances, and people I have seen or met on my journey through life, in no way are any of my characters fully based on any one person, nor are any of the events that are written about in the story based on actual events. In fact, the entire story is based on a reoccurring nightmare (the entire prologue of the story) I had in my late twenties. After having had the nightmare about four times, I had the thought to write the nightmare down, which I did in the hopes that the nightmare would desist. As I began writing, however, my imagination took hold, and before I knew it, I had a storyline that had begun to come to life.

Throughout the writing process, I would share bits and pieces of the story with friends, and one of the questions that was asked of me by several friends was how I came up with the names for the characters. To answer this, I must first confess two things. The first is that I have always loved big families. I grew up with four other siblings but have a total of six siblings. (This is a story for another time and place.) Having grown up in a large family, I have always imagined myself one day being the mother of a large family as well. Imagining that I was said mother leads me to confession number two. I have always had a fascination of names and the meanings behind them. Along with the meanings, the names of a person, I feel, should flow together and just roll off the tongue. My friends say it is because I am slightly OCD, but I also like there to be patterns in everything. Groups of people are no different. I like to visually group people I see from tallest to shortest, oldest to youngest, blond hair / blue eyes, brown hair / green eyes, and so on and so forth. Creating groups of names for characters is no different. I created the siblings from Chicago to all be named after cars: Azure, Aston, Bentley, Cooper, Ford, Shelby, and Royce. The siblings from Nova Scotia also have a pattern in the fact that all three kids have names that start with the letter A: Arybelle, Antoine, Ambre.

The idea behind both these sibling groups is that they are from Christian—one Irish Catholic and the other LDS or Mormon—families that have grown up very close-knit, and the idea that family is everything. I wanted each of the characters within the story to reach out to everyone because at one time or another, we have all experienced the greatest of joys, the deepest sorrows, personal loss, learning and growing, and most of all, learning who we are as individuals. That being said, there will be some issues that could be considered very controversial as well as mild language. I personally grew up in the Christian faith as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which is more commonly known as the LDS or Mormon Church. The mild language that is used was most definitely not used a lot in my family until much later in life and is hardly, if ever, heard in other families and should therefore not be considered normal. It was suggested that I should take the language out, and I did take out most of it from the original version. However, I felt that I needed to leave this little bit to give a real feel to the characters. It also helps the reader better understand the extreme difference in lifestyles and how far the characters, Royce especially, comes by the end of the story.

By having based this story on Christian values, I am in no way meaning to offend or single out or exclude members of other faiths or no faith at all. This is simply what I know. In an effort to help those who are unfamiliar with the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), at the end of this book, I have included a brief description of the church, its doctrines, and how some of the normal activities such as full-time missions operate. These descriptions are in no way meant to make the reader feel as if I am pushing this religion on them. They are simply there to help the reader better understand the oddities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Part One

Chicago, Illinois

Prologue

What makes a nightmare nightmarish is the sense that something is happening that should not be. While nightmares are the most convenient reference point for this sense of the impossible, the unthinkable, as something that is actually happening, it is not restricted to our sleeping hours.

—Thomas Ligotti

October 29, 2013

Ugh! Two o'clock in the morning? Really? Why must my body hate me so? Why can't it just let me sleep like a normal person? Ambre thought. Being somewhat of an insomniac, she was used to waking up in the middle of the night. Sometimes she'd be able to go back to sleep immediately. Other times, however, there was nothing she could do to get back to sleep. Looking back at the bedside clock kept on the nightstand between her bed and that of her companion, Sister Skylar Michaels, Ambre hoped that tonight was not one of those nights where she was unable to go back to sleep. She rolled over and closed her eyes, only to have them pop open on their own again. She looked at the clock again: 2:02 a.m. Groaning, she rolled back over on to her back and rested her right arm above her head on her pillow. As she lay awake, she tried to figure out if there was something that woke her up or, if like normal, her body was just being cantankerous and not letting her sleep. Often, she would awaken to her companion's snoring. Ambre looked over at Skylar, who was sleeping soundly. Surprisingly, though, Skylar wasn't snoring.

Okay, well, that wasn't what woke me, Ambre thought to herself. The Northern Chicago wind rapped against the apartment window. That must have been what woke me, she thought as she snuggled back down under the handmade quilt her mother had painstakingly made for her prior to her leaving for her eighteen-month mission. The wind continued to blow, leaving no doubt why this city had been dubbed the Windy City.

Ambre turned over, preparing to try to go back to sleep. With one last look at her companion sleeping peacefully, Ambre grumbled, If I could only be so lucky! Sleep through anything! Yet as she proceeded to try to get back to sleep, a feeling that something just wasn't right niggled her at the back of her mind. She fell back asleep rather quickly but was awakened not even five minutes later by the same noises. She listened for a moment and then realized that the noises she was hearing were coming from outside the apartment. This time, she knew without a doubt that the noise she heard had absolutely nothing to do with the city's nickname!

Are you sure they're in there? a gruff male voice asked uncertainly.

"Where else would the good sisters be at this time of night, you dumbass!" a second, rather sinister, male voice said.

Hey, boss! You think they'll appreciate our little surprise party for them? a third voice, the loudest of them all, said. He and the first voice started to laugh.

Will you two dumbasses shut your mouths? Jesus! You guys are loud enough to wake the whole damned neighborhood! the second voice said in an angry whisper.

Ambre quickly and as quietly as she could got out of bed and went to her companion's bed and began to shake Skylar awake.

Sister Michaels! Wake up! Ambre cried in as loud a voice as she dared. Sister Michaels didn't even stir. So Ambre shook her companion harder but tried to keep her voice down. Sister Michaels! Wake up! There is someone in the apartment! After what seemed like forever, Ambre's companion finally stirred and rolled over to face Ambre.

"Ambre, are we going to have to go through this again? Yes! I know I snore, but there's not much I can do about it. So just go back to bed and go to sleep!" With that, Skylar turned over and pulled the blanket over her head. With the sound of crashing of glass coming from the front outside, Ambre knew they didn't have any more time to waste. She pulled her companion's blanket clear off the bed and spoke firmly.

Skylar!

"What is it you want?" Skylar ground out.

"Shhhhhhh! Ambre hissed. There is someone breaking into the apartment!"

Oh, you and that ridiculous overactive imag— She stopped suddenly. Upon hearing the rattle of the front door knob and some kind of scratching noise, she realized that Ambre might be right after all. On full alert, Skylar scrambled out if her bed. Did you call the police? Skylar asked.

No, the phone's in the front room, Ambre answered, pure terror streaming through her words.

Sensing her younger companion was about to become a mental case, Skylar took Ambre by the shoulders and gently shook her.

Come on, Ambre! Pull yourself together! I need you to be strong. We need to come up with a plan, and I'm going to need you to focus! Now I am going to run and grab the phone. Stay here and stay calm. Skylar's fear threated to dissolve her composure. As quietly as she could, Skylar went to the door of their bedroom and carefully peeked around it. She saw no one in the hallway and began to inch herself out toward the front room where the cordless phone was in its cradle. The doorknob rattled again, and she froze.

Jesus! I thought you said you knew how to do this! A voice came from the other side of the front door, followed by muffled arguing. Skylar dashed into the front room and grabbed the phone and made a mad dash for the bedroom again. She had just gotten to the bedroom door and was making her way back into the bedroom when both sisters heard one of the voices speak.

Oh, this is bullshit. Move out of the way, you dumbass! Just then they heard the crash of the front door bring kicked in. Simultaneously, they closed their bedroom door. Ambre threw her 130-pound frame against the door, and Skylar threw the lock into the locked position. No sooner had they done this than the most sinister voice either one had ever heard called out to them from the front of the apartment.

Oh, sisters! Knock, knock!

They both knew that the lock wouldn't keep the intruder out. As was customary for any missionary's dwelling, their bedroom had very frugal furnishings. As they looked around, they realized the only thing that would close to holding anyone off were the beds. Ambre's bed was closest to them and the door. They ran to the head of the bed and pushed the twin-sized bed as firmly as they could against the door. But they knew that the blockade would last merely a few moments.

Oh, sisters! the menacing voice called out again. Come out, come out where ever you are! Gee! I wonder where they could possibly be hiding at this time of night! The voice laughed, and the sisters heard the other two join in.

Absolutely terrified, the sisters looked at each other, a silent message passing between them. Nodding once, they knelt near Skylar's bed to say a quick prayer. As they prayed, their heads bent close to each other, the noise coming from the rest of the apartment grew. The doorknob to their bedroom rattled. As they finished their short prayer for safety, they quickly got up and went around to the other side of Skylar's bed.

Hey, boys! the voice barked. The pretty little sisters think that they can lock the door and that will keep us out." The voice laughed as if he had said the funniest thing in the world. There was more crashing, along with the breaking of glass and china, coming from the kitchen, as one of the intruders was obviously pulling anything and everything from the counters and cabinets.

Inside the room, Skylar, realizing that one of them had to keep a level head, had taken an in-charge attitude. As Ambre began to push Skylar's bed toward the other one, Skylar stopped her.

No, Ambre, wait, she whispered, looking back at the door. We both know that nothing we do is going to keep them out of this room. So instead of pushing this bed against the other, I think we should leave it here. I want you to get behind my bed. When they come through the door, I'll distract them, and then you make a run for the front door and get out of here! When you are free, find somewhere to call the police! Their bedroom door rattled again followed by laughter. The sisters looked at the door, their terror rising anew in their chests.

No! I won't! Ambre argued back in a whisper as she looked from the door to her companion. I won't leave you here by yourself with these monsters!

Ambre! You have no choice! If we have any hope of surviving this, you need to do exactly as I say! Before Amber could argue further, the sound of splintering wood sounded in their ears as the intruder began to kick in the bedroom door just as he had the front.

Ambre screamed as a foot came through the door. Skylar took the opportunity of having Ambre distracted for just a second to throw her behind the bed and not a moment too soon. No sooner than Ambre hit the floor than the rest if the door finished splintering, and the intruder burst through what was left of the door, pushing the fairly light bed away from the door easily. He grunted as something hit his stomach. Looking at the thick book that had hit him then looking at Skylar, he laughed through the ski mask he was wearing to cover his face as if he'd been tickled instead of struck.

"Now, sister!" He spat viciously as if the very word sister was vile. "Is that any way one of ‘God's saving angels' should act? You keep telling anyone who will listen that God loves us! If He really even exists and saves us like you have preached, then He should have absolutely no problem saving you! Well, sister? he sneered. Where is this precious God of yours?"

God is inside of me, and I'm not afraid of you! Skylar answered, hoping the lie about being scared would help her not be afraid.

Oh, really? God is inside of you, huh? I guess we'll just have to find out about that, won't we? Before Skylar knew what he was going to do, he backhanded her, which sent her flying across Ambre's bed. She could feel a bruise already forming on her face where he had struck her. With the force with which the assailant had struck her, the phone that Skylar had been clutching tightly ever since obtaining it from the front room fell from her grasp. She scurried to try to retrieve it. She had barely been able to grab it when her assailant came flying at her, landing on top of her, crushing her, which sent the phone back to the floor under the bed just out of reach. Let's see if what you say is true, he sneered in her face. His breath reeked of alcohol.

Skylar struggled to get away, all the while shouting to Ambre, "Now! Ambre! Run! Now!"

Ambre jumped up from behind the bed and was about to make a dash for it. But she paused a moment as she realized the assailant had his back to her. Looking around for any kind of weapon she could use, her focus landed on the nightstand that used to sit between the two beds. Two set of scriptures lay open to where each sister had been reading her personal scriptures before retiring for the night just mere hours before. Between the scriptures was a large porcelain thrift-store lamp. Without giving much more thought to the matter, she grabbed the lamp and lifted it above her head. However, just as she was about to smash it over the intruder's head, one of the other goons came crashing through the bedroom door. He like the first was wearing a ski mask to hide his face. But the ski mask did nothing to hide the putrid smell of alcohol and tobacco that permeated from this guy as much as it had the first. Unfortunately, before she could release the lamp, the second assailant quickly grabbed the lamp out of Ambre's hands with one of his beefy hands and shoved her back with his other. The force of the push sent her back toward Skylar's bed, but she just barely missed the bed and landed on the floor. He tossed the lamp so that it landed in the middle of the bed. Then he crouched down so that his face was within inches of Ambre's.

Don't you worry none, angel! The second guy laughed in Ambre's face then moved back and started to undo his pants. The boss man'll get to you too! But not 'til I've had my turn! he guffawed. Ambre had gotten back up on her feet and tried to scramble out of the way, but she tripped over the chord to the lamp. This second guy was at least a foot taller than Ambre's 5'4" body, and she calculated that he had at least 150 pounds on her. She closed her eyes for a second, adrenaline pumping through her, and tried to recall her self-defense classes she took at the university on St. Edwards Island. Unfortunately, in the two seconds it took her to try to come up with a plan and remember the moves she had learned, the second guy had already made his move. As he was tearing off his shirt, he came toward her. Spurred into action by fear, as he came closer to her, she brought her right leg up, praying it would connect with something. Her blind kick hit its target, and he screeched out in agony, and he fell to the floor on top of her, writhing in pain. As his whole body came crashing down on her, Ambre was outweighed and pinned, and the weight of her assailant landed hard on her left leg. She yelled out in excruciating pain as the bone in her lower leg snapped. Never in her life had she felt such pain. Enraged, the assailant began using Ambre's face as his personal punching bag, all the while yelling at her, spewing all kinds of profanity.

You damned bitch! You'll pay for that stupid stunt! Ambre tried to hold on to consciousness, but he landed a hard blow to the side of her temple. She could vaguely hear her companion yelling for her to run. Her last conscious thought before the darkness enveloped her was that she needed to help Skylar.

Meanwhile, Skylar's attacker had finished with her and had turned his attention to Ambre. Skylar, weak from her own attack, watched as the Boss pushed the second guy off her companion, who had unceremoniously ripped her bloody clothes from her bruised body.

Hey, boss. You already had the other one! I'm taking this one, he said angrily as he shoved the first guy back.

Don't forget, you dumbass. You were hired to do one job, which I might say you screwed up royally. You're lucky I don't strangle you with my bare hands. When I am finished with the younger one, then you can do whatever you want to either. But for now, it's my turn!

While the two had been and continued to argue, Skylar had painfully started to dress again. She had as many bruises on her as her unconscious companion. But even through the pain that was tormenting her entire body, she knew she had to try to do something to help them. She slowly eased herself into a position on the side of the bed that the phone had fallen. She felt around blindly with her hands under the edge of the bed. Her fingers made contact with the hard plastic, and she grabbed hold of the lifeline. Due to the bed being pushed back in the initial breach of the bedroom and then the continued thrashing from on top of the bed, the bed was once again by the nightstand.

By now, the second intruder, who was easily taller and heavier than the first guy, had begun throwing punches at the boss. However, even though the second guy had the appearance of having the advantage, the boss knew how to fight. He shoved the second guy, who fell and landed next to the bedside table. Then the boss picked up the lamp that had landed on the bed previously and smashed it into the second guy's temple. Pieces of porcelain now stuck out of the fallen guy's head, and blood was flowing freely.

Damn it, Kyle! Get in here! the boss bellowed to the third intruder, who had been the lookout. The Boss then turned his attention back to Ambre, who was still unconscious on the floor, and began to do to her what he had already done to Skylar.

Skylar could hear the heavy steps of the boots as they made their way from the front of the apartment to the bedroom. She put the phone under the pillow near her face so that the sound of her dialing would be muffled and pressed 9-1-1. Just as she hit Send, the one called Kyle walked into the room. Skylar hurried to try to cover herself even more with the blanket. Her actions caught Kyle's eye. He just laughed.

Looks like JT has had his fun. Guess what, darlin'? Now it's my turn! He laughed again, sending shivers up Skylar's spine. He wore a similar mask that the other two had on with the eyes and mouths cut out. So when he laughed, Skylar could see what teeth he had left were either stained yellow from his nicotine habit or cavity black from the lack of hygiene. He came down on top of her and covered her mouth with his. The juice from chewing tobacco that was wedged between his bottom teeth and lip spilled into Skylar's mouth, making her gag. She fought as wildly as she could, writhing and bucking, trying to get him off her. When he finally came up for air, she began screaming with all the strength she had left. For a moment, she feared that maybe she hadn't been able to hit Send on the call after all. But then she heard a muffled voice.

911. What's your emergency?

Skylar bucked harder and was able to successfully dislodge her second assailant. She sat up, grabbed the phone from under the pillow, and screamed with all her might.

"Help us please! We're being attacked!"

Kyle grabbed the phone from her hands, not realizing that the call was in progress. He tossed the phone down on the floor and continued his attack on Skylar. It was only then that he heard the voice on the other end of the phone.

Ma'am, can you hear me? Help is on its way.

Kyle looked at Skylar, and it was as if a lightbulb had gone on inside his head as he realized what she had done.

Ma'am, the voice on the other end continued, if you can hear me, I want you to stay with me. Skylar screamed as loudly as she could. Kyle, enraged, smacked her across the face. Then as if that wasn't enough, he picked her up by her throat and smashed her head onto the corner of the nightstand. Skylar went limp immediately, and within seconds, her face had become ashen. Kyle picked up the phone.

Ma'am, the police should be there any sec— Kyle disconnected the call.

JT! We gotta get out of here. The bitch got a phone call in! Just then, the sound of sirens could be heard, and they were getting closer very quickly.

Damn it, Kyle! Why didn't you stop her? the boss yelled as they both began putting their clothes back on as fast as they could. Kyle looked back at the lifeless body of the third assailant.

What are we going to do about him? he asked the boss.

Leave him! There's nothing we can do now, and besides, they'll never be able to connect him with us any way. And with that, they pushed through the splintered door of the bedroom and down the hallway. They ran out the front door and turned right, running off into the dark night just as the several police cars roared into the apartment parking lot.

Chapter One

The real essence of our lifetime lies in the time of our lives.

—Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

Chicago, Illinois, five years earlier, August 2008

Just over two weeks until Royce's sixteenth birthday

Daddy? Royce asked at the dinner table. So as you know, my birthday is in two weeks and we haven't gone car shopping yet.

And why would we want to do that? John O'Malley asked, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief. Royce was his youngest child and was definitely the apple of his eye. She could do no wrong in his eyes. In anyone's eyes, really. Anyone who didn't know her might have considered her spoiled, but she wasn't at all. She was always so full of life and always found pleasure in anything she did. She let her spirit soar while keeping her feet and heart grounded in the things that mattered most—her family, her friends, and her dreams. Anyone who met her instantly liked her. She could talk to anyone.

Oh, Daddy! You're such a tease! she replied. She