Post by Caleb Scott on Mar 23, 2022 10:06:51 GMT -6
St. Cloud, MN - July, 2001
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The air is wet and humid. Every breath you take feels like a struggle. St. Cloud, Minnesota during the summer has some of the most brutal, agonizing heat. Minnesota is like a cruel joke. It's winter for about 7 months of the year and when you think you'll get a break in the summer, the pendulum just swings to the opposite extreme. More misery. Caleb Scott was born and raised in St. Cloud. It wasn't a huge city, the greater St. Cloud area home to roughly 100,000 people. Not small enough for everyone to know everyone but large enough to know enough people to know that you don't want to meet anymore. Caleb, a young 12-year-old in the summer of 2001, has already been filled with enough pain to last a lifetime. The fact that he also was born in one of the worst cities in the US was just a little cherry on top. Caleb has been living on his own for a while now. Never really knowing what happened to his parents, his earliest memories are of him growing up with a constantly changing group of people. They survived however they could during the extreme heat of the summer and the freezing winters. This hot summer afternoon Caleb, along with a couple of friends, were able to sneak into Quarry Park without having to pay. As they make their way through the trails amongst the trees Caleb and Luke begin to talk big to each other.
Caleb: Are either of you going to jump off the big jump today? Bet you won't.
His friends, Luke and Nick, scoff as if there was never any doubt. Luke is the same age as Caleb and they have known each other for a couple of years now. Nick is a year older and just started hanging out with Luke and Caleb a few months earlier. Nick seems to be more of violent person than Luke or Caleb, committing increasingly violent acts over the past few weeks.
Luke: Of course we're going to. But I can tell by the way you're asking that you aren't going to. You've always been too afraid to go off the high jump.
Caleb: I'll go off the high jump, it isn't even that high anyway.
Caleb tries to act confident as he hopes he doesn't have to actually jump off the high jump.
Nick: Both of you just shut up, it's right up here past these trees.
The three boys round the corner of the one of the trails to a large quarry. Dozens of kids are there, enjoying their summer vacation from school. Caleb looks in awe as people are diving into the quarry from a 30' jump. Some people relaxing in the water on blow-up rafts and some just hanging out on the rocks that surround the quarry. Caleb has been to the quarries many times, it is one of the few places that actually bring him any joy. It's one of the most popular summer spots in St. Cloud.
Caleb: Are either of you going to jump off the big jump today? Bet you won't.
His friends, Luke and Nick, scoff as if there was never any doubt. Luke is the same age as Caleb and they have known each other for a couple of years now. Nick is a year older and just started hanging out with Luke and Caleb a few months earlier. Nick seems to be more of violent person than Luke or Caleb, committing increasingly violent acts over the past few weeks.
Luke: Of course we're going to. But I can tell by the way you're asking that you aren't going to. You've always been too afraid to go off the high jump.
Caleb: I'll go off the high jump, it isn't even that high anyway.
Caleb tries to act confident as he hopes he doesn't have to actually jump off the high jump.
Nick: Both of you just shut up, it's right up here past these trees.
The three boys round the corner of the one of the trails to a large quarry. Dozens of kids are there, enjoying their summer vacation from school. Caleb looks in awe as people are diving into the quarry from a 30' jump. Some people relaxing in the water on blow-up rafts and some just hanging out on the rocks that surround the quarry. Caleb has been to the quarries many times, it is one of the few places that actually bring him any joy. It's one of the most popular summer spots in St. Cloud.
Nick: Finally. Let's head around to that tall jump everyone is gathered at on the opposite side.
Caleb and Luke follow Nick to the other side where everyone else is hanging out. As they approach, they notice that some of the other people there have been drinking. Caleb looks over the edge of the quarry and immediately gets a strange feeling in his stomach. This high of a jump looks massive to a 12-year-old. As Nick starts talking with some of the other people gathered, Caleb and Luke stand off to the side and speak amongst themselves. Caleb still isn't sure about Nick. Luke is the one that met Nick and invited him to hang out with him and Caleb.
Caleb: So where did you say you met Nick? He says he's only a year older than us, but he definitely acts much older.
Luke: Maybe he's lying about his age but who cares, he has been pretty cool since he's been hanging out with us. Other than he came here from North Dakota last year, I don't know much else about him. I'm sure if he wasn't around, we wouldn't be hanging out at the quarries today though.
The tension begins to rise as Nick and one of the other kids, Andrew, start arguing with each other. A few of Andrew's friends begin to surround Nick. Andrew keeps telling Nick to leave and that we can't be at the high jump with them.
Andrew: You and your 2 little friends get the hell out of here. You're not welcome up here. If you don't leave or decide to come back later then things will end up a lot worse for you. So I suggest turning around and walking away right n...
Before Andrew can finish his sentence, Nick hits him the face. Just as fast as the rest of the kids were on Nick, Caleb and Luke on the other kids. Caleb and Luke have been taking care of themselves for a long time and part of that means learning how to fight. Luke, Nick and Caleb were able to handle the 4 other boys that were involved in the scuffle. When all was said and done Andrew and his friends were laying in the dirt. Nick went to pick up Andrew and when he did, he walked him over to the edge of the granite platform with the water 30' below them. Caleb and Luke not sure what is going on or what Nick is about to do. Nick, face to face with Andrew, pulls him close. Andrew's back is facing out towards the water.
Nick: Now that you know who we are and what we'll do to you if you disrespect us, I suggest that you do not come back to Quarry Park. Understand?
Andrew has a horrified look on his face as the beads of sweat drip down his face. His heart beating so hard you can clearly see it on his exposed chest like an animal trying to escape a cage.
Andrew: Yeah, man. Fine. Please just let me go.
Nick smiles at Andrew and begins to turn his shoulder to walk away. Nick then suddenly whips back around and, with a hard shove, pushes Andrew out over the edge and down towards the water. We hear a scream for a couple seconds then a loud splash down at the bottom. As we look out to see the damage, we see Andrew flailing in the water trying to swim over to the edge of the water. Caleb and Luke look shocked at each other. They have no problem with a little scrap but that seemed to be pushing it a little farther than they're comfortable with.
Caleb: Nick, what the hell was that?
Nick: Relax, he'll be fine. It isn't a big deal. But we should start heading back, too many people around here. I'm sure by now someone has called for security or the cops.
The 3 of them make their way back along the trail and out of Quarry Park. Just in time as a St. Cloud Police vehicle had just parked in the lot. Now heading back to into the city, Caleb walks with Luke and Nick with a concerned look covering his face. Will he continue this path of increasing violence that Nick has brought into the group or try to break away from it?
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Caleb and Luke follow Nick to the other side where everyone else is hanging out. As they approach, they notice that some of the other people there have been drinking. Caleb looks over the edge of the quarry and immediately gets a strange feeling in his stomach. This high of a jump looks massive to a 12-year-old. As Nick starts talking with some of the other people gathered, Caleb and Luke stand off to the side and speak amongst themselves. Caleb still isn't sure about Nick. Luke is the one that met Nick and invited him to hang out with him and Caleb.
Caleb: So where did you say you met Nick? He says he's only a year older than us, but he definitely acts much older.
Luke: Maybe he's lying about his age but who cares, he has been pretty cool since he's been hanging out with us. Other than he came here from North Dakota last year, I don't know much else about him. I'm sure if he wasn't around, we wouldn't be hanging out at the quarries today though.
The tension begins to rise as Nick and one of the other kids, Andrew, start arguing with each other. A few of Andrew's friends begin to surround Nick. Andrew keeps telling Nick to leave and that we can't be at the high jump with them.
Andrew: You and your 2 little friends get the hell out of here. You're not welcome up here. If you don't leave or decide to come back later then things will end up a lot worse for you. So I suggest turning around and walking away right n...
Before Andrew can finish his sentence, Nick hits him the face. Just as fast as the rest of the kids were on Nick, Caleb and Luke on the other kids. Caleb and Luke have been taking care of themselves for a long time and part of that means learning how to fight. Luke, Nick and Caleb were able to handle the 4 other boys that were involved in the scuffle. When all was said and done Andrew and his friends were laying in the dirt. Nick went to pick up Andrew and when he did, he walked him over to the edge of the granite platform with the water 30' below them. Caleb and Luke not sure what is going on or what Nick is about to do. Nick, face to face with Andrew, pulls him close. Andrew's back is facing out towards the water.
Nick: Now that you know who we are and what we'll do to you if you disrespect us, I suggest that you do not come back to Quarry Park. Understand?
Andrew has a horrified look on his face as the beads of sweat drip down his face. His heart beating so hard you can clearly see it on his exposed chest like an animal trying to escape a cage.
Andrew: Yeah, man. Fine. Please just let me go.
Nick smiles at Andrew and begins to turn his shoulder to walk away. Nick then suddenly whips back around and, with a hard shove, pushes Andrew out over the edge and down towards the water. We hear a scream for a couple seconds then a loud splash down at the bottom. As we look out to see the damage, we see Andrew flailing in the water trying to swim over to the edge of the water. Caleb and Luke look shocked at each other. They have no problem with a little scrap but that seemed to be pushing it a little farther than they're comfortable with.
Caleb: Nick, what the hell was that?
Nick: Relax, he'll be fine. It isn't a big deal. But we should start heading back, too many people around here. I'm sure by now someone has called for security or the cops.
The 3 of them make their way back along the trail and out of Quarry Park. Just in time as a St. Cloud Police vehicle had just parked in the lot. Now heading back to into the city, Caleb walks with Luke and Nick with a concerned look covering his face. Will he continue this path of increasing violence that Nick has brought into the group or try to break away from it?
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