The Nameless Story

The NYC Gazette, Wis.

Tue, January 1, 2013, 8:10 AM    • 1 min read

4 casualties in a car crash on New Year's Eve.

37th street of New York City experienced a car crash resulting in two deaths and 2 fatal injuries at 6:13 pm yesterday.  The passengers sitting in the front seats died on the spot and have been identified as the parents of the children who sat in the back seat and suffered fatal injuries. 

They were immediately rushed to the nearest health care centre. The kids who have experienced major trauma were left orphaned with no close relative of the family. The state had decided to provide for their expenses for the time being while giving them an option to stay with foster parents. 

18 year old Audrey refused to accept state-provided funds or foster care for herself and her 5 years younger brother Jo. 

The state honors and appreciates the decision of the strong fellow. While the death and crash remain under investigation, the kids are to remain under government surveillance for now.

Audrey reads it again and closes the news clipping along the folds. She pulls open the bottom drawer of her work desk at the Vellichor Publishing House. Over the years, the paper has shown all possible signs of the passage of time, and yet, has been preserved with utmost care. It has been 8 years since the accident but Audrey still keeps this news clipping. The news article keeps reminding her of how she had lost the most beautiful days of her life to that dreadful accident, which left her nothing other than a deep scar and her younger brother Jo, who is no less of a problem. While Jo takes up stand-up gigs here and there making enough for his days to go by, Audrey is a 27 years old writer, working at ‘Vellichor Publishing House’ which pays her about $70,000 annually. Not so skinny, she stands 5'7 with short black hair. One might call them damaged because of the insufficient attention and care given to them. With her brown eyes staring at you, you might feel intimidated by her. Her looks are neither gaudy, nor lavish, with a scar by the end of her right eyebrow, which carries her heavy past. She is simple, yet fully capable of withstanding any scrutiny.

 

After the accident, 19 years old Audrey started working part-time under Professor Al at the English department of her university. Being a keen observer and a smart student, she later got accepted for a full time job at ‘Vellichor’ for her brains in the literature and writing world.

Audrey usually kept to herself and developed a minor OCD after Ryan, her ex boyfriend left her two years back. Being the strong and independent woman that she is, she did not let this episode bring her down. What is life, if not a series of hurdles, or so she thought.

‘Your manuscripts will be headed for publishing by noon.’ Audrey is pulled out of her thoughts by Madison. 

‘Do you want something changed?’ 

‘No, it’s good.’ 

Audrey nods at Madison, who looks like she pulled an all-nighter again. With her blonde hair up in a messy bun, it is pretty evident looking at Madison’s sleep deprived eyes. Madison Grey has been her new editor ever since Ryan left. She works hard and is quite reliable. 

‘You know, you should take the rest of the day off. You look like you could use some time for yourself.’

Sensing Madison’s hesitation on her face, Audrey once again says, ‘Everyone deserves to be selfish once in a while.’ 

Grey agrees as they leave for the day. Out of the Vellichor building, Fifth Avenue was bustling with people. 

There’s rain on the pavement on the way and leaves in their dying colors underfoot. With hands stuffed in the pockets of her long denim coat, Audrey heads to her favorite coffee place. She is supposed to see Jo read his script for the coming night. He texted her about wanting some advice with the content to which she agreed without thinking much. And here she is.

'Don't make me wait.' Audrey typed out after waiting for a few minutes.

'Almost there' she gets back and looking up she sees her brother Jo walking in the coffee shop with eyes searching for her. 

Jo had coloured his hair again. They were light purple this time. He was one of those guys who kept experimenting with his looks. He was the complete opposite of Audrey, except the eyes. They had gotten their brown eyes from their father. They were pretty, with a hint of mischievousness for Jo, and seriousness for Audrey. 

'I thought you wanted help. I had to leave work early because of you!’ Audrey lies.

'Yeah, something crazy happened on my way...sorry, let's just get on with it.'

Jo starts reading his script for the upcoming event; meanwhile Audrey keeps giving him corrections and suggestions here and there. 

'And we're done.' Jo says with a sigh of relief.

'How are you narcotics anonymous meetings going?' Audrey finally brings up after some hesitation.

Before Jo can answer, his cell phone rings. Jo frowns looking at it. He picks the cell from the table, before Audrey could see who it was.

'They're...yeah, they are going fine. I gotta go now, I'll keep you posted.'

'But–

Audrey, not wanting to press the topic, let it go with a half satisfied look on her face. She felt that something's wrong.

Audrey is an independent woman, but knows when to ask for help. And that’s what she did when Jo got in trouble with drugs a year back. Jo had been a troublesome child since the beginning. Last year, Audrey realized that Jo had been avoiding her and barely even called or texted. She got worried and started digging, when she found out that Jo had been doing drugs and it had been quite some time now. The news hit her hard. Jo had been the closest to her and the turn of events was not pleasant at all. She asked her mentor- Professor Al for help and later confronted Jo. They talked and fought and what not. There was screaming like hell had broken loose, but soon enough, Jo was enrolled in a narcotics anonymous support group.

But there is still something that doesn't feel right. Her gut says something big is about to happen. She needs to do something and she needs to do it fast. But for now, she puts this feeling behind her and heads home. 

The next few days pass smoothly but in agitation. Nothing. One morning, Audrey gets a message from Jo, which says- 'Tonight, Murphy's Bar @7.'

'I'll be there.'

It's the night of Jo's event and Audrey does not want to miss it. So she heads out and reaches there an hour early. The place is small but not very populated. She goes and orders herself a Bloody Mary while she watches the arrangements being made, chairs being set up and the mics being checked. 

'Here to see the new lad?'

She nods at the bartender with a smile, not wanting to say anything.

'I heard this one's good!' he says from the other side of the bar, enthusiastically.

'We'll find out.'

Audrey makes way towards the backstage where she is shocked to see Jo kissing a guy. She never had a hint that her brother might be gay! She doesn't know whether to laugh or cry… So this was what Jo had been hiding! She tries resisting but walks towards them anyway.

'Ahem...’ she makes them aware of her presence. 

Breaking free with a jolt, Jo turns red and speechless. He starts fumbling, not knowing what to say.

Audrey reaches her hand out, 'Audrey. His sister.' 

The guy takes her hand and gives it a kind shake. 

'Hi, I'm Leo; Jo's told me a lot about you. It's great to finally see you in flesh.’ he says with a genuine smile. Leo is tall with not so build-up muscles. He looks like a college student in his cardigan and sneakers. He has short black hair with ears pierced on both sides. 

'Pleasure meeting you too.’ Audrey says showing all her front teeth.

She eyes Jo and then back at Leo.

'I'll see you guys up front!' Leo says as he leaves to give the brother and sister duo their space.

There's an awkward silence between them as Audrey waits for Jo to tell her about Leo. Jo, on the other hand, looks frantic and flustered on being caught in the moment. He tells her that he met Leo at the support meetings and they grew close since then. Quite close, evidently. The show is about to start so they head towards the stage from where Audrey takes her seat in the audience and Jo goes ahead with his comic script.

Moments later, the sound of the audience's laughter and claps is nulled by the sirens of police cars. Audrey and Jo's life turns upside down when cops show up and arrest Jo under murder charges. This breaks Audrey from the inside and Leo is as shocked as can be. Both of them head to the New York Police Department to get any further information. On their way, Audrey contacts her lawyer. 

The police reports state that Jo had murdered Stella Hopkins earlier this week. The action was caught on CCTV.

They are shown the video. Jo stabbed Stella in the abdomen and left the site. Audrey is shattered and so is Leo. Further, Jo is denied bail, so the lawyer makes sure to be able to secure a few meetings for interrogation. The first one being the next morning.

She stands by the edge of the Old Ferry Dock, looking at the horizon. It is Audrey's favorite place on Liberty Island. The platform stands on pillars, extending towards the sea. She used to come here with her father when she was a kid. The pier is her happy place. It is in fact, the very place where she got the ideas for her first book. It holds memories and inspiration that words cannot describe.

Audrey stares at the vast blue sea with deep brown eyes. She can hear the waves and the voice of seagulls from afar. There isn't much movement. It's calm but not like the calm before the storm, for the storm has already hit her life. 

She lifts her wrist to look at her watch.

'It's time.'

Audrey takes the ferry from Liberty Island to New York City and makes her way towards the NYPD. She enters the New York City Police Department and is escorted towards the meeting room which is divided by a glass wall and a pair of tables and chairs on either side of it.

She sits and waits.

The door on the other side opens and he walks in. Jo's expression changes slightly when their eyes meet. He looks away.

'How unsightly.’ Audrey says, looking at her brother, who is now sitting on the opposite side of the glass wall in an orange jumpsuit. 

Silence.

She adjusts the sleeve of her black turtle-neck under the dark beige overcoat and waits. Nothing.

'Say something for god's sake!'

Jo doesn't look up. 

The silence is deafening. Audrey tries again.

'You'll have to find a new narcotics anonymous meeting.'

'I am handcuffed and am being accused of a murder and that is what you have to say!?' Jo says looking at his sister's unchanged expressions.

She looks sternly at him. 

'You've crossed the line this time.' 

'I had been sober for ages.'

‘BANG!’ Audrey bangs her fist on the table.

'Is that your excuse for being associated with the murder!?' she shouts as her voice echoes in the empty room. 

Jo looks at her with sad eyes and an ache in his heart. He knows he is guilty but he is not a murderer. 

'I—

He is interrupted by the opening of the door. The official who escorted Audrey steps in.

'That's all the time you had for one meeting.'

Audrey nods towards the officer on the door and leans forward closer to the glass wall with eyes searching the truth.

'Did you or did you not kill Stella Hopkins?' 

'I didn't. I would never.'

Satisfied with the honesty in his expression, Audrey looks at her brother one last time.

'I'll get you out of here.'

She gets up, straightens her coat, fixes her short brown hair and strides towards the door. But before she leaves, she hears him say something. Something she had been waiting to hear.

‘I trust you.'

'You brat…’ she says as a little smirk appears on her face.

Audrey then heads out, with head held high as ever and expressions as clear as a cloudless sky but a thousand things going on in her head all at once.

The incident makes it to the news the next day. Audrey seems helpless and knows not what to do. 

Stella Hopkins was one of the people who found the narcotics anonymous meetings that Jo used to go to. That's where she thought she'd start asking.

But the question remained that if Jo hadn't killed Stella, who had? And how was it possible that Jo was caught in the CCTV?

On questioning and interrogation, Audrey collected that the day the murder took place, their support group had an event after which Jo had left with Leo. But they went their separate ways. 

Jo had admitted that he was under the influence of drugs later that night and did not remember what had happened. But he is sure that he did not murder Stella Hopkins. 

Audrey is on her toes as the date for Jo's trial closes in and is pacing in her office.

'KNOCK KNOCK' it's Madison.

'Boss, there's someone who'd like to meet you.' she says.

'Not now Grey, tell them I'm busy.' Audrey says without looking in her direction.

'It's about Jo. I think you should-'

'Send 'em in!' Aud's eyes shot up.

As Audrey waited, a small old lady in her 70s walked in. Her wrinkled face had a kind smile on it that put Audrey's heart at ease. She slowly walked to the desk and sat down. Audrey offered her water to which she politely refused. 

Although Audrey was impatient and wanted to ask this lady a lot of questions, she started slowly.

'I'm sorry I don't recognise you…'

The old lady put on the desk the newspaper which showed Jo's arrest news on it. She smiled.

Audrey was feeling uncomfortable yet something told her to stay calm.

'My brother–'

'It wasn't him.' Audrey was cut in.

She knows. This woman knows something. The women explained the whole situation to Audrey, by the end of which, Audrey is half brain-dead.

This is what it will take to get Jo out of that bloody prison! The old lady smiles and nods. And Audrey rushes out of her office with sweaty palms and a flushed face.

Audrey reaches the NYPD, narrates the whole story and asks for protection and cover as they make their way towards Liberty Island. And that's where they find him. Colour drains from the faces of everyone who saw him. The resemblance is uncanny!

Purple hair, brown eyes. A face that Audrey would recognise anywhere. Jo's face. But this isn't Jo.

How could this be possible!? Jo is in the lock-up at the NYPD headquarters!

Who knew things would turn out this way? If only Audrey had known that...

It all went back to Jo’s birth. Jo wasn't Audreys legitimate brother. Rather, her parents had adopted him from foster care. What they weren’t aware of was that Jo had a twin. Jo’s twin Oliver was stolen from the hospital. He had lived a life of misery, barely surviving. It was Stella Hopkins who had stolen him from the hospital in a fit of drug addiction. She had destroyed his family, his future and later dumped him in garbage. The old lady, who brought this information to Audrey had seen him grow up and was the witness of the planned murder of Stella Hopkins done by Oliver to frame Jo who had lived well off while his twin was in rags. 

With this, Jo was free of murder charges. But this truth was something he will have to live with, for the rest of his life. He has a twin brother. Oliver. Jo was hell bent on trying to minimise Oliver’s prison sentence. He wanted Oliver to experience life as he had. Jo wanted Oliver to finally have a family and a place that he could call home. 

Not much later, this dream of Jo came true and Audrey found herself the plot of her new novel- THE NAMELESS STORY.