Witness 1985 Short Story
Carter didn’t recognize the room he had just woke up in. Confused he sat up and looked around, his eyes only taking a moment to adjust to the dimly lit surroundings. The room was very plain and almost completely bare aside from a white desk he sat behind and single light bulb that hung low from the ceiling. Seeing a door out of his right eye he went to move for it, only then noticing the handcuffs restraining both hands to where he sat. “It must be cemented to the ground”, he thought, because no amount of wriggling on his behalf could move it even an inch.
“Goddamit! Where the hell am I?” he shouted at the cement wall in front of him, scanning the room for anything that might give away his location.
He didn’t appear to be hurt apart from a dull throbbing at the back of his head –the likely source of his unconsciousness – and a small cut on his lip that filled is mouth with the taste of salt and rust. His police badge was still clipped to his shirt and it too appeared undamaged. “Hey, somebody help me! Can anybody here me!” he yelled.
“Keep it together, Carter, he thought. The last thing I need to do right now is panic. What had happened? His memories before had woken up here were nothing but a haze. Closing his eyes tightly, he tried to picture where he had been before he had woken up here. The memories started to trickle through the darkness of his mind, gradually forming shapes and images until it finally washed through him like a wave and he could remember. It had started with a phone call
“Did you deliver the kid’s interview to Shaefer?” the John had asked from the telephone.
It was the middle of the night and the call had been a rude awakening for Carter. The Amish boy had been the only witness to a police officer’s murder, but Carter didn’t know why the interview was so important. “Nah I didn’t get around to it,” said Carter sleepily, stifling back a yawn. “What’s goin’ on man?
“I haven’t got time to explain,” came Book’s exasperated voice. “I want all the paperwork on the Lapp case to disappear. I need it done tonight, do you understand?”
“Do you know what you’re telling me to do, John?” he asked, shocked and now very much awake.
“Just do it, man,” retorted Book. “I’m gonna disappear for a couple of days”.
“What’s going on, man?” asked Carter alarmed. “What is happening?”
“I’ll call you when I can,” said Book. “And be careful. Schaefer’s in this too”.
Book hung up leaving Carter utterly astounded. It was one thing for McFee, an esteemed narcotics detective, to be involved in this drug scheme as well as the murder of a fellow officer, but now their Chief of Police as well. What was he going to do?
He went to the station that night to get the files. The file room was deserted but that didn’t stop him looking over his should every three seconds.
The paper shredder was waiting in his study when he got home. To Carter it looked more like a dangerous weapon he was about to commit some awful crime with. “What the hell am I doing?” he said under his breath “This is against the law.”
How much was he risking for Book and the Lapps? Going to prison, certainly, but perhaps something even worse? He couldn’t help but think what Schaefer and McFee would do if they found out. At that moment Carter looked down at his badge. Even upside-down he could read the brass coloured motto engraved into it.
“Protect and serve,“ he said firmly. After a brief pause Carter turned on the shredder. “You owe me one, man,” he muttered to himself as he pushed the files into the machine.
The next few days at the station were spent with his head down. Luckily, without his Book around, Carter was busy with both of their cases, giving Schaefer only a couple of brief opportunities to interrogate him. Each time Carter had played dumb, Book had up and ran without telling him anything. Three nights after receiving the call from Book, Carter was called out for duty. The alley was dark and deserted as he walked along; littered with broken glass and old newspapers that fluttered in the cold evening breeze. Carter pulled his coat tighter around his body, but I could do nothing to keep him from shuddering. A drop of rain landed silently on his nose. He had live in Philly long enough to know a bout of thunder and lightning would soon follow, but he was too preoccupied with the storm raging in his own mind to take much notice. He had been called out to investigate one of the slum-like apartments that filled the alleyway: a possible homicide perp. An automated light switched on as he stopped outside the apartment, bathing him in its brilliance. It distracted him enough so that he did not notice the figure that step out from the shadows behind him, hearing only a whoosh of air as something heavy was brought down on his head.
Clack! Clack! Clack! Carter’s eyes flew open as he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. The door opened, and in walked Schaefer followed closely by Mcfee. He expected them to be behind his kidnapping, though he thought they probably had some hired crony knock him out. Neither men were smiling and Carter could feel their eyes shooting bullets at him. Mcfee was holding something heavy in both hands, though looking into the shadows Carter could not make out what it was.
Schaefer approach the desk and looked down on Carter with an exasperated expression. “You knew you couldn’t avoid me forever,” said Schaeffer, slowly circling Carter. “Why don’t you tell me where he is, Sergeant? “You know, don’t you?”
Carter stared forward, hardly daring to breathe.
“I just want to talk to him: make him see sense,” continued Schaeffer. “I know he’s with the Amish. God, I’d do anything to see him now. Can you imagine John at a prayer meeting?” he said, chuckling.
“Go to hell,” spat Carter.
“I was afraid you might say that,” replied Schaefer. “Mcfee, bring it over hear”.
Mcfee did has he was told and brought the object over to the table, setting it down with a dull thud. Carter’s stomach fell when he saw what it was. It was a car battery. He was full of terror once more at the sheer thought of being tortured. He had to do something, anything, to escape this fate. He did his best to keep his composure.
“It’s called a “picana” and it can deliver twelve thousand volts of electricity”, explained Schaefer. “It is very painful, you can trust me on that, so just tell me where he is so we don’t have be unpleasant.” Carter said nothing, instead looked him straight in the eyes, noticing that Schaefer failed to meet his gaze.
“Lost the meaning, did you, Paul?” said Carter.
“What,” responded Schaefer.
“Isn’t that what you used to say about dirty cops?” explained Carter. Somewhere along the way they lost the meaning? John told me about it. He also told me that you taught him everything about being a cop. I guess you can’t teach someone how to be a scumbag.”
In that instant, Schaefer could see Book sitting in front of him and he was brought back ten years when John had been fresh out of the academy and where he still lived for the law. But those days were over.
Schaefer leaned over the desk towards Carter until his face was only a foot away, blocking out the light, so that Carter could see every wrinkle on his aging face. “You can, believe what you like about your precious hero, John Book, but he’s no better than the rest of us.”
This could be my chance thought Carter. He looked at Schaefer for a moment and then spat a round ball of saliva into his eye. “You’re not a man,” said Carter. You’re nothing but a worthless piece of garbage.
Carter could see that his comment had hit home. A look of pure loathing entered Schaefer’s face and, like lightning, he pulled out his gun and pull the trigger. In the split second it took for the bullet to hit him, a million thoughts rushed through Carter’s head, but is felt the hot fire in his chest and the darkness closing in, one overrode them all. He had done his duty. He looked up at Schaefer and saw the regret in his face at what he had just done. “Protect and serve,” he whispered finally, and closed his eyes.
Composition Questions
1. Which task option did you choose?
I chose the insertion of incident / episode;
1. (i) Describe the setting(s) (ii) How is the setting made significant?
The story is set, for the most part, in the room of an old warehouse. The setting is significant because it is very separate from the rest of the world, just like to Amish and the corrupt police force.
1. Describe the character(s) – no more than three main characters (advise one or two characters) by:
1. Sergeant Carter
1. Authorial description: a honourable cop who is looking to protect and serve the innocent and defend anyone against the corruption of the police
2. Dialogue: Carter’s dialogue will reveal that he is a self-assured, confident policeman who will stick up for what he believes in
3. Action and interaction: the way Carter acts when he is captured will show that his is courageous is the face a danger and will do anything to fulfil his duty.
4. Other characters opinions of the person: The conversation between Book and Carter shows that Book trusts his partner whole-heartedly even with the whereabouts of his hiding place. Paul Schaefer on the other hand respects Carter’s integrity but at the same time loathes him for the fact that he has not become corrupted.
1. Narrative elements:
1. Establishment: The establishment takes place after Carter wakes up in the warehouse. It shows the call from Book
2. Complication: Carter finds out that Scahefer was involved with Zenovich’s murder and must destroy the Lapp families file so they can not find them or Book
3. Conflict: After avoiding Schaefer at the station he is called out at night to a fake perpetrator and is then knocked unconscious
4. Climax: McFee and Schaefer come to the warehouse to question and torture Carter in order to find the whereabouts of Book.
5. Resolution: Carter realises he will betray Book and the Lapps if he is tortured so he find a way to anger Schaefer enough so that he will kill him first. He manages to do this a dies at peace knowing he has done the right thing
5. How did you use description in the story to create a dominant impression?
Giving a description of the room in which Carter had been imprisoned as well as the dark alley in which he was assaulted help create a dominant impression.
6. How did you use foreshadowing by: reactions, sentence and phrase length, motifs, images or symbols?
I primarily used the motif and symbol of the police badge and police motto to create foreshadowing. Carter didn’t know if he do what he required to be law, or what he was required to do as a police officer. Then he looked at his badge and saw that he needed to protect and serve. He could have chosen to save his own life by turning book in, but the audience knew this would happen after he looked at the badge. There was also some dialogue use in which he ask rhetorically what Schaefer ad Mcfee would do to him if they found out. When he is walking down the alley, it is cold and about to storm which is a foreshadowing that he is about to be captured but also shows the helplessness of his situation.
7. What is the invited reading of your story? How do you use story elements (incident, statements, actions, reactions, motifs) to make the reader interpret an idea, a person or an event favourably, or less favourably?
I invited the reader to look less favourably upon the theme of police corruption by using the phone call event between John and Carter as well as implying that Schaefer has tortured people before.
1. Which point of view narration did you develop (first person central; first person limited; third person limited; third person omniscient)? Which difficulties did you encounter in trying to produce this point of view?
For almost the entirety of the story I used a third person limited narration, or at least it seemed I did; however at the end I give a brief perspective of Schaefer that make to story third person omniscient. It was difficult to change the perspective from one person to the other, as it seemed to give too much information to the audience.
1. Which purpose did direct speech serve in the story’s effect?
Some of the dialogue was very strong and it was used to highlight the drama of certain scenes as well as the over all story.
1. Where have you used crosscutting and/ or flashback?
The story starts off when Carter wakes up and realizes he has been captured. He then tries to remember what has happened the last few days and it flashes back to a phone call he had with Book. It then describes the events that lead up to him being captured and the cuts back into the scene in which he is captured. Schaefer has a brief cross-cut when he remember Book when he started on the force
1. Give examples of your use of pathetic fallacy.
The room in which Carter is bare and dark, which shows the mood of that he is in at this point. When he is walking down the alley, it is cold and about to storm which is a foreshadowing that he is about to be captured but also shows the helplessness of his situation.
1. Have you settled on one incident or episode (see task options) in which flashbacks are used, including one or more voices conveyed by reported thinking or by direct quotation?
Yes I decided to insert a episode in which the murder of Carter takes place. I use the reported thought of Carter and Schaefer as well as the dialogue of Carter, Book and Schaefer.
1. Did you unify the parts of the story by motif, symbol, event or juxtaposition?
The symbol of the police badge and the motif of the police motto, “protect and serve”, run through the story. There is also a constant juxtaposition of light and darkness in respect to the good and bad cops.
