Information

1. WANT YOU DEAD
BY ROKEIA WHEELER

2. INTRODUCTION
after me.”
“There is no one after me.”
“Good. Again.”
Dr. English had me repeat this five times. His method is you will repeat it till you
believe it. The problem is I don’t, and I never will. When something traumatic happens
to you, you don’t just forget it like people want you to. They’ve been telling me, “Oh it’s
been four years Riley. You must move on now.” How can they tell me something like
that if they’ve never stood in my shoes?
“Look Dr. English, I’m sure you’re a great doctor…but this isn’t working for me.” I have
had enough. I stood up and started gathering my belongings.
“Ms. Parker you’re made great progress I- “I whirled around and looked at him with
confusion cutting him off.
after me.”
“There is no one after me.”
“Good. Again.”
Dr. English had me repeat this five times. His method is you will repeat it till you believe it. The problem is I don’t,
and I never will. When something traumatic happens to you, you don’t just forget it like people want you to. They’ve
been telling me, “Oh it’s been four years Riley. You must move on now.” How can they tell me something like that if
they’ve never stood in my shoes?
“Look Dr. English, I’m sure you’re a great doctor…but this isn’t working for me.” I have had enough. I stood up and
started gathering my belongings.
“Ms. Parker you’re made great progress I- “I whirled around and looked at him with confusion cutting him off.

3. “Hi mom.”
“Hey! How did it go today?”
“Not so great.” I sighed, “I don’t think I’ll be going back.”
“What? You can’t just quit. Your father and I have already paid for your
sessions in advance. It just takes some time honey.”
“How much more time is it supposed to take mom?” My voice wavered,
“We’ve been at this for years now. All they want to do is put me on
medication that makes me feel like a shell of a person. Nobody cares
what I went through!”
“Don’t say that Riley. Of course, we care, it’s why we sought out help
for you.”
“No, you don’t care mom! You all want me to pretend what he did to me didn’t happen. You want me to pretend like
I don’t still feel him around, but I do! Even on the medication I feel sluggish, but I know he’s there!” By this point I
was screaming, tears streaming down my face. I was just driving, not even paying attention to the road.
“He’s not here Riley! He’s dead because you killed him!”
There was a definite silence. What felt like minutes were only seconds of silence before I hit the end button. I
didn’t feel like hearing the cliche “I’m sorry” a mother does after they’ve taken it a step too far. So, I just let the
quiet consume the car and mindlessly drove. Questioning everything.
Was that how my mother really felt? That I was a murderer, was that how they all felt? Was my paranoia that
much of a burden? I did what I had to do right? To survive.
But was it really all worth it in the end? I feel like he won and he’s not even here. I am constantly looking over
my shoulder for a ghost. It feels like he’s watching me still. Before I could even realize it was pulling into Oak Crest
cemetery.

4. I knew exactly where I was going as I drove through the gates, section
11, row D, plot 52. It read Shane Josiah Rivers, March 23, 1988-
December 29, 2020. Very simple headstone for a man who caused so
much chaos. I stepped out into the cold, the wind whipping around me
as if it were dancing circles around me. It was the coldest day
December has seen yet. December 23rd, 6 days before the anniversary
of his death, 6 days before I killed him.
Maybe why that’s why I feel so out of my mind today, I’d want to think
but I’d only be lying to myself. I’ve been out of my mind since the
moment I met Shane. It wasn’t all bad of course. It never starts out that
way, but then one day something just snapped. We were dating once
upon a time,
He made me laugh like no other. I loved the times we’d stay up till the late hours having our own karaoke
nights. I used to love being held in his strong arms till it felt cluster phobic. I tried to end it, but he wasn’t getting it.
He was everywhere I turned, one night it got bad though.
I was scared for my life. Shane had shown up at my house and he had gotten inside. All I had was a kitchen
knife to defend myself with.
“Why won’t you leave me alone Shane!” I cried holding the knife out in front of me, while Shane took slow,
calculated steps towards me.
“Why would I do that Riley?” His smile was sinister, “I love you and you love me.”
“I don’t love you anymore.”
I just remember him lunging at me, I didn’t even remember stabbing him. I didn’t remember how, but my house had
caught on fire, but I remember getting out. I remember standing out in the cold, watching him and the place I put so much
time into burn. After that everything was choppy. My parents made sure I didn’t get in any trouble, that wasn’t hard

5. The courts already had documentation of the issues I was having with Shane; this went
down as self-defense. I was supposed to feel free, and I did for a short time. Then one day I
just got this feeling that he was around somewhere. You know how sometimes you get this
feeling? Feels like static almost.
You mostly feel it when you feel like your loved one who has passed on is near you.
That’s what I thought it was at first just Shane hunting me from the beyond. Then it became
things moved out of place. Little things, like my hairbrush not being where I know I put it,
my keys not being on the hook. I tried to explain this to my friends and family and at first,
they were supportive.
It was, “It’s alright to feel the way you do Riles. You’ve been through so much.” Then my paranoia became too much. Dr. English
is the third doctor I’ve seen dealing with this whole ordeal. I started making my way over to his final resting place, thinking
about my last moments with Shane. My boots crunching onto the now snow-covered ground. It was snow that had happened
days ago, so it was now all hard and iced over in some parts, so I took my time walking over. I looked over the headstone that
stood before me, that had a mixture of snow and ice laying on top of it once I made it over. I looked down on the headstone in
disgusted.
“I hate you.” I spoke tight lipped, “I hope you’re rotting in hell.”
I had more to say, but something sticking out from the ground knocked all the wind out of me. I started wheezing as I
stared at it before looking around at my surroundings. I had to get out of here quickly, it was too open. I didn’t care about
slipping on the ice anymore. I damn near sprinted to the car, not bothering to put my seatbelt on I put the car in reverse and
sped out of that cemetery. My hands were shaking so bad, but I couldn’t stop. Not until I got somewhere safe. I was
able to hit the button on the side of my steering wheel to make a phone call.

6. “Call Mya.” I was able to tell my car.
“Hello?”
“Mya! He’s alive! I saw it, he’s alive!” I screamed as soon as my best friend picked up.
“What? Riley slow down. I’m not following.”
“I went to his grave Mya, and I saw- “
“Riley…we’ve talked about this. It isn’t healthy.”
“Listen to me!” I was weaving in and out of traffic, looking every which way I could to make sure he wasn’t following
me, “It was there okay!”
“What was there? You’re not making any sense.”
“The rose! It was hard to see at first because it was covered with snow.”
“What does a rose have to do with anything Riley? Somebody could have left it there for him.”
“It was a white rose.”
“Okay…”
“He used to buy me white roses Mya! No one else knew about this, except
for you.”
“You sure he never told anybody? He’s dead, okay? People just don’t come
back from that. I mean you watched him die Riley.”
“I know that. But something is off Mya. I need you to believe me.”
Desperation and fear evident in my voice. There was a pause on the line.

7. “I believe that you believe that Riley, but you’ve got to stop this. It’s going on 5 years now.”
She didn’t believe me and that broke my heart. I don’t know why I expected differently, maybe it was
because today out of all days I needed her to just be on my side this one time.
BEEEEEP!
It was the sound of a car horn being laid into and I snapped back into reality just in time. I was driving in the
opposite line and there was another car coming towards me. I swerved back into my lane and slammed on
breaks. Making the tires screech. Luckily there wasn’t any other cars behind me, or this would have ended badly.
“Riley! Riley!” Mya could be herd yelling through the speakers of the car.
“I’m fine.” Was the only thing I told her as I took in deep breaths, trying to calm myself.
“Where are you? I’m coming to get you.”
“No, no.” I replied as I slowly drove off again, being was more cautious now, “I’m okay. Don’t…don’t go out of your
way. I’m just going to go home and get myself together. You all are right. I need to put this Shane mess behind
me.”
“I’ll meet you at your house. You don’t need to be alone right now.” I ignored what she said and told her I had to
go before hitting the end button.
I’ve been doing that a lot today and it felt liberating. Why should I have to deal with people who won’t even
take a second to hear me out. They just keep trying to fix me when it’s not me who needs it. I don’t know any
more maybe I do need fixing. Reaching over in my bag I pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
I don’t smoke them often only when I’m super stressed. I lit it up and took a puff and exhaled, only closing my
eyes for a second. I needed to be alert but I wanted to relish in the moment. Few moments later I pulled up to my
house. Once I stepped out, I threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it.
Once I made it to the front door, I had that feeling again. That tingly feeling that someone was watching you.

8. “Hi Riley.” I heard from behind me. I knew that taunting voice from
anywhere.
“Shane…” I whispered breathlessly
I didn’t want to turn around. If I turned around than this was real, but
if I stayed facing my front door it was like everyone said, I was imagining
things. However, luck wasn’t on my side.
“I always did hate it when you smoked.” He continued.
I got the door open quickly and tried to move inside and shut him out,
but he was a step ahead of me and blocked the door with his foot and
pushed his way inside. I backed away slowly, scared. He had that sickening
smile on his face.
“Now Riley is that anyway to treat the man you once loved.” He said as he shut the door and locked it. Making
calming movement, but this was anything but calm, “I was going to wait till the 23rd to make my big reveal.
Thought it was poetic, but I just couldn’t wait anymore baby, I had to see the look on your face up close. After
the day you had and all.”
“You’re dead. You’re not real. I-I killed you.”
“Oh, I’m real baby. You’ve known that all along. Too bad no one believes you.” He said as he walked over to me
and caressed my cheek softly. While I stood against the wall shaking like a leaf, “Don’t be scared baby. You
weren’t scared the night you tried to kill me.”
“You were trying to kill me first.” His eyes changed when I said that. They went from sinister to realization.
“You don’t remember? Do you?”

9. “Remember what” I muttered.
“It was you who tried to kill me, Riley. All because I didn’t want to be with
you anymore.” This revelation sucked the soul out of me. This can’t be right.
Right?
“I-I remember you chasing me…you telling me that if you couldn’t have me, I
might as well die. Why were you in my house if I was trying to kill you?”
“Those were the words you told me Riley. You stabbed me yes, but not
because you were scared for your life, it was because I was trying to
leave out of the door. I had my hand on the doorknob and you stabbed
me in the back.
. I tried to wrestle you for the knife we knocked over your candle I guess it caught fire to something. I don’t
really remember that part. I just remember you stabbing me again and laying there pretending to be dead.
After you were out, I got out of there.”
I shook my head in denial. My head was spinning from this information. I mean I know there were
parts I couldn’t remember, but did I make the rest of this up? Did I just fill in the blanks with my own
imagination? If that was the case, why was he at my house that day? Why is he at my house now?

10. CHARACTERS:
RILEY- The main character on the story, who’s suffering from
paranoia.
SHANE- Riley’s boyfriend who was killed by her, due to her
condition.
MYA- Riley’s friend who’s aware of her condition, the reason she
never believe her.
DR. AND THE MOTHER

11. MORAL LESSON OF THE STORY
This story brings a huge lesson to us all is that we should not take lightly those people whose
experiencing anxiety specially if they are already suffering from depression and trauma, we
should take time to understand their situation and give them time for they needed it the most.
Never judge them right away just because they’re not in sanity, pay attention on them and give
what they need. The lesson that we can learned from this story too is that don’t live in the past
and in your fear because we can’t move forward if we do, learn to loved yourself more than
anyone else, for loving someone to much can break you. Be mindful, positive and brave, we all
has a weakness it only depend on us if we let it take us over.
Lastly, be careful on your every action and decision in life, remember your little dicission can
change your whole life if your not mindful enough to take the consequences. Be wise and never
lose your self in the process.

12. 21ST CENTURY’S PROJECT
‘’FICTIONAL STORY’’
Submitted by;
Charlie Alloso
Submited to.
Ms.Mary Jane Caubat