"The Assassination of Helen Katsoros" was my post-workshop revised story from "A Cost for Anything Gained." The assignment post-workshop was to take the critiques and make substantial changes to the story. This wasn't about cleaning up grammar or making some minor changes; it was about being bold. We were challenged to keep the foundation of the story but overhaul it. Our grade would be as much about that as the story itself. I accepted that challenge. This was my final product.
Perched high in a lone pine tree sat a great owl. He scanned his territory, staring into the distant woods that were his usual hunting grounds. Working backwards from these woods, he analyzed everything that would be in his flight path, first making judgements followed by adjustments as he processed how to best proceed when he departed. His keen eyesight crossed over the sprawling highway a few miles away, then worked through the surrounding business district. As he worked inward, he paused his knowing gaze on the building that lay off-centered from his observation post. For a moment he watched intently then allowed his eyes to travel across the vast parking lot. In the orange illumination of the late evening sun, it appeared as if Hades had risen from its underworld location and settled on the surface. Craters of pot holes, large and small in size, littered the lot, causing SUVs to cluster in scattered islands of metallic wealth throughout the scarred landscape. The mirage of summer heat rising from the blacktop surface was intense, creating the appearance of colorful venting in how it distorted the lower portion of these suburban chariots. The prodigious owl scanned the scene until his sharp gaze captured a lone figure walking quickly towards the massive building. Intrigued by this moving character, the owl spread his enormous gray wings, paused for a moment and then leapt from his perch. In complete silence, he glided forward towards the moving being. The messenger of truths was out for delivery.
***
Christopher walked quickly in silence through the parking lot towards the front doors of the Main Event, his long strides covering great distances. He was running late for an important meeting and he knew his colleagues would be annoyed with his tardiness. Sweat dripped from his brow as he quickened his pace to almost a jog. As he approached the front doors, a strange feeling overcame him, as if an inner voice were telling him to turn so that he could receive a message. Looking back over his left shoulder, he saw an enormous owl approaching very closely. Christopher stopped, turned and watched in silent admiration as the winged messenger approached in complete silence. Christopher and the owl locked eyes, creating a silent conversation. Through those two fiery gold eyes, Christopher got the feeling that he was on the right path. A soft hoot gave him a sense of affirmation as the owl broke eye contact and turned away, flying towards the low sun.
As Christopher walked through the automatic doors, he was greeted by a cold blast of air that felt in stark contrast to the life-draining heat behind him. Bright lights momentarily stung his eyes as his ears were flooded with the overwhelming sound of pop music screaming from the overhead speakers and the relentless chiming of the arcade games. Taking a moment to capture his bearings, he tuned himself to the new environment and then scanned the scene. To his left he saw dozens of children running and screaming like a flock of raging harpies on a mission to raze the arcade of all its goods. Shuddering, Christopher then turned his gaze to the right and peered into the bar area. Near the bar’s entrance were two college aged women offering free samples of the latest drink special that was called “Lotus Nectar.” Behind them at a large arrangement of tables sat a group of weary mothers, clearly intent on losing track of time as they downed large glasses of the nectar.
Looking deeper into the recess, Christopher saw his two colleagues. They were sitting at a small table, laptops opened, in the middle of a conversation. Seeing two people in public face first in electronic devices was no longer considered unusual, even on a Friday evening. It was the perfect cover to discuss the job they were planning.
Preparing himself for a potential undressing from them, Christopher approached the table in a quick, purposeful manner.
“I’m sorry I am late. I got caught up in traffic on the interstate and the exit was backed up thanks to all the construction,” Christopher said to his colleagues.
Looking up with an agitated expression, the man said “That’s why you leave earlier. We said 7:00, not 7:10. This is an important meeting for us and I personally don’t appreciate having to sit in the shit hole waiting for your slow ass.” He stared with fierce intensity, the fire in his eyes attempting to seer holes through Christopher’s skull.
“Shut up Alexander,” Christopher responded. “I’m honestly surprised it’s not you who is late, considering how slow you run.”
The two stared intently at one another for a moment before Christopher smirked. The two men laughed as Alexander rose from his seat and gave Christopher a hug.
“I nearly had you there, Chris,” exclaimed Alexander, clearly proud of his effort to make Christopher uncomfortable.
Christopher wagged his finger, denying Alexander the satisfaction of believing that Alexander was successful in pushing his buttons. Christopher then turned to the woman in the other chair. Christopher asked, “And how are you doing this evening, Callie?”
Not looking up from the screen of her laptop, Callie answered coolly, “You’re late. We have a big decision to make concerning this job and not much time left.” She paused and looked up, finishing with “I’m fine though, thanks for asking.”
Christopher sat down, opened up his backpack and pulled out his laptop. As it was booting up, he asked, “Before we go into specifics of the job, initial thoughts? What do you two think?”
There was a moment of silence before Alexander answered first. “I think it is a bold plan to want to take out the Mayor, especially since the job calls for the hit to happen during her charity event. This is the most gutsy plan that we have ever considered but I am in.”
Christopher and Alexander looked over at Callie, still staring at the contents on her screen. After another moment in silence, she finally spoke up. “I don’t think this is a good idea. I think it is the wrong job for us.”
Alexander immediately answered, “Why? What is the issue?”
“Don’t be so quick to react, Alex,” she said. “I’m not saying the plan isn’t good. In fact, it’s one of the best plans I have seen. I just feel that the location is the wrong place because the risk is too great.”
Christopher looked at Callie, who was staring him in the eyes. Her wavy brown hair gently moved as a small group of the harpies ran by screeching, intent on raiding the purses of their mothers. Her blue eyes sparkled from the indirect lighting hitting them at the perfect angle, creating that mesmerizing effect that Christopher couldn’t look away from, both in his eyes and in his heart. He quietly responded, “I know it is risky. It’s the riskiest thing we have ever done and likely will ever do. But you know my reasons for doing this and you know why I have to do it.”
“No, you don’t have to do this job. In fact, you don’t have to do anything at all. There are other ways to handle this situation, ones with a whole lot less risk to everyone. I don’t understand why you feel it has to be this way. Can you explain it to me?” Callie sat there, locked fully into Christopher, intent to know why this job was so important to him.
Christopher broke eye contact and looked over to Alex, who was now standing with his arms crossed tight, jaw clenched. He was short but powerfully built with a quick temper. His perpetual intensity was rising, forcing his face to slowly redden. It was no wonder that Alexander was reacting this way considering he was the co-planner of the job and was deeply invested in seeing it through. He had even suggested cutting Callie from the job if she protested.
Christopher, a calm and controlled person, was keenly aware of the stakes involved in this job. He recognized that the entire team, all three members, had to be involved in order to give them the best odds of success. In an attempt to diffuse the tension, he winked at Alexander and motioned for him to sit down before turning back to Callie. Alexander exhaled loudly but sat down, arms still crossed, his jaw still tight.
“Because Callie,” Christopher answered, “the job is for Gregory.”
Callie stared at Christopher for a long moment before turning to Alexander and back to Christopher. Her eyes misted, creating a sparkling effect from which a single tear streaked down her face, creating a glistening trail of empathy. “Fine,” she said, rising from her seat, “but I am going to need a drink.”
***
Christopher handed his invitation to the doorman and entered the home of Helen Katsaros, the town mayor. Coming in from the crisp autumn air, he was greeted to soft music that was filtered through embedded speakers throughout the ceilings, tuned perfectly to the soft amber glow of indirect lighting emanating from lamps and recessed fixtures. He made his way through the crowd of people as inconspicuously as possible but making sure to be polite and even charming when forced into greeting and small talk with the fellow patrons.
As Christopher navigated the treacherous sea of donors who were here to support the mayor’s charity, he came to a table with information about the event. The event, which this was the third annual, had a goal of raising $785,000.00, which would allow the Gregory Katsaros Foundation for Brain Cancer Research to reach the financial endowment goal set by the charity’s board. Among all the pamphlets and donor cards stood a framed photo of the mayor with her late husband and their two children. Christopher stood silently, looking at the photo of the Katsaros family, now wondering if this job was indeed the right thing to do.
Alexander and Callie emerged from the party, approaching from either side of Christopher. As the two converged on Christopher, he immediately felt the tension in the team.
Christopher quietly asked them both, “What is going on? Has something happened?”
Alexander answered through gritted teeth. “Let’s go somewhere private. We have a major problem.”
The three quickly but quietly moved through the room towards a long hallway. Near the end of the hallway was a door that led to the utility room in the house. Turning to make sure no one was aware of them, Christopher opened the door and ushered them inside, closing the door quickly but quietly behind him. Turning around, he asked in a hushed voice, “What is going on?”
Alexander was as quick in his response as he was with his temper. Exploding, he barked, “She is the problem! After all this planning and after we reached an agreement, she wants to back out of the job. It is completely unacceptable.”
Christopher turned to Callie, a look of disbelief on his face. Last night, in the final walk-through after two months of planning and rehearsing, she had given no indication of doubt in doing the job. He started to say something but before he could speak, Alexander interrupted him.
“I told you,” he hissed. “I knew she would get cold feet and back out. I said this in the initial planning of the job and I asked you, no I begged you, to cut her from the team. We don’t need a spotter for this job. We can do it ourselves! We need to cut her loose right now.”
Christopher turned and looked down into Alexander’s raging eyes. Christopher was seven inches taller than Alexander but knew that in a moment like this even he wouldn’t be able to stop Alexander if he completely lost his composure. The best he could hope for in this moment was to calm Alexander down enough to confront Callie himself and try to salvage the job before they crossed to the point of no return and have to abort.
“Callie, what’s changed? It seemed to Alex and I that you were on board with the operation. You have been engaged over the past couple of months and have given neither of us any indication that you wouldn’t play your role. Can you help me understand because we don’t have a lot of time here?”
Defiantly, Callie answered, “Because it is not right for us. I went along with the planning and I thought I had convinced myself that this job was worth doing. But I was wrong. This job isn’t right and I can’t be a part of it”
Christopher lowered his eyes and shook his head. He looked at his watch. They had about 12 minutes to get into their places in order to execute the job. They didn’t have time to second guess or debate. They had to decide now to either execute or abort.
“Callie, tell me why.”
“Because if we do this, if you do this, then this will be the end of us. There is no coming back from this,” she answered.
Christopher started to answer when he was cut off again by Alexander.
“Fuck this. We’re doing this job. Callie, if you want out, then leave. Chris and I can do this without you.”
Christopher turned to Alexander and asked, “And why should we do this job without her? We have planned for months that this would be a three member job and now you want to adjust it to a two person job in less than ten minutes?”
Alexander’s face lit up like a stoplight. He stuck out his finger and began poking Christopher in the chest saying, “Because she is abandoning us in the moment of truth. She lacks fortitude so she can easily be replaced. I, on the other hand, am your brother, your family! There is nothing more important than that.” He paused to glare at Callie and coldly said, “Especially when it comes to unreliable girlfriends.”
Christopher started to protest but before he could say anything, Alexander, his only brother, stabbed him in the heart with the knife of manipulation and twisted.
“Remember the note that Dad wrote us before he died? He told you that even though you were born serious, you needed to learn to have balance in your life and to experience more. Well now is the time, brother. Now is the time for obtaining that balance and honoring our father.”
Christopher froze for a moment, at a complete loss for words. He knew Alexander could be a manipulative jerk, especially when he wanted things his way, but this was his masterpiece. He reached into the inner breast pocket of his suit and pulled out a folded envelope, opening it and pulling out the handwritten note that their father had written them two days prior to his death. He waved it in Alexander’s face and yelled, “I know what Dad hoped for me, Alex, but that doesn’t give you the right to use it like this! How dare you throw family in my face like this?”
Christopher crumpled the note and threw it in Alexander’s face, hoping that it would set Alex off and cause them to have it out right there. Instead, to Christopher’s surprise, Alex stood there with a softened expression. He said, “Mom needs balance too. She’s so preoccupied with running the town and the charity that she forgets we exist. She forgets that we are family and she forgets to live for herself.” He placed his hand gently on Christopher’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “She needs balance too and this is the only way we can provide it.”
Resigned, Christopher turned to Callie. Without making eye contact, he said, “I am sorry Callie but Alex is right. This has to be done. The assassination must happen.”
Starting to cry, Callie only said, “There is no coming back.”
***
Standing in front of a covered object next to the large pool was Helen Katsaros. She was dressed in a sleek black dress that shimmered like the scales of a snake as the spotlight shown on her. She was nearing the end of her prepared speech about the charity’s mission and its fundraising results from the night. After the conclusion of the speech, she would finish with a grand reveal, the mysterious object under the large cover.
Flanking her on both sides were her two children, Christopher and Alexander. A projected montage of pictures of the Katsaros family shuffled on a large screen off to the side, including the photo that was displayed on the information table. As the show and Helen’s speech continued, Christopher scanned the crowd, looking desperately for Callie. She was nowhere to be seen.
“It has been three years to the day that I lost my husband Gregory to brain cancer,” said Helen. “He was a beloved man to many, a wonderful father to Chris and Alex and he was a great husband. He has been deeply missed by all of us. After a period of reflection, I knew I needed to do something to honor his memory, something beyond the foundation”
Leaning in, Alex whispered to Christopher, “It’s nearly time. When she finishes, I’ll direct mom to the edge of the pool and set her in position. When she asks you to pull the cover, I’ll step aside which will give you a clear line of fire. Just make sure that you don’t miss.”
Christopher simply nodded. They covered this step of the job several times. Christopher was methodical in his preparation, unlike Alexander who was more of an improviser by nature. He spent hours practicing the movements necessary to get the shot off clean so he didn’t have any concerns about it. His only concern at the moment was Callie. Where could she be?
“And now friends, family, distinguished guests and donors, the moment we have all waited for is here. While remembering Gregory through the foundation is a great way to honor him, I personally felt more was needed. Those of you who knew Gregory well knew he was a man that avoided recognition at all costs, preferring to do good works behind the scenes. But he deserves to be remembered and now he will be. Christopher, since you are the oldest son, you have the honors. If you please, remove the cover.”
At this command, Alexander assisted his mother over to the side to have the premier view of what was underneath the cover. Unknowing to her, Alexander positioned her next to the side of the pool, a mere few inches from the edge. He took a step back and nodded to Christopher.
Christopher, seeing that Helen was spotted and marked, pulled on the cover. As it dropped to the side, it revealed a 20 foot statute in the likeness of Gregory Katsaros. The crowd gasped and then applauded at the marble tribute, taking pictures and exclaiming in delight. In their rejoicing of the monolith they failed to see Christopher emerge with a rifle that he trained directly at his mother’s heart.
Only the rifle wasn’t a rifle at all but rather a large Supersoaker. Christopher squeezed the trigger, releasing a torrent that hit his mother center mass. The shock of the ice-cold water rocked Helen, sending her stepping backwards where she lost her balance and fell screaming into the pool with a tremendous splash. The crowd gasped in shock and disbelief as her two sons stood there, Alexander laughing maniacally while Christopher stood silently, dropping the Supersoaker at his feet.
A momentary silence hung over the area before Helen broke the surface of the pool. Enraged by the actions of her sons, she screamed, “You ungrateful shits! Do you think this is funny? What gives you the right to do something like this, at your father’s charity event?”
Alexander snapped back at his mother. “You know that Dad would never want this, any of this!” He jabbed his finger at the statue and shouted. “And this monstrosity, created to ‘honor’ him? He’s probably turning over in his grave right now, embarrassed by you and your actions in the past year!”
Helen stood straight up in the pool and slowly made her way towards the stairs, her brilliant green eyes locked on Christopher and Alexander the entire way. As she ascended the steps, water streamed down from her curly hair like vipers dripping hateful venom, transforming her into a monstrous Gorgon filled with rage towards her children. She was determined to make an example of them in front of the entire crowd of people who were still too shocked to speak. She would ensure that nothing like this would ever happen again.
As she approached Alexander, he stood in open defiance of his mother. It was a terrible mistake. Helen leaned in close and whispered something inaudible to her youngest son then stepped back, eyes locked. Christopher watched in horror as his brother stiffened, muscles tightening in his face as the look of extreme anger smothered him. But he stood still as stone, as if Medusa herself caught his eye and froze him in place.
Helen then turned and stared directly at Christopher. Pausing for a moment, she stealthily slid over to him and stopped inches from his face, attempting to make eye contact with her oldest son. Christopher refused her gaze.
“You,” she hissed. “What is your excuse for embarrassing me in front of practically the entire town?”
Refusing to make eye contact, Christopher whispered, “You know why, Mom.”
Pressing the issue, Helen countered, “No Christopher Katsaros, I don’t know why. You need to tell me why this happened. Was this Alexander’s idea? Did he put you up to this because I can’t imagine that you would do this on your own?” Helen looked at Alexander, who was still locked in place. Turning back to Christopher she concluded, “It was Alexander’s doing. Don’t worry; he’ll pay dearly for this.”
Taking a deep breath, Christopher looked down and made fearless eye contact with his mother. Calmly and full of newfound confidence, he said, “No, Mom, it was not Alex’s idea. He didn’t plan this. I planned all of this for months and I alone take responsibility. To be completely honest with you, I am glad I decided to do this.”
Helen stared at Christopher in disbelief. She turned to Alexander who simply nodded that his brother was speaking truth. Turning back, Helen asked, “Tell me why?”
Christopher reached into the left side pocket of his jacket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to his mother. “Read,” he said.
Helen took the paper and read the note that Gregory had written to his son’s in the last days of his life that ended too soon.
My dear boys, I am sorry to write this knowing that any day now I will be forever gone to you. There is so much I want to say to you both but I don’t have the time or strength to do that so I’ll get to the point. Alexander, you have the ferocity of your mother, the heart of a lion. However, learn to recognize pain in others and have empathy for them. You can’t always jump into the fire without thinking. Christopher, you are a thoughtful and intelligent gift, so full of compassion and caring for others, often to the detriment of yourself. I know that you are a somber child who is prone to literalism. Learn to lower your wall and allow yourself to live a life that brings you joy through fun. Life is about balance my sons. Remember that family is important but living your own life is equally as important. Don’t be afraid of making your truths. Both of you always remember that I love you and to take care of your mother even if that means putting her in her place when she needs it. You will always be with me. I love you both. Dad.
“Your father and his love for a balanced life,” said Helen, smiling at the thought of her beloved husband. Looking up at Christopher, her eyes softened as she said, “I can see you trying to honor him and it is remarkable watching you grow into a wonderful young man. You are more like your father than you realize.” She handed the crumpled note back to Christopher. She then gave Christopher a serious look, the kind that she would give when she was conveying a great life lesson. “But what your father failed to mention is every action has a consequence, a cost. You have a cost to pay but that is a discussion for tomorrow. Now please leave and go to your room.”
Christopher nodded and walked back towards the house as the sea of people parted, creating a narrow path that he walked. As he passed through, he saw the disapproving looks and heard the judgmental whispers. As he continued through the crowd, none of it meant anything until he neared the end when he finally saw Callie. He could see that her blue eyes were circled by red rings of fire from the tears that she had spilled.
Standing silently in front of Callie, Christopher dove deep into her eyes and gave the most sincere apology of his life.
“I’m sorry Callie but this was something I had to do. I needed this for myself. For a moment, I truly wanted to walk away from this and stand with you. But for the past three years I have been searching for the moment where I could feel like I honored my dad. This was that moment and I had to take it.”
Callie sniffled and wiped tears from her eyes. She said, “I know you did. I know how much this meant to you and I respect you doing what you felt you had to do. Now I hope that you can understand and respect that I am doing what I have to do for myself. Like I said earlier, there is no coming back.”
Callie lowered her head as she extended her arm. Opening her hand, she revealed to Christopher his class ring. The truth was clear: Christopher had chosen family over love; he had chosen the need to do something for himself at the cost of their relationship. There was no coming back from this.
Christopher felt his eyes water as a lump formed in his throat. He took his ring from Callie’s delicate hand, nodded with a forced smile and walked away. She was right; he had made his choice. His mother was right as well. All choices have consequences; all truth has a cost. As he closed his hand around his ring, he momentarily paused then began the process of finishing his mournful journey to the house. Before he made it under the covered patio, he stopped at the sound of fluttering wings overhead and to his right. Looking up in the direction of the sound, he saw it was the same majestic owl from before. It sat stoically on the roofline, staring back with those same fiery golden eyes. Here the owl was, showing Christopher the ultimate truth of his decision. Only this time, instead of an affirmative hoot that his truth was the right course of action, the owl unfurled his great, gray wings and let forth a loud, rebuking screech.
***
Perched low along the roofline of the Katsaros home sat the great owl. He watched as the familiar figure he knew break eye contact and disappear within the structure that was serving as his observation post. Silently, he watched as the throngs of people slowly grabbed their belongings and leave. They traveled in a slow moving train of red lights trailing into the distance until they were no more. After a while, the exterior lights of the surrounding landscape were extinguished, leaving the gray owl alone in the darkness. Surrounded by the sounds of night, he scanned the illustrious green landscape that was bathed in starlight, revealing to him the truths that only an owl could see. Scanning upward and outward, he slowly turned his gaze through the distance and peered through the black towards his hunting grounds. The owl once again spread his enormous gray wings, feeling the cool autumn breeze create lift and carry him upwards. He hovered in the wind for a moment then, as he had done many times before, gave his wings a great flap where again he silently glided forward into the night. The messenger went forth, seeking new truths to reveal.
I made a 100 on both assignments. I remember my professor, Professor Maggliocco, telling me that he really enjoyed the revisions and complimenting me on the changes I made.
I was pleased with this story at the time, but it is not a story I would attempt to shop to a publisher. It is still quite raw after 12 revisions from the first draft. That's ok because when I turned this in, I knew I made the right decision to concentrate on creative writing instead of literature. As I have often said, I prefer creating worlds instead of interpreting words. A final fact: Professor Maggliocco told us not to change the point of view when writing a short story. He reasoned that it distracted from the story. Naturally, in the pre-workshop story, I made an intentional point-of-view change. I can still hear him during my critique session when someone mentions the POV change: "Yes, I caught that," as he looks at me. So, I took the critique, and in my final piece, I made two POV changes from the perspective of an owl.
I am a creative writer, and I'll write what I want.
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