Never Make a Promise You can't Keep

So Joshua was never one that could make up his mind, much less keep his word or a promise.

He was always finding a reason or an excuse that he considered justifiable in explaining why he never kept anything for long.

Joshua was beginning to produce some lame ones, farther from the truth, than when he had started doing this. First it was only every so often, then it was weekly and then it was daily.

The longer he made them up the harder they became to be believed. It was starting to work on him to the point that he was sensing something was amiss, but instead of taking responsibility for his past and present actions, the more it was easier to lie out right and not feel bad for them.

Joshua, who was usually without any friends that we knew of, was finally producing "friends" to voucher for his lies and it was making him look worse as time went on. He felt the need to find ways to convince us that he was in the right and we were always wrong.

One day his lies and excuses came to a halt. Not metaphorically, more so literally and he tried to manipulate us once more and tried to get us to believe, which this was one time we would not.

Joshua had long since burned the bridges, after pouring on the gasoline to cause them to burn quicker, then said he was made to do it at gun point. He did not understand that he was to blame, and we had had enough of his excuses.

He was at first, very livid and angry, he pointed fingers at each of us, then asked us to forgive him and stating that he would change. "But how stupid did we seem to him?" "Did he believe we were that gullible and naive to think he had ensnared us in his web of lies and deceit?"

To be so shallow and so wrapped in his own misery and his own cunning deceptions that he was not aware of how long he had gone on doing what he had done day in and day out.

Joshua was no longer honest with us as he was with his own self. He began to consider the excuses and the lies as his own way to deal with all that he had built up in his mind as being the truth.

He had become what we all hated to admit a person could become and even with the lifelong friendships we had developed, this was one of the unacceptable behaviors we could allow. We all voted to shun him and no longer hang with him, no matter what.

Joshua would call and leave messages on each of our answering machines, first nice messages, promising to change, then becoming threatening and venomous. He was not aware how his change would affect us considering allowing him back. He would sometimes call and be incoherent and rambling.

This was a decisive moment, when we blocked him from our lives and decided to place a restraining order against him. We thought this would alleviate the problem, when in turn made matters worse.

The last we heard about Joshua, was he had purchased several firearms and had been target practicing. The seven of us were not too concerned with this, as we knew repeatedly, that Joshua was an enthusiast of weapons on a grand scale.

The first time we began to take things seriously was after John was injured by a forty-five. He had been out golfing, was on the ninth and then several shots rang out. He was only injured, but his golfing friend was killed from a stray bullet. John called me from the hospital and informed me that Joshua was in some sort of vendetta.

While the ones who chose to see John, in the hospital, there was a second attempt at Jennifer's life. This was enroute to the hospital, when a stray bullet fired at her, hitting her windshield and causing her to crash.

She then joined John, who was in the same room as her. She had a mild concussion, and several abrasions, but was only being held over for observation. Then as Jeff, who had joined me and the rest left to see John, Joshua came in with his arm wrapped around Jeff's throat, and pointing the forty-five, square at his head, threatening to shoot him.

Bob and I suddenly got up to try and free Jeff, while overwhelming Joshua, who was enraged at the thought of being manhandled. He turned the gun on Bob and fired. Bob went down to the floor slumped.

Joshua aimed at John but missed only inches of his right ear. Bob was down but not out, until I saw the blood. I was trying to decide what to do next. I raced towards Joshua to stop any further damage, and I am not sure what happened next.

I was in and out of consciousness. I was being placed in the other bed, as I had only sustained minor injuries. Joshua was no longer a threat downed by an officer's bullet, fired through the window.

I was advised that I would need to give a statement and was to do this as soon as I was able to. I was relieved that no other person had been hurt. But my relief was short lived, when the bodies were being loaded onto stretchers, first one then two others. The covering up of those bodies indicated it a part loss.

I was not happy and wanted to get up and follow out the officers and medical staff in charge of the body handling. It would be several days before I could confirm or deny what exactly had happened.

Then one of the bodies moved ever so slightly and it was the lead detective who was walking over to investigate. Bob, then Jennifer, then John all moved simultaneously, and they were breathing like they had asthma.

Boy was this going to be hard to explain how three people considered to be dead were never dead at all.

Now as for Joshua, they went on and made sure he was still dead and not kicking. They handcuffed him and were surprised when His eyes opened. He screamed loudly, letting out a screeching noise, like he had just risen from the dead. His eyes searched for all that was happening.'

Joshua rolled off the stretcher, jumping up and running towards me. He lurched at me, and we went out the window, shards of glass, following us as we exited and headed down to the street. He jumped up even after his body broke my fall and allowed me to survive this.

He ran quickly and as he left me, his gaze told me that we were not done yet, this was only the beginning.