Serve and Protect
Content Warning, maybe. Who knows? Unreliability be thy name. for The Vocal + Assist Unreliable Narrator Challenge.
This story is part of the Vocal + Assist on Facebook Unreliable Narrator Challenge. You can learn more about it here:
I wear my badge with pride. I wear my badge with honour. Protect and serve. That's what I signed up for. I stalk these streets, keeping the peace. Ensuring that the good people are safe from the riff-raff that is becoming more of a problem with every day that passes.
Sex traffickers, drug pushers, pimps and ladies of the night. Gang warefare and the blight of the city, pickpocketers. I know there's a lot of sympathy for the homeless and I try to share that sympathy. It's my job to serve and protect, keep the peace, clean the streets.
They are a nuisance. I never beat them, but it's my job to move them along or to direct them to the nearest shelter. Let the state deal with them. I may not agree with the state and their funding choices, but what am I going to do?
Friday nights. That's when this city is at its worst. Especially when the sun goes down, the moon comes out. At around 10 pm. The freaks and demons come out to play and prey on anyone who dares to venture into the dark. The uniform and the badge serves as a reminder for these folk to avoid me, unless they want to find themselves on the other end of the long arm of the law.
I have worked hard to earn the respect of the vast majority of the people. I refuse to take bribes, though. If...however, someone offers me a gift for my services. I will accept. I'd never want them to feel disrespected by not being grateful for their thoughtfullness. Many look at the uniform, the badge and just see all the negativity. Many criminals see me as the enemy. When really, I just want there to be order. Those that align with me, enjoy healthy business.
Serve and protect, serve and protect. That's my mantra. The woman I am walking behind, following, is safer with an upstanding man of the law, with the uniform and badge, behind her. I've got her back, though she will never know it. The fact that she's turned down onto Hanover Street, tells me everything I need to know. I need to follow her. Steathily. I don't want to unnerve her.
Does she not know that Hanover Street was the scene of a recent spate of murders? All women, all on their own.
She'll be fine. This is what I signed up for. I'll make sure she is safe and secure...that no-one else can hurt her.
Ever again.
*
Thanks for reading!
Author's Notes: Yeah...I love unreliable narrators, but found this a challenge because normally they work best when there is a longer story and you don't know they are unreliable.
I hope you enjoyed my take. Based on I guess real fears some people have and not meant as a finger-pointing judgement of law enforcement as a whole.
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You can also check out the rest of my work here.
About the Creator
Paul Stewart
Scottish-Italian poet/writer from Glasgow.
Overflowing in English language torture and word abuse.
"Every man has a sane spot somewhere" R.L Stevenson
The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection is now available!
https://paulspoeticprints.etsy.com
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Comments (15)
Loved this - the suspense your story was building up. Well done!
Congrats on runner up sir Paul!! 🥳🎉🎉👍
Protect and serving on the wrong side. Oh my goodness. Who can we trust.
And here I thought he was just gonna be a perv on the take. He's even more reliably unreliable than I had imagined.
Spooky and unnerving micro Paul. Internal dialogue works well for the narration. Excellent work! I was imagining Gotham city while reading.
ohhhhh, creepy. Great story you told here– I was guessing until the end. Have loads of respect for our honorable men and women who serve and protect, but only for the ones who serve and protect. I know many of them, even some that are bad eggs. Great job with this piece, Pal!
The most vicious killers are also sometimes upstanding members of society. BTK comes to mind. Security guard, elder of his church. Or Gacy as the Democratic party mover and shaker in Chicago, performing as a clown for kids at charity functions, Ted Bundy working the suicide hotline... The list is pretty long, so I would say this is pretty relevant... well done!
No one else can hurt her. Ever again. So he's the one that's been murdering women! He will make sure no one else hurts her by being the only one that hurts her! And no one will hurt her ever again because she gonna be dead! Please let me know if I'm way off 😅 I too agree that for unreliable narrator to work, it requires a longer story. My story The Pumpkin Killer has an unreliable narrator. I'm not sure if you've already read it. But it's too long for this challenge. Also, I saw Lana caught your typo. Forgive me but I did catch a few typos on your Lyra and Lena story. There was one place you spelled her name Lema. Then there were 2 other typos that I can't recall now although I just read it! But they were in the top half of the story so you might wanna take a look at it!
As the proud younger brother of a long-retired police officer and someone who is often disappointed by the demeanor and actions of recent generations of LEO, I eased into this one with some trepidation. I think I read it through in the right light and I appreciated your explanation in the notes. Overall, I think you nailed the challenge and I enjoyed the twist.
Very interesting story Paul. I wasn't quite sure where the story was going. That's a good thing. I was actually imagining a different ending. But that is what unreliable narrators are about kind of keeps you guessing until the end. Good job Paul.
This was great, I started to feel uneasy when the woman turned into that street. But didn’t you mean “Ever again” rather than “every again” at the end?
excellent
Hmmm. Wondering what's gonna happen next. Well done buddy.
i like the content https://vocal.media/horror/the-resilient-laughter-a-tale-of-the-spotted-hyenas
Amazing story.