Fat Kid Squared: October 2008

Aparently someone REALLY didn't get the memmo that anything he gives to me is given to you, VIA THE INTERNET!

Oh well. And away we go!

Knights of Ephraim
Book 1 – Separation (Rough Draft)

Prologue
“I found her.” The man with blonde hair stared into his friend’s piercing green eyes, “The one with the violet hair.”
The man with green eyes responded, “I know.”
“Then that proves it! I’m not crazy!”
“Where is the girl?”
“She’s with my wife at home. Steven, I can show her to you!”
Steven lowered his head and ran his hand through his short orange hair. He let out a long sigh. “I need to take her. Tonight. Now.”
Kem’s displeasure was evident not only from the look on his face, but from the tone of his voice. “Take her where? Why? What’s the matter with you?”
“Kem,” said Steven with the forced patience becoming of his office as a captain in the New Police Force in that city, “Please don’t ask questions. I have my orders. I’m to turn her over to the government.”
“So they can kill her?! I’m not stupid, that’s why she was in that building to begin with! If you carry out this order, you will have innocent blood on your hands! For heaven’s sake she’s not even 2 years old!”
“I have no choice!” Steven’s patience was all too short lived. “I know very well that they intend to kill her, but I cannot risk disobedience! They would hunt me, they would find me, and they would destroy everything that I hold dear.”
Kem remained silent. He knew that Steven spoke the truth. Things had all taken a turn for the worst since the war began. The President had seized the power of Congress and the Supreme Court. He placed the states under a form of martial law and revived the draft. He had become a new Caesar. The worst part of it was, the people had allowed it. They willingly traded their freedom for security because they feared World War 3. However, in their quest for security they had only managed to further endanger themselves. Kem thought for a moment. There had to be some solution. Then, when the idea struck him, “Steven, I’ll take the girl. I mean, I’ll raise her as my own daughter. I’ll take her, my wife and son, and we’ll—“
“And you’ll what?” Steven interrupted, “Don’t you know what she is?”
“Of course I know! I also know what she isn’t. And she isn’t what everyone seems to think she is. She’s no monster.”
Steven’s eyes grew wide as he spoke, “How would you know what everyone says she is? Where have you been sticking your nose this time?”
Kem only smiled. “Did you really think that they could hide it from me? I know all about this project. The government calls them ‘Prophets’. Do you know why?”
“You’ve gone too far this time! How am I supposed to clean this up?! Oh, damn it Kem! When they find out what you know—“
“They call them Prophets after the Biblical variety.” Kem felt now that it was his turn to interrupt, “For those ancients were able to influence their will on the elements. Do you recall when Moses parted the Red Sea? When Joshua made the sun stand still? Or when others called forth mighty storms or fire from Heaven?” He paused, but Steven said nothing.
“The girl I saved saved my life just as much the night we escaped from the burning building.” He turned away his glance as he relived the strange events of that night over in his mind. “While I was carrying her, she put out her arms to shield herself from the flames, and I felt a stong, rushing wind. This wasn’t just a breeze, this was gale force! It blew away the flames that had reared up and blocked our way and cleared a way for our escape. I seized the chance and followed the path cleared for me until I escaped from the second story window.” Again, his eyes met that of his best friend, “Since the change in government, the ‘Prophet Protocol’ has also changed. Now, instead of being studied, the prophets are being exterminated. Apparently, the government finds these so-called ‘monsters’ a threat.” Kem allowed himself to laugh, “It seems to me that just like the wicked of old stoned and murdered the prophets, our wicked tyrant is trying to do the same thing.”
Steven had been very quiet until Kem had finished. “Done? Good, I’m sick of your religious bullcrap. You’ve been telling me things I already know. They know that I know. But when they find out that you know, you won’t have long to live.”
And that’s when the gunshots started.
Chapter 1- Falling from Grace
THWACK! The punch in the face sent the thug reeling. Joshua took the chance to slip through the spot where he had been, and sent an elbow flying at the one, then the other. He stopped and took a quick count: four unconscious, three bleeding, three still standing. The two who had just been elbowed turned and charged him with their clubs. The other four stood close behind, waiting to strike when he least expected it. He smiled. It was about to get interesting. He drew his knife (a small dagger really) as he ducked beneath the first swing, then turned and slashed the thug’s hands. He had barely heard the scream when the next club came from beneath. He tumbled over it, turned, and slashed the legs of the attacker.
Seconds later, he felt the thick, metal chain as it hit hard against the right side of his face. The blow sent him skidding a few feet across the ground. He turned himself over, and dodged just in time to miss the chain as it swung for his legs. He jumped to his feet, perhaps a little too quickly for one who has just been struck in the head. It took a few seconds for his senses to return, but then he was able to shake off the blurry vision. There were only the four left, two had chains, the other two knives. The thug whose legs had been slashed was rolling on the ground in pain, and there was no sign of the other clubber. “The chicken must’ve run off” thought Joshua.
But now the four remaining thugs charged him all at once. Joshua quickly calculated his strategy, and then ran at them with the blade of the knife pointing down along his arm. He dodged the first blow, and spun. He used his momentum to drive the blade deep into the thugs arm. He pulled it out and spun again, dodging a knife this time. He sent his blade down into the man’s thigh, and leapt back. He rushed in again and hammered the butt of his knife into the first thug’s temple. Repeating the movement, he took out the other thug he had stabbed.
He raised his left arm just in time to catch the chain as it came down. His arm ached from the blow, but he pulled on the chain; the thug barely flinched. He saw that the thug on the other side of the chain was very fat. He pulled again, using the force as a momentum and stabbed the fat man in his belly. He quickly withdrew as the fat man fell, but a knife slashed his left forearm open. He winced and reeled back. His attacker came again, slashing wildly in desperation. Joshua was exhausted and struggled to ward off the attacks. There was a clash of metal as Joshua parried a side-swipe, and sent his left fist into the man’s face. Before the man could think, Joshua sent the butt of his dagger to the man’s temple. The man hit the ground hard and didn’t move again.
Joshua fell back against the alley wall, dropping his knife. He gasped for air as he sank down. He felt a trickle of blood running to his chin, and wiped it away. His eyes began to close, and his wits began to fail him. Unconsciousness was coming over him. He fought hard against it, even trying to stand, but it was no use. He was going to get caught. He sighed, “Well, it was gonna happen sooner or later.” But before the darkness had full hold of him, he felt strong hands on his face. He opened his eyes again and saw first the piercing green eyes and orange hair of an old friend. He smiled as he said, “Oh. Hey, Steve.”
Steven skillfully lifted Joshua’s eyelids and watched as the eyes began rolling back. “You may have a slight concussion. Any idea what it might be from?” Steven helped him to his feet and took his weight.
“Well, the chain to the head could’ve done it...” Joshua said half-jokingly before he trailed off.
Steven cursed under his breath and walked him out of the alley. He looked around for a moment. The sun was going down and the streets were clear. People knew better than to stay on the streets after curfew and turned in early. He started toward the green sedan on the opposite side of the street, but before he was halfway there the passenger-side door was thrown open and there was a young woman running to meet them. She threw her arms around Joshua and kissed his face.
“Oh! Are you alright?”
He lowered his head to rest on her shoulder and breathed, “I’m fine, Ange.”
“Angela, be careful with him. He has a concussion. Take him to the hospital right away.” When they reached the car, they laid him across the back seat.
“Show them this when you get there.” He handed her a small plastic card and leaned in to talk to Joshua. “I’m gonna stay and clean this all up. You did me proud again today.” Joshua raised his arm and gave him a weak 2 fingered salute. Steven forced a laugh, nodded to Angela, and ran back to the alleyway shouting in his radio. Angela got into the driver’s seat, and soon they were on their way. Joshua took one last look at Angela, and closed his eyes.
*************************************************************
Joshua opened his eyes. He was lying on a bed. As the room came in to focus, he realized he wasn’t in the hospital. This wasn’t his room either.
“Good morning.”
The voice was sweeter than honey. He turned to see Angela rising from the chair in the corner where she had been reading. She was beautiful. She seductively moved to his side where she sat down on the mattress next to him. Joshua swallowed hard. She flipped her shoulder length, deep-violet hair to one side and slowly lowered her head to kiss him. Joshua’s entire body relaxed as her hair fell over his face, intoxicating him with the scent. She kissed him gently, and he returned it. She looked deep into his crystal blue eyes and kissed him again, and continued with more passion than Joshua would have liked. He slowly raised his hand to the side of her face, stroking her hair and gently pushing her away.
She licked her lips, and with a nervous chuckle breathed, “Sorry…”
“It’s okay,” he smiled. It was true; nothing was ever awkward between them. They had been best friends since they were small children, but she had only recently made known her love for him. Joshua was still unsure of his own feelings. He loved her more than life itself, but something kept him from committing to anything truly romantic. He loved her as a friend and confidant first and foremost.
She rolled over him and laid down on his left. She moved in close and put her arm on his chest and rested her leg over his. Every move she made was as graceful and caressing as the wind. He tried to move as well, but was very stiff and sore.
He began to stretch and asked, “What time is it?”
“It’s six in the evening.”
“I’ve slept the whole day?”
“What, like you didn’t need it?” She spoke this last sentence as if he’d just said something very stupid, but in a gentler tone added, “What happened last night? I was so worried.”
He knew she was. These fights of his were becoming more and more common. “There were ten of them this time. They forced me into the alleyway and all came at me at once. They want to take me down, and bad.”
“Because you’ve put so many of them in prison?”
“I’d be in prison right now if it weren’t for your dad.” This was also true. Joshua had been working unofficially for Steven, the captain of the Police Department, luring and taking out the gangs that were terrorizing the streets. Steven kept him out of trouble and out of the law, and Joshua would play the spy. With growing frequency, however, he was being discovered. Now the gangs were hunting him. He was still worried about the one that got away. Had he seen Steven and Angela? Angela interrupted his thinking,
“My dad was waiting for you to get up.” She smiled, “We should call him eventually.” Josh winced as he moved his left arm around her, but smiled as he pulled her closer to hide the pain.
He looked into her bright green eyes as he said, “Not just yet.”
Their world at that time was one of doubt and insecurity. The only refuge from the darkness and chaos of the world could be found in the arms of the one you loved. So naturally, they were soon asleep again in the security of each other’s arms.
**************************************************************

“How is the boy?”
“He’ll be just fine. I had him out of the hospital before they could formally admit him. He’s sleeping at my place.” Steven swiveled his chair away from his desk to face out the window. “It was close this time. If Angela and I hadn’t taken that way home, if we hadn’t been looking for him…”
“He’s just as reckless and cocky as his father was.”
“He’s exactly like his father in every way. That’s the reason why I’m so proud and concerned at the same time.”
“How many times did you say he’d saved your life?”
Steve laughed, “Aaron, Kem saved all our lives at least once. And you can bet wherever he is, he’s damn proud of his son.”
“What’s his total now?”
“After the nine that were just arrested? I’ve lost count. A hundred something? I’ll figure it out and get it back to you tomorrow. I’m gonna take off.”
“Alright, you take care then Steve. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Steven hung up the phone. He moved to the filing cabinet, opened a drawer, and pulled out the file labeled “Joshua E. McKinney”. He began to read:
Joshua Evans McKinney – Birthdate: July 27th, 2013. Height: 5’ 10”. Eyes: Blue. Hair: Blonde. Weight: 165. Parents: Kermit and Lisa McKinney. He perused through the minor details such as address and school. His eyes stopped on a line near the center of the page. “Father deceased August 14th, 2015.” He had to turn away to avoid the surge of emotions bubbling up within him. Apparently seventeen years isn’t quite enough time to forget your best friend. It didn’t help that Joshua was so like his father. Every mannerism, his laugh, the way he fought, and especially his compassion for others. Steven added a few notes at the bottom, and put the file away. After locking the cabinet, he moved toward his desk again.
He put on his hat and took his coat from over his chair. After putting them on he began moving to the door when something stopped him. He had almost forgotten. He reached into the top right hand drawer and pulled out Joshua’s knife. Steven had cleaned it, and now sat admiring it. It had a deep-black handle that carried the appearance of polished wood. It was sturdy and balanced, but not too heavy. Joshua kept it remarkably sharp, and well maintained.
There was a knock at his door. Steven quickly placed the knife in his briefcase and closed it. He picked it up as if he were suddenly on his way out the door. “Come in.”
A skinny, feeble officer entered the room, “Uh, sir? I, uh, I have some new evidence that we could use to trace our faceless vigilante.”
Steven sighed. He was about to lie, and wanted to put on a good show. “Phil,” he said as he put his hand on the officer’s shoulder “you know that’s not our prime concern right now. We could use a brain like yours working on a much more important case. Something like tracing the gangs to their roots.”
“Well, thank you, sir, But, uh..” Steven caught hold of his gaze with those piercing green eyes. Nothing could have been more intimidating to poor Phil. Steven was broad shouldered and muscular. When his gaze hit you, it was like a rattlesnake giving you fair warning before it struck.
“Is this it right here?” Steven asked, pointing to the manila folder in his hand.
Phil could only nod.
“Is this the only copy?”
Phil shook his head.
“Well, this is very sensitive case. We just can’t have extras of these floating around! Why don’t you go destroy the other copies, and I’ll keep this one locked up for those in ‘the know’? Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of it.” Steven clapped him on the shoulder, and Phil was off with a quiet “yes sir”.
Steven shifted the folder to his left hand to lock his office door. He started down the hall, taking care to make eye contact with the few he passed. He descended the stairs and out the glass doors of the building. When he reached the street, he quickly shifted the folder to his right hand and scanned its contents. He passed a few bums gathered around a trash-fire behind the building on the way to his car. He put his briefcase between his legs and reached into his pocket for some change. As they turned toward him, he, unnoticed, threw the file in the fire. He handed over the spare change and continued to his car. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket as he walked. He had just reached his car as he opened his phone. There was a text message: “Josh is awake. When are you coming home?” He sat down in his car while he text his reply: “Just leaving. I’m gonna grab Lisa on my way. Please set the table for four.” He smiled. “That ought to give her something to do besides dote on Joshua until I get home.”
*************************************************************
Angela was busy cooking while Joshua set the table. His hair was still a bit messy from the bandage that he’d just removed. He knew that his mother would throw a fit if she knew about the injury. It was both haunting and funny to think she’d probably find out anyways.
His mother had a fiery spirit and was overly protective of him. He loved her completely. They had lived together, just the two of them, since he was very young. Since his father died, they had taken care of each other. They also had Steven, his father’s best friend, who had been the closest thing to a father that Joshua had ever known. In all reality, Steven was more like a crazy uncle than anything else. He had never married, and lived for Angela mostly. She had known that she was adopted since she was younger, but that didn’t stop her from calling him “dad”. Joshua had always thought of the four of them as a broken, mixed-up family.
Joshua moved to the bar so he could watch Angela at the stove. She was about five foot three, and had a very nice figure. It was rare for Joshua to see a woman who compared. Even now, in jeans and a t-shirt she was stunning. She was a girl who shared a simple taste with Joshua. Jeans were a fashion staple for the both of them. She wore a little jewelry, and even less make-up.
Joshua always wore his watch, leather bracelet, and a silver ring which his mother had given him. The only other object of notice on his person was a large, silver necklace that he had inherited from his father. It was all of one piece, about an inch wide, a quarter inch thick, and had the appearance of being made of fixed scales. His mother had always told him that his father considered it his good luck charm and the leveraging factor in his mother’s accepting his proposal of marriage.
Joshua stretched and yawned. Angela’s heart skipped a beat as she watched the muscles beneath his shirt. Embarrassed, she lowered her eyes back to her cooking.
“How can you still be tired after sleeping the whole day?” she said with a hint of sarcasm meant to cover any appearance of being so taken with him the previous moment. Before he could retort with his usual witty remark, the door opened and in ran Lisa. She was several inches shorter than Joshua with dark brown hair and big hazel eyes. Joshua barely had time to stand before she had her arms around him in a vice-grip.
“You couldn’t call?! Twenty-six hours and you couldn’t manage a single call?!”
He chuckled a bit as he returned her overpowering embrace, “I was unconscious! You should talk to Steve about it.” He grinned and looked at Steve who had just hung up his hat.
He looked back with a look of feigned seriousness, “Don’t do that. Really.” He broke down and smiled as Angela made her way past mother and son to welcome him home. “Besides, you should know that right after I called for back up and paramedics in that alley, I called your mother to let her know you wouldn’t be home for dinner.”
Lisa began to investigate her son’s body. She found the bandaged gash on his arm and scoffed. She found a few bruises here and there, but eventually reached his head. She gasped.
“They got you in the head?! Where are your bandages?”
A bit frightened, Joshua simply smiled and shrugged.
“You tried to hide it from me?!”
“O-of course not!” Joshua stammered, “I just didn’t think it was good manners to wear them at the table.”
“Ugh.” His mother put her hand to his cheek and pushed. She walked to the coat rack and took off her coat. There she was greeted warmly by Angela.
Steven walked past and half-whispered and half-scolding said “See? Don’t you try to sick your mother on me. She’ll see right through everything.” He chuckled loudly quite pleased with himself for staying out of trouble.
Joshua shook his head and whispered, “Oh, just you wait.” He knew it wasn’t over.
Steven’s was a modest little place; quite roomy for two people. The place was an apartment; you couldn’t find any private homes in that city. It was near the top of the building, but the elevator worked, so that was just fine. It had 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a living room, and a spacious kitchen. Joshua’s apartment, which was admittedly smaller, was a few miles away. But they’d been trying to find an apartment in Steven’s building for a while so they could be closer. That, now more than ever, was the driving force for them all. Though they had never said it aloud, they felt strength in their little family. It kept them secure in their changing world.
Dinner was a lengthy affair, lasting nearly two and a half hours. It wasn’t necessarily due to a surplus of food, but more to the quality of the company. They could sit on any particular evening and tell old jokes, or relive interesting stories for much longer than that. Joshua told them all about the fight, and Angela filled them in about what happened at the hospital. Steven told them all that the nine thugs were all healthy (however good of news that was) and that they had all been arrested. Joshua’s prediction came true when his mother began scolding Steven for getting him involved in “this ridiculous business” to begin with.
There was much talk of what Joshua would do with his life. He was nineteen years old now, and he’d have to decide soon. He avoided the subject by telling them that he enjoyed his work and was saving up for school. Angela helped to shift the conversation elsewhere. She knew that Joshua had no idea what to do with his life. They had talked about this many times. Finally, things began to calm down, and due to the lateness of the hour, they concluded that Joshua and his mother should stay the night.
“Lisa, you’ll take the spare room. Josh you get the couch.”
“Thanks so much again for everything, Steve.” said Lisa.
“No trouble at all!”
He turned to Joshua, “I’m just sorry we don’t have any cleaner clothes for you.”
“Nah, three days in the same clothes isn’t so bad as long as you don’t mind the smell.” Joshua replied.
“Sweetheart, shower before you go to bed.” from his mother.
“Ok, mom.” replied Joshua, slightly embarrassed.
She kissed him goodnight, and they all went to their respective rooms except Joshua who headed to the bathroom.
Joshua left the shower completely refreshed. He felt clean, and the hot water had cured his muscles of their stiffness. He left the towel on the rack, and replaced his clothes. He opened the door and went to the living room. All the lights were out in the apartment, but he could still see Angela sitting on the couch through the dimness. She was wearing her pajamas and was sitting next to his blanket. As if they had done it a thousand times, he moved to the couch and lay down putting his arm around her. She laid with him at his side and nestled her head half on his arm and half on his chest. They moved around a little to find the most comfortable fit as Angela pulled the blanked over them. She put her hand on his chest, closed her eyes, and breathed him in.
“You’re warm.” She whispered as she pulled him closer.
“Are you still scared of the dark?” Joshua teased.
She lifted her head slightly and looked at him with the slightest bit of contempt, “Hey!” She put her head back where it was and whispered, “I just didn’t want to be alone, that’s all.”
Joshua knew her well enough to be justified in his suspicion that she wasn’t telling the truth.
“And?”
“And….nothing. Nothing.”
“Ange, I know you so much better than that. Why are you here?”
She sat halfway up and pulled her hair behind her ear. “Have I… have I done anything to push you away?”
If it was any lighter, she would have seen the look of shock (nearly horror) on his face. “Of course not! You haven’t done anything wrong. What would make you think that?”
She bit her lip, and turned to him. He caught a glimpse of her watery eyes before she pressed her face against his.
She kissed him, “Just promise me you’re not going anywhere.” He sat up, and wiped her tears.
He was struggling to understand what she meant. Then he realized and asked, “What did you see?”
Joshua knew that visions were not uncommon to her. She’d often had hunches or feelings when they were children, and they had always come true. Now she was prone to seeing fragmented scenes of future events. It was something like the reverse of Déjà vu. She didn’t try to hide it from him. He was her only confidant in this. Not even Steven knew about this gift, and there were others that she had hidden even from Joshua.
“I… I saw you and I falling from somewhere into a ball of light. We were holding hands. You pushed me away, and disappeared. I was all alone.”
She began to shake with silent sobs. There was nothing she feared more in this life than being alone. Joshua knew this, and that is why at that moment he pulled her close and held her with as much strength as he thought she could bear and whispered quietly in her ear, “Never.” She seemed to relax somewhat, so Joshua continued. “When did you see this?”
She let out a long sigh. “While you were in the shower.”
“Was there anything else?”
She shook her head.
He again whispered, “There must be a mistake. I would never push you away. Maybe – “ he was going to say “maybe we were pulled apart” but realized that even though this was likely the correct interpretation, it wouldn’t exactly be the most comforting thing to say to her at the moment.
“Joshua, I know what I saw. You know what that means.”
“No, I don’t. Neither one of us can have a full understanding of what this could mean. We don’t even know when this could happen.”
He knew he had to calm her down; he had to put her mind at ease. He lay back down, and she sat up looking at him. He stroked her hair, and then pulled her lower and kissed her eyes. He felt her whole person relax and he helped her head back onto his chest.
“Don’t worry about it. There will be plenty of time to figure it out later. For now, just sleep. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never leave you alone.”
She couldn’t have loved him anymore after that if she tried. She would have done anything in the world for him. If he had asked her for anything, she would have given it. But all he wanted was for her to be at peace, and to sleep; and so, she would do it for him. They lay there close to one another for a few moments.
She nestled in once again in his arms and in the softest whisper said, “Joshua McKinney, I will love you ‘till I die.”
He stirred a bit at this, and sleepily asked, “Did you say something?”
“Oh! No! Just goodnight.”
She was blushing terribly and took comfort in the fact that he couldn’t see her. But he didn’t have to. He had heard what she whispered......and he was afraid. He didn’t want to hurt the only friend he had.
****************************************************************
After breakfast the next morning, Steven offered to drive Lisa home on his way to the station. In the meantime, Joshua would walk Angela to work before returning home to finally put on some clean clothes. The men were always careful to ensure an escort for the girls on the street. It had grown dangerous out of doors since the war began, but had been growing steadily better since the American government was put right a few years back. After they all parted ways, Joshua and Angela started on the ten minute walk to the office where she worked.
The part that Angela liked most about her job was the walk she made to it every morning, and not just because Joshua was the one who usually made it with her. At this hour of the morning, the air was cool and crisp. The leaves were just now beginning to appear on the trees. The wind blew some of last autumn’s leaves high in the air between the sky-scrapers. She inhaled deeply and took him by the hand. She squeezed his hand and let her mind wander.
Joshua however was a bit preoccupied. He was thinking back to Angela’s strange vision. He would never let her know that he was worried, but he couldn’t keep it out of his mind. Falling into a ball of light? That element of the vision had to be symbolic. He let out a sigh, and looked around the street. Just the usual people wearing their coats, buying newspapers, heading to work. As he looked closer, he could see the homeless digging through the trash, clutching to their alcohol. It seemed as if the society in which he lived could be viewed in layers. He found that he could ignore, or investigate the many layers as he pleased. He preferred to stay on the more wholesome layers, as the deeper layers were diseased with drugs, pornography, and blood.
He allowed himself to delve one layer deeper into the morning, and that’s when he saw the shadow. He was very careful not to jerk his head toward the shape in the darkness on his left. Instead he turned to the newspaper stand on his left and slowed his pace. Out of his peripheral vision, he identified a young man in his early twenties who was staring directly at him. Joshua grinned slightly as if what he found what he was pretending to read quite humorous. As he turned back down the street, he saw the man dart back into the shadows. Joshua now delved into the deepest level of perception out of necessity. There were three of them. The one tailing them to their left, and two more further ahead on his right. They weren’t looking at him anymore; they were quite casual about their stance on the street corners. They were smoking and one of them was shivering against the cold. Joshua paid them no mind. While playing the fool, he could keep Angela safe.
He kept a very careful watch until they reached Angela’s building. It was so careful in fact, that Angela suspected nothing. Hopefully, Joshua thought, the spies suspect nothing either. When they reached her office, he walked in the doors with her. This was something he usually didn’t do. He found a quiet corner of the lobby and led her there.
“What’s wrong?” She could tell now by his behavior that something was bothering him.
“Listen very carefully. When you’re done working, do NOT leave this building. You must wait for either your father or I to come get you. Promise me you won’t forget and step outside those doors.”
She looked very surprised, but replied, “I promise.”
He kissed her cheek, smiled and said, “Good girl.”
He turned to go, but she held fast to his hand to stop him.
“What’s happening?” He looked back into her eyes, and decided to tell her the truth.
“Three spies from the Fantom Gang followed us here today. They’re waiting for me outside.” Her eyes grew wide as he spoke. She bit her lip and nodded.
“Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll take care of this and all will be well tonight. I’ll see you at four.”
She released his hand, and he walked out the door.
They were all in the alley across the street waiting for him. He ignored them, and pulled out his phone to call Steven.
“Hello, this is Chief Binns.” This was how he let him know that there were people there and that he had to be careful on how he responded on his end.
“Steve, three Fantoms followed me and Angela this morning. I’m luring them to fifth south where I’ll take them out. Come and get them quickly before they have time to pass on any information to their leaders.”
Steven was silent.
“I’m going home to check on my mother. Pick her up and be at your place by four-thirty. I’ll grab Angela when she gets off and meet you there to talk. I’ll call if there are any problems.”
“Sounds good buddy! What was your address again?”
“I’m on Center and I’m leading them to fifth south. You’ll find them behind the pharmacy. Ten minutes.”
“Great! Catch you tomorrow friend.”
“See ya, Steve.”
“Good luck.”
He hung up and put the phone in his pocket and continued walking. They were behind him still. He could almost feel them. He stopped at a kiosk to by a drink. He was very careful to investigate the reflection in the glass door as he opened it. It was still the three of them, and they were almost right behind him. He opened the juice as he walked and quickly drank half. He held the bottle in his hand as he continued. He glanced at the street sign he was passing: Four hundred south. One more block. He began to feel an anger building up inside him. How dare they attempt to make a target out of Angela!
Fifth south. He finished the juice, and looked around as if he was trying to find a trash can. He aimed his glance behind the pharmacy on his right, smiled, and headed back. He heard the steps behind him just as he threw the bottle. They stopped about five feet from where he stood. He lowered his head and took a deep breath. He was trying to calm himself, but to no avail. He was going to hurt them. He was going to hurt them badly.
“It’s Joshua, isn’t it?” one of them said.
Joshua said nothing. They foolishly took courage at his silence. Two of them laughed.
“We’re supposed to take you with us. Our boss wants to talk to you.”
Joshua turned around slowly. He stared straight into the eyes of the speaker, whose complexion changed upon meeting his eyes. The speaker reached for his knife, but before he could get his hand on it, Joshua delivered a front kick, full force, to his stomach. The others reacted before the first had hit the ground. They drew their knives and ran toward him. Joshua ducked under the first slash and thrust the heel of his palm toward the man’s nose, breaking it instantly and shoving the bone upward into his skull. The man reeled back giving Joshua just enough time to grab the wrist of the third man’s knife hand and stop him from slashing at his face. He swung his right arm around to punch the man’s forearm hard. The man screamed as he felt the bones in his arm crack. Joshua grabbed the man’s head with both hands and pulled the man’s face down into his rising knee. He let go and allowed the man to fall.
He turned to catch the downward stroke of the man whose nose he’d broken. He punched the man in the face again, and as the new pain weakened the man Joshua wrenched the knife from his grip. He stabbed the man in both his thighs and kicked him between his legs. He fell just as the first rose, having regained his breath. Joshua threw the knife he was holding and it flew right into his left shoulder. The man screamed in pain as Joshua ran toward him and delivered a powerful right hook. The man staggered back and Joshua kicked him again sending him against the brick wall of the pharmacy.
Joshua walked toward now struggling to rise by pushing against the wall behind him. He kicked the knife out of the man’s hand and punched him again. He grabbed his face and lifted it to his own, being very careful to squeeze as hard as he could.
“You really thought you could take me with three?!” He threw the man’s head against the wall and watched it fall onto his chest. He looked around at what he had done and felt a twinge of guilt. He didn’t have to be so rough, but he was so enraged by their underhanded tactics that he had nearly lost control. He took a deep breath. He started walking away and made himself a quiet promise to do better in the future.
He looked himself over before he reached the street. The only blood he could find was on his hands, so he quickly shoved them in his pockets. When he reached the street, he walked briskly to the first bus stop. He checked all of his surroundings in their entirety from there. There was no one. No one was following him. He took the wrong bus on purpose, and changed several miles down the road before he even felt somewhat safe going home.
When he finally reached his home, he ran in the door and locked it behind him. He called for his mother as he headed to the sink. He quickly rinsed his hands and ran to her bedroom as he continued calling for her. She wasn’t there. He ran to his room, then the bathroom. She wasn’t there. He began to panic, but suppressed the feeling. If something had happened to her, he had to keep his cool. He went back to the kitchen and began to search for some evidence of where she had gone. Before he had been at it long, he heard sounds at the door. He ran and hid behind it, clutching his knife. The door opened, and his mother walked through holding several plastic bags. Then she began to close the door. That meant she was alone. She nearly screamed when he came from behind the door.
“Don’t do that! I hate it when you sneak up on me!” She punched him hard in the arm.
He locked the door, and threw himself on the couch. He let out a great sigh of relief.
“Sorry. I won’t do it again.” She put the bags down and sat next to him on the couch, looking very serious now.
“Ever since I got home today, I’ve had the funniest feeling that I needed to pack a suitcase for a couple days; that something was going to happen.”
He was a bit surprised, but let her know immediately what was on his mind.
“You may need to stay at Steve’s for a few days, yes.”
“What happened?”
He thought of several stories he could tell her, but in the end he decided to tell her the truth.
“Three men, gang members, followed Angela and I when I took her to work today. Steve has probably just finished sending them to the hospital.”
His mother gasped and covered her mouth, but he continued.
“They told me that their boss wanted to talk to me.” He turned to her and continued, “They’re hunting me, and now they know about Angela.”
She knew better than to yell or to scold. She was a strong, kind, and understanding woman. She took his right hand between her own and said, “What’s the plan?”
He was so grateful at that moment to have her for a mother. He explained to her what needed to happen, and when Steve was coming to get her. She obediently went about doing what she was told, and he went to his own room to change. He put on his most comfortable jeans, and his favorite deep-red shirt. He swapped his dirty jacket for his black leather coat. Just as he had replaced his knife in its sheath on his belt pointing upwards to be hidden by his jacket, his mother walked in the room.
“There are only three things that I have left from your father. One is your necklace, the second is this knife.” She unsheathed it and handed it to him. It was identical in almost every way to his own. The main difference being that the handle had the appearance of polished ivory.
“It’s beautiful.”
He looked at her. She looked at him with an unflinching gaze. It wasn’t harsh, but he knew that every word she would speak held a great meaning.
“I want you to take it today. You may need it. That and the necklace are all I can give you to keep you safe.”
“Mom, with any luck they – “
She cut him off, “He once told me that that necklace stopped a bullet. He couldn’t explain how it happened, but it saved his life. He kept the knife on his person ever since guns were made illegal to all but the police.” She stopped for a moment to think of what to say next. “Joshua, I’ve been praying for your safety every night. I feel like God has been telling me that it will all be ok. That’s why I haven’t been freaking out over all your fights, late nights, and injuries. God has spoken peace to my soul.”
Joshua felt another twinge of guilt. He wished he had his mother’s faith. He wanted desperately to know and to feel, but felt as if God had been ignorant of him. The only way he satisfied his soul’s hunger was through his mother. He was paying strict attention to all that she spoke. Others may have thought what she said to be foolish or child-like, but he knew that his mother was a deeply religious person and trusted her opinion of God.
“God knows how much I love you, son. You are the last piece of your father that I have left. As your mother, I feel inspired to tell you how special you are.”
Joshua began rolling his eyes, but she again caught his attention by nearly shouting, “I’m serious!”
She continued, “I have struggled to raise you by myself all these years. I have prayed for support, and God gave us Steven and Angela. As I watched you play as a child, I heard God whisper to my mind concerning your destiny.”
“Why are you telling me all of this now? This seems a little dramatic, doesn’t it?” He put his hands lightly on her shoulders and said, “I mean, I’m not going anywhere.”
Lisa was silent.
Joshua pulled his mother into an embrace as he said, “You are my mother and I would never leave you.”
She remained silent for a moment, returning his embrace, and enjoying that feeling of being physically close to the ones you love. “C’mon” she said, “I can’t send you out on an empty stomach.”
And so they ate together and talked as mother and son do. They discussed his feelings and future, and she taught him of the world and of the nature of man. As two o’clock drew near, and he knew he must be on his way to make the necessary preparations for picking up Angela, his mother had one final request.
“You want me to pray with you? I… I don’t know --”
But his mother stopped him dead, “Oh, it’s not that bad! Shut up and sit.”
So, obediently he sat, he listened, and his heart melted as he heard his mother invoke the Almighty in his behalf; to keep him safe, to grant him wisdom, strength, and courage, and to set his feet on the path. He would never let his mother know that a tear escaped his eye during that prayer. At the conclusion, they both stood, and she held him like she wouldn’t see him again for years.
“I will see you tonight. You’ll see.” he said, kissing her.
She nodded and said, “Take care.”
He smiled and closed the door.
There was but one other time in her life where she had wept with such sorrow. She fell to her knees in tears knowing that she would not see her son again for a very long time, if ever again at all. It was the same pain her heart had felt years before when she had lost Kem. She was still weeping when Steven came for her, just as he had come the last time she had wept like this.
***************************************************************
Joshua had arrived in the area about an hour early. He’d changed busses a few times on his way to Angela’s building. He began searching every alleyway, every window, every car, and every shadow as he passed them. He circled the whole building, as inconspicuously as possible, and then, satisfied, moved to the lobby past the security where he had dropped her off. It was now about half-past three. He continued to watch through the doors for anything suspicious.
A few secretaries came to interrogate him in the twenty minutes that followed, but Joshua was no stranger to the ways of persuasion. Angela might have been extremely jealous at how easily he sweet-talked the young women if only she’d known. But in the end he was allowed to stay, so that the secretaries could look at him and daydream if nothing else. Joshua was quite attractive after all.
Angela came half-way down the stairs at about ten till the hour and, upon seeing him there, ran to the lobby to greet him. The secretaries weren’t the only jealous ones in the room now. Some of the office aides would have killed to have been held by Angela the way Joshua was. They both knew well enough to act as if nothing was the matter in front of others.
“I didn’t see anything suspicious outside.” Joshua whispered.
“Let’s just hurry and go. The anxiety’s been killing me.”
The second they were outside, Joshua’s entire body became awake. All of his senses aroused themselves to their fullest. He didn’t yet see anyone, but if anyone tried to take them by surprise, they would be severely disappointed. They continued on for the first block without any problems, but all the while expecting the worst. It should be noted that Angela was doing beautifully. There wasn’t a hint of fear or wavering —until the first time she felt him squeeze her hand. He had seen two of them waiting at the far end of an alley on their left. She could see the slightest change in his countenance, and that was all it took to shake the foundations of her world. She clung to him ever tighter, wrapping her arms around his like it was the mast of a ship that was being tossed in a great storm.
Joshua’s concern was growing rapidly, but had not yet turned to panic. He could not, and would not, allow that emotion to cloud his judgment while he was Angela’s protector. He carefully noted that the two from the alley on his left had followed into place behind them. He watched as they were joined by two more emerging from the alley on his right. That was four following them now; nothing more than he could handle, although he would hate to have Angela watch. He knew that he couldn’t take her home without them finding out where it was. He’d felt alright leaving her at work because of the building’s security, but if they found out where she lived there would be no end to the harassment that would ensue.
He began to move to his right, ready to turn west rather than east. He would lead them in the opposite direction until he could take care of them and sneak Angela home a different way. But as he surveyed that road, he saw 5 Fantoms patrolling his was in.
“Five?!” he allowed himself to say aloud.
“Where?” Angela asked. She, of course, saw nothing special about the throng of people to their right. He didn’t answer her. His thoughts had temporarily shifted to the irregularity of the Fantoms’ actions. They were never sent on patrol. He had seen them guard, spy, trail, and monitor, but never patrol. And they never met on the open street in groups larger than three. He continued straight, ignoring the blocked road. He peered into the distance, and what he saw astounded him: There were Fantoms patrolling every street entrance. He couldn’t turn at all!
They had cut off his rear, left, and right sides. For the time being, he could only press forward. He carried on at a steady pace-- no sign of fear would be shown to his enemies. After he had passed the streets they were guarding, they fell in behind them joining the original four. With them behaving like this, Joshua didn’t dare to make a run for it down a patrolled street. What if they decided to rush in and surround them making their deaths quick and easy?
“No,” Joshua thought, “I have to play their game.”
A small army of these hooligans had amassed behind them after only 10 minutes. Joshua kept a careful count, and continued to monitor his surroundings searching for a way out. Angela had felt him grow tense, and she was beginning to lose her wits to fear. It was at this time when Joshua leaned down and whispered, “Don’t worry. Everything will be alright.”
She had no idea what was happening, but trusted Joshua to take care of her. Joshua of course had no idea what he was going to do, but refused to give in to the panic that was waiting to consume him.
He was thinking hard for a way out, for some last piece of hope when he suddenly remembered that he had a cell phone. He almost laughed on the inside as he reached into his right pocket and pulled the phone out with his thumb and index finger. But the second he the phone was clear of his pocket, a carefully thrown stone hit the back of it dead center and sent it flying forward. It shattered as it hit the concrete in front of them. Angela let out small scream from the start it gave her, but Joshua quickly squeezed her hand and sound died into the sound of the crowds on the street. Joshua had only had one option now: When the time came, he would try to barter his life for Angela’s. He really didn’t have any idea how successful that would be seeing as they could kill both of them fairly easily.
He looked ahead of them, and saw more thugs waiting for them dead ahead. Joshua was surprised to see that the Fantoms were joined by many members of other gangs he had been infiltrating; mostly Black Diamonds and Silver Backs, but there were a few others. There about 30 all together. Joshua guessed that they came more as a show of force and defiance than to aid the huge group of Fantoms now slowly surrounding them. They simply weren’t needed for much else.
Joshua began reflecting back on the life he was about to lose. He thought of all the people he’s never see again: Angela, Steven, his mother. How his heart ached when he thought of the pain his mother would endure for her son. He remembered the pleasant afternoon they had just shared. He remembered how she had prayed for him. Prayed…
At that moment, with nothing left to lose, he followed his mother’s example and prayed for the first time in his life. He whispered the prayer under his breath, and poured his whole soul out to God.
“Dear God: If there is a God, and you are that God, I could really use some help right now.” He paused and looked toward the sky as if waiting for some sign that he’d been heard. “I need you to help me get somewhere else. I need you to take me and Angela somewhere else where these people can’t get to us. Please.” He smiled, as the prayer had begun to calm his soul and refresh him. “In all fairness, I’ve never asked for anything else…” He didn’t know if God had a sense of humor, but it was worth a shot.
By this time, Angela was well aware of what was going on. She was crying constant, silent tears that were not unnoticed by Joshua. As they neared the mob ahead of them, Joshua saw that they were trying to drive him into the alley on his left. He obliged and headed to the very back of the dead-end space between the buildings. He noticed that there was no trash or debris in this alley-way. They must have cleaned it up a bit in preparation for tonight. When they reached the far wall, he pushed Angela behind him and stood, proud and strong, between the mob and his friend.
“What do you want?” He asked. There was a roar of laughter from the unintelligent thugs, but no response aside from a few curses and jeers thrown back at him. Angela was now saying some prayers of her own. She took his left hand, and he kept his right ready to draw at any minute.
“Joshua, Joshua, Joshua.” Came a deep voice from behind the mob. The thugs moved and parted a way for a huge black man dressed in an expensive, pin-striped suit with a purple tie. He recognized the fat man immediately as the head of the Fantoms.
“You’re in a whole lot of trouble, little-man.” He said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.
“Oh, come on, Dee. What’s the problem?” Joshua toyed.
“My problem be your treachery!” he screamed, the veins in his neck bulging. His eyes bulged out too, but, because of his sunglasses, no one but Joshua noticed. “You’ve been cartin’ my boys off to prison since you came to work for me.”
“I guess that was our first miscommunication, I was never working for you.” Joshua grinned, fully aware that his insolence was just pissing Dee off even more.
Dee quietly fumed for a moment, unable to think of what to say. He daren’t admit that he had been deceived in front of his troops, and in front of the other gang members, and he couldn’t say that he’d known all along because that would have meant that he’d knowingly sent all those men to prison. He soon lost his patience and pulled a gun from the inside of his coat. There were a few gasps, the loudest from Angela who closed her eyes and began whispering to herself as if trying to focus, or recall something she once new.
“Don’t matter.” Said Dee. “You’re dead now; and your lady-friend too.”
Joshua cringed. How could he stop him from killing Angela now? It was too late for begging, and there was no way he could move to start fighting. Dee would only take aim at Angela and he’d have to watch her die. But before he could think his next thought, Dee pulled the trigger. Angela screamed and Joshua staggered back as the sound of metal hitting metal echoed through the alley.
The thugs all leapt back in surprise. Joshua looked down at his chest to see where they were staring. There he saw that he had been saved from the bullet by a large, silver, breast plate that now covered his chest, back, and shoulders. It was a masterwork of beauty with a shining red stone in the center of the gleaming chest plates. Joshua was startled not only that he was wearing it, and that it had saved his life, but that it seemed to weigh next to nothing. He wouldn’t have even noticed he was wearing it if he hadn’t seen it.
Joshua looked up and saw that all the thugs, especially Dee, were in complete shock. He took advantage of the moment and drew his knife. Before any of them had time to react, he had thrown the knife and it was now flying straight for Dee’s neck (or absence of one). It flew straight and true. He had just seen the knife sink into Dee’s upper chest when Angela leapt to his side, still clutching his left hand with her own.
She thrust out her left hand, palm forward, toward the mob of thugs and let out something of a battle cry. At that moment, hurricane force winds began to blow. They seemed to be originating from the two of them and the thugs were literally thrown out of the alleyway by them. Joshua turned and stared at Angela. There was a part of him that was terrified, but it was overpowered by the awe of seeing her standing there in beautiful majesty giving her all to defend him.
The winds only lasted a precious few seconds before they faded, and the thugs began to pull themselves off of one another. They both looked at each other, unsure of what they were going to do, and both still quite shocked at what the other had done. As they stared into each others eyes, the world around them seemed to melt away, and they both let out a startled cry as the ground beneath them disappeared. Soon they were surrounded by nothing but darkness, and experienced the strangest sensation of falling.

Fat Kid Squared

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Usher

Friday, October 24, 2008

A random quote that I died laughing over

Thursday, October 23, 2008

just because

Monday, October 20, 2008

Less Stress WOOO!!!!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

For those that were wondering

Friday, October 17, 2008

Your life in story form, suposidly

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Poverty

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