Italics- thoughts/ flashbacks/ dreams

Bold- author talking

Underline- narrator talking, known as the main character

Normal- normal story

2041 words

ꨄ❦ꨄ❦ꨄ➪

I stand on the street.

The street that raised me and gave me joy. The place I miss so damn much and will miss till I die.

I want to walk up to the house but that bitch changed it so much. Repainted everything these colors that don't match and she put up cameras.

The possibility of me even getting close is the same as being able to catch a cloud.

I take Death's hand which I'm holding and kiss the back of it before turning around to walk down the sidewalk.

He follows me as I turn the corners and get to the alley. My home is the 3rd building down the street.

I get to the backyard. I look at it while memories flood my thoughts. All the plants we had. Me and my friends next door who would climb the fences to each other's yards for fun.

The nights I would stay up till it was so dark. The parties and all the BBQs. All the fireworks the neighborhood did in this alley.

I look at Death teary eyed while pointing a foot in front of me, "this is where the neighborhood blew up the box TV with a firecracker." I point to an area away, "that's where dad had me and Aaleyah hide behind garbage cans. There was glass everywhere and it was so loud. It was so cool. They also blew up a recycling can before that and it went about 20 feet in the air and broke down the side."

That night was so fun and I was drunk off of excitement.

I point at the concrete right behind the house before the grass, "that's where the patio would be and the pool me and Aaleyah fought mom and dad to put up every time it was 70° or more."

I point down the gangway, "that's where I found that baby bird when taking out the dogs. Iggy wanted to see it but I wouldn't let him. Vinny and Gracie didn't care. The bird ended up hiding under the stairs that go to the sidewalk."

I point up to the single window at the top that overveiws everything, "that's to the back porch thingy. Once when mom and dad were outside doing garden stuff I went into it cuz it's connected to our room and I opened the window.

It was 7 layers of super dusty glass and each one was locked. I unlocked and opened each one and it made my fingers a really dark gray. I then hung half way out and said high to mom and dad. They weren't happy and told me to get back in the house and close the windows."

I point at the now bare fence on the left side, "we covered it in vines for morning glories. Actually all of it was covered in piles of morning glories. My mom loves morning glories."

I look back at him to see if he's paying attention and he's looking where my finger is pointing.

I point at the one corner that hurts me, I point at the ginormous white pot.

"It's a pit made out of a tire that's turned inside out and painted white. Well over 12 years ago it was white. It's like 50 pounds and would always fall over when the wind was strong cuz it's lopsided. I always had to help mom and dad pick it back up. Do you know what they are?"

I look up at him again and he shakes his head. I look back at what used to be flowers.

"They're Casey's flowers. Mom wanted them for her to remember Casey. They were the most beautiful flowers and all so dainty and colorful just like Casey. Me and Casey's birthday were 9 months apart, she was only 9 months older than me."

Absolute hatred raises in me, "that fucking cunt kicked us out, she took my fucking childhood away, and kept our dog's flowers. Casey and Vinny were a couple. She was an alternate version of sassy. That fucking bitch wouldn't let us take the flowers. She took it all away."

All of me feels heavy. He turns me around and wraps his arms around me. I lean on him.

"We made this place so pretty with the plants and made the grass greener. It was dead when we moved in and it became so green and healthy. We made everything colorful with the plants. We watered the tree out front so much one year that it didn't start changing color till February. My dad put concrete or something on the back porch so it wouldn't fall off the house."

I'm so sad it physically hurts so damn much, "we got blamed for everything. That evil bitch blamed uz for every time the police would come over cuz her son was the one doing drugs downstairs with his friends. She kept raising the rent on us till we couldn't afford it. She kicked us out and kept the plants and flowers..."

"The worst thing we ever did was mainly from me. I would get water in the crack in the tub when I would take a bath and the water would go down her son's walls. If they were so fucking worried about it, she would have got it fucking sealed. Don't blame the fucking child that wants to enjoy her damn bath."

"I don't like violence, I don't like being mean or any of it. But if I saw her I would punch her so fucking hard and I don't even know what she looks like. I guess the word family means nothing to her..."

He runs his hand through my hair, "do you still want those flowers?"

"Mom does."

He lets go of me and walks down the few steps to the yard. I follow him. If the cameras get me I'll just dye my hair a different color.

I wanna lay on the grass but it's not green. Even when it was cold out we kept it green. All the charm is gone. This now looks like some generic house.

He walks over to the tire pot of dirt. The tire was cut to look wavy and fold out at the top. It's a flower holding flowers.

I touch the cold abandoned rubber. She takes our stuff and couldn't even take care of it. There's no white anymore. There's nothing here. The pot isn't even standing up, it's on its side.

He picks it up so it's standing up. It's like 2 inches past my knees.

"What type of flowers did it have?"

"I have no idea but it has shed a lot of seeds throughout the years so there should be seeds in it."

I then remember something that makes me happy. Giddy happy and the sad pain disappears.

"Guess what."

"You figured out what the flowers are."

"No." I squeal with excitement, "Juan got arrested!!!"

"Who's Juan?"

"That bitches son! My second cousin and mom got him arrested!!!!"

He looks at me absolutely confused, "what?"

"Yeah, once we moved out mom called the police on him for drug distribution and uncle Jamie told her that they raised the building through the back and he got arrested!!!"

"Good for him?"

"Yes, very good."

"What types of drugs?"

"I don't know. Mom and dad would never let us see. They wouldn't let him by us. The only people we were allowed by were the neighborhood kids."

They're all either adults or late teens now. I was the oldest. Time goes by too fast.

He looks at me for a long minute, "so where do you want the pot?"

"Huh?" My brain short circuits.

"Where do you want the pot?"

"We're taking it?"

"Yes."

"Wouldn't that be stealing? She would call the police on us. I'm surprised the police aren't here already."

"As you said, it's not hers so it's not stealing. Also, the cameras can't see us so she won't know how it disappeared."

I tear up again and hug him as hard as I possibly can, "oh my God my family will be so happy."

He rubs his hand up and down my back for a while.

"So where?"

"Wherever I can fix it." I look him in the eyes, "but you don't have to. Don't move it if it is too bothersome."

He smiles, it's so beautiful, "Making you happy isn't a bother."

I think I just died. I'm so happy and in disbelief I can't function. I can't think or talk, just smile so hard past the pain.

What does one do in this situation? He likes to put me in situations that I don't know how to respond to.

"Thank you." I say with the most grateful and heartfelt voice I can muster.

I think I've fallen in love. It must be. No one this nice can get away from my love.

He kisses my forehead, "where is it going?"

"Would you get mad with spray paint in your yard?"

"No."

"Then your yard."

"It's yours too."

"Stop being so damn wholesome, I can't process it."

He does that hot, low laugh. He's trying to kill me. He took 'kill them with kindness' and added extra steps.

He leans his leg against the abandoned pot and the scenery changes to the back of his house.

I haven't seen the back of his house. I look around and see a big ass yard and the back of the house looks nice like the front.

It's one of those types where it's so much nicer on the inside but the outside is nice too.

At the very back of the yard, some distance behind the fence, is one of the tall ass cave walls. It's like 5 bajillion feet tall.

The sky is so beautiful with the stars. The lighting is like late sunset, right before the sun disappears.

"Is this a corner of hell or an edge or something?"

"One of the corners."

"How many are there?"

"875"

"That's a lot."

He shrugs.

Heh. He's been shirtless the whole time. I'ma hug him till he tells me to let go. The view has been basically magical.

"If you hug someone for too long you will merge into them."

"Ok," I mutter into his chest.

He tenses for a second before picking me up and sitting on the grass.

"This is the 3rd time," I say with a stupidly big smile.

"3rd time?"

"3rd time we sat like this outside."

"Do you count everything?"

"Of course."

He cautiously looks at me, "should I be concerned about that?"

"Nah."

"Alright..."

I kiss his nose. I love nose kisses, giving and getting them. So simple, cute and not too intimate.

I lean my head on his chest and face Casey's flowers. He puts his nose in my hair.

We're finally gonna have her back mom and dad and Yaya. I'ma fix it all up and give her to y'all.

"How do you plan on fixing it?"

"I'ma let it defrost, then I'll spray paint it white because whatever paint they used just peels off."

"Which spray paint?"

"There's different types?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Then a life proof one."

"Alright."

I lean back and look at the night sky full of bright dancing stars. It's so beautiful.

In the city the night always meant violence and harm, uncertainty. Always be inside before 9 or get shot with a 70% chance. Stay inside and the chances get lowered to 40%. Don't talk to anyone in public, don't look at anyone in public. Don't say anything, don't be alone.

But here it is so peaceful. Yes, there is no light and things I can't see that want me but I won't get murdered. He won't let me get murdered.

It's so quiet and there are no bad smells, so far. So quiet. And actually beautiful. There is a lack of color and personality but there is no filth or negativeness.

Just peaceful beauty. And the beautiful man I'm clinging onto like a needy child.

I look up at him, he's looking off into the distance. I pull out all my hidden courage to only a slight whisper.

"I think... I.. love you..."