Neo Chronicles
Episode 37: Worldstar
Table of Contents
Back in the halls again. Kai took off t'do somethin' that I don't care about, an' I haven't touched base with Noah yet. So it's jus' me. And me. Who are you? Deep down, you know. Deep down, I think I'm too young t'be hearin' voices in my head.
It's been quiet. An' it's dat quiet that worries me. The same people, runnin' through da same thangs, jus' tryna get by. Children of all high school ages are found by their lockers or by the restrooms. Some are rushing to get to their next class. Others are not.
Don't get it twisted, doe. It's as loud as an ancient comic-con up in dis piece. Kids always be actin' like wild animals when they gatha. School ain't no different. Sho' a few good teachers be knowin' how t'keep the noise level in line in class. They know jus' the right words, the right threats, the right enticements t'get us ready t'learn, or at least front like it.
But it's a different story out in the halls. Out in these streets? It's a warzone. Playa's out here tryna mack game on the homegirls. Nerds tryna negotiate tradin' card deals. Sixty second money matches in those handheld fighting game tablets happenin'. Loud kids arguin' ova nothin'.
Fo' at least five minutes at a time. That's five minutes before and after each class. With each class lasting around an hour and twenty minutes—there being five classes in total a day—that means – Negro, ain't nobody wanna hear 'bout dat! About what? Whatever, man!
An' I ain't gon' front. I'm jus' like 'em. If my mind wasn't runnin' at a thousand miles a minute tryna look out for these lames, I'd be in the thick of it. I'd love t'forget about my problems an' do what I do. Like skip school altogether? I don't skip all the time!
But I know too much. I done been exposed t'a world that's out there tryna kill us. An' the fact that it's crossin' ova, invadin' this space, invadin' my space? For me t'do nothin' would be a travesty. This whole thing started with DJ goin' missin'. Presumed dead. The dude's missin'! But it's way bigger than that now.
I turn the corna.
That looks like something. Yeah it do. Down this hall, there's a huge crowd a' people. Kids from all grades, comin' from all ova t'see what's happenin' here. Lotsa shoutin' an' holla'rin'. Then there's this loud THUD.
“Oooh” the whole crowd's in unison. Someone's about to say it. You know someone's 'bout t'say it!
“WORRRRLLDDSTAAAAARRRR!!”
Then the world slows down. My senses ramp up. With everyone frozen in place, I make my way through. In between the people, til I make my way up front.
This what we're into now? Two girls beefin'? C'mon now! Fights've broken out in school before. Yeah, an' it's always ova some petty type crud. There's demons in school. Ain't nobody got time fo' dis! Look again.
In this frozen picture, the one girl—yo, ain't that Rayne? I know her—she's pinnin' down anotha girl by the throat with one hand, an' got her otha hand raised up, claws out, ready t'tear into the girl. She lookin' real mad. Her mouth all open, showin' her fangs. Her long, thick, black hair all hangin' down over her face. Her nose scrunched up, like she in the middle a' shoutin'. I think her eyes is glowin' red, too.
Wayment.
What?
No, can't be.
But it is.
I take another look at her.
Something's off. It's like there's a flickerin' happenin' right now. Like a dim, almost snuffed out light is seepin' through. And where have we seen that before? Her dark brown tank top an' dark grey denim shorts look like they glowin' along with everything else around her. The light's dark, an' I know that sounds weird—a dark light—but that's what it is. Black fog that's barely visible, tryna break out like flames. Yeah.
In the crowd, I see Kai on the otha' side, an' Noah's standin' with him. While everyone's still frozen, I make my way ova t'them in a hurry.
Then the sound comes back, the people start movin', an' I'm back in the swing a' thangs.
“So she's possessed, too?” Kai asks out.
“Looks like it,” Noah responds.
“You see it too, right?” I ask.
The two practically jump as they see me. Well, you did just come out of nowhere, speedy. It's the usual response. We blow past it, an' get back to focusin' on the fight.
The girl on the ground is Tameka. She's one a' those rich, stuck up, snobby, princess types. The world revolves around her. Things gotta go her way. You know how it is. An' if she ain't the center a' attention, she'll find out whoever or whatever is, an' upstage it.
On some level, I bet she's lovin' this. Really? I find that hard to believe. Considering her face getting smashed in.
Rayne's from a completely different walk a' life. From my hood. Grew up po', forced t'make do with little a' nothin'. Broken home. Only in school cuz she has t'be.
“Get off of me!” Tameka shouts. Her sing-songy, Southern belle voice almost cracks.
A wave a' sharp, cuttin' wind blasts from her. The whole crowd feels it. We all forced back a good ways, but Rayne? She ain't e'en budged. You can see gashes open up along her face, but she still holdin' on t'Tameka by the throat. Then the gashes close. You can see the terror in Tameka's eyes as they do.
Tameka flails her arms around tryna let herself free, but Rayne's grip is too strong. Then Rayne comes down with her free hand—nails all extended like claws—an' slashes Tameka 'cross the face.
Tameka's cheek is messed up. Blood all errwhere. She winces through the pain, fightin' back on some tears, shoutin' at the toppa' her lungs. Then the wind gets stronger. Like a mini-hurricane forms around her. Rayne's grip finally loosens, an' Tameka's free.
Rayne jus' standin' there hunched ova. You can hear her snarl. Like a wolf. Her back's arched, her nostrils is flared up, an' the black fire that's burnin' around her decides t'get bigger. An' when it does, I get a deep sinkin' feelin' in my stomach. An' by the looks a' Noah an' Kai's dat shared stoic look a' concern, I'd say they feel it, too.
“We gotta do somethin'!” Noah says. His fist is clenched. I feel a cold air form around him. He jus' about ready t'step in, but Kai grabs him by the shoulder an' holds him back.
“Hey, demon or no demon,” Kai starts out. “You're not supposed to break up cat-fights. That's, like, a rule.”
That's a joke, right? I know the dude's playin'. He cracks a smile. I crack a smile.
But Noah ain't laughin'. For good reason. Lighten up.
“What?” Noah starts stutterin' ova his words. He looks at me, looks at the crowd, looks at the fight, then back t'Kai. “Where Kai? Where is that written?”
“Rules don't have to be written down to be rules!” Kai fires back.
“That's a stupid rule!”
“You're a stupid rule!”
The crowd freezes again. It's instinctive. As soon as I focus in on the girls, it all slows down.
Rayne's mid-leap. Arms outstretched, seconds away from pouncin'. The whirlwind Tameka's kickin' up ain't doin' nothin' cept makin' Rayne's wild hair e'en more wild.
Tameka's got both her hands in front a' her. The air around her's got her tan chiffon maxi dress flappin' errwhich way. Her black, stone necklace is rattled up, along with her big golden jeweled earrings. Her black, straight, blown out hair is goin' crazy.
I make my way towards them. Rayne's the main problem, so I jump up at her. I'm 'bout t'snatch her out the air, but outta nowhere, she turns an' scratches me 'cross the face. Got me spinnin' mid-air. That was unexpected.
I'm all outta whack now. I hit the ground hard, an' hold my cheek. It's on fire. It's all wet an' sticky. I look at my hand t'see it's got blood on it. Then I look up, an' come t'find Rayne's standin' ova me. Demonic aura an' all.
This shouldn't be happenin'. I'm movin' way too fast fo' her t'see me, let alone step up t'me.
'Fore I know it, she's swingin'. I raise my arms t'block. Her nails swipe clean across. It burns. Stings like a mug. I look up t'her. She's smilin' through her fanged teeth. Demon fog all around her. Eyes glowin' through the dark. I let out a light chuckle. Everything's a joke to you.
Now I don't know much about Rayne. I know she's a junior. Puts her at 'bout two grades ahead a' me, so we really don't run much in the same circles class wise. We do live kinda close t'each otha, but we never hung out. All I know about her is the wolf-girl's had a rough life. Oh yeah, that's her ST. It's animal based. As if the hairy forearms, shins, an' tail wasn't enough t'give it away.
But that aside, wolf-girl here still ain't got what it takes t'be pullin' this typa mess. She's fast, sho', but only animal fast. This kinda speed right here, the kind that I got, the kind that makes it look like time's standin' still ain't her thang at all.
Watch out. Before I know it, she's in my face. How come I didn't see it comin'? I didn't even see her move, an' now she's uppercuttin' me in the jaw. An' there's power behind it! I'm sent flyin'! My dome hits the ceilin' an' I come crashin' back down. I see the floor that I'm 'spose t'be landin' on, but in the next instant, she's there, greetin' me with a kick t'the back.
Now, she's standin' back in the spot she was before, lookin' at me again', smilin' at me again. This is some weird kinda mess, right here.
I take t'my feet, shake myself off, an' smile. Then I lose it.
The world speeds up around me. The crowd's back t'hollarin'. Noah an' Kai're back t'arguin'. An' the weirdest thang 'bout it all? Rayne's right back where she was before: leaping in mid-air, then pouncing on top of Tameka.
“Oh my God, she is wailin' on her,” Kai says. An' he's right. Rayne ain't showin' no signs a' lettin' up. She's vicious. Hammerin' her fists ova Tameka's head, clawin' away at her designer dress. This turned from a cat-fight into a bloodbath, real quick.
“What was that thing about unspoken rules, Kai?” Noah sarcastically asks.
“C'mon Noah, you know me better than that,” Kai responds.
“Do I? I can never tell when you're serious.”
“What I was really gettin' at was how in the world are we gonna get in there to break this up? I know you're not thinkin' of just jumpin' in, an' knockin' the poor girl out, are you?”
“She's possessed by a demon, what else can we do?”
A'ight, I'm back. Took me a second, but I got my bearin's. I ramp up my senses. The scene slows t'a crawl, then a full on stop. Rayne's in the middle a' clawin' 'cross Tameka's face.
I run up as fast as I can, pull back my fist, an' leap at her with a flyin' punch. But like clockwork, she leaves Tameka's motionless body, turns to you and strikes back.
She grabs my arm with one hand, an' grabs my neck with the other. Now she's carryin' me across an' pinnin' me on the ground. I tuck both my legs in then shove my feet into her abdomen, kickin' against it. Her grip loosens, an' I backroll onto my feet.
I'm thinkin' 'bout the next move I'm fixin' t'do, but she's already in my face, clawin' at me.
As I reel sideways from the forceful impact, her nails diggin' deep into my cheek, I try t'put the pieces together. The fact that she's so fast is scary. I haven't been put in this typa situation before. The speedster getting outmaneuvered. I try t'swing back with an uppercut, but she's already ten feet away from me. I punch at the in front a' me.
I try t'chase her down, but end up findin' her behind me. Outta nowhere, she runs up on me, grabs my head, an' the next thing I know, I'm bein' pulled down t'the floor.
I feel a sharp heavy blow—multiple blows—ram into my side. She's kickin' me more times than I can count. So far she's at twenty, and still going. Each one is enough to make me wanna throw up, but the fact that she's hittin' me so many times is enough t'make me wanna keel over an' pass out.
I roll ova an' latch on t'her foot as she kicks me for the thousandth—an' I don't even think that's an exaggeration; It's not—time. I try t'pull her down t'my level. She falls in, but she falls in with a heavy fallin' punch t'ma face. I'm seein' stars now, but I shake it off.
Now lyin' on my back, I hook my legs around her back, jus' t'keep her in close. She tries t'break free, but I hold on for dear life. Once she realizes she can't get any leverage, she changes her focus.
She brings her 'bows in close, an' drops the pressure on my thighs. Feels like I'm on fire. I grit my teeth, an' wince. Forces me t'loosen my grip. My legs give out, an' she breaks free. If I knew a thang 'bout wrestlin' an' grapplin', I'da prolly had somethin' for that, but – You've never had a need for it.
I ignore the searin' pain I'm feelin' an' jump back to my feet. I feel my senses slowin' down. A second passes, an' the crowd fades back. I ramp it up again, an' the scene slows down. I know I'm pushin' myself, but I gotta.
Rayne takes a step towards me, an' in the next instant she's in front a' me, nailin' me in the gut, repeatedly. One punch after anotha', ova an' ova an' ova. By the time I throw my punch, she's gone. Back across the way. A full crowd away.
Rayne takes a step towards me, an' in the next instant, I'm gone. If I can't step t'her, I might as well have her bring the fight t'me. So I'm runnin'. I bob an' weave 'tween the picture-still people an' make my way down the hall. She's already behind me. I'm jumpin' ova folks, runnin' along walls, movin' like at break neck speeds.
This is good for me. I got time t'think. Noah was harpin' on dat Hirohito stuff. Talmbout ki an' junk. I need t'get that down. Figure out what it's about, an' use it t'take care a' the demons inside Rayne.
Rayne appears in front a' me. Expected. I grip my fist together an' concentrate. The ki is the spirit. The ki is my spirit. So if I use my spirit t'hit her with, then maybe – I think you're glowing. It's a faint yellow, but it's there.
I throw my fist at her. You missed. It's like me hittin' an after-image. Ain't nothin' but a blur a' where she used t'be. She ducks to the side, an' throws a punch a' her own. I raise my outstretched arm up, an' deflect it away from me, then use my free hand t'throw anotha' punch. This one's gotta hit fo' sho.
And sure enough, it doesn't.
Anotha' swing an' a miss.
Met with another dodge and a hit.
Got me straight in the gut. I buckle ova. She uppercuts me 'cross the jaw. As I'm sent back, she roundhouses me fo' good measure. Again, there's power behind it. I'm sent straight into the lockers.
I rebound from it, do a lil' spin move t'get my bearin's straight an' get back on my feet. You okay? You left a huge dent where you landed, and those lockers are made of some tough alloy. I'm fine. No, you're limping. An' now I'm runnin'.
Now we're both runnin'—Rayne an' me—all ova the school. Every speedy step I take, it's like she's one step behind an' one step in front all at the same time. In two places at once. An' the same thing keeps happenin'. She attacks, I react. I attack, she reacts. Her attacks hit, mine miss. An' we're back t'runnin' again.
We done looped 'round the whole school four times already. I hardly pay attention t'all the frozen students an' teachers caught in the middle a' stuff. I do my best t'avoid 'em, but there's the occasional bump here an' there. Me an' Rayne're movin' so fast, doe. I doubt the bumps an' shoves'll even register.
Now we're on the fifth lap. Ended up right back where we started. Right back in the crowd an' the fight. Rayne appears in front a' me again. Next thing I know—an' I can't even see it as it happens—is I get hit hard with what feels like seven hard, heavy trucks 'cross my face, in my gut, on my shin, an' in my back. Then it feels like I get cut up by blades all up on me. Your clothes are tattered.
I think I'm fallin' out. Yep. Definitely fallin' out. But before I hit the floor, I see Rayne spin around an' throw out a reverse side kick. Yep. Dat heel hits me straight on, right in the gut. An' I'm slidin' 'cross the floor.
I 'bout pass out.
In the next moment, the world comes back into focus. The noise of the crowd wakes me up as I skid to a stop. End up stoppin' right in front a' Noah an' Kai.
“What are you doing?” Kai asks. Ha! If only he knew.
I shake my head as I come t'my senses. The pain ova my body reminds me I still got the cuts an' bruises Rayne gave me. A good bit of 'em have healed already, but it's still a lot.
I look up an' see Rayne's exactly as she was before. She's still on toppa Tameka. She's still wailin' on her. An' everyone's still lookin' on not doin' a dang thang. It's like that whole fight we jus' had didn't e'en happen. She certainly ain't actin' like it did, but I got the scars that prove it.
“Mane naw!” I shout. I jump t'my feet. I bet you're instantly regretting that decision. The sores an' aches still feel as fresh as when I got 'em.
Noah sees me strugglin' an' asks, “Are you okay? What happened?”
Episode 37: Worldstar
Table of Contents
Back in the halls again. Kai took off t'do somethin' that I don't care about, an' I haven't touched base with Noah yet. So it's jus' me. And me. Who are you? Deep down, you know. Deep down, I think I'm too young t'be hearin' voices in my head.
It's been quiet. An' it's dat quiet that worries me. The same people, runnin' through da same thangs, jus' tryna get by. Children of all high school ages are found by their lockers or by the restrooms. Some are rushing to get to their next class. Others are not.
Don't get it twisted, doe. It's as loud as an ancient comic-con up in dis piece. Kids always be actin' like wild animals when they gatha. School ain't no different. Sho' a few good teachers be knowin' how t'keep the noise level in line in class. They know jus' the right words, the right threats, the right enticements t'get us ready t'learn, or at least front like it.
But it's a different story out in the halls. Out in these streets? It's a warzone. Playa's out here tryna mack game on the homegirls. Nerds tryna negotiate tradin' card deals. Sixty second money matches in those handheld fighting game tablets happenin'. Loud kids arguin' ova nothin'.
Fo' at least five minutes at a time. That's five minutes before and after each class. With each class lasting around an hour and twenty minutes—there being five classes in total a day—that means – Negro, ain't nobody wanna hear 'bout dat! About what? Whatever, man!
An' I ain't gon' front. I'm jus' like 'em. If my mind wasn't runnin' at a thousand miles a minute tryna look out for these lames, I'd be in the thick of it. I'd love t'forget about my problems an' do what I do. Like skip school altogether? I don't skip all the time!
But I know too much. I done been exposed t'a world that's out there tryna kill us. An' the fact that it's crossin' ova, invadin' this space, invadin' my space? For me t'do nothin' would be a travesty. This whole thing started with DJ goin' missin'. Presumed dead. The dude's missin'! But it's way bigger than that now.
I turn the corna.
That looks like something. Yeah it do. Down this hall, there's a huge crowd a' people. Kids from all grades, comin' from all ova t'see what's happenin' here. Lotsa shoutin' an' holla'rin'. Then there's this loud THUD.
“Oooh” the whole crowd's in unison. Someone's about to say it. You know someone's 'bout t'say it!
“WORRRRLLDDSTAAAAARRRR!!”
Then the world slows down. My senses ramp up. With everyone frozen in place, I make my way through. In between the people, til I make my way up front.
This what we're into now? Two girls beefin'? C'mon now! Fights've broken out in school before. Yeah, an' it's always ova some petty type crud. There's demons in school. Ain't nobody got time fo' dis! Look again.
In this frozen picture, the one girl—yo, ain't that Rayne? I know her—she's pinnin' down anotha girl by the throat with one hand, an' got her otha hand raised up, claws out, ready t'tear into the girl. She lookin' real mad. Her mouth all open, showin' her fangs. Her long, thick, black hair all hangin' down over her face. Her nose scrunched up, like she in the middle a' shoutin'. I think her eyes is glowin' red, too.
Wayment.
What?
No, can't be.
But it is.
I take another look at her.
Something's off. It's like there's a flickerin' happenin' right now. Like a dim, almost snuffed out light is seepin' through. And where have we seen that before? Her dark brown tank top an' dark grey denim shorts look like they glowin' along with everything else around her. The light's dark, an' I know that sounds weird—a dark light—but that's what it is. Black fog that's barely visible, tryna break out like flames. Yeah.
In the crowd, I see Kai on the otha' side, an' Noah's standin' with him. While everyone's still frozen, I make my way ova t'them in a hurry.
Then the sound comes back, the people start movin', an' I'm back in the swing a' thangs.
“So she's possessed, too?” Kai asks out.
“Looks like it,” Noah responds.
“You see it too, right?” I ask.
The two practically jump as they see me. Well, you did just come out of nowhere, speedy. It's the usual response. We blow past it, an' get back to focusin' on the fight.
The girl on the ground is Tameka. She's one a' those rich, stuck up, snobby, princess types. The world revolves around her. Things gotta go her way. You know how it is. An' if she ain't the center a' attention, she'll find out whoever or whatever is, an' upstage it.
On some level, I bet she's lovin' this. Really? I find that hard to believe. Considering her face getting smashed in.
Rayne's from a completely different walk a' life. From my hood. Grew up po', forced t'make do with little a' nothin'. Broken home. Only in school cuz she has t'be.
“Get off of me!” Tameka shouts. Her sing-songy, Southern belle voice almost cracks.
A wave a' sharp, cuttin' wind blasts from her. The whole crowd feels it. We all forced back a good ways, but Rayne? She ain't e'en budged. You can see gashes open up along her face, but she still holdin' on t'Tameka by the throat. Then the gashes close. You can see the terror in Tameka's eyes as they do.
Tameka flails her arms around tryna let herself free, but Rayne's grip is too strong. Then Rayne comes down with her free hand—nails all extended like claws—an' slashes Tameka 'cross the face.
Tameka's cheek is messed up. Blood all errwhere. She winces through the pain, fightin' back on some tears, shoutin' at the toppa' her lungs. Then the wind gets stronger. Like a mini-hurricane forms around her. Rayne's grip finally loosens, an' Tameka's free.
Rayne jus' standin' there hunched ova. You can hear her snarl. Like a wolf. Her back's arched, her nostrils is flared up, an' the black fire that's burnin' around her decides t'get bigger. An' when it does, I get a deep sinkin' feelin' in my stomach. An' by the looks a' Noah an' Kai's dat shared stoic look a' concern, I'd say they feel it, too.
“We gotta do somethin'!” Noah says. His fist is clenched. I feel a cold air form around him. He jus' about ready t'step in, but Kai grabs him by the shoulder an' holds him back.
“Hey, demon or no demon,” Kai starts out. “You're not supposed to break up cat-fights. That's, like, a rule.”
That's a joke, right? I know the dude's playin'. He cracks a smile. I crack a smile.
But Noah ain't laughin'. For good reason. Lighten up.
“What?” Noah starts stutterin' ova his words. He looks at me, looks at the crowd, looks at the fight, then back t'Kai. “Where Kai? Where is that written?”
“Rules don't have to be written down to be rules!” Kai fires back.
“That's a stupid rule!”
“You're a stupid rule!”
The crowd freezes again. It's instinctive. As soon as I focus in on the girls, it all slows down.
Rayne's mid-leap. Arms outstretched, seconds away from pouncin'. The whirlwind Tameka's kickin' up ain't doin' nothin' cept makin' Rayne's wild hair e'en more wild.
Tameka's got both her hands in front a' her. The air around her's got her tan chiffon maxi dress flappin' errwhich way. Her black, stone necklace is rattled up, along with her big golden jeweled earrings. Her black, straight, blown out hair is goin' crazy.
I make my way towards them. Rayne's the main problem, so I jump up at her. I'm 'bout t'snatch her out the air, but outta nowhere, she turns an' scratches me 'cross the face. Got me spinnin' mid-air. That was unexpected.
I'm all outta whack now. I hit the ground hard, an' hold my cheek. It's on fire. It's all wet an' sticky. I look at my hand t'see it's got blood on it. Then I look up, an' come t'find Rayne's standin' ova me. Demonic aura an' all.
This shouldn't be happenin'. I'm movin' way too fast fo' her t'see me, let alone step up t'me.
'Fore I know it, she's swingin'. I raise my arms t'block. Her nails swipe clean across. It burns. Stings like a mug. I look up t'her. She's smilin' through her fanged teeth. Demon fog all around her. Eyes glowin' through the dark. I let out a light chuckle. Everything's a joke to you.
Now I don't know much about Rayne. I know she's a junior. Puts her at 'bout two grades ahead a' me, so we really don't run much in the same circles class wise. We do live kinda close t'each otha, but we never hung out. All I know about her is the wolf-girl's had a rough life. Oh yeah, that's her ST. It's animal based. As if the hairy forearms, shins, an' tail wasn't enough t'give it away.
But that aside, wolf-girl here still ain't got what it takes t'be pullin' this typa mess. She's fast, sho', but only animal fast. This kinda speed right here, the kind that I got, the kind that makes it look like time's standin' still ain't her thang at all.
Watch out. Before I know it, she's in my face. How come I didn't see it comin'? I didn't even see her move, an' now she's uppercuttin' me in the jaw. An' there's power behind it! I'm sent flyin'! My dome hits the ceilin' an' I come crashin' back down. I see the floor that I'm 'spose t'be landin' on, but in the next instant, she's there, greetin' me with a kick t'the back.
Now, she's standin' back in the spot she was before, lookin' at me again', smilin' at me again. This is some weird kinda mess, right here.
I take t'my feet, shake myself off, an' smile. Then I lose it.
The world speeds up around me. The crowd's back t'hollarin'. Noah an' Kai're back t'arguin'. An' the weirdest thang 'bout it all? Rayne's right back where she was before: leaping in mid-air, then pouncing on top of Tameka.
“Oh my God, she is wailin' on her,” Kai says. An' he's right. Rayne ain't showin' no signs a' lettin' up. She's vicious. Hammerin' her fists ova Tameka's head, clawin' away at her designer dress. This turned from a cat-fight into a bloodbath, real quick.
“What was that thing about unspoken rules, Kai?” Noah sarcastically asks.
“C'mon Noah, you know me better than that,” Kai responds.
“Do I? I can never tell when you're serious.”
“What I was really gettin' at was how in the world are we gonna get in there to break this up? I know you're not thinkin' of just jumpin' in, an' knockin' the poor girl out, are you?”
“She's possessed by a demon, what else can we do?”
A'ight, I'm back. Took me a second, but I got my bearin's. I ramp up my senses. The scene slows t'a crawl, then a full on stop. Rayne's in the middle a' clawin' 'cross Tameka's face.
I run up as fast as I can, pull back my fist, an' leap at her with a flyin' punch. But like clockwork, she leaves Tameka's motionless body, turns to you and strikes back.
She grabs my arm with one hand, an' grabs my neck with the other. Now she's carryin' me across an' pinnin' me on the ground. I tuck both my legs in then shove my feet into her abdomen, kickin' against it. Her grip loosens, an' I backroll onto my feet.
I'm thinkin' 'bout the next move I'm fixin' t'do, but she's already in my face, clawin' at me.
As I reel sideways from the forceful impact, her nails diggin' deep into my cheek, I try t'put the pieces together. The fact that she's so fast is scary. I haven't been put in this typa situation before. The speedster getting outmaneuvered. I try t'swing back with an uppercut, but she's already ten feet away from me. I punch at the in front a' me.
I try t'chase her down, but end up findin' her behind me. Outta nowhere, she runs up on me, grabs my head, an' the next thing I know, I'm bein' pulled down t'the floor.
I feel a sharp heavy blow—multiple blows—ram into my side. She's kickin' me more times than I can count. So far she's at twenty, and still going. Each one is enough to make me wanna throw up, but the fact that she's hittin' me so many times is enough t'make me wanna keel over an' pass out.
I roll ova an' latch on t'her foot as she kicks me for the thousandth—an' I don't even think that's an exaggeration; It's not—time. I try t'pull her down t'my level. She falls in, but she falls in with a heavy fallin' punch t'ma face. I'm seein' stars now, but I shake it off.
Now lyin' on my back, I hook my legs around her back, jus' t'keep her in close. She tries t'break free, but I hold on for dear life. Once she realizes she can't get any leverage, she changes her focus.
She brings her 'bows in close, an' drops the pressure on my thighs. Feels like I'm on fire. I grit my teeth, an' wince. Forces me t'loosen my grip. My legs give out, an' she breaks free. If I knew a thang 'bout wrestlin' an' grapplin', I'da prolly had somethin' for that, but – You've never had a need for it.
I ignore the searin' pain I'm feelin' an' jump back to my feet. I feel my senses slowin' down. A second passes, an' the crowd fades back. I ramp it up again, an' the scene slows down. I know I'm pushin' myself, but I gotta.
Rayne takes a step towards me, an' in the next instant she's in front a' me, nailin' me in the gut, repeatedly. One punch after anotha', ova an' ova an' ova. By the time I throw my punch, she's gone. Back across the way. A full crowd away.
Rayne takes a step towards me, an' in the next instant, I'm gone. If I can't step t'her, I might as well have her bring the fight t'me. So I'm runnin'. I bob an' weave 'tween the picture-still people an' make my way down the hall. She's already behind me. I'm jumpin' ova folks, runnin' along walls, movin' like at break neck speeds.
This is good for me. I got time t'think. Noah was harpin' on dat Hirohito stuff. Talmbout ki an' junk. I need t'get that down. Figure out what it's about, an' use it t'take care a' the demons inside Rayne.
Rayne appears in front a' me. Expected. I grip my fist together an' concentrate. The ki is the spirit. The ki is my spirit. So if I use my spirit t'hit her with, then maybe – I think you're glowing. It's a faint yellow, but it's there.
I throw my fist at her. You missed. It's like me hittin' an after-image. Ain't nothin' but a blur a' where she used t'be. She ducks to the side, an' throws a punch a' her own. I raise my outstretched arm up, an' deflect it away from me, then use my free hand t'throw anotha' punch. This one's gotta hit fo' sho.
And sure enough, it doesn't.
Anotha' swing an' a miss.
Met with another dodge and a hit.
Got me straight in the gut. I buckle ova. She uppercuts me 'cross the jaw. As I'm sent back, she roundhouses me fo' good measure. Again, there's power behind it. I'm sent straight into the lockers.
I rebound from it, do a lil' spin move t'get my bearin's straight an' get back on my feet. You okay? You left a huge dent where you landed, and those lockers are made of some tough alloy. I'm fine. No, you're limping. An' now I'm runnin'.
Now we're both runnin'—Rayne an' me—all ova the school. Every speedy step I take, it's like she's one step behind an' one step in front all at the same time. In two places at once. An' the same thing keeps happenin'. She attacks, I react. I attack, she reacts. Her attacks hit, mine miss. An' we're back t'runnin' again.
We done looped 'round the whole school four times already. I hardly pay attention t'all the frozen students an' teachers caught in the middle a' stuff. I do my best t'avoid 'em, but there's the occasional bump here an' there. Me an' Rayne're movin' so fast, doe. I doubt the bumps an' shoves'll even register.
Now we're on the fifth lap. Ended up right back where we started. Right back in the crowd an' the fight. Rayne appears in front a' me again. Next thing I know—an' I can't even see it as it happens—is I get hit hard with what feels like seven hard, heavy trucks 'cross my face, in my gut, on my shin, an' in my back. Then it feels like I get cut up by blades all up on me. Your clothes are tattered.
I think I'm fallin' out. Yep. Definitely fallin' out. But before I hit the floor, I see Rayne spin around an' throw out a reverse side kick. Yep. Dat heel hits me straight on, right in the gut. An' I'm slidin' 'cross the floor.
I 'bout pass out.
In the next moment, the world comes back into focus. The noise of the crowd wakes me up as I skid to a stop. End up stoppin' right in front a' Noah an' Kai.
“What are you doing?” Kai asks. Ha! If only he knew.
I shake my head as I come t'my senses. The pain ova my body reminds me I still got the cuts an' bruises Rayne gave me. A good bit of 'em have healed already, but it's still a lot.
I look up an' see Rayne's exactly as she was before. She's still on toppa Tameka. She's still wailin' on her. An' everyone's still lookin' on not doin' a dang thang. It's like that whole fight we jus' had didn't e'en happen. She certainly ain't actin' like it did, but I got the scars that prove it.
“Mane naw!” I shout. I jump t'my feet. I bet you're instantly regretting that decision. The sores an' aches still feel as fresh as when I got 'em.
Noah sees me strugglin' an' asks, “Are you okay? What happened?”
