I was in downtown when I reached the store where I saw a pack of cigarettes on display under the title, new arrival; suddenly curious and yearning for one, I bought a pack and lit one in a corner where the trash cans vomited littering the cement patch, the grounds and walls alike. 

Ignoring the piercing fragrance of forgotten meals and promises; I sniffed and inhaled the poisonous killer and felt it coiling through my innards. I let it spiral and squeeze until I burst out coughing. 

"New, huh!" the voice startled me, making me jump. I lost my cigarette into the cement that was thick with grime, blackness and white colored patches. God knows what else. I sniffed again and took another one. I ignored the voice too. Be it a homeless guy or ghost, I don't give a damn.

I lit another one, inhaled and coughed again.

"It ain't manners to be smoking while the man is dying without a hook."

"Go die somewhere else then." I retorted.

"Oh, I see it's a lady. Emotional imbalance or hormonal imbalance, what is it?"

"Why do you care you fuc*ing moron..."

"I don't! I just want a joint."

"Go buy yourself." My answers were futile since he laughed a deep rumble, irritating me even more. I looked around to see where he was. I couldn't catch him. No matter how sunny and gloomy the day was, the man was hidden in between the darkness that his corner had to offer.

I resumed inhaling, coughing while he continued to laugh and ask for one.

Finally, I gave in for a moment's peace. "Where the fuc* are you so that I can give you one?"

He tapped on a trashcan and I moved in search of the voice until I saw him and I doubled down unable to keep in my sob. He was lying with a nasty cut on his thighs but the blood was crusted and black. His dress was untidy, no not untidy; it was a freaking mess with his hair matted and looking exactly like the cement patch I saw on the ground. His eyes were white, that means he can't see, I concluded. I really sobbed seeing his condition.

"Oh my God..."

"Ain't no one given this man that pity pray since I can remember. It's good to see humanity is not dead. Now give me one."

"No, I mean here... But, when was the last time you ate?"

"Why do you care?" he yelled at me, the same way I did to him. I cried, he laughed. "Nah, don't worry, I pull your legs, you pull it up. A sweet homeless that has fortunate legs with no shoes to walk on, steal a bit and shares the bit. But, I am halfway there. I will meet my sweet Jesus soon."

"Oh my God, what is there that I can help you with?"

"You the money type kid?" he asked me with curiousness but not that kind of curious to steal from me or something. He sounded genuinely honest.

"Umm, kind of, I mean my father has, not me and... forget it, I... I ran away."

"Kids with money run away while kids with no money stay stuck to stand guard and get beaten up. It's a sick world."

"You know no shit about me."

"I don't want to and I am not talking about you alone. I have seen this world enough to know it kid. You sound roughly out of high school and if I sense you right, I am sure you are of that age."

"How did you...?"

"You see, a man doesn't need to have the luxury to be wise. A man with money becomes unwise. Now a girl like you talking to me will make you see as if you are an occult member." He sniggered at that.

"What do you mean?"

"They say I am a bastard with a loose star around me to curse and yell and kill. Damn those who speak shi* when they don't know anything, I mean anything! See; get out of here before anyone sees you."

"No, I need to do something for you."

"Honey, your cigarettes tastes sweeter than a pancake and your caring words are enough to give me that old maple cake my granny used to make me. Now, shut and scoot!"

"But..."

"I said scoot!" he yelled at me and I knew, clearly well that he wanted me gone for my own safety. Well, he doesn't know that I am far away from home and I am far away from my problems but just a minute away from those crazy bastards.

I decided to call it in and walked home with my hoodie covering my face.

This morning when I woke up, I felt really great to have woken up in hands of Seb. Although I am not ready to call it as couples yet, he gives me a certain sort of warmth that none has given to me before. I really wanted to have a relationship that will end in the far end but I am really not in the mood right now. I am not really.

Suddenly someone yanked me on my right elbow that was tucked into my hoodie jacket and pulled me to a building which seemed like closed for the day or something.

I was ready to attack when he held my hands and whispered to keep it quiet.

My heart shuddered at the face. It was Shaun! I have never seen him for a while and neither have I remembered him for a while. Guilt, anger and something else soared through me as he touched me.

"What the hell?" I whisper yelled at him.

He crashed his lips onto mine in order to shut me up but instead, he shut my whole body down. I was really in waves and crystals and universe. I was spinning, floating and dancing. It was a freaky feeling and I genuinely freaked out.

He let me go and I was left disoriented.

"Lily, I have been looking you for a while. It was fortunate that a few nights earlier I heard pops talking to his goon that you are to be followed and let known. I followed him and saw you. I was ever since following you. I wanted to talk to you but you were talking to that old man. Listen, you are in effing danger than I thought. There are more stories to this than a bunch of hogwash lies. I don't have time to explain but, you need to shed all your clothes belongings and everything in that room and run. They are going to drag you to Tom and my father who is a cu*t by the way. And the..."

"Wait, wait, wait... what?"

"I don't have time to explain, you need to shed all your belongings and run!"

He whisper-yelled at me that last word emphasizing much and I was really paralyzed with fear.

"SebastianMorgan is the only person you can trust, not even me; I may act according to circumstances only to help you. I won't let any harm cause you, no matter if that freaking fuc*ing thing is found or not."

"Who is SebastianMorgan?"

"You don't know, don't you?"

"Tell me or not!"

"Your boyfriend, Seb..."

"What? Wait, he is not my boyfriend."

In the dim light, I could see his face and green eyes visibly glint with happiness when I said that. What was that all about? He controlled his urge to smile and started talking all at once.

"Stop it, I can't understand."

"RUN! All that you need to know now is that!"

"Fuc* that is the only thing that I have done for a while. I need out!"

"Lillian, you have no freaking idea what my father and his best friend and bro will do. Find the evidence, turn it to the FBI, CIA or something and escape! We need to, we have to. I can't afford to lose you too."

What was that? That was exactly what Seb said to me. What is going around here? I stared at him in confusion. His eyes watered up and said, "I love you! Ever since you left me because I slipped and said what I shouldn't have, I have been thinking about you and I never stopped. I wanted to tell and do things to you but I am still under my dad's wing and I don't think I can ever survive if I flee now. Now that I found you, I need you... please!"

I was shell shocked. I couldn't reply, what will I even reply. I wasn't ready for relationships this soon. Damn, this is getting awkward. Was this even his way of proposing? I was really alien to it all. Confused as to what I should say, he saved me from destruction; "Look, I..."

"I know, you don't have to answer right away, I don't want you to. Take your time but at first, we need to escape from this mess. Here, take this money. Buy yourself some new clothes and a rental car in a disguise. That will get you enough time. Now, go!"

"Shaun, this is a lot of money!"

"What do you think? You need a heck load of money at the time for a proper disguise but I can't give you that now. It will be suspicious. It's not tapped and you are safe. Please make haste and run!"

Even though I accepted the money, I wasn't entirely set to trust him. He could be selling me out for all that I know. However, since I know that Shaun has found me and they are following us around like a hawk; I need to be vigilant.

I walked hastily to the apartment room and find the door opened. Walking in, I saw the scene in front of me and I was shocked.

Seb was held by his hair with a knife to his throat' questioning him was a boy for me and where the hell I have been keeping the clue. I looked to the right by the TV, and there it stood, that beautifully carved box as an antique for display.

By the way, the guys held him, one was experienced and the other was new. The one with the hands locked behind Seb with his leg spiraled through Seb's right leg, pinned him down with the other leg was clear indication that he knew martial arts and this was some kind of fusion lock. The one with the knife had his fingers pressed tightly on the knife which was a clear picture of me as he was keeping himself from shaking.

Smilingly, I walked in with my hands crossed. As Seb saw me, he smiled at me. The guy yelled something in Chinese and indeed he looked Asian; the one behind Seb. The man with the knife pointed it at me and shivered as he saw me.

But suddenly, I heard something from the back and the next minute I know, I moved to the right side and a man with outstretched legs came barging in without hitting his target. I caught his legs, pulled him over my head and rammed him to the coffee table, shattering it on the instant. The guy was bulky, I felt my bones crackle.

The guy with the knife looked at his comrade with open mouth and looked at his other one that held Seb.

That moment was all that I needed. I held onto his wrist and by the time he looked at me and he looked the wrist, there was an orderly crackle in the air, silenced by the gut wrenching howls from the man. His knife fell down and I held it down under my foot.

Poor Seb was in a tight snake like a lock. I should help him if he wants to get out from it. The Asian tried to knock him out but Seb moved his head quickly enough to bite his fingers and when the Asian hissed, I kicked him in the face. He doubled back taking Seb with him but Seb rolled over quickly, got up and fell onto him with a smile to me. He was knocked out when Seb's elbow punched on the solar plexus of the man on the ground.

The guy, who held the knife, was shaking in the corner. When I and Seb walked over to him, he yelled, "I am sorry, I am sorry, ok, please don't hurt me."

I held his thick blond locks in my hands the way he held Seb and asked, "Who sent you?"

"Man, if I knew you had these stunts, I wouldn't have agreed to the mission."

"You got me by surprise, otherwise you wouldn't even have a chance," Seb said as he tapped on his chin.

"Who.sent.you...?"

"Some God damn man with a strange accent and strange humor about your height; we don't know, ok! We don't know who he was, he paid heck load of cash, please let us out."

I and Seb shared a look when we both knew a name floating in our head. He mouthed the name to me in question and I suddenly felt nauseating. I doubled over and felt like I was blacking out.

The Asian man was back to his sense and the guy with the knife was waking the other one up when suddenly Seb blacked out two of them, tied the man with the knife to a chair and called someone on the phone.

I kissed blackness a very good night kiss.

______________________________ 

Hello loveliess, what do you think will happen next?