The day passed by quietly and without delay for the pair of brothers. By the time they realized the time that had passed it was already close to 10pm.
Malcolm and Malachi both their own full sized beds long since leaving behind their old twin bunk bed they shared.
With the coming night came the feeling of drowsiness for Malachi,yet for Malcolm he felt more primed now then when he was at school. He felt ready for whatever came about with the coming darkness.
"By now lil bro should be sleep by now."
Malcolm mutters quietly then glances over to confirm this notion. So far he appears correct for Malachi has already entered the dream realm where he may awake from said dream to remember he had a dream but what was is about? No one knows.
Malcolm then runs to the bathroom room to clean himself up for tonight on the way he didn't forget to give his mom the $90 she more or less asked for earlier.
He checks himself over in the mirror. Malcolm's features along with his melancholic disposition in most day to day matters have garnered him the nickname black by ironically his likewise black peers. His skin is in fact of a dark brown complexion along with that he stands at 5,11. It may in fact be the only thing that Malcolm wishes he could change about his current situation but that's left to the hands of fate to decide. It must not be forgotten that he is still a growing young man.
"At least the cornrows suit me fine."
He's inwardly glad he took Tay's advice on the matter.
He then washes his face up again,brushes his teeth and sprays on cologne. Afterward he checks his bag for the product given to him earlier at school.
"Good still fresh to." He concludes. Then he waits a while longer for everyone to be deep asleep. Or in case of his mom for her to set out before him.
He then takes out his phone and gives Tay a call. He waits a few moments for Tay to pickup then the call is answered.
"Yo black what's good with you bro? You all set to head out tonight?"
Tay speaks enthusiastically and excitedly to Malcolm.
"Man look you know me im just tryna get to this paper at any cost. Black see man that's why I fuck withcu nigga,you focused on the shit that matters the most right now,buuut you still ain't get getting no hoes anytime soon nigga hahaha."
Tay laughs with a sound of slapping that Malcolm could hear over the phone. Malcolm now feeling he can't take this sitting quickly thinks of something to clap back with. He has a spark of inspiration then replies back to Tay.
"Nigga speaking of hoes you know that girl Brianna you messing with got caught fucking on that nigga Brian right and you and I both now that nigga Brian is burnt all the way out right? I really hope for your sake that you ain't been done a raw deal bro.
The laughter stops for a moment.Malcolm feeling the pride of victory over his longtime friend at this moment grins widely.
"Black...nevermind just link up at the usual spot down the way im already here.
Cool im on my way." Malcolm replies warmly then hangs up the phone.
He heads outside and only after he steps off the porch,he stops for a moment. He then turns around to take a deep gaze at his place of residence.
Despite the rather shoddy condition and the clearly outdated model the apartment was built on, yet in the depths of Malcolm's inner heart it was a comforting sight everytime he walked home from school. No matter if he had a good or a bad day this place would be waiting to invite him inside to rest his young mind and body. A place of a most sacred value.
Malcolm closes his eyes for sometime,standing as still as a monolith"There really is no place like home is there?" He mutters calmly to himself.
"Truest thing I've heard all year."
The sudden voice stirs Malcolm from his momentary daze. His vessel jolts up like he'd had been injected with morphine. His whole body spinning around ready for any foe that comes within sight. In his gaze appears a man,an older man from the sound of it. Standing at around 6,10 wearing while hoodie that covered his face,along with blue jeans and white shoes.
"Who the hell might you be? Another fiend? I ain't got time for this shit old nigga."
Malcolm on guard and knowing he should get going by now starts to try walking past the older man.
"Now young man it's rude to not hear out your elders first, where I come from elders are held in the highest reverence."
The man speaks with a deep and gravelly tone. Then steps in front of Malcolm.
For a brief moment Malcolm could see the mans eyes under the hoodie, due to the darkness he couldn't see his face quite clearly. What he saw put him on alert.
The man had perhaps the darkest skin tone possible,in Malcolm's opinion it looked awfully unnatural but it wasn't just the man's skin color if it was that would be quite ironic givin Malcolm's heritage. No it was his eyes for a second he saw two pure golden yellow eyes with two large onyx pupils looking back at him expectantly
"Old nigga." Malcolm spoke darkly while putting one hand in his pocket hoodie secretly but inwardly he comes the conclusion that something is odd about this man,for what that oddity was he couldn't say but his instincts are telling him to not provoke this man too much. He lowers his aggression for a moment then speaks.
"What do you want man?
What I want?"
The man replies quizzically
"Well it's simple,like you I hold my place of origin in high regard. You could say.. im home sick young man. I've been alone here for a long time now. Wandering my way from life to death.
The man spoke solemnly the longing almost felt tangible to Malcolm. Despite his reservations and distaint attitude. In the end he couldn't help but feel for the man slightly because if he was in his shoes there was no telling how painful it would be to have no place of your own to sleep in.
Abandoned by the rest of his fellow man,what can he do aside from wander from place to place, searching endlessly for the hope of a new better life. Very much likened to Cain.Truly an accursed fate casted upon all too many people in today's age. It's a bad world for the hopeless.
"Well that's nice and all but for real though I gotta go, so.. I don't think I can help you out with that sir. Oh now you see that's where you're mistaken son you can help me." The man says plainly as if stating a clear as day fact.
His panther like eyes reveal themselves in full view of Malcolm. Staring into his soul as if to reveal all truths hidden underneath Malcolm's mask of indifference.
The dark night becomes all the more darker and foreboding. Consuming any path forward only that stagnant and lonely place that all too many grow comfortable with remains. But yet. "Those eyes." Malcolm thinks inwardly. Those eyes seem to be the only thing that can pierce through the darkness yet said eyes perhaps carry an even deeper darkness that's capable of consuming all life,all matter.
"Disciple of the earth what is your name?
M..Malcolm.. Malcolm Brooks sir." He said heavily gasping for breath as a heavy formless energy could be felt all around him.
"Well Malcolm Brooks as I said I believe you can in fact help me return home. You hold something within you that you yourself aren't aware of, most beings don't know either but unlike them you're closer then most in realizing the truth." The man said ominously and yet with a sense of grandeur etched in that cannot be denied.
"R-Realize w-what truth exactly? The truth young Malcolm can only be grasped once you open your eyes all the way,most people in their entire life never walk their own road always conforming, trying to be like the next man and in the end they die unfulfilled. I'll grant you one chance to truly realize your own potential then it will be up to you to figure out what to do with that potential."
Faster then the eye could blink the man leaped towards Malcolm in a flash. His onyx hand extended outward to grip Malcolm's head. Malcolm then began to experience a formless power enter into his mind and body. A distorted mirage of colors and shapes borrowed into the deep corners of his mind. The best way to describe the feeling is to try to imagine if someone were to hammer and drill nails through your head while pouring acid into your eyes. Malcolm truly wanted to scream and cry yet it felt as if he no longer had a mouth or eyes for the pain was indeed so piercing that nothing came out. It may of only lasted for a few moments and yet it felt like an eternity.
In the end he survived. The man drew his hand back and looked over Malcolm who had dropped to his knees with his head held down and began to cry quietly.
"If you can survive that then you may yet have a chance. You'll thank me in due time child and we will meet again, sooner than you may imagine."
The darkness receded revealing the night sky with it's myriad of constellations. Along with that the man disappeared, no where to be seen,like a illusion or a passing ghost waving with the night's wind.
Malcolm at this time finally stood up then wiped his tears with both hands. He truly had a strong inner heart. This pain was unlike any other all consuming one moment then gone like the wind and yet the scars remain not physical mind you and yet it had took to a deep shelter in Malcolm's soul,lurking within residing patiently to curse him with the aches of the past and burdens of the present with a yet unknown future.
"Oh.. my god what happened.. what the fuck h-happened to me? That man.. that damn man." Malcolm stuttered out gloomily.
He gathers himself together slowly and inwardly declares that if he sees the man again he wouldn't think twice about going the other way, all the way till the end of ways whatever that may be.
"Oh damn I gotta meetup with Tay still!"
Malcolm starts a slight jog towards his destination. When he's close it's only then that he truly realizes the pure insanity that toke place a few minutes ago." Just who was that nigga? The devil himself? Or something else altogether? What he call me Disciple of the earth was it? Shit I ain't gonna bother tryna tell anyone what went down folk won't believe a lick of what I say.
Malcolm as always no matter what tribulation comes forth, pushes forward silently enduring whatever comes his way,taking no prisoners which includes himself more often then not.
On the corner of the block ahead of Malcolm stands another young man of a heavy build who stands at 6,3 and with quite the imposing air he has around him. He's wearing a black hoodie with black sweatpants and black air forces.
"Yooo! Waddup with you black you toke yo sweet ass time getting over here didn't you nigga?
This naturally is Malcolm's long time friend Tayvone Lawrence though friend might not quite best describe their bond more like a kind of unspoken kinship they share.