A long round of laughter later the three negros came to be quiet once more. Eventually though the silence was broken.
"Oh shit I hope they ain't break in my shit!"
"You worried about that now Isaiah?"
"You damn right nigga that won't even my car in the first place we gotta head back and check!"
"Alright then sure, yo black you straight?"
Malcolm still layed on the old wooden floorboards with his eyes closed silent as said floorboards. Even with Tay and Isaiah already standing up he only yawned loudly.
"Yo Isaiah wait near the front door downstairs alright?"
"Sure thing boss man I'll leave you and black to your fa-- one on one straight man activities."
Isaiah winked at Tay then went out the door heading to the front entrance door downstairs.
"That nigga knows how to piss off anybody without trying." Tay mutters more to himself then Malcolm.
"No kidding.. man been doing that shit since we was little." Malcolm mumbles out half dazed while getting into a more comfortable position on the floor.
"Nigga are you about to sleep right now?"
"Ahh..bro you don't get the half of it man I can feel things.. I ain't never thought I can feel from a wooden floorboard. You should try it yourself Tay."
"Malcolm what's up with you man, since we linked up earlier something happened. I tried to let it slide but somethings up here and I wanna know what happened when you left your crib?
Tay leans down close to Malcolm's level on the ground. Malcolm opens his eyes slightly to see his longtime friend looking at him with concern evident in his gaze.
"What happened.. I told you Tay, I had to deal with ma that's what happened."
"So you tryna tell me dealing with yo dukes gave yo ass super hearing and Olympic level stamina out the blue, cmon black Isaiah might not give a fuck but I do, what happened to you?"
Malcolm sits himself up with his back leaning against the wall which almost elicits a groan due to the enhanced feeling of touch. Malcolm lifts his head to look at Tay who also sits down across the room in a similar posture.
"Man im tryna tell you,you won't believe me and who would? it's too absurd to be real."
"I'll be the judge of that Malcolm,anything is possible, especially on planet earth."
*Sighs. "Tay I don't even know how to begin but I'll just talk and you listen ok?"
Tay nodes in the affirmative
"Ok so look I make sure lil bros sleep and mom got her money, then I wash up and head outside. For a second I was just standing and in my own head. I muttered something only I should've heard but someone spoke responding to what I said. I turn my ass around to see the blackest nigga I've seen in my life and now that I think about it that he was humongous Tay,an honest to God giant. He even had panther eyes."
Malcolm grows quiet for a moment then takes in a deep breath.
"T-then he did something I-I don't know what it was but look the nigga, I don't know how but he blocked out all light for a moment. It was like me and him were the only two people in the world. I honestly thought that was it for for me, but instead he came at me faster then a goddamn bullet. There was nothing I could do he pressed his hand to my forehead and-."
Malcolm stops speaking suddenly, his face contorted into a profoundly ugly expression. It felt to him even briefly recounting the moment of torture was almost no better then when he had gone through said torture. Such a thing is normal when one experiences a deeply personal trauma then tries to retell it to someone who hasn't gone through it themselves.
Yet in Malcolm's mentality beyond the anger and anguish he felt at the moment of helplessness, he grew within a deep sense of shame held exclusively for himself at that moment in time.
In his young hot blooded mind he believes he should've been stronger, he should've been prepared for anything that could've happened. Why was the world so adamant on always reminding him he was no one of any significance. He could've been killed by the man,he could've been killed by Isaiah's pursuers or in the past even by some his own family. It's a bad world for the helpless.
Malcolm steels his mind and swallows a most bitter pill along with some snot that leaked out.
"Something entered through my head Tay some kind o-of formless power shot it's self into my body. T-that pain I don't think I felt anything like before and hope to god above never again."
Malcolm took to a fetal position with his head looking downward. The moonlight shone through the window on Tay's side of the room leaving Malcolm secluded in that ancient darkness.
"To be honest.. I'm scared Tay, scared to hell. I just got the worst feeling that somethings gonna happen, something you or I or anyone can't do shit about! Call me crazy if you want but Tay listen to me if anything happens to me take care of Malachi for me alright. He's a good kid, he'll listen to you if I'm not around. Besides who would care for me in the end if I go, so be it if I'm gone forever. Maybe hell will be hot enough to keep a nigga warm."
A solemn gloominess elopes away with Malcolm's regard to himself in any capacity for self improvement. A hopeless and meaningless life he feels he has lived with all sixteen years of living on this earth.
From here on he feels the reality around him distort into a blood red azure haze with blackness mixing to form dark rivers that flowed around him. In the dark rivers form images of the past in all it's grim detail
An infant is shown being born in a hospital with nurses and doctors all around it. The infant opens it's eyes and begins to cry because of the bright light. Two hands reach out to bring the baby into an embrace filled with love and comfort. The infant calms down slightly then it looks over to the left to see a man with similar features who's sitting down staring back with an expressionless face. Neither love nor hatred is felt by the infant from the man.
Several years later the child stands crying while the father sits down looking powerful and imposing compared to the weak and scrawny boy.
"Malcolm what have I told you about running from them boys and no! I don't care that they were bigger then you, that doesn't excuse you from being like this!"
The father speaks callously then proceeds to stands up and strips the child bare naked. He looks at the bruises and bloody wounds all along his body. He scoffs aloud then delivers a right straight across the child's face, knocking the child to the ground who screams and cries from the pain.
"Get up.. NOW!" The father shouts authoritativly
The child cries in pain and anguish but does as commanded, as he does so however the man delivers an uppercut to his chin, briefly knocking him into the air.
"I-IM SORRYY ! *sniffs* SIR I-IM."
"Quiet let me tell you something son never in your life should you apologize to your enemies if you ever say you're sorry again I'll throw yo ass to the street you understand?"
The child nods quickly holding in his tears as he stands up. The man nods almost imperceptibly but the child saw he felt inwardly glad for any kind of acknowledgement from his father.
"I know you hate me son and I don't feel too much about you myself but as your father I'll tell you this. No matter what happens from now till the day you die you must never give up. It's a bad world for the helpless, for the helpless are never heard, always alone and misunderstood. So it's better to fight your own battles, taking no prisoners, no mercy even on yourself.
Malcolm sits still as he watches the image expressionlessly. He then stands up and puts up his fists in a boxing stance. One of the long black rivers shift to the spot in front of Malcolm and conglomerates into a pitch black replica of his father, who then puts up his two fists in the same stance as Malcolm.
They stare each other down for a long moment before they charged at one another. The two clash fists at such a speed that a Shockwave was created, blowing away the rest of the dark rivers. Along with that Malcolm exits his mind.
Back to reality Tay looks at Malcolm with an evident concern in his eyes.
"Malcolm..brother what are you saying,you're talking like your going die any minute man! I know shit is hard out here but listen when I say this Malcolm, look at me!
Tay walks over to Malcolm and grips his two hands on his shoulders tightly. Tayvone at this stared. Fiercely into Malcolm's eyes as if searching for a burning bush for warmth and understanding.
"Brother listen what you're feeling right now is completely understandable,but I will not sit here and hear you talk about being alone when you're not. You have me, you have your brother, you have the rest of your family to and also."
Tayvone briefly pauses before continuing.
"You remember that nice light skinned girl in our history class you helped out awhile back?"
" Y-you mean Melena right..what about her?" Malcolm stammered out half dazed
"Yeah I mean Melena I been waiting for a good time to tell you this but..she has a thing for you brother and after doing a little investigation on my part I've concluded that she could be the best thing to come to your sorry black ass."
Tay said amusedly along with a light chuckle. Even Malcolm smiles slightly with a tear flowing down his left eye. He wipes it away quickly. Then Malcolm stands up with the moon light shining on his side of the room, reflecting of of his skin. He almost looked blue under the moon light.
Malcolm as of now made his decision, he knew what had to be done.
"Thank you Tay I almost lost myself there for a moment, sorry about that."
"Black it's cool I understand shit ain't been easy at all out here or anywhere I'd wager. Now let's go home and get some sleep."
Malcolm nods then the both of them head out to meet Isaiah who was waiting impatiently. Tay then remembers the intitial reason for their meetup then they both finally complete the deal they set up in the first place. After that the three young men go their separate ways.
Malcolm doesn't walk in the direction of his apartment. He shifts around and makes sure that no one's following him. Then following his newly developed senses he walks to a rather secluded public park where then he see a tall figure in a black hoodie sitting on a wooden bench as if expecting Malcolm's arrival. Only the lamp post behind the figure illuminates him somewhat.
Malcolm takes calmly takes a seat beside him, crossing his left leg on top of the right leg while leaning himself backward into a comfy pose. Both men looking calmly at the dark atmosphere ahead of them.
"Already at the half step, it seems you might yet prove to be someone of note. Im really curious how you'll do over there. Something tells me it'll be quite the journey to witness. I guess I'll just have to wait for the results."
The man sighs in slight disappointment while Malcolm stays as silent as stone before he spoke plainly.
"What kind of world is it you come from anyhow?"
"Now where would be the fun for you if I just tell you? besides it's been so long who knows maybe they've all forgotten me at this point so anything I knew might be old news."
Malcolm turns to look at the man who turns to look back at Malcolm. Onyx meeting golden, the world around the two grows distant and obscure like an old and long dead civilization. A distant mirage long forgotten by those in the present. Yet within those golden eyes it seemed nothing of the past could be left forgotten in its fierce depths.
But it must not be forgotten that within the onyx eyes of the young earthly disciple now contains a hope for the future, with the past only as a brief reference for the building blocks of his tomorrow and no longer only a shackle.
They held this stared down for a long moment before the man sighs deeply then leans his head back, looking at the sky for some time until he stood up and nodded for Malcolm to do the same.
Malcolm stood and then they face each other. The man then begins to perform a chant while weaving hand signs.
Malcolm begins to feel a formless universal power emanating from the man, as the energy increases in density the man chants louder and weaves faster and faster until Malcolm could only see after images of the movement of the man's arms and mouth. Then all at once silence fills the park once again. The man stands tall with his eyes closed.
Malcolm notes inwardly how only he and no one else seemed to perceived anything the man did or said.
The man suddenly opens his eyes along with that which he charges over the Malcolm at a speed faster then Malcolm could perceive.
"So he really is just that fast." Malcolm sighs inwardly.
Right after he finished that thought the man extended his left index and middle finger towards Malcolm's forehead. On his two extended fingers there was a small lump of energy that formed into a sphere shape that he blasts at Malcolm in point blank range. The shot hits Malcolm in the abdomen going straight through but strangely no pain is felt by the impact. Instead the force blows him backward to where the small sphere then expands quicker then light into a galaxy colored vortex which sucks Malcolm inside faster then he could blink.
The last image he saw before the portal closed was the man standing tall and still like a great monolith, looking on at Malcolm with a slight smile gracing his face.
"Farewell young Malcolm may we meet each other again one of these days sooner rather then later and don't worry everyone will be just fine. Now the rest is up to you."
The last words he will hear from earth, the origin point from where he carries within the deepest curse. In his inner heart he recites prayers to the lord above in hope that the destination is yet not another bad world for the helpless.