TORN: A Contemporary Poetry Collection ✔️

30

Moonlight beams down on spilt concrete. There are no cars in sight and the night is too quiet....this doesn't make sense to me. "It's past midnight, where is everybody?" Darius pounders, his jet black dreads blow in the wind.

"I think this is a setup." I say with much confidence. The crew out their guns. At any moment, they would blast off. I make a thorough search, up and down the block. "or a sneak attack...." In a circle we stand, preparing for a unseeable match. "Or I gave them too much credit, it seems their all bitches."

Darius slaps my shoulder and points at headlights shinning down towards us. An RV and a SUV. No telling how many bodies. Cool air blows the side of my head, hard. The vehicles pull up to a stop. Soon after, the doors pop. In size comparison, we are like ants to the thirteen people, and their new leader...our new defeater.

His dreads dangle to his neck; a slash of red mixed in with the set. He mugs Darius, then me. "This is too funny." My rival cracks. "Y'all didn't tell me we goin against a circus!" He looks over his shoulder with cockiness. "They even have a few mutts." He eyes Darius again, then Rocco and Finn. "Shoot them in the stomach, let's see if they have guts."

His boys raise their guns, I clip mines from my side. Clicking.

Shooting rings out, many of us hop side to side, ducking, and dodging hot beads that fly our way. A few bullets hit some of the foes, going through them like clay. They Leak red waste.

I slide behind a mailbox, and point my gun from the side. Popping. Blasting, joining in with the choir. The rest of the squad also take cover. Amber lands a headshot, enjoying the grotesque sound. Now four lifeless bodies are on the ground. Metal circles rock windows, fire hydrants, and the mailbox I'm behind, spitting out a violent line.

A car's light shines down the street, all attention turns to a jeep.

"Fucking Jay ass, somebody stop him." One of opponents make their way to the vehicle. Sprinting. A tall man gets out, built, and swift. He dodges the guy who tries to stop him. The firing squads continues on. More flying metal creates a roaring song. "End this now, all of you go home! It doesn't have to be like this." Jay is old, yet he has courage to stand between smoking guns.

We all halt the standoff.

"Move!!" The leader shouts.

"No, Robb, I told y'all not to do this." Jay outstretches his arms.

"You already held us back enough." One of the foes says.

Hmm...was he the reason they were late? "Move, or you gonna get baked!" Robb waves him away like a bug, but Jay doesn't move, he doesn't budge. "Old man, you better get out of aim."

Sirens echo in the near distance.

Darius throws a glance my way, I don't know what to say.

"Go home, or you all gonna end up in jail. The cops are on the way. Now listen, I don't want you boys behind bars....any of you." Jay looks back at me...our eyes connect, his gaze is so strangely direct. The sirens grow closer, causing edginess. One by one the other crew lower their weapons. Robb charges at Jay and raises his fist. "Just walk away, you don't need to do this."

Who the hell is this man?