I’m eighteen.

After ten years of being forced to stay with the Dragon Head gang, I was finally free.

Sure I was bruised and bleeding just about everywhere. But I was free. It was a feeling like I have never truly experienced before.

I staggered down the alley, knowing that if I stopped for too long, then that feeling of freedom would be taken away.


You see...

For the past two years, Carlos Raul, my gang leader, had me doing strange tasks. I had no idea why. I wasn’t allowed to ask.

Then, I learned that those tasks led to him stealing a dangerous vial with a new kind of purple chemical, a deadly one. Raul granted me freedom yesterday when I learned of the chemical’s deadliness. If the chemical was burned, then it would release deadly fumes.

I was struggling with myself this morning, in the alleyway I had slept in. Yes, I was free, but it felt wrong. My freedom, who would die because of it? Even the outskirts of Beijing, Tennessee was pretty populated.

“That one vial is fatal. Once it’s heated to the appropriate temperature, it’s fumes can spread across even a large city, killing people within four hours.”

That’s what the scientist, who I stole the vial from, said to me. He also gave me another bit of advice, when the deadly chemical is dissolved in water, it will become harmless, no matter what.

I had stolen a deadly chemical for a gang leader who was going to use it for who knows what.

But what could I do? Even if I could get past everybody in the gang, Raul would definitely be there.

Then there was Roy, the guy who saved my life ten years ago. If I somehow survived Raul, he would definitely get to me through Roy. It wouldn’t even be hard. Roy was part of the Dragon Head gang too.

“Did I care?” Chrissie appeared, “Did I care about the danger I put myself in when I took you in?”

I looked up at her, “What are you doing here, ‘Chrissie’.”

Chrissie wasn’t really there, this was just my conscious, the angel on my shoulder when I needed her most. I went off the rails when Raul ordered the real Chrissie to be taken away and never be seen again, when he found out I was talking to her about gang stuff.

I sighed, “What am I going to do against Raul?”

Chrissie smiled, “What you can, you have a good heart use it. I am confident that Roy can handle himself. He’s the son of Raul’s best friend.”

I mumbled. “You’re right,” I said.

I grabbed the flat, sharp piece of metal I found in the alleyway, slipping it carefully into the back of my pants, covering it with my shirt. I left the rest of my things there. I dashed from the alleyway, towards the Dragon Head’s base of operations, where Raul and most of the gang lived.

Raul had a weird sense of architecture.

The base of operations was surrounded by a square fence, a metal fence with spikes on top which could actually poke through somebody.

Directly across from the front gate was Raul’s building, or the Head as it was called. It was where Raul’s room was and other private rooms, like his office.

The building on the left, was called the Social Building, that was where the food was served and eaten. There was also a living room of sorts for the gang members. One of the corners of the Social Building touched one of the corners of the Head.

The building on the right, the Drawing Table, was for planning jobs and hiding things for these jobs. One of the corners of the Drawing Table touched a corner of the Head.

I opened the front gate, I was surprised that nobody was at the base of operations, but hey maybe everybody was off doing their own thing. That happened, about twice before.

I headed for the Head, moving around the huge, thick oak tree in the center. I bursted into Raul’s office. The electronic safe was behind the painting. Nobody knew the passcode, except for Raul. That is, until Raul showed me yesterday.

3-4-2-8, I typed in the passcode.

The plastic vial containing the purple, bubbling chemical was the only thing in the safe. I grabbed it and pocketed it, thankful that I did something good.

“I really wish you hadn’t done that, John,” a voice behind me said.

I spun around to see Carlos Raul.

He was holding a pistol to me.

“You’re here?” I was shocked, “This is a trap, isn’t it.”

“More of a test,” responded Raul, “To see if you would turn against me, given the chance.”

“Is that why you had me steal the dangerous chemical?” I asked.

“Actually testing you was more of an added bonus. I’m holding on to that because I might find it useful one day.”

Raul dropped the pistol on the floor, taking out his brass knuckles to deal with me, “Now, I’m going to kill you.” He slipped on his brass knuckles.

I tried to hold my own, but Raul slammed his fist into the side of my gut.

Oof. The blow almost knocked me sideways, into the metal safe. I hadn’t recovered before Raul punched my shoulder, pain going off in both spots.

He took my throbbing shoulder in a death grip. Raul led me outside, shoving me near the oak tree. He took off one of his brass knuckles, using the free hand to grab the vial from my pocket.

“I’ll take that,” he pulled the vial out of my pocket, “You lose, your life.”

No! I whipped out the sharp metal object out of my pants, slashing at Raul.

He barely dodged, left only with a scratch in the chest. He placed the vial in his own pocket, then put his brass knuckle back on his free hand.

I held back, fully realizing that I didn’t stand a chance in challenging Raul with brute force.

I held back instead, not able to decide what to do next.

Raul moved first, charging at me with both fists going in for the attack.

I barely slipped away.

“Give up now John, and I’ll end you quickly. Deal?” Raul asked, no more like demanded.

“NO!” I screamed, “I’m tired of you dictating my life!” I lunged behind him, and slashed at his right shoulder.

Raul only winced in pain right before he spun around and hit me square in the jaw.

I tumbled to the ground, the piece of metal clattering to the ground next to me.

Raul stepped on my leg with his heavy foot. He hit me several times with his fists. He eventually started to walk off.

I stayed down. Couldn’t or rather wouldn’t, get back up. That is, until I heard a voice from inside myself.

My mom’s voice, “Don’t lose sight of who you are, John-John,” my mom’s last words to me.

Who am I? I thought. I’m… I’m… I’m not going to give up. EVER! I struggled to stand, picking the up piece of metal.

I lunged at Raul, who turned just in time for him to see me jab the metal in his torso. I let go of the metal and he staggered back.

Raul fell to the ground.

I leaned down and put my hands on the metal piece. Even I knew that I would take at least twenty minutes to die from that singular wound, “I’m not going to kill you,” I let go of the metal and used my hand to take out the vial.

I hurried into the Social building. I uncapped the vial and poured the chemical down the toilet right before flushing.


That’s why I’m here, hurrying down an alley, heading towards the airport. Hoping that I won’t be stopped by any Dragon Heads.

I had already gotten my things from the alleyway I slept in, so if I got to the airport I should be safe.

But I saw something on the glass window of a pawn shop. Something which made me stop. It was my old jean jacket.

I quickly walked into the pawn shop and grabbed it off the stand.

As I walked up to the cashier, I saw something on a side table. A black box.

I don’t know exactly why I opened it, I think I was just curious as to what was inside it. But I also felt drawn to whatever was inside. Inside was a bracelet. The pitch black bracelet had four circular dark blue jewels on it.

I picked it out, I almost felt drawn to it.

“How much for the jean jacket?” I asked the cashier, an old man.

“Twenty dollars for the jacket. And one-hundred dollars for the bracelet,” responded the old man.

I pulled the bills out of my wallet.

“Wait,” the old man spoke up, “The bracelet isn’t for sale.”

“Please,” I begged.

“No. I’m sorry,” the old man started to violently cough.

“Are you okay, sir?”

“Yes.” He continued to cough just as violently, turning away from me.

I glanced down at the bracelet. Take it already. Perhaps it was the thief in me. I wrapped the bracelet in the jacket, closing the box afterwards.

I left two hundred dollars behind and headed towards the door before the man looked back.

Oof. I had bumped into a mysterious man who walked into the pawn shop as I walked out. I lowered my head and stepped to the side.

The man glared me, then walked to the old man.

I hurried out of there, having a bad feeling about this. I put my head close to the glass window, so I could hear and see the two men inside the pawn shop.

“Is this it?” the mysterious man asked in a gruff voice, grabbing the box I took the bracelet from.

Whoops, I thought.

“Y-yes, Mr. Hunter” responded the old man.

“Good,” Hunter opened up the box. He glared at the old man, “Where is it?”

“What? It must of been the kid who just walked out of here.”

“You failed me,” Hunter pointed both his hands toward the old man.

That’s when I saw them.

Hunter had two ruby bracelets shaped like dragons, their mouths open.

From the dragons’ mouths, came fire.

Hunter burned the old man alive.

“NO!” I yelled.

Hunter didn’t turn toward me. It was as if he was absorbed in the killing.

I ran off into an alleyway next to the pawn shop. I heard the pawn shop’s door open, then Hunter walk in the opposite direction of me.

I put on my jean jacket, then I glanced at the bracelet I took.

“What is so special about this bracelet?” I asked myself. I slipped the bracelet on my left arm. I waited a couple seconds. I guess nothing. I gripped the bracelet. What the? I couldn’t take it off. I tried to take off the bracelet, but I couldn’t.

That’s when it happened.

Pitch black fabric came out of the bracelet.