Crystal Rain

Ch. 25 - Welcome Home

Crystal slowly opened her eyes, taking in everything as her eyes registered what she was staring at. She took in the buildings of various sizes and shapes, a free runners dream, some looked rather stable others looked like they were about to collapse at any moment. She noticed the scattered shadows that they cast on the narrow streets, the actual ground barely visible from the litter sitting a top of it.

A gentle breeze blew through the streets, the buildings acting as a kind of wind tunnel boosted its power so by the time it got to her bits and pieces of loose cloth and plastic were flying through the air at varying heights. The distinct smell of sewage reached her nose, but oddly it didn't bother her as much as she thought it should have.

Another deep breath and she stepped under the thin square metal framed archway and into the street. You know that feeling you get from being at work all day long and all you want to do is get back to your comfy bed at home and then when your finally get there you feel at peace and just flop down on the mattress in total relaxation? That was exactly how Crystal felt, except her heart was telling her one thing while her head was contradicting everything that it felt familiar with.

She slowly meander down the long street toward the water she could see at the far end. It seemed like a main street but there were barely any signs of life. An older women was stirring a pot of some type of soup like substances near the entrance of one of the buildings that was missing about fifty percent of its structure. Continuing on, she past by two more buildings before she was knocked a little off balance by a small group of young children running in across her path at a crossroad.

Three of the children continued running while one small boy stopped just after passing to turn and take a closer look at her. She noticed his scrappy and scrawny appearance but also his enthusiasm. His hair hung in his face but she could still see the curiosity in it. The boys shaggy appearance brought a hint of recognition of another young boy, she could see this boys face but no name. She smiled at the boy, who once figured she wasn't a threat gave her a small smile back before a young girl grabbed him by the arm and they took off again.

Watching their small disappearing figures, she could see herself as a young child trailing two boys behind her running in through these very streets. More evidence that the Nameless Street held an important part of her missing memories.

She didn't get much farther before a man, probably around her age, jumped down from somewhere above to land in front of her. His long, slightly wavy hair hung in front of half his face, so only one eye was showing. He wore a red thin shirt covered by a baggy hunter green jacket, as equally thin, but much larger that it hung off his shoulder. Unlike the young boy she had just come across this man she could tell held much more hostility towards her. Her immediate reaction was to get herself in a defensive stance.

The man just stared at her, some what hunched over as if he was about to charge her at any moment. To her surprise he did a little bow, "Welcome to the Nameless Street," he wore a huge grin although it was neither a friendly one or menacing one. She couldn't tell if he was being genuine or sarcastic. She relaxed and straightened up, her deductive skills kicking in, "You're one of the Rude Boys, aren't you?"

"Yes I'm, Yu pleasure to meet you," He let out an almost crazed little laugh, again was he mocking her or just off his rocker, she couldn't tell. His demeanor suddenly changed again, "So..what are you doing here?... refuge, our resources, perhaps you're running from something?" He slowly started circling her. "More like to something," He paused, puzzled at her come back. She knew he was trying to size her up and her intentions, what was he some kind of gate keeper here to vet her before she could go further. Rocky wasn't lying when he had said the Rude Boys are fierce protectors of their home.

She figured she might as well cut to the chase, "I'm here to see the boy you call P," Yu just continued to assess her, "You know, bout your height dark red hair, bandana," Yu cut her off, "I know." "Then you know where he is?" "I do" He just kept staring and slowly circling her, "So can you take me to him or do I have to find him myself?" "And why would I do that?" He came to a stop, "What do you want with him?"

She thought about her last meeting with the Rude Boys, looking for a good quick explanation, "Tell them Rain wants to see him." She hadn't called herself Rain since that night and now that she had felt the name pass her lips, a quick image of the boy they called P flashed before her eyes. He was younger and had black hair and had yelled RAIN! before her vision in the flash back went dark. Her eyes snapped back to focus as she jumped slightly, startled at how close Yu had gotten to her. His face tilting slightly to one side inquisitively, did he know the name too, did he know her, Rain. Either way he must have determined she wasn't a threat to the rest of the boys and the Nameless Street, "Right this way," he was made a flourish gesture with both arms as he directed her down the same side street the kids had disappeared earlier.

As they walked through the even narrower ally way she started noticed more and more boys coming out of doors, sticking their heads out of windows and other openings in the buildings. Some even higher balancing on large I-beams jutting out from unfinished structures, many fell in line behind her as they passed by. There as a boy in a cowboy hat, another boy close to his side in a beret, a boy with a long ponytail, another with a messy bowl cut and a large number with the stereotypical unkept shaggy hair she had seen the boy sporting earlier.

They came to an old cement building, the top quarter of the building had collapsed but the foundation of the bottom floors were enough to keep the rest of the building from folding in on itself. Above the entrance way was a large black flag with white spray painted letters reading RUDE BOYS, "They do know their Rs are backwards?" she briefly thought to herself before her attention was diverted to the other details of the building's surroundings.

Empty oil cans were filled with scrapes of wood some still smoking from last nights fires. The area was actually pretty cleared of loose debris unlike the entrance to the Street. She was led by the boys up a flight of rickety stairs and into a long hall way. Rounding the corner and into a room that looked like it had been used for storage and then never touched again, Crystal saw the a man working out on one of the pipes. He was doing pull ups with his back facing them and then without releasing his grip pulled his feet through his arms and up over the bars so he now hung by his feet to do a couple of hanging crunches.

From behind Yu, the first thing Crystal noticed was this man was jacked, kind of to her surprise since as she understood it, those on the Nameless Street didn't have the best nutritional meal plan. As he extended his body back down she noticed the white headband, P? From in front of her Yu cleared his through getting the boys attention. He hung up side down for a moment, still in perfect form, giving Yu the signal to say what he wanted to say.

"P, there is someone here to see you." She noticed that it was the most serious Yu had sounded since they had met. "Who is it?" Yu didn't respond but just stepped aside so P could clearly see Crystal in the doorway. P's eyes fell to Crystal and immediately smiled grabbing the bar again with his hands and did a little flip to land gracefully on the floor.

Pushing past Yu and the others he stood in front of her, maybe a little too close for her comfort. He was looking closely at her face, and the rest of her body, he was more careful this time as not to come off as desperate as he might have appeared that night at the containers. "Welcome back to the Nameless Street sister." He stepped back with another small grin.

"You called me Rain, you call me your sister, other than a finger scar what other proof do you have?" P searched her face to see if she was serious, did she really not know anything about him. "You really don't remember anything?" "No, that's why I'm here...obviously." The feel of the room changed to even more serious as P started to believe her and that she or the Rascals weren't playing some mean joke or running some scheme on them. "Rocky let you come?" "No, he's away on business." Short and sweet, even though some things felt familiar she wasn't going to tell them any of the Rascal's business if she could help it.

Noticing all the curious eyes on her she leaned in slightly to P, "Is there some where else we could talk, more privately?" P motioned to Yu to escort the others out, "Ok guys, nothing to see here!" he commanded as he shoved them back out of the room. Once they left P turned his attention back to her, "Walk with me?" She cautiously followed him further into the room and around some discarded larger engine looking parts and through an opening in the wall.

Preview: Following P down more streets, they eventually came to a small clearing where a little more than a few make shift shack like structures had been erected surrounding a burned down wood building. Some of the main structural points were still standing along with a few wood slabs of the roof, but were completely black, burned and parts were flaking off in the small breeze.

They came up on an old rusted shack at the far end, "Do you remember this place?" She looked at P and then back at the shack. A piece of rusted metal sheetrock had fallen off its make shift hinges and she could just make out a few of the details inside. No memory or image came to her mind but she said the only word that entered her mind, in a voice lower than a whisper she "home?"