MAX
We sat in the hospital cafeteria at a table for two people while the others sat at a nearby table, eating happily. I had nothing but a cup of coffee and a bagel. Fang was breaking up his poptart, staring at the table, ignoring his soda.
"Talk," I said simply. "Whenever you're ready."
He took a deep breath. "When I was a kid…well…" he swallowed hard. "When I was a kid…" He flicked his gaze around nervously, taking a deep, shuddering breath.
"Maybe we should go stand outside on the patio," I suggested softly.
He nodded. We stood up. "Iggy, you're in charge," I said. "We'll be back."
Iggy raised his hand in mock salute and we headed out to the patio. I gripped my warm coffee to fight the slight chill. Fang was silent for several moments as we stared out at the street. "He raped us," Fang said suddenly. I looked at him in surprise. He met my eyes for a second before looking away again. "All of us. My mom, Shai, and me. Them more than me. He mostly beat me. I mean…god, it was horrible. I was always covered in bruises. So were Shai and Mom." He gripped the back of a chair tightly, his knuckles turing white.
"He used to keep us locked up in the house all the time. He was on drugs. I knew that. Mom knew that. Shai was too young to understand. We were almost never allowed outside. Only once in a while, and mostly only to go to his dealer's house. When he couldn't pay…when he couldn't pay in cash, he found another way. Mom. She was…is beautiful. And his dealer had a thing for her." Fang passed his hand over his face and took a deep breath.
"Mom finally decided it was time to escape. We crawled out the window and down the fire escape ladder. We had almost gotten away when he caught us. Well…caught Mom. She told us to run. So I grabbed Shai and ran. I ran as fast as I could, hoping that Mom was right behind us. But she wasn't…she wasn't.
"Shai and I got to another city…San Juan. It's not far from LA. But when someone finally found us…brought us to fostercare…Shai and I were separated. I guess he got her back…" He took a deep breath. "He never got me back. I was always good at running…hiding…escaping. Mom told me I had to be. And she was right."
I gently rested my hand on his shoulder. He jumped. "Fang…I…"
"He told me if I ever told anyone, he'd kill them. Mom and Shai. That's why I wouldn't talk. But you gave me the courage to. Thank you." He bit his lip. "I think I know where they are. He never would have left them alone. He would have brought them with…yeah…I know exactly where they are." He looked at me intently. "Will you come with me?"
I wanted to say, "Let's get the police to come with us." But I didn't. Call it a rebellious streak. I nodded and gripped his hand, saying, "Of course."
And that was how we came to be sneaking away from the police and our family, flagging down a taxi, and driving to an old apartment building. I paid the taxi cab driver and we headed out. "They're here?"
"No. They're there." He pointed to an old factory, surrounded by barbed wire fences. "I knew I'd seen this place before…and he finally gave me the last clues." He looked at me intently. "Max, he knewthis was the last run. He knew. I could see it in his eyes. He wanted me to find them. Because…I don't know why. Maybe because, underneath it all, way, way, way deep down…maybe there's still a sliver of the man my mother married, the man who was my father for the first four years of my life…before he became…that. Max, he told me. He told me so many times! I just never had all the pieces! Not until this time!"
"Fang, what are you talking about?"
Fang smiled. "Always be careful with glass about, it's always sharp when it breaks. Always be careful with glass about, so many lives it takes. Glass is dangerous, yes it is, but never ever forget. Always be careful with glass about, but mostly be wary of who holds it," he sang softly.
"What?"
"He used to sing that. Every time he caught me." He looked up at the building. "This place is an old glass factory. Guess what it'll have?"
"Broken glass," I said, understanding.
"Yeah. When he had me, there, in the room…when he had me…" Fang swallowed hard. "He whispered something in my ear. He said… 'it's not too late to save them, baby boy. But you'd better hurry. The glass in my hand might just slip.' And I finally got it. In the hospital." His eyes widened. "We don't have much time! Run, Max! We have to run!"
"What? Why? Fang?" I yelled, chasing after him.
"If we don't get there and get them out in the next fifteen minutes, the whole place is going to blow!"
"WHAT?"
"My dad is a crack addict and a meth addict! You think he didn't know how to make his own drugs when he ran out? Do you realize what that means?"
I gasped. "The place…it's…"
"Yeah! Going to blow! He would've given me just enough time to figure it out, get here, and put the final pieces together! We don't have much time!"
Yeah, I know it's short! Sorry guys! The next one will be much better! This is just to get the story started again!
So, any predictions? I'd love to hear them! Send them in a….review!