A new way of life

Allen Walker

The heat shimmered of off the pavement in waves. You could see it making the walk ahead look like a house of mirrors. The teen walked alone. His eyes darted around as he moved as swiftly as he could. It had only been a few months, but he had learned the lessons of the street. He knew no one was going to help him if they showed up again.

With this thought in mind, the white haired teen increased his speed. He shook his head to allow his hair to cover some of his scared face. A present from his departing step father. It was the day of his mother’s funeral. The red eyes still darted around as he came close to the hedges. He dashed out into the street to get around them. A horn honked further down the road. He would rather get hit by a car than see them today.

The building wavered before him. He reached the end of the block. Dodging around the old lady walking her dog and talking to her dead sister, the teen rushed on. He was sweating, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. He hated summer. He was always hot. He had to wear the coat so no one saw his other scars. He was hideous. At least that’s what everyone told him.

The door chimed jingles. He lifted his head, breathing out a sigh, he had made it. He was out of the residential area and in the town center. It was unlikely they would harass him here, not today any way. Breathing easier he slowed his pace. He strolled along the quite mid morning streets. If it was this warm now, how much hotter would the day turn?” he wasn’t sure. He turned the corner. Made his way down half a block, ducked into the ally and walked up to the metal door. It was the back way in, but at least the ally was cooler.

A blast of cold air hit his sweaty face. It smelled like chemicals. That was the first thing he felt. He stood in the dark corridor waiting for his eyes to adjust. He could hear grunts and soft shouts. The sound of bare feet peeling from the mats as whoever was walking on them moved about. His eyes adjusted to the dimmer lightening. He stood in a sterile looking hall.

The walls were painted a soft beige color. The trim was a light grey. He saw the emergency exit signs, a fire extinguisher was bolted to the wall. Three wooden doors lined the hall. Two on his right, one on his left. The restroom sign hung above the other end of the hall. He hunched his shoulders up.

At the far end he could see the heat shimmer out of the floor to ceiling windows. There was a tile walkway that stretched from below his feet out into the main room. It was black and white. The teen sighed. He felt better standing in the dimmer light. He breathed in the air as he allowed the AC to cool him down more. He closed his eyes. He was sure he was safe, for now.

“Oh, hello there.” A high pitched surprised voice called out. The teen opened his eyes. He lowered his head from the forced air cooling his over heated body.

“H, hello.” He stammered unsure of the small dark haired female that had appeared at the end of the hall. She didn’t come out of any of the doors. With a smile she turned to face the boy more directly.

“Is there something I can help you with?”  she asked. She appeared friendly and polite. The boy shivered. They always appear friendly and polite, at first. Then they get a look at his deformities. The scars that covered his small body. He frowned. Whoever was working out was still moving around. The soft grunts was the only sound once more, the air conditioning clicked off.

“Um, yes, I saw online that you had a self defense class starting soon.” The boy stayed hidden in the shadows of the door for another few minutes. It was his only refuge for now. The girls eyebrows sprang apart, her smile relaxed some what.

“Oh, yes, we have a couple different time. Please follow me I will get you registered.” She motioned for him to come to her. He closed his eyes briefly. Drawing in a calming breath, he moved forward.