THE CITY OF RUM

CHAPTER 1: The Boy In The Smoke

TUESDAY, JANUARY 12.
JAKE:

The drops of rain that come from the roofs of the houses and buildings make a funny sound when the drop lands in little water puddles. The >Pluck< , and the >Splash< sound fill the silence of the avenue. They are like two or three persons walking with me, neither they talk nor I. And every time I breath, smoke come through my mouth because of the cool climate of today.

"The streetcar!", one of the three persons behind me shout; is a man, his voice sounds thick and deep, like whithout feelings.

Then the streetcar stop beside me, I exhale and accommodate my dark blue backpack and then I insert my right hand in my jacket's pocket. I walk slowly to the back entrance of the streetcar and stand there. Most of the time I prefer not to pay on the streetcar and I only jump down when I need to get down. And most of the time, Robert, scream some bad words to me when he realize I do noy pay, but I run the risk. And by the other part I love this place; I love the feeling of the air hitting my face. It feels like a million invisible hands trying to grab my face. And today is not the exception; and with the climate, is like... A perfect day.

Dull.

Cool.

Rainy.

In few words... A perfect day.

I close my eyes and feel the cool air... But then... I feel something... Something warm inside me.

Oh, no. This couldn't be happening. I say in my mind. Here no. Just wait. But I know I can not wait; I can not stop these.

I need to get down of these. I need to. Then I prepare o jump off and...

"Jake right?" A voice from behind. "C'mon, man, is the seventh time this month.", is Luke, the new assistant of Robert.

"Please..." I bit my lip to controlate me, but I would not last much. "Please, let me go... Please!" Then I feel something hot in my right hand.

No... Then I prepare to jump... But Luke grab me by the shoulder.

"I said you to..." now is my left hand too. "Leave me..." I rise my right hand and touch Luke's hand. "Alone!"

"Ahhh! Man! Your hand! Is... Hot!" Luke shout and step backward. "What?" He ask me with a scare look at me.

"I..." but nothing come to my mind; the only thing I can do is...

Jump. And that's what I do. I jump off the streetcar.

                                  ~Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ•Δ~

I feel the air filling the emptiness of my soul.

I land and my left hand touch a water puddle. "Ouch!" I shout and a strange sound like water trying to extinguish a blaze come of my hand.

Rapdly I cover my hand with my jacket and start to run to a lonely  alley.

Wait... Just wait. I replay the words in my head.

Then I stop in a alone dirty alley. I look my hand and realize is like orange, almost red. Then from the nothing a blaze come out of my hand. And from the other hand too. I feel that all my body it is consuming by the fire.