Jaxon RadioHead

Journey To The South

The cover picture is a picture of Veda

Levon slammed the car door shut, the metallic clang echoing in the smoke-choked street. Veda, her face grim, watched the last embers of Ms. Bluu's house flicker and die.

Levon pulled out his phone, his expression unreadable. A timer had ticked down to zero on the screen. With a smooth motion, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and slid behind the wheel of his sleek black sports car.

Veda leaned over, her voice low. "The boy is special," she said, her eyes fixed on the smoldering wreckage.

"Tell that to his father," Levon replied, a hint of bitterness lacing his voice. "Gregory was always too wrapped up in his own identity politics. Black is beautiful, yes, but we all must strive to be children of God, not just children of our skin color."

Veda nodded in agreement. "That's why we need to get back south," she said, her voice gaining urgency. "We need to prepare ourselves, but not just us. All the movements, united. We can't fight this alone."

Levon floored the accelerator, the car surging forward, leaving the burning house behind. The once bustling city was reduced to a wasteland, plumes of smoke rising like twisted fingers towards the blood-red sky.

Later, they pulled up in front of a nondescript building nestled amidst the chaos. It stood defiant, its windows boarded up but walls intact. Levon parked the car and they entered, the heavy steel door clanging shut behind them.

Inside, a scene of organized chaos unfolded. Ms. Bluu sat beside Jaxon on a cot, her brow furrowed with concern. The young boy, his youthful face etched with sadness, stared at the wall.

"Jaxon," Ms. Bluu said gently, "what's wrong?"

Jaxon sniffled, wiping a tear away with the back of his hand. "I left Yuki back home," he mumbled. 

Ms. Bluu sighed. "It's okay, honey," she soothed. "I can always get you another one."  Her own heart a bruised, leaden weight in her chest, held Jaxon tighter. Her touch was a dam against the rising tide of grief.

Jaxon shook his head, turned away, his voice trembling. "No, mom," he whispered, "there's only one Yuki."

Dejected, Jaxon pushed past them and retreated to a corner, his small figure dwarfed by the chaos. Jessie, leaning against the wall, watched him go with a sympathetic smile.

"That's the good thing about kids," she said, her voice soft. "Even with everything going on, they hold onto their dreams."

Levon's car pulled up in front of the halfway house, gravel crunching under the tires. Veda, still focused on the outside world, tilted her head, her brow furrowing in concentration. Levon glanced at her, a hint of concern in his eyes.

"Veda, what's wrong?" he asked.

Veda couldn't explain it, not yet. But her heightened senses were picking up a cacophony of sounds – the distant chirping of birds, the soft patter of unseen rain, the chirping of crickets hidden in the grass. Above it all, however, there was a faint whirring, a mechanical hum that felt out of place.

"There's a drone hovering over the house," she blurted, her voice laced with urgency.

Levon's expression hardened. "A drone? Why the hell would a drone be here?"

Veda shook her head, the implication hanging heavy in the air. The government. This drone, with its watchful eye, couldn't be a good sign. It could be a scouting mission, a prelude to something more sinister. Her thoughts flickered to Jaxon, the young boy who had lost his teddy bear. This drone could mean danger for them all.