The Soul Traveler

Chapter 1-Part 1

"Here's your change," said Kyna in a monotone voice. She dropped the change, eight ten dollar bills and hoped to god that she had her customer smile plastered on her face.

"Thanks," smiled the customer, showing off his nice, straight and bright teeth at her.

Okay thought Kyna. Forget punching him in the face. I just want to kick his teeth in.

Turning around, she picked the man's order and bagged it. "Your fries sir. And have a good night...you mofo," whispered Kyna.

"Night," he replied back. Already he'd started wolfing down his fries before he left the store.

Kyna kept on smiling. All the while wishing he'd die a thousand deaths. Up until her cheeks hurt from the effort and only letting her mouth twist in sourness as if she stepped in dog shit, when the cashier next to her leaned over and exclaimed in awe, "Did you see what he was wearing? Damn, that shit's nice."

"Which part," spat Kyna. As far as she could tell the man was a walking advertisement of everything she could neither afford. Or will ever see again. Probably even down to his underwear and socks.

But what really irked her was not so much his obvious wealth. And her lack thereof. But what the hell he was doing here. His kind, the ones with money to blow, usually flock together in places like Manhattan. Or White Plains. Scarborough. So what was this white guy doing in the Bronx. At night. And dressed like that.

"Everything," breathed Michael. "'Specially the Bvlgari watch. Always wanted one."

"Probably fake," snorted Kyna, turning towards the next customer.

"Hater." Michael elbowed her playfully in her side and return to the next customer on his line.

Kyna shrugged. He wasn't wrong. But she wouldn't admit it. Yes, she's hating. And in her case, she had every right to. From head to toe, Kyna calculated that every stitch and jewelry on the guy could've paid up to two semesters of college easy.

It'd already been a bad day with that pop quiz in first period math. Did it have to end with a big life aint fucking fair human symbol too? Plus she hadn't been sleeping well lately.

Kyna stifled the yawn building in the back of her throat and focused on the next customer. And the next and the next. Until finally at nine on the dot, she was free to go.

She quickly changed in the employee locker room and was out the restaurant with a backwards wave at Michael. The small paper bag clutched in her left hand banging her hips.

Kyna breathed in deep, relishing the smell of the Bronx. A mixture of sweet and sour, flowers and piss, heaven and hell. A bit nauseating but none the worse than the burgers and fries battling her nostrils for from four to nine, four times a week.

The fast food place she worked in seemed cut off from the life of the city. Whereas the city was alive, instead inside the place was death and not quick kind. Even now, with the winter winds already nipping at your ass, the streets were bustling with people and sirens. All in a rush to get to somewhere exciting. Or dangerous. Or both. All except her who had to get home and finish her homework.

But first things first, thought Kyna. She came to a stop at the top of the hill and placed the bag, filled with food onto a pile of blankets.

Crazy lady wasn't there today. Maybe she'd finally listened to her after all these years about staying in a shelter. After the weird ass weather Kyna knew that Mother Nature was holding out on them. And with how cold it was starting to get, even though it was fall, she had a feeling they were going to get a mean ass winter this year. A wintergeddon.

But still it felt a bit odd that she hadn't seen her in the past couple of days. Kyna shrugged and walked to the bus stop a few yards away. And fifteen minutes later, she arrived home.

Where she'd trudged up seven flights of stairs, huffing and cursing the elevator and the building's maintenance man. Turning on all the lights, Kyna went to her and her mom's room and dumped her bag.

She checked her older brother's room and of course it looked like he tore the place up. Which meant he went out.

"Sonuva," hissed Kyna under her breath.