The Soul Traveler

Chapter 2

A boy stood before her. With very shing, sharp blades gripped tightly in both his hands. And he did not look happy.

Other than that, with his side swept, jet black hair and deep, black eyes, full lips, he could've given [insert cool guy name] a run for his money.

"Get back."

Kyna stood there dazed before she realized he spoke. And barely got herself together when he was already standing before her.

"Get back," he repeated, pointing his right blade by her ear.

"What the fuc-"

"Go. Now!"

The grass and trees shook with the force of his yell. And next thing she knew, she was sent flying backwards. The field and the boy disappeared as a stone door slammed shut in her face.

Heart racing, Kyna gasped and sat up straight in her bed. An image of a field and forest swam before her eyes before she blinked it away. And the room spinned a little before righting itself soon after.

Kyna massaged her pounding head. Futile really, when her headache started jackhammering from the assault on her ears.

Her mom and little brother were going at it again. Usually, she could sleep through it, but tonight like the others before it lately, she wasn't sleeping as if dead to the world.

She sighed and laid back down, hoping to fall asleep by counting the ceiling again, when she cringed at the decibel her mom's voice shook when she yelled, "Drake, how many damn times I done tell you to stop running them damn streets!"

Ugh, she said damn twice. Please, bro. If you have any brain cells left, shut up.

"Leave me 'lone ma. I'm not doing anything wrong. Just hanging with my friends."

Dumbass.

Kyna groaned, burrowed into her blankets and wished she could just stuff her pillows into her ears.

"Friends," yelled her mom at her brother, if she could believe it, even louder. "They're not your friends. If they were, your ass will be home on time!"/ wouldn't be coming home so late!"

"Ma, just leave it already. I'm tired," yelled Drake shouted back, followed by a loud bang.

Then for there was silence. An eerie and ominous quiet. A silence so deadly that it only meant one thing. All hell about to break loose.

The crash came so swift Kyna had no doubt that her brother's door had been knocked off the hinges. Her mother was a tiny woman. But in her case size doesn't matter. The last thing anyone would ever do is cross her. And if you're foolish enough to do it...fire and brimstone.

"Who are you to slam doors in my house!" yelled Mrs. James followed by a crash of her brother's now unhinged door.

"Ouch ma," came the nasally whine. "Stop. Ouch."

"If you so tired..."

"Ouch."

"Bring your ass home on time-"

"Aight. Ow. Aight."

"Don't. Alright. Me."

"Ow. Okay. Stop."

"They're killing boys like you just for walking down the street. You think you invincible. Well, you're not. You're a walking target. That what it means to be a young black boy. All you got going for you is your brain and hard work. And hanging out with those two thugs isn't smart."

"Stop calling my friends thugs!"

"Who you think you talking to?"

"Ouch," said Drake.

That's right mom. Hit him again.

Kyna knew exactly who those "thugs' were. Each and everyone of them, four, barraged your entire senses the moment you see them. Anger rolled off them in waves. They walked about, looking and smelling as if they'd toook long and luxurious weed water baths. But they didn't dry or clothe themselves properly afterwards.

They wore wrinkled clothes. And faded as their souls. Except their eyes. They blazed with rage.

And they skipped class. A lot.

You didn't need to be a psychic to know where their future was headed. Jail or dead. And for the life of her, Kyna couldn't understand why her stupid brother was hell bent to go the same way.

Those were never going to be her two options. Even if it killed her, she was going to go college. Hopefully away, so she can finally have her own space. Living with a stranger for a roommate would be like winning the lotto compared to how they're living.

She wanted to move on up. But Drake obviously wanted to the opposite. And her mom can scream at him until she was blue from head to toe all she want. Nothing would change.

Kyna sighed and this time willed for the sleep to come. She needed rest and she was going to get it. And next time that sword wielding dream man point his swords and yell at her, she'll give him a present he'd never get. A knee straight to his cocoa puffs.