Forever Like That (#Wattys2015) (#YourStoryIndia)

CHAPTER TWO: No way! I'm Not Fighting!

Jake Ryder

“Okay. So, let’s get this straight. I ran away, I boarded a flight, I didn’t know where was it landing and I landed in New York. Besides I know, the people must be furiously searching for me back there. But now what? I did what I liked but what do I do now? Where do I go now?’ I gabbled to myself. I looked at people around, it didn’t matter. Everyone had their own happy life. I stood dumbfounded! Of course no body noticed.

I started walking and buried myself deep in my thoughts. Realization was hard; I didn’t really have the concern for myself. I didn’t know where I was going to be an hour from now. I didn’t know what life would bring next. I guess, I’ll just wait.

I was crossing the path, the green light was flashing, I hadn’t noticed. I know stupid, right? I continued walking, still in deep thoughts, until I heard a man pushing the horn of his car, furiously. I abruptly looked towards him, his face was red, still blowing his horn. I swear if this were a comic story or a cartoon, steam would be blowing out from his ears. I had the realization of me standing in his way. I quickly pushed my footsteps to the other side of the road. The car rushed away with great velocity.

Damn it Jake, what the hell you think you’re doing? You gotta figure things out before it’s too late. You escaped for a new and happy life, not to die an accidental death! My inner conscience instructed me. Damn, he was strict!

I walked along a street. I did not know which street it was, besides it didn’t matter cause the whole place was a perfect stranger to me.

‘Grace Street’, it read on the signboard attached to a pole. I walked alongside the road; I passed a number of shops. None of them excited me except the food store. My stomach sounded like it hadn’t tasted some food in centauries.

I lifted my foot to step towards the store but stopped it in midair. I experienced a sad realization of not having any money. I replaced my foot to where it was before and walked ahead. At quite a distance a narrow lane initiated on my right. I stopped when I heard faded encouraging cheers from the long narrow lane. It let to darkness.

There was a single street light which couldn’t cover the whole space. The light spread only to quite a distance. I walked into the lane. The light from the light pole illuminated a strong stainless steel door.

I timidly pushed the steel door. Damn, it was heavy! I entered the place, it was dark, yellow light lustered all over the place. It was an elbow-to-elbow crowded place. The center of attraction of the place was a boxing ring in the mid place of the four walls. Every pair of eyes had its focus on the ring which consisted of two macho men who initiated the narrowest of blood streams from each other’s body.

My concentration went on the way they fought and I realized that they were just jumping onto each other. They neither had any techniques nor did they have any strategies. They again slammed onto each other. Whoever would win, trust me; it would just be by fluke!

“If the red guy sucker punched the other, he might fall to the ground then normal punches would bring him victory.” I wondered a bit aloud.

And that my friends, was one of the mistakes I made in New York!

I kept looking straight ahead but felt like someone was staring at me. I, at a sudden looked sideways and saw the man staring right at me.

He was quite older than me. He looked like a tough guys in his late thirties. He looked strong. Strong enough to rip people like me apart in a matter of just a few frickin’ seconds! Okay, I know you get the idea.