Atlantis

Dreams or nightmares?

An older boy sat down beside me on the bench. He had long hair tied back in a ponytail and acne scars on his face. I thought it might be dangerous to just sit there but when I got up to leave he didn't try to grab me. I sat back down and sniffed while clearing away my tears. I was eleven I couldn't cry in front of people anymore. Soon I had my tears gone and sighed to release an easy breath.

"All good little girl," he asked in a warm voice.

"Why did you sit beside me?" I said with a shaky voice.

"Nobody should leave a crying girl alone." he said putting a lollipop into his mouth. I giggled at the sight. He looked more like a smoker at first glance but maybe there was more to this man than met the eye. "Think it's funny huh? Me too but I made a promise to stop smoking."

So he really was a smoker. "Who did you promise?" I asked swinging my legs.

"My girlfriend."

"She's a keeper then." I said looking down.

"What makes a girl like you say that?"

"Well a true girlfriend is always worried about her partners health. A smoker doesn't have a good health though. She's doing you good." I said glancing up at him. He was leaning back on the bench with his head tilted to the sky.

"Seemed to me she just didn't like the smell."

"Why do you think so negatively?" I asked looking back at my feet.

"Why do you cry alone?" he countered. I looked up about to protest but he was right. I cried alone not even asking my parents for help. "Sorry but I got to go." the boy said standing up after looking at his watch.

"Ah," I started because I didn't really want him to leave. He walked on not hearing me. "Wait!" I ran up behind him. "What's your name?"

"You can call me Jim."

I met his "family" later when I went to look for him. There was Mags who was nineteen and was engaged to someone she would marry later that year. Zane the smoker who worked part time to pay for his cigarettes. He was seventeen. Alex who never wanted to go home because of his family. Paul who had some issues with school and had always wanted a motorcycle. Finally there was Jim whose real name was James.

All of these teens had their own problems but came together to form a family. I didn't think too much as I joined the misfits but I soon came to love them as much as I did my parents if not more. After about a month I had learned all about the underworld of society. Through the police I managed to claim lots of money for busting bad guys.

I put money in the bank for Zane's college education. For one reward I asked for an old motorcycle to give to Paul. In return he taught me how to ride it and let me drive around town once. With the money I had left over i gave it to Jim who bought a gun.

The magnum he got was given to me for my birthday. Jim also gave me lessons but I never had to use the gun on a person. Maybe I should be more specific and say that I had never fired to kill. It was the night before Mags big wedding and she came running to us with tears in her eyes.

"He was in an accident James. They said he wont make it past midnight if he is lucky. What do I do? What do I do?" she sobbed into James's chest. I stirred from my corner coming over to join her and James. I took her hands in mine and leaned my forehead to hers.

"Mags take a deep breath okay." she tried but it was still shaky. "Now which hospital is he at?"

"The intensive care one at the edge of the city. They said there would be better care for him there."