Little Game

Benjamin: Rebelle/King

I didn't want to stay inside anymore. Each minute of everyday, I sat upon my perch in the abandoned warehouse that we commandeered and listened to each status update that my Rook gave me. Then I would have to give an appropriate response to the development, then as a follow up would have to tell my Knight the new plan.

Due to the prior announcement, I gave full control of the next phase to Kriss. I have to think so much and it's tiring. So much responsibility, so little experience. Man, sometimes I would say that we shouldn't make any action out of sheer laziness. I just don't want to stay inside anymore.

So I left. For a full week, I declared a silent stance for the Rebelles. Of course, the newest members reacted in an outrageous fit. My closest team, however, reacted in indifference and obeyed. I warned my following that they are free to retaliate against the government, but if they got caught, I wasn't rescuing them. They reluctantly calmed themselves after that.

So now I'm out. Alive and free! I had to take care of where I popped my face about. Even though the government knew my name and face, I still had no idea if they leaked my details to the general public. Anyone might jump out and say 'It's him! Catch him!', but then I could just run really fast.

Tike's disapproving scowl rewound in my head as his concerned warnings. Sometimes, he treated me like I was a naughty kid. But that's fine because he acted like a mom. For most of today I have been wondering the silent streets in the market lanes in south LA. I suspected that most people were in work: only the elderly or early mothers were walking around absorbing the summer breeze.

When it was past 8 a.m. and the streets weren't as busy, I started to jog down the streets, moving between central and south LA. I would've moved more, but the bustle that I caused in Northridge would still be under investigation. It would be stupid for me to go there.

I avoided a lot of people. Some didn't ask any questions, and others tried to approach me because of sympathizing feelings. I would sprint out of sight if that ever happened. I met up with stray and lost children quite often in the south. I would try and help them, but their mothers or obliged strangers would pick them up and lead them the other way.

I would twist my face piercing in contemplation. Maybe it's the way I look.

It's late afternoon, now. Tike said I should arrive before the police do their checks, but tonight I wanted to push my limits. The tint that the peachy sky laid on the town park was a tangy orange. The sun's impression was still here as my sweat was increasing exponentially.

The heat stung my skin. I cringed when a doctor's voice squeezed into my ears about how I would grow increasingly albino when I get older. This dumb autoimmunity that I am cursed with takes my colour with every breath I take. I believe I am the only person that has this manmade disease. Thankfully.

Tike makes sure I don't go out because of this. He also doesn't want me to die. Understandable.

I wore a strapped leather vest, with a deep arm-cut singlet. I wore torn worker jeans, with large gapping holes in the denim. My Doc Martin's with white peace symbols completed the look.

After walking aimlessly for another hour, I returned back to the park. It was deserted and I didn't mind. A few families escaped the playground to their cars to eat dinner at their homes. Some kids wailed as their parents forcefully enclosed them inside the vehicle. Once the engines rang silent, I let loose at the park.

I went to the monkey bars and pulled myself up. I swung there for a few minutes until my arms grew tired. I climbed up the rubber ladder and go down the metallic slide. It spiralled down like a slinky and was fun, until the shell of the slide burnt me. When I reached the bottom, I landed roughly in a sand pit. I immediately jumped out and spat out the speckles of sand in my mouth.