Here Lies

1-Marcus (Past) (Incomplete)

The rain pattered down on the asphalt. A dog barked in the distance, this neighborhood...my momma had warned me about it. She had said, "Marcus, you stay away from that part of town now, understand dear?"

And of course, I had said I would. I hated lying to momma, but I couldn't tell her what I was doing, especially why. She'd never let me out again. "Yo Marcus!" My friend Paul called out as he approached.

"Man, shut the fuck up!" Denise said as she slapped her brother upside the head. We were in 7th grade, but grades didn't matter, family did. And it was for family that we were here, here in the pouring rain getting ready to go rob the 7/11 down the street.

"Keep acting like that and no one will take us seriously," I told them.

"Let's just go get this shit done!" Denise said.

"Momma says not to cuss," I told her.

"Yeah? And my momma says the same damn thing, do I listen? No. So shut up." She said.

As we stood outside the 7/11, Paul handed me a gun, I held it and it felt heavy, like weight in my hands. "Let's go," Denise said as she held her gun, Paul stayed outside as the lookout as we pulled our hoods up.

"Hands above your fucking head!" Denise yelled at the cashier as she pointed her gun at him, he was terrified. I looked to the side as I held my gun up while Denise continued to give the cashier directions.

As I looked up my eyes found a camera...

In the distance, a siren wailed. Since crime was so high, the police were fast to respond to things like this. "Denise! We gotta go!" I yelled at her as I grabbed her shoulder.

"We don't have all the money!" She yelled back.

"We don't have the time! Police are coming!" I yelled to her as I continued to pull on her shoulder. As I did she pulled the trigger and a bottle shattered as we started running.

Paul looked around and grabbed our hands as he drug us towards an alley, he knew this place well, he'd been running around here for a few years now.

But not even Paul could save us as a police car closed off the exit of the alley, we turned back and tried running that way, only to see another car there. We were trapped...

The officer slapped the handcuffs on my wrists and shoved me in the car roughly. "Damn hooligans, what the fuck were you kids thinking when taking guns?" He spat as he slammed the door, I flinch as it shut.

"Marcus!" My mother yelled as she saw me. I lifted my head out of my hands and saw the anger on her face.

"This way ma'am." An officer said as he escorted her into a room.

"So kid, heard you tried to rob a gas station." A man said.

"Yeah." I, said.

"Did you have a mask?" He asked.

"No," I said.

"Next time, wear a damn mask will ya? Don't need the future generation getting caught and put in prison before us old timers." He said. I turned and saw he had tattoos on his arms, some peeked out under his shirt.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"Find me some time when we get out, it'll be a few days before they release me, just ask around for Loki, 'kay Kid?" Loki asked.

"'Kay," I told him.

That night I was grounded for two months. Momma was extra hard on me for a year, and Denise and Paul were no longer allowed to see me. The only thing I could do after school was head straight home...

Three Years Later...

"Yeah, I'll be there! Don't fuckin' worry about Paul!" I told him before hanging up.

I peeked out my bedroom door, its white paint was slowly peeling and chipping. The wooden floors creaked under the slightest movement and the narrow hall made it difficult to avoid others. Ahead of me was my cousin Cheyanne's room. Down the hall, to the left, next to the stairs was the bathroom.

On my right at the end of the hall was momma's room. Her and pops had that room and the one beside mine. The one beside mine was pop's office where he kept all his important things. Across from that was the guest room and finally to the left, across the bathroom was our storage room for stuff that didn't fit in the attic.

I walked down the hall and downstairs, to my left was the messy kitchen, to the right the dining room and another bathroom. Behind the stairs, past the kitchen was the messy living room and the front door.

All the lights were off save the one in the kitchen and there was momma, her glasses perched on her nose, her cookbook open as she held a rolling pin in one hand, a ball of dough in the other. I cleared my throat before speaking. "Momma," I said to get her attention.

"What are you doing up baby?" She asked as she continued to look at her recipe.

"Couldn't sleep, was gonna go for a walk," I told her.

She was silent for a long moment, I almost thought she wasn't going to say anything but as I turned away she spoke. "Don't forget your coat, and, would you mind picking up some milk on your way home?" She asked.

"Will do momma. Love you." I told her as I kissed her cheek, grabbing my coat as I left.

"Denise! Where the fuck is Paul?" I asked her. She wore heels and a silver shirt, a pink, cropped jacket covered her arms. She wore dark blue jeans and big, golden hoop earrings.

Her lips were painted with pink lip gloss and her nails were painted silver, the bright colors stood in contrast with her dark skin while my dark clothing didn't make difference.

"Don't ask me, does it look like I follow him everywhere?" She asked. After a minute she put her hand on her hip as she turned to me. "What excuse did you tell your momma this time?" She asked.

"That I was out for a walk, told her I'd get milk on my way home. Don't let me forget." I told her.

"Tonight, if we pull this off, I'll turn you from a momma's boy into a man." She said as she trailed her hands down my body. Before she could do anything Paul and Loki appeared.

"Denise! Really? My best friend?!" He asked her.

"I'm a grown ass woman! Don't you dare anything else!" She yelled at him.

"Alright!" Loki yelled. "Are we gonna stand around and bicker all night, or are we gonna go steal some damn cars?" He asked us. We shut up immediately, we've seen Loki when he's pissed, and it never ends well.

"Paul, you're with me after what you did last time. Denise, Marcus, watch each other's backs, and remember, either of you gets caught, better not hear my name or each other's names. Got it?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." We said.

"Good, now get goin'." He ordered.

We stood in front of the garage, Denise passed over the lock cutters and I knelt down as I cut the padlock off the garage door. The door opened smoothly and Denise stepped in, walking around the 1978 Camaro