The war for Imagei

Daniel

"Get over yourself, Punk!" they said to me as they ran away, taking their bats and pocket knives with them. They turned the corner of the alleyway and exited into the bright evening street. The more I looked towards the light of the city, the more I wished that I could just be home.
"Yeah, that's right! You'd better run!" I yelled as pushed myself back onto my feet. I walked forward, hoping to get home in time for a decent meal before I went online for the night.
The dark alleyway stank of rotting food from the restaurants next door and the decaying corpses of dead animals. I was used to the smell, sadly, and that was only because I got carried into one of them on nearly a daily basis. To put it lightly, I get bullied a ton.
I entered the brightly lit streets of the city and cringed. "Too may lights," I thought to myself as I slowly entered the crowds of pedestrians. I look at all the city lights, not being able to read any of them through the evening fog. None of them are ever readable, and I guess that's mostly due to the polluted air conditions.
I walk slowly, hardly having any personal space due to all the people around me. When I finally reach the train station, I'm able to make the last train going to my neighborhood. "I got really lucky tonight," I say aloud in the nearly empty station. Normally I would have to walk along the tracks in order to get home.
I jump on the train just as it starts leaving and realize that I am alone. The lack of voices and the sound of the wheels along the tracks is calming to me; It reminds me of the thunderstorms from my childhood home. Of course, in a city where the weather is controlled nearly everyday of the year, we don't get very many thunderstorms.
The comforting train ride comes to a quick halt and I stumble a bit before I realize that this is my stop. I step off the train slowly, readjusting myself to the difference between a moving surface and a non-moving one. I look up at the large apartment complex that towers over me. I put my hands in my hoodie pocket and begin walking towards the towering structure ahead. I look at the giant neon clock at the exit to the train station: It reads 12:54 AM.
My mom is gonna kill me.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

I walk hesitantly up the stairs to the entrance of the apartment complex. I take in the cold evening air and feel a chill run down my spine before I finally make the decision to go inside.
As I enter the building, the smell of cinnamon and coffee rush over me with a warm flood of various other scents. The sound of elevator music along with whispers of nearby people occupies my ears while my eyes are wide with curiosity. The lobby never gets any less boring, unlike most other aspects of my life.
I start walking towards the elevators when I notice my friend, Justin, on the lobby couch. He's wearing his large headphones and his laptop is sitting on the coffee table in front of him. He's silent, which isn't too normal for him when he's playing games online. I tap his shoulder, trying to pull him out of his game, but he doesn't even notice. I quickly realize that he doesn't want to be interrupted.
I decide to go upstairs to my apartment, hoping that my mom is asleep and I can get away with playing online for a few hours before I have to go to bed. I enter the elevator and press the button labeled 62. The metal doors close behind me as I walk to the opposite wall. I'll only have to wait half a minute or so if I'm lucky.
The slow paced background music is the least of my concerns as I begin ascending higher and the air thins. I always forget how painful breathing is this high up.
When I arrive on my floor, I begin walking to my apartment. I pull out my set of keys and place them in the door. I turn them in the lock as it clicks. I don't hear anything on the other side of the door.
To my surprise, my mother is asleep at the table. The smell if alcohol seems to float in the thin air near her, and I can only assume she went out drinking again. As I look down at her hand, I see a hammer and a shattered beer bottle sitting under her hand. Her hand is cut and dyed with bright shades of red and brown. Small drops of dried blood sit on several pieces of Amber colored glass.
Her dark brown hair drapes her face, and her snoring is beginning to grow louder. My mom was asleep. "Thank Goodness," I whisper to myself as I sigh in relief. I can finally get online without my mom killing me for it.
I go into my bedroom and drop my shoes on the carpet. I take off my hoodie and throw it in the corner of my room with the rest of my dirty laundry. I sit down in my chair and put my headphones on, pushing my hair back as I do. I press the power button on my computer and the two monitors stay dark. I try again; nothing happens.
"Is the power out?" I ask myself as I stumble over to the window, my sense of direction twisted and warped in the darkness of my room.
I reach over towards the heavy curtains and grasp them, my nails digging into the fabric. I pull them apart quickly to let what little light there may be into the dark room. It's raining. I stare at the dark clouds circling overhead. Despite the power being out, I sigh in relief. It never rains. The thunder boomed loudly in the sky after a flash of lightning lit up my room for a brief second. I turn my head quickly to look outside once again.
"Finally..." I whisper as I fall back on my bed. I close my eyes, and only then did I realize how tired I was.
As I start drifting off to sleep, I hear a loud banging on my window. I jump up, realizing that no one should be able to knock on my window. I'm on the 62nd floor. I turn my head as fast as humanly possible towards the sound. I look out past the glass and see blonde hair; short and brushed to the side. It's Justin.
I let out the deep breath I only just realized I had been holding in. My relief only lasts a second, or at least until I notice the two others behind him: one floating in midair, and the other carrying Justin.
And he's got giant green wings attached to his back.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

A.N. : Hey guys! First section of the war for Imagei! I hope you enjoyed it! Please remember to comment, and any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!