Ruthless

Chris 17

I knew all too well what Legend was going through, hell I was there for most of it, I knew all too well about trauma and how damaging it could be; I also knew that no matter how much therapy you went through it would always be there. Therapy only helped you learned how to deal with it, my trauma went far deeper than Legend's and he was the one who helps me deal with it when we were deployed, Legend was the one who I confided in about everything that happened with Pastor Teague. That's why I needed to get the fuck outta Georgia because even though he was dead, his ghost still haunted me and it seemed like the further I got away the less I could feel his presence lingering over my shoulder, haunting me from hell. I had other reasons for moving up here as well, but right now I needed to get my shyt together because as much as I loved Legend like a brother... I couldn't stay here because I liked my space and there was just way too much movement in here for me. Like I could hear people walking up and down the halls, I could hear the laughter coming from Legend's room, I could hear Darnell walking past my room, stopping at the door, then turning around, and walking off. I didn't know what that was about until finally around three he knocked quietly.

"If you need anything just uhh.... let me know, I don't usually sleep the night before I catch a flight so I'll be up." He said avoiding my eyes. "Uhh.... what did you say to Legend to get him to calm down, usually it takes us a couple of hours whenever he has one of his episodes but you did that shyt in like a minute." Darnell said closing the door.

"I just made him recite the Rifleman's Creed... this isn't my first time dealing with someone with PTSD and it isn't my first time seeing Legend go through it. I really didn't know if it would work or not but I took a chance and it paid off." I said shrugging.

"Well, I really appreciate it because when he gets like that he can be hard to deal with..." Darnell said sitting down on the floor by the door. I know dealing with something like that couldn't be easy for him especially since he was pretty much by himself and I knew the effect it had not just on Legend but the people around him.

"What was it like... the first time you witness one of Legend's episodes?" I asked sitting up, the cover slipped off me and I had forgotten that I was naked. Darnell looked at my dick for a second before diverting his eyes while I covered myself up.

"I was scared as fuck.... we were over one of his old plaything's house and we were just chillin out front. These little bad ass little kids started throwing rocks and shyt and one of them hit the window... Legend just snapped, he pulled out his gun and.... I don't know what would've happened if Murda and Jizzle weren't there with me. Legend got arrested but by the grace of God the judge was a retired colonel and he didn't charge Legend, got it taken off his record and everything. As bad as that was what happened afterwards was even worse... Legend felt so guilty about what he did, he apologized to the kid's parents and even set up a little college fund for them." Darnell said.

"Legend will be alright... he needs people like you, Joel, and Micah around him. I don't know too many dudes that would stick around like that." I said quietly.

"Those are my fuckin brothers... I don't really have too much of a family so I gotta look out for them niggas. Someone has to be the protector and I've decided it's going to be me...." Darnell said.

"Legend is like my brother too... he really looked out for me when we were deployed. Being one of only three black dudes he kinda took us under his wing... me and my boy Holloway, Legend was like a brother to us, he kept us outta trouble, helped us deal with some of them racist ass white boys, and kept Holloway from doing something stupid... and Legend kept us alive which is something I'll never be able to repay. But you don't have to worry Darnell, I'm going to look after him, if you ever need help with Legend I'm here." I said looking at him.