The Purity Project

Chapter 3

Lorenzo looked at the time. It was one in the morning, and he was still thinking about the girl he had helped at school. Her olive skin was so smooth, and her long, straight, dark brown hair didn't belong in the customary tight bun. Although her caramel brown eyes were fearful at the time, they still sparkled like the sun.

Lorenzo had heard some of the other students talk about her before. Her name was Halona Murray, and her adopted parents were head of the city's Environmentalist Society. She was a bit of an outcast at the school, which made no sense to Lorenzo, because she was so pretty. He mostly admired her art, which he had seen in the school's art gallery. He couldn't stop staring at it, it had looked so life-like.

"Stop thinking about this girl and go to sleep!" Lorenzo said to himself. As he closed his eyes, he heard a sound from outside. It was a quiet voice, and it sounded pretty angry.

Lorenzo rushed over to his window and saw a figure lying on the ground. They were wearing sweatpants and an over-sized hoodie. As the figure stood up, the moon light shone on their face, revealing sparkling, caramel brown eyes.

"No way. Halona?" Lorenzo muttered, quickly changing out of his pajamas and climbing out of his window. He made sure to be quiet, not wanting to wake up any of his family.

Lorenzo ran after Halona. He watched her jump a fence and run into an alley behind an abandoned warehouse. He climbed the fence after her, then ran around to the other side of the alley. He stared at Halona, standing alone in the alley. He was about to confront her when she spoke.

"Braden, are you here?" Halona called out.

Lorenzo stepped back into the shadows and checked his surroundings for someone else. He heard another voice, but couldn't make out what it said. Suddenly, Halona started howling, and a figure jumped down from a window above. The two of them laugh, then start speaking in hushed voices. Lorenzo watched as Halona pulled out cans of spray paint and handed them to the boy. He began to paint the walls, and Halona sat down on the floor to watch him.

Lorenzo suddenly realized that the boy must be The Wolf, the local graffiti artist. He had heard people talk about him at school, and apparently he was on the vigilante list, which was reserved for people who didn't follow the federal laws. Lorenzo squinted as he tried to get a better look of the boy. He assumed that The Wolf would be an adult, like the other vigilantes, but the boy standing in the alley looked like he was around seventeen. Lorenzo sat down and decided to watch the two of them. The Wolf moved gracefully, each puff of spray paint making his art more amazing. Occasionally, he would glance around, and Lorenzo would hold his breath, afraid of being spotted. But if The Wolf knew of Lorenzo's presence, he didn't show it. Halona sat with her legs crossed, her eyes locked onto The Wolf. Lorenzo felt a pang of jealousy, but he shrugged it off.

 About an hour later, Lorenzo heard a car door shutting in the distance. Halona and The Wolf started whispering and they turned off their flashlights, trapping Lorenzo in the darkness. The Wolf shoved Halona behind a wall. Lorenzo ducked down and pressed his back against another wall, waiting in silence. He watched as four men entered the alley. He glanced at Halona and saw that she was shaking.

"Braden Smith. You're going to have to come with us," one of the men said.

"Who are you people? And how do you know my name?" Braden replied.

The men all turn to look at the largest of the group. Lorenzo guessed that he was the leader. The leader smiled, revealing a shiny gold tooth. He waved his hand as if to dismiss the men.

"Grab him."

The men move toward Braden, who started to throw punches. He managed to hit one of the men, but he couldn't fight off all of them. They pinned him to the ground, kicking him repeatedly in the head. Lorenzo looked over at Halona, who was backing away in fear. The sound of the twig snapping echoed along the alley's walls. Instinctively, Lorenzo sprinted toward her.