Chapter Eight: Broken Boy:

-Phil-

I managed to pick pocket enough money to buy two bus tickets out of Michigan. Sayuri wasn’t too thrilled with my methods.

This is wrong.

We don’t have any other choice at the moment.

It’s still wrong.

It’s too late to complain now. We stood waiting for the Grey Hound bus. At least, it stopped raining now. There weren’t many people at the bus stop today. This played to our favor. I doubted the news really gave out any information on what the escaped convicts looked like. We just need to keep a low profile and work from here to get to Chicago. Sayuri kept her eyes to the ground.

Just act natural.

Right. She grabbed onto my hand. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

What is it?

I would feel better if I held your hand like this.

Seriously?

Please!

I puffed up my cheeks and rolled my eyes. Fine, whatever.

Thank you.

Whatever. The Greyhound pulled up around ten o’clock. We boarded with the crowd while not making eye contact. I have done this many times. My older friends taught me how to not get caught. Sayuri on the other hand, looked nervous. I rubbed on her hand.

It will be okay. Just act natural. She nodded with her eyes down. We took seats at the back of the bus. Because she looked so nervous, decided to try and calm her down.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. Sayuri didn’t lift her head. I pressed my lips together.

Well, my folks didn’t care about me. Ma must have died when I was born. All my old man ever did was drink and sleep on the couch. One day, I just got up and left. He never went out to look for me.

Why?

I shrugged. Probably didn’t care enough.

Don’t say that.

Hey, I’m just saying what I think. Anyway, I wandered the streets on my own for a while until some guys found me and took me in. They taught me everything I know.

How to steal, you mean?

We did it to survive.

It’s still wrong.

What else could we do? Most of other couldn’t get jobs. The economy’s been shit for years. Everyone was too busy taking care of themselves to help out.

Sayuri pressed her lips together. I’m sorry.

Don’t be. We didn’t get time to feel sorry for ourselves. We were just trying to get by and survive. Anyway, one of the little ones got sick and we broke into a drug store. We got all of the medicine we needed, but one of the store employees came out of the bathroom and surprised us. I panicked and tackled the guy to the ground. I shut my eyes, reliving the moment that landed me in this situation. I did not know I had killed him. I guess I didn’t know my own strength at the time. I felt so bad about killing him that I turned myself over to the police. Plead guilty with involuntary manslaughter.

I’m sorry to hear that.

I leaned back in the seat. It just happened and I decided to do the smart thing and pay the price. I am not murderer. My eyes trailed up to the ceiling of the bus. That’s my story. I looked her in eye. And what about you?

Huh? What about me?

What’s your story?

Hold out your hand.

I raised an eyebrow. Why?

I feel that I show my past better in your mind than explaining it in words. I think my power’s returned strong enough for me to do that.

You sure?

Yes. Now, please hold out your hand.

I lowered my shoulders. Alright. I held out my hand and she gripped my wrist. A violent light of rainbow colors flooded my mind.

It may be much at first, but bear with it. Her words sounded so faint in my head. The pain and blinking lights were powerful enough to make pass out. Suddenly, a picture small enough to fit a TV screen widened and consumed me.

Pretty soon, I found myself within Sayuri’s memories.