Downhill From There

Night Night
The night sky befell the City of Houston. Stars twinkled like glitter on a dark velvet dress. It was about ten o'clock at night and the cities activity had been a bit dwindled so that they people could return home to their families. The street lights were guides to those strutting the sidewalks to make their way home.

VROOM VROOM The roar of an engine could be heard in the distance. Someone pushing a motorcycle came rushing through the streets at great speeds, before having to stop at a red light. He'd squeezed the brake near the thruster, coming to a complete halt then threw his leg to the ground to achieve stability. The person riding the bike had their face covered by a helmet; a tool used for protection against falling off of the vehicle.

The light turned green and he took off once again and turned at the next left turn that he could. He began to ease down on his break to turn into the parking lot of a restaurant. Once parked he lifted his leg over the bike so that he could stand straight up. He stretched a bit, throwing his arm over his chest and hugging it tightly. He removed the helmet from his head, revealing his face to the empty city streets.

His skin was brown, much like that of any chocolate candy bar from a local store. He brushed his hand through his spiky hair which had been cut into a buzzcut on the sides; it was a unique mohawked style. He possessed gold eyes that gave a glimmer of light to the immediate area of his face, dazzling if you will.

He'd been dressed rather lazily as though he'd just finished some sort of sports activity. A grey hooded zip-up jack, which at the time had been unzipped revealing a white t-shirt, and a pair of grey sweatpants to match. His feet were covered by a pair of grey stripped running shoes.

Flinging his bag from his back to the back of his motorcycle he began to make his way towards the empty restaurant. Upon entering he'd instantly be met by a man who was about in his late forties and a young lady who'd been around the same age of the motorcycle riding boy.

"Michael!" The man shouted, throwing his arms up in a welcoming manner while still holding onto the towel in his hand. "How ya' feelin'? Big game tomorrow!"

Michael Davis was the boy who'd just entered the facility and the one who'd been riding the motorcycle. Michael had quite the reputation in his city, he was the boy who'd carried his team to the final round of the March Madness tournament. An elite basketball player who'd had a promising future ahead of himself.

"Yeah, we are supposed to be restin' today. But I still needed to get some shots up to stay on the roll." The mohawked teen responded.

"The Cougars haven't made it this far into the playoffs in I don't know how long." The man chuckled. "And to think it'd be that same snot nosed lil' boy who used to run up in here for a glass of water when he was young, that would carry us to the top. You're eighteen, one of the youngest, yet smoothest cats I've seen play the game in quite some time. How's the draft looking for you?"

Smiling at the man's words, Michael shook his head and pulled out a se4at to sit himself down. "Yeah, yeah, and you bust me every time for that too Mr. Pryor." Michael let out a laugh at the man's statement about him running into his restaurant asking for water when he was young. "It's a'ight. From what my agent sayin' Imma' potential lottery pick."

"LOTTERY PICK?!" Mr. Pryor shouted to the top of his lungs, veins popping out of his neck as he did. "Phew, I won't lie. I'm hella excited, but you average more assist than everyone. How tha' hell are you a lottery pick? Twenty five points, fifteen assist? The Cougars got one of the highest scoring teams in the game right now."

There was a moment of silence. "The small forward from Duke..." Michael mumbled, "...He's explosive. Mans' nice. The final game of March Madness for the championship."

"Exactly, so don't even think too much on it. Lamaria, grab us some drinks." Mr. Pryor commanded the girl next to him.

Lamaria Pryor, Mr. Pyror's daughter and the girl Michael had known for most of his life. She and Michael had always been friends for as long as they could remember, attending nearly every level of school together. She'd even attended the same college as Michael, the University of Houston, where she'd been studying to become a veterinarian.

"Yes dad..." She sighed, swinging her neck and rolling her eyes as she headed to the kitchen.

From one table, isolated in a corner from all the rest, one woman sat with a tall glass of water, repeatedly flicking her finger into its brim and casting ripples for her trifling amusement. As the newcomer stepped into the restaurant, she looked over her shoulder, assiduously watching his every move from the safety of black-tinted sunglasses, clenching a bronze necklace rested around her neck. She perched slightly above her seat, her eyes wandering every corner of the isolated space, before returning in place, silently cursing her own anxiety.

“Lin?” someone softy called out from the seat opposite to her own.

The woman, Lin, lifted up her sunglasses, revealing eyes of golden amber, and met the gaze of Claudia Privette, a woman in her mid-thirties with long, silky blonde hair—her aunt.

“Are you all right, Lin?” Claudia asked, placing a palm on Lin's hand.

Lin forced a smile on her face. “I'm fine, Claudia. What about you?”

“I will be.” Claudia's eyes sank, her face painted with a fleeting melancholy, before she took a sip of water and rewarded Lin's smile with one of her own.

Lin frowned. “You didn't have to do this. You didn't have to go with me.”

Claudia chuckled. “We are family, aren't we? Best to think of this as a… vacation, you know?” She narrowed her eyes. “I may not share your… gift, but I know how must be for you to focus at times. So, I beg you… focus, and do not let your past burden you. Forget about Lavender Phoenix, and just be Lin Privette for now.”

“Would that convince you to do the same?” As Claudia looked away, evidently troubled by her words, Lin placed a hand on her face in guilt. “I'm sorry.”

“Do you still hate me?”

“Claudia—...” Taken aback, Lin shook her head while attempting to formulate a response. “This again? I have nothing against you, Claudia; I never did. You had nothing to do with his crimes.”

“But I did, don't you see? I brought him into our family.”

“You didn't know.”

“And he let me live—live with all this guilt.”

“He loved you, Claudia. He wanted you to know that.”

“What does it mean? Will he take you away from me as well?”

Lin stood up and placed her hands on Claudia's shoulders. “Nothing is going to happen to me.” She pointed to her necklace. “I still have Sanguis… and I still have you. Silvio let me live as well, don't you remember?”

“He's changed,” Claudia breathed, her body beginning to quiver.

Lin gave Claudia a trepid smile, fearful of what was to come. “I'm not a god; my visions have misled me before.”

“I've had enough of your lies.”

Lin held Claudia tighter. “Claudia… you need to move on, with or without him.”

“Nothing will take away everything that's happened.”

“You have the power to move on, regardless.”

“I can't do anything but believe in you. Oh god...” Claudia lay slumped against her chair, her skin glistening with sweat before her labored breaths. She stared unwaveringly into nothing, as if she had gone far away from the only relative she had left standing in front of her.

“Oh no,” Lin whispered before waving to the front of the restaurant. “Help!”