Fight Back!

Currently, two boys are seated at the back of a bus. About how they cot the money to board a vehicle, only Dylan could really explain.

Alex rested his head on the glass window and looked outside.

The tall buildings, vendors scattered on the side of the street, the sweet smell of ice cream and vanilla flavor, the happy people all with smiling face, ad some kids playing tag.

But there was only one thing Alex could really see, the image of his mother hanging above the boiling sea.

Alex couldn't shake off the feeling that she could die even before the ultimatum of four days.

Suddenly a hand landed on his shoulder, shoving him back to reality. He turned only to find out it was actually Dylan's hand. Dylan rarely made skin contact with people and Alex was grateful about that. Even in the heat, Dylan's hand was still…cold and creepy. Like death, according to him. Alex couldn't really say about that because from what he knew, Dylan dad lost his mother to the same thing; Death.

"It'll be alright." Dylan comforted. It would have sounded good to the ears if his voice had a little bit of emotion attached in it.

Alex took a couple of glances at Dylan. He was here thinking about his mum when his companion had list his years ago. Alex even thought of asking Dylan how he managed to live up even after losing his mum, because Alex didn't know think he'll be able to live if his mum dies.

Dylan literally knew almost everything about Alex's past, but Alex knew so little about it. It was as expected, since Dylan rarely thought about his past. It was hard and long, but it was like he managed to open a sort of draft where he could just store memories he never wanted to remember.

But seeing as Alex was now, most likely going to suffer the same fate, it had created a spark in his head. Like someone tore open the draft, all the memories rushed back in his head.

"Hey Dylan, how many times must I tell you to always turn on the light when you're awake." An annoyed voice rushed in as the door swung open, followed by a bright flash of light that made Dylan squint a little.

And Dylan, he was seated on the edge of his bed with a rat in his palm.

Immediately the woman saw this, she frowned. "Must I have to keep telling you to stop killing them? At this rate, we'll no longer have any pets."

"Mother, this is no pet," Dylan said with an innocent smile, "It's only a rat. I caught it chewing on my homework. Is anything wrong in me paying it for its bad deeds?"

The blond woman could only sigh as she sat beside him and carried him on her laps.

"You see, that's where you always make the mistake." She said, "You should have just chased it away…"

"But it'll come back another day and could even eat something more important. " Dylan refuted, "Besides, an eye for an eye…"

"… A tooth for a tooth," She sighed deeply, "I wonder where you heard that from."

"It's from an Old man mum." Dylan confessed, "He seems to know so much about me."

Mum could only shake her head at his words. She seemed to want to say more but then, the alarm clock on the stool began to ring loudly.

"Come on, it's time for school."

- - - -

Marie worked as a per-time some where a street away from Dylan's school. Due to this, Dylan had to walk the rest of the journey to his school alone.

And passing through the same route he always did every school day, fe finally saw the man seating in a porch outside his house

"Pa. James!" Dylan rushed to the old man.

"Ah! D boy, it's really you," Pa. James smiles, "Let me see what you have with you, a toy?"

"No, Pa. James. It's actually a rat," As it turned out, Dylan actually brought the dead rat with him, hiding it in a safe e place his mother would never check. "I strangled it to death when I caught it eating my homework. And what you told me really worked, I've been seeing fewer and fewer of them these days."

"You see now that I always tell you the truth. Only when you do certain things will you feel free," Pa. James patted the little boy on the back .

This made Dylan's head swell almost to the extent that it exploded. Apart from his mother, Pa. James was the only person that actually gave him the attention.

There was just something that Dylan always felt whenever he was around Pa. James. Like some sort of familiarity. Apart from the fact that Pa. James knew so much about him, he also knew about his father, or so he claimed.

On his way to school every day, he would always spend some time with the old man. It would only last for about five minutes at most, but that was enough for Pa. James t o give him some 'fatherly advice'. Just like he always did, Dylan spent some time with Pa. James. And when he was about to leave, his smile turned into a frown. This, Pa. James noticed.

"Those kids, right?" He asked, "You know you do not have to follow whatever they tell you to?"

"But I'll just end up getting beaten," Dylan said, "And it'll only make mother sad. I don't like seeing mother sad."

"Then fight back," Pa. James said, "Look here, Dylan. You are different from them, that is why they are doing all that to you. You are a higher race than them; your blood line is purer…"

"And how did that make them bully me, isn't it supposed to make them scared of me?" Dylan had heard this same thing, and although he did believe, he was starting to think Pa. James was only saying all these to boost his self esteem.

"That is because you aren't acting like one. Imagine you went outside one day only to see a baby wolf in your path, what would you do?"

"I would run away," Dylan answered honestly, thinking of where exactly Pa. James was going with this.

"But is you find out the wolf does know how about how dangerous it is. If it doesn't know how to use its powerful paw, how to use its fang to kill prey, how to use its agility and speed against its enemy?" Pa. James asked.

This question made Dylan think hard, but at last, he had an answer.

"I would turn it into my pet…" Dylan thought again, "And maybe teach it to be a real wolf, so it can fight my enemies for me, if need be."

Pa. James rolled his eyes at the last part, which made him look comical with the wrinkles on his face. "You said it yourself; you would try to turn it into a pet. Now put yourself in the place of the wolf, you have dangerous potentials but you yourself don't know about it. That is why those guys find it easy and fun to bully you, to turn you into their pet, their dog."

All of a sudden, Dylan realized what Pa. James said was true. He had never tried to fight back against them, scared of suffering injuries. At first he thought they would get bored and forget about him, but even after a year they still seem hot on his tail, and it had been getting too frequent lately. Maybe, maybe if he fought back, then everything could change…

"How would you think your father would feel if he comes back only to see you acting like a dog for some mere mortals?" Pa. James continues, his words sinking deep into the deepest part of Dylan's heart; more like the darkest part.

His father, according to his mother, was a drunkard. He spent every little penny he had on buying whisky. He would always come home late at night, had no time for them family, and sometimes even get physically violent at her, but she would endure it all. All that, though, changed the every first day he raised his hands at Dylan.

"I can endure every kind of pain, but I can never endure seeing my son in pain." She had told him times without number.

But according to Pa. James, who strangely knew about his father, he was a king of a very far away land. He somehow found his mum and they had a child. But all of a sudden, he left without taking them along; why? Because he didn't deem it necessary. He only saw them as a liability.

"…but how thin he will feel when he finally sees you acting like the son of the man who you are? Proud, your father would be very proud of you, Dylan."

Going to school, Dylan walked with a vibe he never had. His head was swollen, his blood rushing, making his heart beat five times like it would normally do. And for the first time, he actually hoped those guys would call him, which they did.

It was during closing, and due to his mother's job, she always come to pick him late, which was the time those guys let him do their dirty works.

This time, they told him they were broke and asked for some money. Dylan claimed he had no cash, so they suggested a great idea, Steal from a shop.

But after seeing Dylan stand there for a minute, which was not like he normally did, they looked confused.

"Didn't you hear me? Go get it for us before five minutes or we'll give you the beating of your life." The leader of the three said.

Dylan clenched his fist, the word of Pa. James ringing in his mind, and the imaginary image of his father appearing before him, he said.

"I no longer follow any of our orders. I am my own boss." He looked up and the three subconsciously took a few steps back. Just looking at those eyes, it was like they were seeing their death. Dylan slowly took a step forward, and the guys made a run for it. Sadly, the alleyway was too small for three obese kids to run through, one of them was left behind.

It was their leader, since he was the one at the front. And seeing Dylan's heavy foot moving toward him, he summoned courage and fought the sick feeling he was having inside of him.

"You think I'm scared of you shit?" He stood up and tried attacking Dylan but one of his teeth flew off as Dylan gave him a punch on the jaw, almost dislocating it.

Soon after his teeth flew out one by one as Dylan kept awarding him punch. Even after his mouth was empty of teeth, Dylan still didn't stop. It felt like he had lost his mind and the only think he could hear were Pa. James's words and the image of his father.

"Father would be happy with me," He thought as he kept swinging his fists.

Multiple times, the unfortunate boy tried to escape but was shocked bu Dylan's monstrous display of strength.

Dylan only remembered little details, but when he finally came back to his senses, he could only see an un moving badly beaten boy, with his hands and face covered in blood…

…The car came to a sudden halt, the force so great that both Dylan and Alex crashed out of the car.