Читать книгу Ghetto Girls Too - Anthony Whyte - Страница 11

SIX

In the annals of what remained of his wits, cannons bellowed. Don’t make me die, Lord, I wanna live. He heard words cocked and reloaded in his mind but no sounds shot past his swollen lips. Instead, he choked when the pain became unbearable. Blood dripped from his mouth.

Lil′ Long tried to hold on. This is just too hard. Internally, it felt as if bells were ringing loud in his head but he remained unable to scream or communicate. His head pounded so hard that Lil’ Long closed his eyes. He stopped resisting.

A shadowy figure whose eyes he couldn’t see approached him. He strained through the darkness trying to identify the figure. It was a familiar one, he was sure. Lil’ Long wanted to rise but couldn’t move. His mind became preoccupied with the activity. His facial muscles contorted into a silly grin. He knew he was no longer in charge of his movements. Darkness overshadowed every move but just beyond, something shone bright. The figure reached out and Lil’ Long dragged himself to the light.

There was the ease of a cool breeze against his face. He could speak again but no one could hear him. The cold wind swirled cradling him. Wrapped in a blanket of wind, Lil’ Long hung in mid-air on a wild spinning ride. Suddenly, he was in an amusement park laughing loudly. Though no sounds were heard, he felt a fascinating high.

Way up there with the birds, he could see his mother waving at him. Decked out in her Sunday best, her mouth opened as she attempted to tell him something. Nodding occasionally, Lil’ Long pretended to be interested in what she had to say but he did-n’t hear a thing. He really wasn’t trying to hear her.

The wind swooshed and swept him past her. He saw his best friend, Vulcha. They were kids again, running and chasing each other, chasing pretty girls in skirts. Then Lil’ Long watched while everyone disappeared from around him. Bars encircled him and once again, he was alone.

A burning sensation hit him. Lil’ Long tried but couldn’t block the pain. He dropped and felt his body throb and ache from the pain. Searing heat penetrated his fallen body, scorching flesh and everything else in its path. I’ll make ‘em suffer. I will torment their souls on earth and in hell. Death’s gonna be my revenge.

He peeped through blood and sweat then fretted silently when his body refused the command from his brain to motivate. It seemed like it was too late and he had no other plans. There would be no backup today. A profusion of sweat appeared along with thick blood. His thoughts faded in and out.

A look of determination contorted his features. Lil′ Long wanted to hang on. He knew he would if only he could bear the intense pain that came with each breath. He sighed heavy and summoned all his energy for this last ride. No matter how hard he tried, Lil’ Long still felt the life seeping through his bones.

The wind warmed. Lil’ Long’s thoughts fought back groggily from the edge. Blinking while twisting back and forth, he could see lights. Their brightness made him dizzy with pleasure. His lips parched, Lil’ long reached out to soothe the dryness. Leg irons and handcuffs restrained him making the task an impossible one.

Neither chains nor handcuffs gonna hold the kid back. I refuse to die. You can’t hold me down forever. Lil’ Long summoned strength through the fury of his thoughts. He gritted his teeth against the revenge he sought. I’m gonna make them pay. They will pay for Vulcha’s death and all this suffering they made me go through. I’m gonna get at them soon.

His thoughts offered some consolation against the pain his body felt. The idea of retaliation fueled a frantic desire to recover from his injuries. Lil’ Long desperately wanted to punish those he thought responsible for his present condition. His harnessed hatred worked like Novocain against physical pain. Mentally, he rejoiced when he knew that he had a chance to live. Lil’ Long’s plea was a whisper, “Yeah, I’m coming for y’all.”

“He’s going into shock again. Let’s move quickly or we’re gonna lose him,” a resident yelled as the elevator stopped in the lobby.