Death of a King

Chapter 2

Unfortunately, I was unlucky enough to be one of the few that was out past the first star in the sky. Sunset marked the time of the Tribe, a time when all knew better than to roam the streets.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, it was my alarm. I had ten minutes to get home.

Great.

Well, the fastest way to get home was through the alleys behind the town's main stores. The safe way was to go around, following the streetlights, but time wasn't really on my side and cutting through the alley would get me home in time for my curfew. And there was a twenty-four hour diner near the mouth of the ally, a safe haven for late night travelers who may not know the ways of our town.

That was enough to convince me of safety.

My options were limited so I jogged across the street and briskly strode down the sidewalk until the neon of the diner came into view. It was a small place, only big enough for a few tables indoors while a majority of guest seating was outside. The 'open' sign blinked rhythmically, flashing bright red against the dark of a night without stars. But the diner was relatively empty save for the one worker standing behind the counter, flipping through the pages of a magazine, and a lonely man sitting in a booth at the back of the building.

I turned to my right, facing the mouth of the alley. It was dark and foreboding and I knew in an instant that I would regret this in the morning. But the thought of giving my father one more thing to bitch about made my blood boil. That man angered me to no end. With that motivation burning behind my eyes, I took in a deep breath and stepped forward.

The first step wasn't hard, nor was the second. But I was no more than ten feet into the alley before I heard it. A distant rumble that vaguely resembled thunder. As it neared, I realized the sound didn't come from nature but something much more mechanical. Man made.

Then headlights burst to life across the street.

A lot of them.

My heart jumped into overdrive and my legs shook where I stood. At first I couldn't move, because I realized that I was wrong. The Tribe was in town. Whether that be because they were celebrating Dustin's release or just passing through on their way to meet him wherever the hell these mongrels called home, didn't really matter. What mattered was that they now sat directly across the street.

Beyond the lights, I could see several of them standing around their bikes though I couldn't make out any distinct features. But the one thing I could see, the one thing that I didn't want to see, was one of them strolling towards the man in the booth inside the diner. The man noticed him approaching and tried to flee, lurching for the back door, but he was caught without any success of escaping.

Then dragged outside.

And the whole lot of them, every last one, was coming my way.

To say I panicked would be an understatement. I ducked further into the alley but realized all too quickly that I wouldn't make it through before they arrived. So I reached an old dumpster and threw myself behind it, covering my mouth with my hand to silence my rapid breaths.

My thoughts turned to blurs, my muscles melted under the weight of my fear.

Voices echoed down the alley, hoots and hollers of both laughter and curses. I leaned further against the dumpster, ignoring the smell and grime to the best of my ability. To my left, where the dumpster was pressed against the wall, was a small crevice which showed me clear sight of the alley opening.

But what I saw defied logic.

It was Dustin King alright, I recognized him from the pictures on the news. Dressed only in a pair of dark jeans and a black shirt, I realized all too quickly that he must have just come from the prison. His release was only an hour ago. Late at night with the hopes that no one would be out for him to bother.