That Old Thang

III | weaknesses.

Alyzai walked and walked until she was far away from what she considered to be home.

In her mind she kept thinking, where can I go?, but this was a question she couldn't even remember the answer to. When Jaimir first brought her to the house years ago, she swore she was going back home. Her plans were quickly demolished right in her head when they started piling things inside her room. Jaimir figured he was giving her everything she wanted; television for entertainment, Sajai was a paid companion, shopping sprees, whatever food she felt she craved, and even a dog- that Jaimir later killed for shitting on his carpet. Back then, that's all Alyzai wanted. Now, she wanted to see her mother again, she wanted comfort without invisible chains tied to her ankles, and real friends. All which Jaimir couldn't give her without consequence.

Alyzai looked back for the first time, noticing that "home" was gone. She had no choice but to keep walking forward to wherever she thought she was going. The idea was stupid now that she realized that she hadn't planned anything out before taking action.

She shook her head at herself before continuing her route up the street where the once quiet atmosphere turned into a busy city-life scene.

Jaimir had warned her about these parts because that is where all the sex trafficking and kidnapping took place.

Alyzai swallowed hard, fear starting to become evident as she crept up the street with her arms folded. She tried hard to appear fearless but when any sound took her off guard, she shook like leaf blowing in the wind. She quickened her pace, her goal now to get out of the area.

Large buildings towered up into the skies, people lingering the streets to talk or just stand as if they were waiting on the bus. Litter was scattered over the ground, dim store lights being outshone by the midday sun as birds landed soundly on top of them. Alyzai looked like a splash of paint on a canvas that was all white as she tried to find her route.

Suddenly, a black car she recognized slowed down beside her as she continued to walk. The dark, tinted windows made it hard to see who was inside until the driver's window rolled down. She stopped walking when she saw Linx.

"Are you trying to get yourself fuckin' killed?" He asked, opening the door aggressively before getting out.

Alyzai rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "I wanted to get some air, some sun."

Linx grabbed her arm and tossed her towards the car as if she was dead weight. "Nobody wants to babysit your ass every time you feel like you wanna get out. Get in the car, Alyzai." He demanded.

Knowing that Linx would happily drag her in the car, she obeyed, getting into the backseat. "I don't need nobody to babysit me." Alyzai complained once he was inside the car.

"Well, stay in the fuckin' house like you're suppose to." Linx expressed in a stentorian tone that made her heart fear him. That was just Linx though, he was a man to fear. "You think people gon' come out and save you every time you get too far? Niggas are dangerous but when it comes to Kase, that's the nigga you hope don't fuckin' find you while you out here."

"I don't know why y'all so scared of him. He makes y'all do his dirty-"

Linx turned around in his seat and looked at her. "It ain't fear, its respect."

***

Alyzai stomped into the house, her eyes focused on the living room as she tried to slam the door behind her- only for Linx to catch it before it could slam into the frame.

"And you can fix that fuckin' attitude." He demanded, tossing his keys into the island counter. "I'm the only one that should have an attitude right now."

Alyzai turned around, her face twisted up. "For what?"

"Because Jaimir called me to pick you up since he was too busy." Linx complained.

"I don't know why you don't like me-"

Linx scoffed, cutting her off. "Why don't I like you? You're a spoiled ass female that wants everything handed to her and considering we saved your life, you'd think you'd feel a little more... I don't know... indebted to holding your end of the deal you witnessed get made. And so every time you feel that you're entitled to getting out, I have to come get you."

Alyzai rolled her eyes.

"And don't say you didn't ask to be saved because you literally begged. If it wasn't for Jaimir, you'd be dead because I would've killed you myself." Linx snapped.

"Okay well kill me!" Alyzai yelled out, stomping over to him. "You think I wanna be sucha' big ass burden on y'all? Hell nah. I wanna live my own damn life. So since it's sooo much trouble-"

Click. Linx had a gun aimed at her mouth before she could even finish her sentence. "Shut the fuck up, Alyzai." He told her, glaring into her soul with his deep brown eyes. "And I won't say it again, because if you think for a second I won't really kill you then you've learned about me nothin' over the years."

Alyzai sat in the living room, looking over the all the pictures on the wall of Linx and his siblings. The living room was one of those old- schooled styled settings with the plastic on the couch and the plants that had to be taken care of daily just to stay alive in the old candy smelling environment. In the pictures, Linx was smaller with much less facial hair and a soft smile that she couldn't even imagine on his hard face. Visiting his grandmother's house was like seeing a whole different side to him that she feared would be the death of her if she ever was to open her mouth about it.

Suddenly, a loud scream rippled from the back where Linx had gone only minutes before.

Bang, bang, bang! The sound of the automatic pistol sounded loudly after the scream.

"Please don't! Lixon, please- ahh!"

Sounds of stumbling, objects falling, and struggling could be heard from the other end. Alyzai stared blankly, fear laced in her heavy beating heart as she tried to decipher what could possibly be going on in the other room.

Bang! The final shot sounded before all other noises ceased. Linx came out, blood splatter over his face and clothes, giving Alyzai one look before heading out.

Neither said anything as she got up and followed him out to the candy red car that he had purposely took the license plate off of.

Once inside, Alyzai opened her mouth to talk but quickly shut it as Linx pulled off his blood stained tee and wiped the blood off his face- holding it there for a while as he took a few deep breaths. She could hear him mumbling "no weakness" to himself over and over before he chucked the shirt in the backseat and pulled off. From that day on, Alyzai never brought it up again but she never forgot about it either.

"Now, go watch TV or somethin', I gotta make some calls." Linx said, putting the safety back on his gun and stuffing it in his pocket before pulling his cellphone out the other.

Alyzai turned away from him and walked into the living room, slumping down on the couch as she grabbed the remote and turned on the television. She knew she could never get too far without being pulled back- maybe that's what always gave her the urge to leave. But one day, they wouldn't come out to get her because she'd have a destination and when that happened, there'd be no more fears.