Who We Become (Power Rangers Ninja Steel)

Chapter 17- Crashing Down

(February 1, 2009)

The day going so well should have been a glaring indicator something bad lay on the horizon.

But no.

That morning when the sun rose bright and cheery Aiden felt his heart rise with it. For several minutes he sat on the windowsill drinking in the quiet beauty of the morning. Birds chirped and beyond them the river gurgled in its banks. Closing his eyes, Aiden allowed himself to pretend he was still in his bedroom back home, not worn out on the streets with no idea what he was going to do next beyond trying to survive. It took longer than he wanted to admit to reconstruct the image of his old room in his mind's eye. He still didn't know exactly how much time had passed since he'd run away, but he didn't live under a rock enough to not notice that the city had set up and tore down Christmas decorations twice since he'd been there. . .

A foghorn sounded from the direction of the river jolting Aiden out of his imagination. His eyes swept the dusty floor- that never seemed to be clean no matter how many times he swept- his few possessions lining the walls, the stains and holes in his not-quite-fitting clothes, a couple ripped bags storing a limited amount of food . . . Sighing Aiden grabbed a clean(er) shirt from his stash and pulled it over his head. He then snagged a baseball cap that'd been laying near his sleeping bag.

'You know what,' The sun outside called beckoningly, 'Screw this. I'm going to enjoy the day for once.' To be able to act like a kid again, even if for just a couple hours. Not an orphan, not homeless, and not like one who may or may not have a gang looking for him. Was that really so much to ask?

In hindsight yes, yes it was.

But not knowing that at the time Aiden found a windbreaker that looked relatively clean and tossed his rope ladder over the railing. Hand over hand he lowered himself to the ground. The cool morning air tugged him forward toward the river. Though no one appeared to be around, like usual, Aiden pulled his hood over his head. The jacket helped to hide the shaggy mess his hair had become, as well as his scrawny frame that came from never knowing where his next meal would be found.

Yet those worries faded as Aiden scrambled over rocks lining the river. Finding a large one he sat down and scooped up a handful of pebbles. One by one he tossed them into the water with a variety of satisfying plops. Some of the flatter ones he attempted to skip, though those usually ended as disappointing splashes.

Eventually growing bored of the river, Aiden wandered his way over the bridge and deeper into the city. Many other pedestrians filled the sidewalks. A few questioning glances were sent his way but Aiden held his head high. He slipped to the edges of larger groups walking about to pretend he was 'with' them. After that if anyone gave him a second glance it quickly disappeared in the shuffle of bodies.

Continuing to trade 'chaperones,' he meandered through the streets. The intact buildings around him were a stark contrast from well-worn and broken down ones that usually surrounded Aiden. He frowned, suddenly missing his old bike. Distance was much less manageable without it. He'd even had to give up going to the dojo since the longer route around the Dragon's territory wasn't worth the hour or so lesson time. Sighing again, Aiden slipped back into whatever optimism woke him that morning to encourage him onward.

A few hours later Aiden passed a small park just as his stomach grumbled. Deciding to sit, he found a bench. From his pocket he pulled out a granola bar and slowly savored each bite. When he finished he continued to sit and watch people walk by. 'I almost forgot what it's like to have somewhere to be.' A part of him even missed school. Pulling his knees to his chest, Aiden tried to keep his dreary thoughts at bay. 'I'm outside to actually enjoy myself for once. You can be sad later.' So he let himself soak up the warmth for a while longer.