Chapter 1 - The Accident
The house was filled with giggles from a lovely cute seven-year-old girl. Her brother, twenty-two-year-old Louis, was playing with her, making her fly across the modest house whilst their mother smiled warmly at them as she kept ironing clothes. They were a small family, their father had left years ago, when sweet Emily was born, leaving them struggling to make ends meet. They weren’t a complete family, but they were a happy one. Louis had left high school to start working and help his mother, juggling between his job and his own social life. Despite that all the money he made was to his family, he didn’t complain. He loved his mother and little sister with all his heart and he would do anything to help them to have a decent life. His mother did the laundry and ironing for other families in the city whilst she still took care of the house and Emily. Louis had to become the man of the house at fifteen and he was okay with that, he didn’t even hate his father that much anymore. They were happy, they didn’t have enough money, but they had each other.
“Put me down!” Emily said still giggling.
“Oh, you don’t want to fly like the little angel you are?” Louis asked, still holding her high and spinning around with her. “I thought you wanted to fly.”
“I’m getting dizzy!” She laughed and so did Louis before putting her down and giving her a big hug.
“Okay, the flying lessons are over but you need to do your homework,” he told her holding his weight on his knee and messing with her short brown hair. Emily didn’t want to have long hair like her mother, she wanted her hair just like Louis, so every time Helena, their mother, cut his hair, she had to cut Emily’s, as well. Louis was the light in Emily’s eyes, and Emily was the light in Louis’ eyes.
“But homework is so boring! You don’t do homework,” she pouted and he laughed.
“That’s because I work now, which reminds me… I gotta go. Be a good girl,” he instructed leaning in to kiss Emily’s forehead.
“Be home early!” Emily asked him and he smiled only, but he didn’t promise anything.
Louis had a job at a diner and he worked until late, but after that he didn’t go back to home, he had other plans.
He rose to his feet and said goodbye to his mother, who begged him to be careful. She knew the plans he had after his shift was over, but she didn’t say anything out loud so Emily wouldn’t hear them.
“I’ll be fine, Mum. Don’t worry,” he promised with a big smile before kissing her cheek and leaving the house, grabbing the keys to his bike and his denim jacket. The helmet was already on his bike so he just hopped on and drove to the diner, ready to work for the whole day.
+ + + + +
His shift was finally over and he was exhausted, but he still had to go somewhere else, where all his mates were waiting for him. None of those lads knew him from high school, they were just people he met one night when went he went out running, overwhelmed for all the responsibilities he had, desperate because he saw his mother crying, heartbroken because his little sister didn’t have a father anymore. He had gone out, running, screaming under the rain when a gang of bikers found him. That night he thought he was going to die, that they were going to kill him or something, but incredibly, they helped him, and welcomed him in their gang.
He learnt so much with them about bikes and they helped him to get his and to repair it until it was great. They taught him to ride one and they took Louis to night races where he could make a little bit of extra money. They were Louis’ second family.
So after his shift he would always go to them. He loved his family and he was content with his life, but it was nice to go there and forget about all his responsibilities for a while, for a couple of hours. After all, he was just a twenty-two-year-old bloke; he was still so young. And the adrenaline of riding at night, when everyone was in their houses didn’t have equal.
Once he got to the warehouse where the gang met, he got off of his bike and walked towards the others. The fifteen members of the gang greeted him with smiles and nods of their heads and he only stopped next to Scott, the one who was almost like a father to Louis. He also believed he was like a son to Scott.
“How was your day, son?” Scott asked wrapping his arm around Louis in one tight and rough hug before letting him go.
“Long,” the blue-eyed boy replied with a shrug. “Rich kids get on my nerves.”
“On everyone’s nerves, Louis. They are like a plague,” Scott commented with a deep laugh. “Anyways, we have good news. There’s a race tonight and you can get a good amount of money. I’m sure your mother will make good use of it.”
“Emily needs new shoes. Hers have holes now,” Louis confessed. Out of the gang, only Scott new about Louis monetary issues at home.
“Then you’ll buy those new shoes tomorrow, son.”
After a while there, before checking all their bikes were at their finest, they left in group to the intersection where the race was going to take place. Louis was confident; he was a good biker. He learnt everything from Scott and he was the best.
Once they found the street they met with all the other gangs. They were loud, drinking, even fighting. Typical of riders at that time at night. Louis was used to it, he didn’t even flinch when two blokes jumped in front of him, fighting among themselves. Louis just drove past them and followed his own gang.
Twenty minutes later, he was ready to run. He was sure he was going to win, plus, the other biker had had a few beers already —he was quite drunk—, so he wasn’t at his fullest. Louis had heard of him, he was called Chains and he was a strong built man, all his head shaved and he had many tattoos. Emily would be so scared of him.
“Ready to lose, pretty boy?” Chains mocked him and Louis ignored him, didn’t even blink. “What? Your mummy ain’t let you talk to strangers?” The man insisted and Louis rolled his eyes.
“No, but I don’t allow myself to waste my time with brainless dicks.” He turned right just to give him a cocky smirk before focusing on the girl who was going to give the sign to start.
“I’m gonna finish ya tonight,” Chains promised and Louis only rolled his eyes. He had met so many like him before.
All the bikers were around, the excitement was in the sky, everyone shouting and trying to get even closer to see the race. The engines were roaring already and Louis was ready to win. The adrenaline tensed all his muscles and he knew that getting the victory that night would mean new shoes for Emily, a better life for her so no one would mess with her at school anymore. He would protect his little sister, he would look after her.
The bandana went down and Louis sprinted in one fluid movement, leaving Chains behind immediately. That was Louis speciality, a quick and unexpected start. But Chains was good, as well, he had a big and fast bike and although Louis was great, he didn’t have the money to enhance his bike all the time and that always played against him. Still, he did his best to keep the advantage he had won already.
He could see Chains getting closer and closer and he was riding at top speed, his bike couldn’t go faster. But it had to be enough, for Emily, it had to be enough.
But it wasn’t. Chains caught with him and not only that, he attacked Louis. Chains’ bike was larger than Louis' and he threw that at Louis, over and over again, to scare him. The blue-eyed boy tried to keep his balance, he fought to keep in track, but the moment Chains actually hit him with his leg, both lost it.
In a matter of seconds, Louis’ bike was on top of him, dragging him across the pavement, rolling over him, breaking all his bones, losing parts along the way. It seemed endless, like it was never going to stop, but it did, it finally did and Louis was still alive… barely. He didn’t even feel his body anymore, but he was conscious, he could see Chains with his bike on top of him as well a few metres away, still, not even screaming. Louis wasn’t screaming anymore, he didn’t feel anything.
He moved, or he tried to move and it was only then that he felt something, a pain so brutal that he screamed like he had never screamed. In agony, he looked at his body and saw something that froze his blood. A part of his bike was inside his body, passing through his torso, with blood bubbling like in a fountain.
But that wasn’t the worst part. That wasn’t all.
He also saw how the petrol tank was perforated and the petrol was dripping all over his body. That wasn't good, that was dangerous and if he didn’t move quickly, he was going to die, right there. But how could he move if he had a massive iron bar crossing his body and pinning him against the pavement?
He started to grow anxious, trying to move but it only hurt more and more and he started to actually feel how all his bones were broken, his legs in the most unnatural angle, his arms didn’t move. Not a single part of his body replied to his mental orders. He was trapped and no one was on their way. Chains and him were trapped there.
But then the worst happened: Chains’ bike exploded, a big and loud boom that probably everyone heard. That would bring the others, that would alert them of the accident… but it would be too late because by the time they would make it to where they were, Louis was going to be dead. He knew it. He had accepted it.
“Emily,” he whispered, thinking that he wasn’t going to buy her new shoes, that he wasn’t going to protect her from the evil kids at school. “Mum,” he called next. Who was going to help her at home? Who was going to bring money at home now? They needed him. They couldn’t be left alone. “I’m sorry,” he whined and the moment those words left his lips, his bike exploded too, taking his life with it, but not his love, not his responsibility, not his determination.
The explosion took the body, not the soul.
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So that's how Louis died... now you need to wait to see how the became a carrier. I'll probably update next chapter on Sunday. Tomorrow I update The Comeback!
At the sidebar, a picture of Emily.
Dedication to @BabyBrit17. I hope you like this story.
Bel, xx