I dropped beside him lost for words. I struggled awkwardly to roll my arm over his shoulder and bring him close. I didn't know what to do I'd never comforted someone before, it was bad enough he was crying.
I had only seen his mother a few times, but whenever I saw her she was very quiet. Though not mousy and meek like my mom, she walked with confidence and had a demeanor about her that garnered respect. I always found it odd because she lived in a shelter, it wasn't necessarily Hollywood. She was polite and kept Hakeem very close and on a tight leash, in fact it was odd that she allowed him to go to the river today.
"What happened?"
He wiped his face and took a deep breath. He moved my arm from over his shoulder and stood up shaking his head. "Don't worry it's not your problem, it's mine!"
"Hakeem, if someone kidnapped your mom we need to let the police know..."
He shook his head trembling. "Look, it's not your problem anyway, they just want me..."
"Why!" I stood up tired of the games. He snapped back with widened eyes, throwing his arms up as if to protect himself. I sighed and pulled his arms down. "Why would someone kidnap your mom...and why do they want you?"
He looked around and grabbed my arm. He dragged me out of the room and pulled me down the hall until we came by the janitor's closet. He opened the door to the small four-foot-wide by four-foot-deep space and pulled me in, pulling the thin chain that clicked the light on.
I nervously stared face to face with him and felt a strange feeling in my stomach. The tight space was starting to get to me and I began to feel the flicker of flash backs of that night with Charlie. My hands began to sweat and tremble, I shoved them in my pockets.
"Look, I'm sorry I know this is awkward, but I don't know who to trust...I...I think I can trust you but. It doesn't matter now," he shook his head his eyes searching the ground, he was really out of it, more then usual. "I'm really not from this world Rai,"
I sighed losing all respect for him. And just like that my angst, fear, and nervousness was gone, consumed and overwhelmed by the fact that I wanted to strangle him. "Are you kidding me, this again!" I lunged to push him.
He stopped me as his hands began to change. The sound of muscles popping and snapping, and his finger nails lengthening into claws, put me on my heels. He looked up with large amber eyes, larger than a human's. He was starting to sweat fighting a change that I knew for a fact I wouldn't be able to take.
He began taking deep breaths as his body slowed and the change began to revert him back to his normal self. His eyes became dark brown again and the hand that reached out towards me became his small thin hands.
"WHAT...WHAT THE HELL!"
"SHH...Rai, shut up," he looked around the closet like they were in a large auditorium filled with people who could have heard them. He peaked out of the closet and slowly snapped it shut again.
"You need to explain to me now, what the hell is going on Hakeem...what are you?" I whispered.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry I freaked you out, but you're the one that didn't believe me, remember?"
I shook my head and opened the door to the closet. He grabbed my shoulder as I immediately shrugged it off. "Don't touch me!"
"I'm sorry...can we please go somewhere quiet?"
"I'm not going back in that closet," a chill ran down my back. I closed my eyes trying to calm myself.
He nodded.
I stayed a step behind him as we walked back inside the bunk area. It was oddly quiet, and no one was around, perfect I guess. He made his way to one of few windows in the room and stared silently, his sweater seemed overly stretched and the seams had torn in certain areas from the stress his body put on it, during...whatever that was happening.
"So...spit it out," I choked nervous to speak myself.
He nodded.
"I know it's hard to believe," he whispered getting closer. His eyes were watering, gleaming with plea. "but Rai, I'm not from this world. My worlds called Ermak."
I took into consideration that he was about to become a monster, but maybe it was the little girl in me that took over, that forced my older soul aside. "are you really a monster...or are you an alien?" my voice quivered.
I ignored the fact that I just found out I myself was in a similar predicament, but he didn't know that. I had all the cards in my hand. Playing the scared little girl card worked for the moment and besides, I was scared half to death.
"My people, my world is filled with people that can change. My race or kind I guess you would call it here, come from royalty. I'm a Leo."
I shook my head still not getting it. "What does that actually mean?"
"I can change into a humanoid Lion, and in my society I'm a prince." He whispered.
I stepped closer glaring into his eyes. He didn't waver, but I couldn't help it. "Bullshit!"
"Rai,"
"I believe your not from this world, I believe your some kind of monster but Hakeem your not a prince of anything...what the heck are doing in the bottomless streets of Detroit with your mother walking around with clothes that you obviously found in the salvation army," I stood up taking a deep breath as I let my fingers course through the long strands of my hair trying to take it all in. "Bullshit,"
He was silent leaning against the window. He bit his bottom lip and ran off again. I couldn't say anything, what could I say? This was insane, I couldn't believe it, was this some kind of a sick joke?
I went back to my bunk and laid on my mom's bed. Of course, she was gone, probably out with Gary. Stupid Gary. Stupid mom, I wondered how it was possible for someone to be so irresponsible and desperate to have a child. But I knew it wasn't always like this, I just hated that this was the new her. The new mom created by circumstances, events, and this messed up environment that is the world.
I thought about the conversation the three of us had back in my mind, in that strange place where I could always find Mizzy. I thought about what she said about us influencing the world and everyone in it. If that was true, I wanted to change everything. Change it in a way where we didn't have to live off the streets, live in a stupid shelter, live off food donations. If I really had this power, I could make this world mine!
"Rai,"
I looked up as Hakeem came rushing through the bunk beds. He had a bookbag tight to his back, his eyes frantic and out of breath. He bent over looking up with desperation. "Yea?"
"I know you don't believe me, and I know you don't think I'm cool or brave...I don't really know how to say this, but I'm going after my mom and if I don't come back...I," out of his nervous rambling he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. He pulled back quickly and defensively expecting me to reply with a heavy smack to the face. "I just want to say I really like you...and you're the first friend I had in a long time."
My stomach filled with a strange fluttering as I could feel my skin and under arms tangle. My eyes instantly went to the right corner of the room as I fought back a smile. My lips trembled. "How are you going to do it!" I yelled. I had no other way to respond. It took him by surprise.
"They left me an address," he pulled out the piece of wrinkled printer paper he had earlier and handed it to me.
It gave an address, to be there by 6:30pm, and advised to come alone. I swallowed hard wanting to wait for my mother to come back. She'd know what to do. My hands trembled at the realization of the situation, and I wondered if letting him go was smart. "Hakeem, we should wait for my mom."
He swallowed hard and nodded. Gently taking the piece of paper from my hand. "Thanks Rai, for everything," he nodded an acceptance and gently took the paper from my grasp. He stuffed it in his pocket and pulled the backpack tight to his shoulders. "I really hope someday; you and your mom find your way out of here...and that you smile all the time, not just once in a while." He nodded looking away.
I tightened my fist and rose from the bed. I grabbed my raggedy book back and stuffed it with chips and a bottled water that was stashed under my pillow. He looked on confused. "Don't give me that stupid look, we've been screwing around for the last 30 hours." I tightened my sneakers and threw on my old hoody. "Don't blame me if your mom's dead..."
His eyes widened, and he hugged me tightly. I gave him 3 seconds before I shrugged him off. "Thank you, Rai, really!"
"Don't thank me yet, I don't know what two seven-year olds are going to do. How are we even going to get there?"
He nodded. "I bet someone at the front desk knows."
I nodded as we made our way out with backpacks ready to go. I wanted to check with Mizzy, but now wasn't the time or the place. I decided to support Hakeem, and I wasn't going to back out now.
A plump tan women with dirty blond hair sat at the front desk. Her mouth hung ajar as she read a magazine keeping her face down. I wasn't sure if she just ignored us or hoped we would go away, but she didn't pay us any mind until Hakeem coughed obnoxiously.
"Hey,"
She looked up with widened pale blue eyes. "Yea, what are you kiddies looking for?"
He grabbed a pin and wrote the address down on one of the dozens of sticky notes that clung to the desk and pushed it to her.
She looked at the address with a repulsive glare, then put on her glasses. "Well this can't be right...6199 concord ave?" We looked at each other then back at her with a nod. "Well all your going to find there is the old Packard auto plant, nothing but an abandoned warehouse?"
My stomach turned in knots, but Hakeem's expression soured, I thought he was going to vomit. The Packard auto plant was easily an hour and a half walk, but probably a five to ten-minute taxi ride. The only thought was who would give two kids a ride to an abandoned plant...then again, this was Detroit.
He stepped back from the women who shrugged ff his expression and headed down the hall to the main entrance. I trailed behind confused.
"Hakeem, what are we going to do, we're not gonna make it in time?"
He was silent, deep in thought. We went through the double doors of the shelter and headed down the stone steps that lead to the sidewalk. He watched the streets closely as cars zipped by, and then finally began waving a taxi down.
"Hakeem, we aren't gonna get a ride!"
He shook his head. "You don't know your own city...or people, Rai?"
The taxi zipped over sliding down the edges of the sidewalk. I shook my head, knowing as soon as the driver would see us, they would drive off. Hakeem swung the back door open, as if he was trying to rip the door off the hinges.
"Hey what the hell is wrong with you kid, easy, this is my living!" he glared back as we got in and immediately smirked in disbelief. "Alright, you little jerks, get out, now!"
"See, I told you!" I sighed.
"No," Hakeem shook his head, digging in his back pocket. He pulled out a large wad of paper, at first it was too dark to see until I saw the wrinkled face of Benjamin Franklin. The expression Ben had was probably like my own if I could see it.
"Are you shitting me?" I was lost for words as he handed the man a hundred-dollar bill.
He graciously took it with a greedy smile. "Where to kid?" he chuckled under his cigarette drenched breath.
"Packard auto plant..." Hakeem replied with a stern voice. There was something different about his tone, something different about his energy too.
"You got it!"
I slammed the door closed, waiting for a response from him. Why the hell did he have a wad of hundred-dollar bills, where did he get a wad of hundred-dollar bills? And if he had that kind of money why was he hanging in the shelter? Something deep down told me to shut-up and not say a word.
The sound of rain began to patter over the taxi and lightly drench the windshield. Hakeem's hand shook, his finger nails slowly lengthening into claws. I was beyond afraid, and it was no longer related to the situation, but Hakeem's state of mind.