Chapter 1: Close Encounters
The elegantly furnished cream-and-gold room was disturbingly quiet except for an occasional sniffle or soft sob. The large group of people watched the young petite figure, which began to rise from her place at the front of the room.
For a moment, Celeste Morgan braced herself against the plush, high-backed chair, then she stood. The short walk from her seat to the imposing mahogany stand seemed to take forever. Briefly, Celeste braced the side of the stand with her palms, willing herself not to faint. Clearing he throat, she looked across the sea of people who filled the lovely room in the Wilson's Funeral Home.
"Um...Uh, I wanna...want to thank you all for being here today." She managed.
"It would've meant a lot to..." She tried to say more, but words failed her. They were replaced by a sob rising in her throat.
Sherrie Morgan moved from her seat and hurried to her daughter's side, carrying baby Tatiyana in her arms. Concern was clear in her lovely brown eyes as she watched Celeste struggle to maintain her impassive demeanor.
"Raymond would've appreciated you all being here today...I'm sure I can speak for everyone when I say we'll miss him very much." Sherrie stated meekly, wiping the dripping tears from her cheeks.
Celeste wasn't sure how much longer she could hold her emotions in check. It wasn't long before she rushed from behind the podium, leaving through a side door near the back of the room.
That was more than three years ago and life has never been the same. Celeste could honestly say that her life had actually gotten worst. Her mother had remarried not more than a year after her father's death to some repulsive jerk she claimed she had fallen in love with. But Celeste knew that wasn't true. The jerk her mother claimed to "love" had brainwashed her into believing that she could love another man besides Raymond Morgan.
Celeste wiped the tear from under her eye and jammed a few clothes into her duffel bag in a hasty fashion. She glanced around the room for something she may have forgot. Her eyes landed upon a silver-framed photo. Celeste scurried over to her vanity mirror hugging the picture against her heart. How could she have almost forgot the one most important thing in her life?
A key shifted interrupting Celeste's emotional state.
"Celeste get down here!" She heard her stepfather's deep voice soar up the stairs.
Celeste cursed, realizing that she was running out of time. She rapidly scooped her puppy in her arms, safely tucked the frame in the bag, and tossed her duffel bag over her shoulder before proceeding to climb down the ladder that lead to the ground.
Upon reaching the ground, she sighed in relief. She was finally released from a restricted style of living with her oppressive stepfather. Celeste walked off the lawn without a backward glance. She walked briskly down the street, making sure no one noticed her as she passed by.
Celeste stopped in her tracks as she reached the corner of her street. This was it. There was no turning back. "God please take care of them." She was referring to her mother and little sister, Tatiyana. Hopefully, her mother would finally realize that this was not the right life for her. Tatiyana didn't deserve to live like that.
The thunder roared violently as the sky filled with darkness and heavy raindrops poured rapidly.
"Damn it." Celeste hovered the umbrella over her head.
She turned on her heel, walking briskly back down the sidewalk. She couldn't leave her sister. She wouldn't leave her. Celeste ventured toward the backyard hiding her bag in the bushes. She took her key out and opened the back door.
"Where the hell have you been young lady?" He asked sharply.
"I was outside tending to my garden. Why?" Celeste answered back in the same tone he delivered.
"Don't you sass me girl. Maybe you got away with that shit with the old man, but not with me."
Celeste narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't you talk about my father! You have no right to even utter his name from your lips. You will never be half the man he is!" And with that said she stalked away toward her room. God I'll be so happy when I'm out of this hellhole! I hate- Her thoughts were ceased when she was pulled back roughly by her arm.
"Frank let her go!" Sherrie shouted walking into the kitchen.
"No Sherrie. She has to learn that I ain't Ray. I don't take none of this shit."
"Frank!" Sherrie repeated sternly, coming further into the kitchen. "I said let her go now."
Frank rolled his eyes and released her momentarily knocking her off balance.
"You okay baby." Sherrie rubbed her daughters arm. "Go to your room I'll be in to talk to you in a minute."
Celeste nodded her head and retreated to her room, but not before glaring at Frank.
"I didn't like you doing that Sherrie. That girl has to learn some discipline."
"Frank she's 19 years old. She's not a girl anymore. Celeste is old enough to make her own decisions." Sherrie explained firmly.
"Yeah whatever I'm going to watch the game. You tell your daughters not to bother me either...my children would never disrespect me like that. Ray musta been some pussy." He stated with a hint of laughter.
Sherrie cringed with anger at his declaration of her dead husband, "Don't talk about him like that. Ray loved his daughters with all his heart and they loved him too."
Unfortunately, her younger daughter had the misfortune of not remembering her father too well, because he died when she was only an infant.
"Okay Sherrie..." Frank rolled his eyes and retreated to the basement.
Sherrie sighed heavily. She knew what she had to do.
"Ugh I can't stand him!" Celeste huffed into her pillow.
"Cee." A small voice called from a distance.
Celeste turned around to face her three year-old sister, Tatiyana, "Yeah Tati."
"Why you mad? I hear you yell." Tatiyana clutched her teddy bear to her chest. Although, Tatiyana was very young when their father had passed, Celeste made sure she knew that bastard Frank was not her father.
"Yeah." Celeste stated simply, packing an extra bag of stuff in case she needed it.
"You go out?" Tatiyana moved closer to the bed.
Celeste nodded.
"Me go too." Tatiyana tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and gazed up at her sister sadly.
"Okay you go too." Celeste smiled slightly. Tatiyana did always know how to brighten her mood.
Celeste sat on the bed, "Come ere' Tati." She placed her sister on her lap.
"If you come, we won't come back." Celeste spoke slowly hoping she understood.
"No come back? No Frank?" Tatiyana cocked her head to the side questionably.
Celeste nodded.
"Mommy go too?"
"No. Unfortunately." Celeste sighed.
"We go." She frowned but then smiled.
Tatiyana slid from her sister's lap and ran into her room coming back with her empty overnight bag dragging behind her, "Ready."
Celeste laughed and shook her head, "Let's go." Grabbing her tiny hand she led the way through the bathroom to Tatiyana's room, which was on the other side of hers. Sometimes she would leave the door open so she could check on her at night.
"Where we go?"
"I don't know."
~*~*~*~
Somewhere else in New York City…
The crowd of unruly men roared loudly as Justin "Timberwolve" Timberlake smashed his fist into his opponents left jaw. He bobbed and weaved as his opponent attempted to jab him in the ribs. Justin swung again with his wrapped hands; swift punches to the head, ribs, anywhere he could get a hit. His opponent moaned as fresh blood spurted from his bruised mouth and spilled down his chin. Justin hadn't escaped untouched from this fight, a badly swollen black eye and several jabs to his torso, verified his harmed physical state. But he certainly was better off in comparison to the other man.
Eric "Butterfly" Johnson crashed to the filthy, off white floor of the boxing ring. He thrashed about, clutching his stomach in obvious pain. The bulky, twenty- something year old pushed himself up from the floor, trying to ignore the ever increasing levels of pain that shot through his body. After leaning on the thick red and blue ropes for support, Eric was able to make his way back into the middle of the ring. Despite the fact that his coach was yelling at him the whole time, Butterfly lifted his fist slowly in the air ready to attempt at defending himself again.
Justin sneered at the man, from beneath a threatening arched brow. He pranced about the ring back and forth on his toes like a real pro, his fist high in the air, just waiting for the other guy to drop. But he didn't and Justin knew he had a stubborn asshole on his hands, What the fuck is up with this guy? He was going to have to go for the cold-hearted finish. This was not going to be pretty, but Oh well.
Justin jabbed him a couple of times in the ribs, making sure he struck the weaker spots on his opponent's body. One Punch, two jabs, uppercuts, right hook, left hook, everything in the book except eye gouging, turned this fight into a bloody chaos.
"Butterfly" Johnson swayed but didn't quite fall much to Justin's disappointment. Am I going to have to kill this guy? Although it was underground fighting and death was legal, Justin didn't want to be stuck with the fact that he killed a man weighing over his head. His competitor suddenly began to falter, stumbling from side to side. Justin sighed and stepped back allowing him to fall to the ground, unable to take it anymore.
After a very speedy countdown, a poor-substitute for a referee waddled over to Justin, grasped Justin's left wrist and hoisted it in the air. "The winner is Justin the Timbeeeeerwooolve!" He turned around in a circle, showing the latest champ off to the screaming crowd.
Justin climbed out of the ring, the low chant of "Timberwolve, Timberwolve, Timberwolve…" burning his ears as he passed by. He veered off to his left through the crowds alone as he pushed his way through the steel doors. But the truth was that he wanted to get as far as he could away from this "dump", as fast as he could.