Chapter 2
January 14, 2026 at 1:03 PM
The leader's head turned towards the boy in a slow manner. His sapphire blue eyes pierce into the boy, and a snarl comes across his scared lipped face. “What do you think”? The leader's eyes widen and his snarl turns into a sarcastic smile. The leader snickered at the boy who looked with horror on his face. The chicagoness in his voice shows as he answers the boy.
The boy begins to hyperventilate, his body shakes vigorously, tears start to run down his face. He whispers “ Ima gonna die, Ima gonna die, Ima gonna die”. Over and over again trying to make sense of what his life has been going to. He knew his life was going down the slums, not like it wasn’t going down hill before. His life has always been nothing but low. Now, it was going to get even lower.
The leader saw this, but he didn’t know what he was going to do with this boy. The boy was having the worst panic attack he has ever seen in his life. The boy's shaking body was against him.
The boy's hands shook in the middle of his lap. His breathing slowed, the tears slowly ceased but some still came down. He stuttered as he asked the man to his left “Sssso Ima aaa hostage th-th-thats it aint er?” He gulped while waiting for an answer. The leader chuckled as he said “Yes, you are boy” then he stopped laughing. He rolled his eyes while saying and sighing “unfortunately” The boy jerked his body to where he could see the leader easily.
He asked “So If’a ya dont want a hostage? Then just let me gos’. I promise I won’t tell nobodies ‘bout this.” The last part he whispered looking away as “becauses I have nobodies to tell.” The leader's face looked stern as he said, ruffly “Nobody? You don’t have a family or any friends”. The boy looks sad and answers with “Ya, weren't meant ta hear that, but yah I have nobodies in my life that really cares. Why shear a pig, why would I’s be tellin’ you this stuff”?
The boy puts his chin up in the air as he stares into the leader's stubborn facial features. The leader's veins in his neck seemed to pop as he asked “Why, I should ask your name shouldn’t I”? As he takes off his hat and runs his hand through his thick hair. Then the man that is on the boys right, just starts to giggle. The leader glares at the man and yells “ SHUT UP!” The man stops giggling and says “Yes, sir.” in a solemn face. He clicks his mouth and his eyes go wide and his nose flares. This shows a gesture meaning “Yeah I just did that didn’t I”. The man's head swings to look out the window.
The leader shoves his hat on his head and asks the boy “so, what is your name”? The boy answered with his head down and said in a whisper “Fletcher”.
