CHRONICLES

Every city has its peculiarity, something that makes it tick, something that makes it turn. Something that has become the way of life and part of the people who dwell in such cities, something that is always there but they barely see or merely whisper about. Things that if unleashed before a stranger, would portray the world upside down. Erton was a city like every other, small when compared to the neighboring cities but as lively as it could be. To the outside world, Erton was just an average city where nothing interesting ever happened, but to the neighboring towns and the inhabitants, the city was more than it seemed. Daryl was a teenager who lived in Erton with his family, they had been living in the city for as long as he could remember. His father was a policeman who headed a funny department, his mum a doctor in the City's largest hospital, and then there was his little Sister. The family lived in an area of the City Daryl would later know to be the safer part, the name of the district was actually "Saferinn" although there wasn't a single Inn in the entire area. As Daryl grew, he understood what life in the other parts of the City felt like. The people didn't live in fear but Daryl knew they should, the other parts of Erton was a hotbed for Mafia activities. Various Mafia Families dominated all other areas and even had several districts named after them. The major ones controlled multiple territories larger than Saferinn and had grown so powerful that Daryl's father once told him that they even controlled the police. The more Daryl grew, the more he understood the severity of Erton's condition. The bizarre ones weren't actually the other inhabitants of the City who had now taken Mafia activities as part of their daily lives, the bizarre ones were the inhabitants of Saferinn who somehow remained unaffected by the influence of these Mafias and that the Mafia Families also made no attempt to occupy the district. Every new day brought Daryl new questions and in most cases he received the same answers from his parents and teachers, "These things have been this way before we were even born..." or things like "It's just how they are, we've asked the same questions..." No matter what he asked or who he asked he had always gotten the same answers. And he made his resolve to find the answers he needed, he would uncover the very thing that made this City tick, the City's history. The truth, no matter how long it took him. Little did he know that he wouldn't just uncover these secrets, he would also stand at the very center of things beyond explanation. It was like every other day, dawn came and the sun rose gradually, the Smiths were up and about their usual morning routine, everyone got ready for the day and soon their car pulled out of the drive way. Daryl had a strange feeling, he felt like he was being watched. At first he thought a man was standing in the dark corners of his room, he could literarily feel the gaze and when he flicked on the lights, there was nothing there. Now when their car pulled out of the garage, he could sense or 'see' a silhouette that peered out from his room, shivers ran down his body. His school was located in Saferinn, very close to the district's border. He and his sister highlighted while their parents continued out of the district, they both worked outside the district. Daryl stood and watched the car depart, as soon as the car disappeared into the distance Daryl laughed. He could feel excitement coursing through his body, today was going to be different. Fun. He quickly made his way into the school grounds, he went straight to his favourite spot, where he met with his only two friends. Ray and Jimmy were like Daryl in every way and because of this, they got along very well. They had the same views about Erton, Jimmy didn't live within Saferinn and so he had perfect understanding of what life was like outside and today, he was taking his friends on a tour. "You are late." Jimmy turned towards the figure of Ray, he and Daryl already arrived over an hour ago. "I'm sorry..." Ray stuttered as he had always done. "I had to walk all the way you know." He bent over and tried to catch his breath, he was a chubby teenager that carried a heavy backpack. "I also got everything we need." "I bet all you got was food and junks we don't even need." Daryl sighed, the reaction on Ray's face showed his accusations were accurate. "When did we stop needing fu...." Ray was about to retort but Jimmy was done with their antics. "Enough. If we don't leave now we will never be able to make it out of the school premises." The other two froze at Jimmy's remark, the three quickly lightened Ray's backpack and made their way out of the school grounds. The three made it out of the district in no time, the border was marked by a huge church, the grounds of the cathedral went on. The church was a strange one, it no longer served religious activities, it merely housed a group of very hostile people Daryl and his friends were still investigating. Once they crossed over to the next district, a different feeling engulfed Daryl and Ray. Daryl didn't get to witness life outside Saferinn often and so he relished it each time. The air felt different, the factories in this particular district released constant smoke, the streets were very busy. It was the exact opposite of Saferinn. "This is Annadom, I live in the next district. My district, this one and two others are controlled by a wealthy business woman called Anna." Jimmy explained the state of things. "She heads the Mafia that dominates this part and many others, the Anna Family. Her foot soldiers are marked by the red bracelets on their wrists or ankles." At this point, Jimmy glanced at Ray. The later quickly ripped off the red bracelet on his wrist. "So do you witness a lot of g**g fights?" Daryl wanted to know, why would there be so much gangs but no conflicts. "The Families don't fight, at least not in places like this." Jimmy responded, but the dissatisfaction in Daryl's face lingered. "Okay. There are boundaries already, fights are only prone to occur when there are territory disputes. So in areas like this, everyone answers to Anna, why would they fight among themselves?" Jimmy tried to explain further. Daryl nodded, that was a better explanation. This meant that fights would rarely breakout in Annadom and if they did, they would be on very minor scales. The trio progressed deeper and deeper into the district, it was way larger than Saferinn and Daryl started to see he had underestimated the disparity between the districts. He asked more questions, soon Jimmy could no longer provide answers, Daryl's intuition was just too keen. While the three made their way through the City, Daryl kept having the feeling that he was being monitored. The sensation only grew with time, he was starting to panic. "I think we should head back now, we can continue some other time." That was Ray, he was starting to feel tired from all the walking. "Not yet Ray, we will soon. Just two more streets to see and we are done with Annadom." Jimmy assured his friend and quickly increased his pace. Just as they were about to cross the road, a bike suddenly popped out from a corner. It moved at a dangerous speed, the trio froze and watched as the reckless rider drove pass them. The rider was covered up in a full riding gear, the helmet was dark, the trio couldn't make out any of the rider's features. Before they could let out a sigh of relief, four SUVs raced after the bike. They made dangerous maneuver, the trio had to jump out of the way. The glasses were tinted, the three couldn't see a thing inside the vehicles and soon they were gone after the bike leaving nothing but skid marks in their wake. "Uh, what just happened?" Ray was still on the floor, he was already drenched in sweat. "I don't know." Jimmy coughed. "Let's find out." Daryl took flight, he was long gone before the others could restrain him. The chase headed the way they came, so he still had an idea of how to navigate his way round the blocks. "Daryl don't." Jimmy rose to his feet and called out after his friend. "What happens now?" Ray finally rose to his feet, he was breathing erratically. "What do we do?" "People who poke into Mafia business usually get missing. We have to go after him, we have to stop him." Jimmy dashed after Daryl. "Head back to school, if we don't call or return soon, alert the school!" He knew Ray couldn't keep up and so he quickly instructed Ray on what to do. Daryl could feel his heart race with excitement, as he made his way through the blocks, he could catch sight of the vehicles on the main road. "The road should lead down this alley." He calculated and swiftly made his turn. The entire world faded away as Kay rode. From his bike's side mirror, he could see his pursuers gradually closing in on him. He couldn't let that happen, he knew what would happen if he eventually got caught. His heart raced as he thought of the horror he would face, but then his fate became more and more bleak. "Braaaaammm." One of the vehicles rammed into him from behind, his hands failed and the bike fell, he was thrown off and he smacked into a steel container on the truck before him. He made impact head first and the sound of bone breaking filled his ears. A woman beside the road shrieked in horror, she had just witnessed a rider smack into raw steel, his helmet broke open, blood stained the point of impact. This rider should be dead. Should? Daryl who observed from a distance saw this rider rise to his feet, his face was partly deformed, his entire neck seemed out of place, he staggered like a zombie and looked around. The woman who shrieked fainted, no one came out, instead people locked their doors, they pulled down their window blinds, shops turned over the open indicators to closed. People parked their vehicles and locked the doors, turning their faces away That was when Daryl saw it, the red bracelets on both his wrists. As soon as the SUVs pulled over, the half dead figure suddenly sprung to life. His neck fell in place, his eyes stopped bulging, he dashed like an athlete and ran off the road, slipping in between houses. Daryl froze, he didn't believe his eyes. The rider should be dead, such impact should have destroyed his skull, all limbic functions should have seized. Various figures highlighted from the SUV, they all wore black suits, it had red hems. They had glasses on and they quickly surveyed the environment as they highlighted. Two of them approached the woman that fainted and carried her into one of the vehicles, they also carried the rider's bike and picked up every piece of the helmet. The vehicle zoomed off instantly. Daryl gasped and hid, the other figures ran after the rider. Daryl took a deep breath and took another route, he was determined to see how everything would play out. In no time the street resumed it's normal activities, the truck merely drove on, the SUVs were gone, when Jimmy arrived, it was like nothing happened. Kay kept on running, the pain in his head gradually reduced, his desire to live only amplified his strengths. His senses were amplified, he could hear every sound and his eyes picked out every detail around him. He was starving, everything was wrong. He reached a dead end, a deserted alley. There was no where to go, except the way he came. His path forward had been blocked by a fence, he could see the road on the other side, his other option was to leap over the fence. He moved back, took a deep breath and dashed towards the fence, he leaped when he got close enough, the height was inhuman. It was like he could defy gravity, he was already clear of the fence, he was half done with the inhuman feat. "Baaaaannngggg!" Birds fluttered in every direction, the bang resounded across the entire area. Kay's body dropped with a thud, he had been shot from behind. The bullet pierced his back and made it way out the other side, he struggled to rise to his feet. He crawled up to the fence, he pulled himself to his feet. He yelled in agony and turned back to face his pursuers, he no longer feared death, he was ready to die. "Why did you do it Kay, the Madame was starting to like you." One of the figures spoke, they all held small axes. The blade was red, matching their wrists. "I didn't steal the Madam's stash, no one will buy from me they all know who I work for..." Kay replied, blood streaked down from his lips. "What could I gain, it's a set up!" He went for his g*n and pulled it with one swift motion. "Don't be a fool Kay." One of the figures laughed and walked forward briskly. He was different, he wore a white texuedo and he had no weapon. "You have already made a mess, a woman had to be compelled and your little stunts round the city will cause a lot to contain. Come in now, quietly and let bygones be bygones. Worst case scenario you loose your protection." He also had glasses on, he used a red hat and had a walking stick. "Boss, you have to believe me." Kay was trembling, he reluctantly raised his g*n and pointed it at the figure. "My ammo..." He stuttered. "It's white!" Daryl who was hiding behind a garbage can on the other side of the tall fence furrowed his eyes, he had witnessed everything from the very beginning from the other side of the fence. He had seen Kay attempt that impossible jump, the g*n shot that was too precise to be through, the current fact that Kay was still conscious it not even bleeding out and now "My ammo is white?" Just what does that mean. A laugh rocked the entire alley, Daryl was drawn back to the conflict on the other side of the fence once more. The figure in white laughed. "And so, I should be terrified?" He laughed louder. "You? Maybe, but me?" He shook his head. "You're finished, rat!" At this note, the figures beside him moved towards Kay. "Stay... Stay away from me!" He didn't know where to point his g*n, multiple figures approached him at once. "Damn it!" With one swift motion he pushed the g*n against his jaw and pulled the trigger. His lifeless body dropped with a thud, Daryl flinched and concealed himself behind the garbage.