Flower in the rain

Telfima, The city that never sleeps. The streets buzzed with the sound of vehicles wooshing through the roads and the horns of cars stuck in traffic....the laughter of crowd and the loud noises from late night clubs. It was nearing midnight....Rain was falling and casting a haze over the bright neon lights emitting from the city.
The "Hanger's moore", a bar in the most shady alleys of the town was now playing host to him, the third hand of a Triad branch. Mr. Shai Lon. He was sipping his wine and staring unseeingly at the rain falling outside.
And there she was, walking in, wearing a taunting red dress and red stilletos to match....those long eyelashes that would blink every once in a while as she tilted her head this way and that to take in the surroundings. her black eyes only reflecting the hollow darkness inside. She spoke and the barman only noticed her red lips move. He gulped. She smiled.....somehow, that didn't seem to reach her eyes. She spoke again...Still the barman only gaped at her.
" A midnight blue for the lady." He spoke, breaking through the enchantment and the barman turned red.
" Right away sir, and you too ma'am."
She smiled and looked at him.
" Thanks for that." She said.
As a response, Lon only took off his hat and nodded.
" Shai Lon." He said, offering his hand.
Taking it, the girl responded,
" Daphne May'n."
" Daphne...." Lon said, giving a little peck on the wrist. " Its a beautiful name...Some what Naustalgic."
While they talked, the barman kept refilling their empty glasses.
And then it played.....that song that always taunted her one desire, that she had buried deep somewhere...at that point in time, both her, and Lon were lost in reveries far too deep to say anything....
" Late coming..."
She whispered.
" I'm sorry?" said Lon, starting.
" Its a very dear song." Said Daphne.
" Waiting to be taken back....I see..." He said, bitterly smiling. " Me too."
Daphne stared at him. He apologised for being so vague and said,
" I've waited a long time for someone to come show me a way back too." He smiled.
Daphne traced a finger around the rim of the half finished martini.
" Its different for me." She said, and Lon noticed the flicker of the candle light in her eyes and the hilt of a dagger and a gun in her belt.. " I've lost that thread that leads back a long long time ago."
She got up from the stool and leaving a few gold coins at the table, disappeared in the rain.
" A fallen star eh?" He smiled to himself, " Would that make me a demon myself?"
The phone buzzed and he picked it up.
"I'll be there in a few minutes." He said shortly, and stood up. He gave one last look at the guy playing the saxophone and left the bar and the soft "chime" of glasses behind as he shut the door behind him.
The rain fell on his face strong and cold. But he felt nothing but calmness. His life has been bordering on illusions far too long.. this rain was like drug that kept his sense intact....A reminder that he was still a human and alive...
" Daphne..." He muttered again.
***

A line of light was now in the horizon, indicating the soon approaching daytime. Somehow though, for the few people down at the harbor, it seemed daylight was too far away. The triads were in the conclusionary war by the warehouses. The two remaining leaders were having a death match.
" Its too bad we're meeting like this." Lon said, His back against a pillar, taking cover from any bullets that may come to claim his life.
" Yes, too bad." Replied Daphne, from the other side of the gunning. " I would've enjoyed another chat in that bar."
Bodies lay scattered here and there.
Lon chuckled at the only bullet left in his gun. Daphne was all out. The two got out from there cover and walked towards each other.
" I wish I didn't have to do this." He said softly to himself as he pulled the trigger, His eyes fixated on her face. At the same time, the dagger ran sharp and deep in his gut, tearing up his insides...It didn't matter...."Damn her, she looks beautiful even when in a messy state like this."
" Just another glass of maritini over a casual talk in that bar....." She whispered to herself, as the bullet struck her,right in her heart. " I'd....have really liked that."
Both fell down and stared at the celling of the old and wanning warehouse by the harbor. There was a wall that was only partly destroyed....the two of them propped themselves onto either sides...
" Hey," Daphne asked him, breathing shallowly, " What are you thinking right now?"
Lon gave a small snort that caused him a great deal of pain and replied " My Fiancee... When she was alive, I often thought she was an angel...They killed her right in front of me...I could do nothing to save her......And then in search of revenge, here I am...so many years later. I killed the man who took her away from me...and it didn't make the hurt any less...And before I knew it, I turned out to be the exact same thing that took her life.I'm thinking....whether I'll get to see her on the other side?..."
It was Daphne's turn to laugh.
" You think you'll end up in heaven after all this?" She choltered. " Nope, you're going to end up in hell..Just like me."
" That wouldn't be too bad either." Lon said, smiling to himself.
" Quite a nice place for a humor." Said Daphne.
" Well, what are you thinking about?" He asked her.
Daphne looked up at the sky....it had finally stopped....the rain...the clouds had parted a little for sunshine to pass through to show daytime...
" I'm thinking....It would be nice...if..I could go home one last time...and taste mum's cooking...."
vison had started to blur.......
"Look," She said...."I can see it...that mud damp road leading to the house in the hills....those blueberry bushes...and the smell of honey suckles in the air...I'll open the door...and everybody'll be there...waiting....for...me....."
Her hand stretched out in a vain attempt to open an imaginary door....and then fell limply on her side as her head wobbled and she fell sideways on the ground..
Lon lit himself a cigaratte and leaned onto the wall more comfortably.
" Emotional Bitch!"He cursed her, dismally thinking about what she had just made him feel.
"Man, its been a really long day..." He sighed..." I'm so tired." He closed his eyes...The cigaratte burnt on and on till it finally withered into cinders.
Soon the surrounding area was filled with the sound of Police cars and many noises...but those two were finally away from all the little worries....They were finally over the nightmare after all.....now all that was left, was serene sleep and sweet dreams.....





~Fins~

Boys.

" If you want me to grovel in front of you, come and make me." Spat Kite.
It was evening and school just got over for the day. At the back of the school gym, Kite had found himself in a rough predicament. He was surrounded by several upper class men and it seemed like things were going to turn out in a way unfavorable to him.
" What did you just say Freshmen?"
The speaker was Karada Sanzo. A third year senior class men and the unpopular school bully. Being the son of the mayor, made it seem to him like he can bend any and everyone to his will. So when Kite refused him courtesy, lets just say, he didn't take to it very kindly.
" You herd me." Kite said quietly, " I said it loud and clear."
" Get him." Sanzo said to his henchmen.
Seven of the them lunched themselves on Kite.
" Quit it." Came a voice from somewhere.
Everyone looked around for who it belonged to. There, at the top of the gym, stood a guy, his back turned towards the setting sun. It was only after their eyes adjusted to the light that they recognised him as M.Kanish. The haughty second year student who somehow was very popular among the girls in school.
"Almost too popular"..were the thoughts of Kite when he first encountered him at lunch break on his first day...All the girls in his class would go giddy and giggly and act stupid whenever his name was mentioned. The very thought made him sick to his gut. Some days later, he encountered him again and this time, it was in a soccer field between fresher and Junior year players of the club. The match ended in a bitter draw and since then Kite had litteraly loathed him.
" Stay out of it pansy boy!!!" Snarled Kite.
Kanish ignored him and addressed Sanzo.
" If you don't get outta here by the time I'm finished counting ten, You'll have a repeat of last year." He told him coldly. " You're interrupting my nap."
Back in Kanish's fresher year, Sanzo had tried to do him in as well. Unlucky for Sanzo, Kanish had beat the crap out of him and his possy. Sanzo took the hint and scrammed for it, knocking his shoulder intentionally on Kite's. Kite responded with a quick punch on his face that broke his nose. Bleeding, and swearing on revenge, Sanzo was finally gone. Kanish retreated back to his comfy place of nap ignoring Kite's continuous yells of " Get back here!!!" and " I didn't need your help.." and " If you interfere again, I'll knock your lights off..." and some more stuff.
Later that day, Kite went out for a walk in town. It was only a little time later that he realised him being followed. He heaved a sarcastic sigh.
" Talk about a busy day."
He ran and was sure that the followers were tailing him. He led them to a dark end alley and then turned.
" Took you long enough to get here boys..."
He stopped midway. His eyes tracing the things in their hands. They were not the school possys Sanzo hung around with. This time, he was dealing with full fledged Gangs with nasty weapons....
Half an hour later, and he was leaning against the alley wall, badly bleeding, and staring at several bodies that he knocked out, cursing at his injuries.
" At least, this night is over." He told himself. But he spoke too soon. Before he could even stand up, thirteen more mobsters found him...They were accompanied by Sanzo.
" You're the Brat from first year who refused Karada sama a courtsey." Spat one of them.
" And what about it?" Kite grunted at him.
" You little...!!!"
" Looks like I'm in serious trouble this time." Kite thought, amidst getting the crap kicked out of him. " If only, I didn't loose so much blood..."
And all of a sudden the men hitting him started to scatter due to some comotion up ahead. There were people screaming and the sound of punches and kicks coming from somewhere. But Kite was too gone to care. He just wanted to sleep off the exhausion.
" Darnit.." He swore to himself.
and then there was someone who rushed to him and said in an echoing, concerned voice,
" Hey, Hang in there man.."
His vision was blurry and his ear was full of a faint buzzing sound. He was falling through dark space......down down down....
When he opened his eyes, the lights blinded him and he shut them tight again quickly...Slowly, very slowly, he opened them.
He was in a hospital.
" I see you're up." Came a nastily familiar voice and Kite prayed to god that the owner of this voice was not the person who rescued him last night....
Sure enough, Kanish's profile came to greater prominence and Kite let out an enormous growl followed by an equally loud Swearing.
Kanish gave him one of his sweet smiles and said,
" If you're that energetic, you must've already recovered."
" I didn't need your help last night!!!!!" He said angrily.
Kanish gave him a look and went to the window to pull the curtains off.
" I think you mean to say, last week." He said kindly, smiling again.
The news blew a heavy deal to Kite's gigantic pride....
The two said nothing after that. Kanish returned him his school bag and cloths and was at the door when Kite finally spoke,
" Was I really out for a whole week?"
" Yeah." Kanish replied. " But if it makes you feel any better, The nurse said, you'd be out atleast for a month, with the amount of blood you lost."
" Damn!!!" Kite swore on himself. " This is pathetic!!!!"
" Wait till you get to school next Monday."Kanish intoned and Kite felt a dark cloud waving over him. Sheena will know what happened to him and will knock his teeth off again...That girl's been too violent ever since she became friends with " THAT PSYCHOFINE"....
He looked up at Kanish and was about to say something when Kanish cut across him saying,
" No..... you don't." Kanish smiled. " You don't need to say it."
And Kite sat there staring at him, and feeling more loathing towards this man who saved his life, shattering his pride, than ever before. But at that moment, there was a mixture of gratitude mixed inside that feeling as well.

~Fins~

P.S-> As Kite says..." THIS TIME ONLY."....