Run From

Ever since Kenny was young, he knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. Growing up he saw his father fade in and out of his life and his mother try and pick up the slack, becoming exhausted. This left young Kenny still struggling with the loss of his brother just a few years prior, still burning his mind. Quiet, nerdy, and not very outgoing, he started smoking and going for adventures through the galaxy of Weidustu. He wanted to be rich, not very exciting, hearing many times that “if only I were rich” conversation between adults. It was something seen as unattainable, he knew he could, and he had too.

As the bass shook his mirror, the rap lyrics blared, eyes red and low a picture flashed in his mind. Speeding through the stars “never mind it" Kenny thought. As he came to his first stop a chilling feeling shot through his body.

Antugua, where his brother lost his life 5 years earlier. Landing in the field where he last saw his brother, he cracked the latch and threw open the thick glass dome that had encapsulated him. Leaving behind his PQ-759 spacecraft, he started walking down a path just behind the line of trees in front of the spacecraft. The yabvac’s were squalling on the darkest day of the year. Every year there is a full 24-hour period where it is pitch black, no light shines on the planet as it turns away from its sun and leaves orbit returning after this period.

Kenny flashed a light, and saw the markings and engravings made by his brother’s crew. They were a group going across the galaxy trying to make a better living, on the other side of the law. From robberies to gruesome things, like murder, his brother and his crew were not afraid of getting their hands dirty. Kenny did not like them from the little he knew. In fact, he knew little of this life until after his brother’s death and his crew started disappearing. Z his right-hand man was found a few months after his brother's death, non-responsive, in a small town on this planet too. Their girlfriends Mina and Reena on separate occasions had lost their lives, meaning the core of the group had all passed.

Kenny’s brother had always told him if anything had happened to him head to where we grouped up to lay low for a while. “This was the spot” Kenny thought. He pushed the door open, thankfully remembering his matches, he lit the candles around the room. Stumbling around the room looking for the chair switch made to unlock where the book was hidden, he ripped the furniture around the room furiously. “Where is it, where is it?” he started chanting, continuing to dismantle the room.

He never wanted to come back here which is why he avoided this place since his brother’s death. Kenny tried hard to forget it, moving himself to Thianus and just tried doing some regular work building infrastructure. He started to notice being watched from afar by someone he did not recognize. Over a few more weeks, he kept seeing them in different places causing him to camp out at his apartment. Was this because of something my brother did?

It was high on his list of reasons honestly; his brother was known as very kind to most he met when being around his family. However, the other side of his brother was one reason why his crew gained respect over the time they were active. Practically putting a target on the backs of himself and his friends. Frustrated, Kenny sat on the wooden floor in dim candlelight seeing the images flash again. He pulled out his baggy and pipe, lit a match, trying to escape.

While smoke filled the room, he revisited conversations he had with his brother before his passing.

“Hey, is it true?” Kenny asked approaching Keeyan.

“Is what true?” Keeyan questioned back.

“It is all up across the galaxy, did you guys do it?” Kenny started to lose his patience.

“The less you know, the better you are going to be.” Keeyan said with a smile.

Keeyan never stopped smiling, only on one occasion did Kenny see Keeyan not smile and that was when their dad stopped showing up. It became noticeable with the distance in between visits. One day he just never came back around when the brothers noticed it, it hit hard.

“You need to finish your schooling, Kenny. I have my path you must walk yours.” Keeyan said. He walked to go sit on the couch and turned on the radio to listen to the news report.

The radio clicked on, and the reporter was already in the middle of reporting on the story circulating the galaxy. “We now have full confirmation from authorities that PenShin or PS a wanted fugitive around the galaxy, has been found deceased in what they are calling a targeted assassination.” The reporter continued with the information that had been released, Keeyan turned the radio down a bit.

“Why are you doing this?” Kenny asked walking to stand right in front of Keeyan. “Are you guys trying to make it to old age? This is not the way to do it.” Pleaded Kenny.

“He knows what he did was wrong, business is business. I am not concerned with emotions on this topic.” Keeyan said coldly. “What is one thing I have taught you since it has been us? If you do business, you don't screw your business.”

“So that means you can go around murdering as you wish? Said Kenny astonished, weary from seeing his brother put himself in these situations. He tried once more.

“All in the name of business, right? That is why we hide out in a new place every few months or after every time you decide to blow up on someone. Great business plan.” Kenny started walking away when Keeyan stood up.

“This is where we got because I am willing to risk everything for you and me not to be stuck on that miserable planet we left. We have a better life here, don't we? Keeyan was staring into Kenny’s soul. “You know what we went through to get here and once you finish school, I can go legit, and you never have to touch this life.”

The scene ended in a flash and brought another dreamlike video of his past to his mind. Keeyan laying in the field where he left his craft with holes all over his body. Keeyan’s final look in his eyes was surprise. Kenny felt a tear come to his eye. “I am sorry I failed.” Kenny lit another match after filling the bowl of his pipe.

“What are you doing here?” Said a female voice that was familiar but not recognizable. Kenny shot up dropping his pipe in the process looking for who had said that.

“Who is it?” Kenny asked, emerging from the darkness outside came in a dark-haired girl, short, yet you could tell she was not to be messed with. She closed the door.

“I am Jocelin, I was close to your brother’s crew” Jocelin looked around at the furniture torn apart across the room.

“You helped us get out of that situation back on Gunabeira.” Kenny blurted, trying to steer the conversation away from the carnage in the room. He remembered Jocelin as they had shared a few good memories. She had disappeared after Keeyan died though. “Where is the rest of the crew?”

“I am trying to figure that out myself, I came here to try and find something to lead me to one of the remaining members. She took one more look at the mess, “Did you really need to dismantle the seating arrangements?” She questioned with a smirk.

“Looking for the book my brother told me about it kept records for certain activities you all participated in.” Kenny shot back, adding a smirk to return the favor. They had always had playful humor between them. Kenny and Jocelin only had one major fight, that is the day she disappeared. The day of Keeyan’s funeral.

“How have you been?” She asked.

“Oh, you know...” Kenny trailed off. “How have you been?”

“Fine, I guess taking random jobs to get by. Not much different from before.” Jocelin found a spot and sat down near Kenny. “Let me get that.” She said pointing at the pipe on the ground. Kenny picked it up and checked it then lit a match for her.

Kenny wanted to say that he had missed her this whole time they had not seen each other. He held that in as they started to go over who was left in the crew.

“We know Hark, Qaz, and Thea are somewhere hiding over in the east of the galaxy they have not reached out to me at all.” Jocelin said. Handing the pipe back to Kenny she continued. “That leaves Gee and me, only 5 of us left.”

“The last time I saw Gee something was off about him.” Kenny said. He blew o’s out of smoke as he exhaled gently. “We need to talk to him first.”

“Why was Gee off to you?” Jocelin questioned.

“He seemed as if he knew something about Keeyan and what happened to him here. I want to know.” Kenny could feel his anger starting to boil up inside of him, he took another puff.

“We can talk to him, but your brother and him sorted their problems out shortly before he died. Maybe he just felt bad about the time he had missed. No one expected to find Keeyan here that day.” Jocelin put her head down for a second, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

“What's wrong?” asked Kenny.

“All the memories here...,” She paused, then continued. “It was like they just happened yesterday. We were figuring out how to pull off the things we did. We were a family against everyone else. Now there is nothing left, the only family I have ever known. Are dead or in hiding because of those things now.” Jocelin put her head down once more, this time beginning to sob.

Kenny moved closer to console her, “I am sorry Jocelin.” he said, holding her tightly in his arms.

Their foreheads came together, and their eyes became locked on each other. Kenny’s heart began to beat faster, as Jocelin’s brown eyes entranced him he pulled her closer. Their lips met for only a second, before they both jumped back.

Kenny panicked, “I got caught up in the moment, I don’t know...”

“Yeah, no me too.” She blurted.

“Why don’t we look for that book?”

“Great idea.” Said Jocelin.

As they started scouring the place looking for anything that resembled a chair they came across a few ideas that turned out to be not helpful. Searching and searching they finally came across a bookshelf in the back of 1 of 4 hallways leading to separate tunnels in case of emergency, leading to the bottom of the hill, right before a town. A single chair caricature sat on the second shelf by itself. It was an old man sitting in the chair with a pipe and he looked to be waving his finger.

“This must be it.” said Kenny. “Now what do we do just move it?”

“Go for it.” Jocelin said in a whispery tone. “Just hurry, please, we only have one candle, and it is creepy back here.”

Kenny went to move the statue, all he could do was push it, then it clicked. The bookshelf swung open to a built-in shelf behind it containing a book and a note. The note read, “If you are reading this, I am no longer with you my dear brother. Oh, how I wished this day would never come. This book will help guide you to what I hid for us. Love you, Keeyan.”

Kenny’s eyes started to fill with tears, then the cocking of a pistol filled the hallway.

“Run!” exclaimed Jocelin.

As they frantically tried to escape, they soon realized that whoever this was, was not going to stop.

They were being followed.