BroccoliRiceTofu on Nostr: THE REUNION OF DARKNESS Chapter IV. After the airport was finally built, the local ...
THE REUNION OF DARKNESS
Chapter IV.
After the airport was finally built, the local people seem to forget all about it. They enjoyed the influx of money into the city, and the jobs that had been created. A small western town, had in a decade become one of the busiest travel destinations in the world. Even the politicians enjoyed the new playground they built. Making it easy to get in and out, while adding on new taxes and contracts in order to keep their pockets lined with cash.
Soon this expansion would put local and state government officials in notoriety across the nation. The governor had dreams of moving up the political ladder, and others followed suit.
It was the 90s and a new change in the American government was brewing. The people in the streets were once again getting wise to the corruption. The nightly news would feature crime, and use fear as a way to increase ratings. People quickly became pawns in the news cycle, which encouraged the fear in order to have them stay through the commercial break. People noticed that their own bank accounts didn’t grow, while politician’s had. People saw their savings drop and their stocks would plunge; while the politicians only got richer.
Often the senators of the time conveniently always sold their stocks two weeks before the masses would lose their investments. The world was changing and focused on personal image. Consumerism was taking full effect. People began to spend their way into popularity. This became the first time that an individual could influence others in the same way movies, TV and magazines had in the past. The government was fully onboard. They wanted America, and the people within the country to look strong to the outside world. The benefit in the end was that people would never amass the amount of money needed to challenge their power; and instead dig piles of debt for themselves. Every once and awhile an individual would rise up and seem to bring people together and change their consumer ways. These people would sometimes disappear or die suddenly and their ideals would go with them. Occasionally, in small groups, the conversations of idealism and regime change would continue.
It was nearing the day of the last days of middle school. Buckley was riding with his friends in the back of a busted up Geo Tracker. They just got back from eating their weight in Taco Bell. The crew was riding around, going nowhere and listening to the subwoofers bump to Ja Rule’s new album. At the red light, the rest of the crew pulled up beside them, including the girl Buckley was getting closer to everyday. They had been walking home from school together, even though she did not live anywhere near him, he would walk just for the time to talk to her. She smiles from the back seat, as her brother calls out from the window, ‘race you to Third Bridge’. He steps on the gas and rockets ahead. The music was still so loud in the car you could barely hear the engine roar as they tailed along.
The red cavalier cruised ahead on the winding dirt road. As one car would fall behind, the other would catch up and pass them, by going along the field next to the road. Out here there was nothing, the long empty fields seemed to only end where the horizon began. The crew is all rapping together when Buckley looks out his window. The other car is gone. He turns back to see if they turned off at the last intersection, but all he sees is the plume of smoke from the only tree you can see, and the dust from the dirt road behind them. ‘guys, stop the car.’
They quickly pull a u-turn and speed back to the tree ahead on the left. The driver starts to slowly take his foot off the gas when they approach and the car is now only creeping towards what they now see is a crash. They jump out of the car, and run to see if everyone is ok. The broken windshield and bent metal was only the start of the scene. The blood dripped out the side of the car through the gap in the door. All they could see was the breathless bodies of their friends mangeld in the wreck. For what seemed like an eternity, they laid there in shock of what to do next, before they jumped in the car to go get help. The day turned into night, while blue & red flashes of light burned into his memory.
The next year, the death that surrounded Buckley would become ever more daunting. The depths of depression seemed to be a ball and chain that he had to bear. After the tragic school shooting that took over the news over the last few months, all the kids were finally getting back to regular activities. Parents grew ever more afraid that their kids would one day ever come home, and started placing blame on anything they could see as impressionable. But tonight, all that would not matter, it was the school dance night.
It had been a long day of school, followed by rehearsal for the school play. Buckley was ready to forget everything and get ready for later. He knew that it was time to meet up with Sheena. Her punk rock style reminded him of how he was before he changed to this private school. Her jeans tight through her thighs, and cut across the knee were tucked into her doc martens. Whether it was the lack of girls in the school, or the wild and untamed approach that Sheena had in life; tonight was going to be special.
Just before the dance, a quick trip for burritos, and a quick hit of weed on the walk back, took the pressure off the night. His Nokia went off, Sheena was bringing a friend to meet up with his boy. It was perfect, and all was lining up. The moon was out and people were filling in the gaps, dancing out in the warm open air in the quad.The dj, the lights, and the stars made the night feel like a fairy tale. With a simple kiss, the night was over too quickly.
A few weeks later, after no calls, Buckley drove out to south Denver to find Sheena at her school since he hadn’t heard from her since the dance. He figured why not ask her out to Rock Island that weekend where they could dance together once more. He pulled up to the school, and saw a poster with her picture on it. The pink poster board was surrounded by hollowed and burned out candles. It was then he knew that his kiss was the last one she would ever receive.
Things got harder in school after that. And was nearing the end of the year when one of his best amigos was essentially kicked out of school. It wasn’t like anything that most kids would deal with. The aftermath of the tragic events surrounding school shootings, had put his buddy in court, fighting for his future. The fear fell heavily on Buckley’s shoulders. Not only was he losing his boy, but had to go and speak in court. The system had put him on a path that would cause even more isolation for him. He had to go against his nature, of protecting his closest friends.
The drive home was rough, the depression had gotten worse in a matter of hours. The thoughts of ending his life that existed before had been ever more present today. The death cloud that seemed to curse him, was creating a dense fog in his life. It felt that there was nothing out of reach for the misery. That those around him were also a direct threat. He was tormented by two separate paths to go down for life. It was either slowly giving in to what was becoming day to day sorrow; or trying to stand tall.
As he grew more into a teen, his fight with physical sickness started taking a hold of him more and more. His diet grew more restrictive by the day, and going outside in the sun only made it worse. This disease coursed through his veins like a cold river. It was something that both changed his perspective on life, while being ever present. Inside, he knew he was a fighter, and that all these things couldn’t get the best of him. In fact he knew that he had always had this mentality in him. For years, people would know him from his unique style and a mohawk, that he wore proudly on his head like a warrior going into battle.
Chapter IV.
After the airport was finally built, the local people seem to forget all about it. They enjoyed the influx of money into the city, and the jobs that had been created. A small western town, had in a decade become one of the busiest travel destinations in the world. Even the politicians enjoyed the new playground they built. Making it easy to get in and out, while adding on new taxes and contracts in order to keep their pockets lined with cash.
Soon this expansion would put local and state government officials in notoriety across the nation. The governor had dreams of moving up the political ladder, and others followed suit.
It was the 90s and a new change in the American government was brewing. The people in the streets were once again getting wise to the corruption. The nightly news would feature crime, and use fear as a way to increase ratings. People quickly became pawns in the news cycle, which encouraged the fear in order to have them stay through the commercial break. People noticed that their own bank accounts didn’t grow, while politician’s had. People saw their savings drop and their stocks would plunge; while the politicians only got richer.
Often the senators of the time conveniently always sold their stocks two weeks before the masses would lose their investments. The world was changing and focused on personal image. Consumerism was taking full effect. People began to spend their way into popularity. This became the first time that an individual could influence others in the same way movies, TV and magazines had in the past. The government was fully onboard. They wanted America, and the people within the country to look strong to the outside world. The benefit in the end was that people would never amass the amount of money needed to challenge their power; and instead dig piles of debt for themselves. Every once and awhile an individual would rise up and seem to bring people together and change their consumer ways. These people would sometimes disappear or die suddenly and their ideals would go with them. Occasionally, in small groups, the conversations of idealism and regime change would continue.
It was nearing the day of the last days of middle school. Buckley was riding with his friends in the back of a busted up Geo Tracker. They just got back from eating their weight in Taco Bell. The crew was riding around, going nowhere and listening to the subwoofers bump to Ja Rule’s new album. At the red light, the rest of the crew pulled up beside them, including the girl Buckley was getting closer to everyday. They had been walking home from school together, even though she did not live anywhere near him, he would walk just for the time to talk to her. She smiles from the back seat, as her brother calls out from the window, ‘race you to Third Bridge’. He steps on the gas and rockets ahead. The music was still so loud in the car you could barely hear the engine roar as they tailed along.
The red cavalier cruised ahead on the winding dirt road. As one car would fall behind, the other would catch up and pass them, by going along the field next to the road. Out here there was nothing, the long empty fields seemed to only end where the horizon began. The crew is all rapping together when Buckley looks out his window. The other car is gone. He turns back to see if they turned off at the last intersection, but all he sees is the plume of smoke from the only tree you can see, and the dust from the dirt road behind them. ‘guys, stop the car.’
They quickly pull a u-turn and speed back to the tree ahead on the left. The driver starts to slowly take his foot off the gas when they approach and the car is now only creeping towards what they now see is a crash. They jump out of the car, and run to see if everyone is ok. The broken windshield and bent metal was only the start of the scene. The blood dripped out the side of the car through the gap in the door. All they could see was the breathless bodies of their friends mangeld in the wreck. For what seemed like an eternity, they laid there in shock of what to do next, before they jumped in the car to go get help. The day turned into night, while blue & red flashes of light burned into his memory.
The next year, the death that surrounded Buckley would become ever more daunting. The depths of depression seemed to be a ball and chain that he had to bear. After the tragic school shooting that took over the news over the last few months, all the kids were finally getting back to regular activities. Parents grew ever more afraid that their kids would one day ever come home, and started placing blame on anything they could see as impressionable. But tonight, all that would not matter, it was the school dance night.
It had been a long day of school, followed by rehearsal for the school play. Buckley was ready to forget everything and get ready for later. He knew that it was time to meet up with Sheena. Her punk rock style reminded him of how he was before he changed to this private school. Her jeans tight through her thighs, and cut across the knee were tucked into her doc martens. Whether it was the lack of girls in the school, or the wild and untamed approach that Sheena had in life; tonight was going to be special.
Just before the dance, a quick trip for burritos, and a quick hit of weed on the walk back, took the pressure off the night. His Nokia went off, Sheena was bringing a friend to meet up with his boy. It was perfect, and all was lining up. The moon was out and people were filling in the gaps, dancing out in the warm open air in the quad.The dj, the lights, and the stars made the night feel like a fairy tale. With a simple kiss, the night was over too quickly.
A few weeks later, after no calls, Buckley drove out to south Denver to find Sheena at her school since he hadn’t heard from her since the dance. He figured why not ask her out to Rock Island that weekend where they could dance together once more. He pulled up to the school, and saw a poster with her picture on it. The pink poster board was surrounded by hollowed and burned out candles. It was then he knew that his kiss was the last one she would ever receive.
Things got harder in school after that. And was nearing the end of the year when one of his best amigos was essentially kicked out of school. It wasn’t like anything that most kids would deal with. The aftermath of the tragic events surrounding school shootings, had put his buddy in court, fighting for his future. The fear fell heavily on Buckley’s shoulders. Not only was he losing his boy, but had to go and speak in court. The system had put him on a path that would cause even more isolation for him. He had to go against his nature, of protecting his closest friends.
The drive home was rough, the depression had gotten worse in a matter of hours. The thoughts of ending his life that existed before had been ever more present today. The death cloud that seemed to curse him, was creating a dense fog in his life. It felt that there was nothing out of reach for the misery. That those around him were also a direct threat. He was tormented by two separate paths to go down for life. It was either slowly giving in to what was becoming day to day sorrow; or trying to stand tall.
As he grew more into a teen, his fight with physical sickness started taking a hold of him more and more. His diet grew more restrictive by the day, and going outside in the sun only made it worse. This disease coursed through his veins like a cold river. It was something that both changed his perspective on life, while being ever present. Inside, he knew he was a fighter, and that all these things couldn’t get the best of him. In fact he knew that he had always had this mentality in him. For years, people would know him from his unique style and a mohawk, that he wore proudly on his head like a warrior going into battle.