Isolated
35 YEARS BEFORE
Parker punched again, harder this time , channeling his anger in his strikes.The face of the jackal that was under him was bruised, his was broke , blood was coming out of his mouth and his eyes were filled with the tears. He couldn't fight back, the first punch had almost knocked him out cold, and now with Parker on top of him he was trapped. Parker always was bigger and more powerful than the rest of the kids and worst of all he knew how to fight. Like a mad dog if it came down to it, but this wasn't about bulling or him asserting his power over everybody else. Parker was furious. As soon as he heard that the jackal had harmed his brother, the doberman intervened. When the bell for recess rang Parker made his way for the courtyard and jumped at him without a warning. His brother Will was all he had in that hellhole of an orphanage. It was the only thing that kept him sane and damn he wouldn't let anybody do him wrong before he drew his final breath.
Parker stopped punching. He grabbed the jackal by his shirt and raised him close to his face. " IF YOU TOUCH HIM AGAIN I WON'T BE SO GENTLE NEXT TIME!" Parker barked at him. His anger could be seen on his face and his were showing in an aggressive manner. The jackal couldn't talk, his mouth filled with his blood and his cheeks bruised from the beating. The dog left the kid fall on the ground and stand up. The other kids had gathered around since the fight started and were shouting slogans and booing in favor of Parker, but he saw them dispersing and scattering around the courtyard. Parker's eyes shoot wide when he realized but it was too late, as soon as he turned his head a big bear hand slapped him so hard he almost fell on all fours.
The bear grabbed him by his ears, with a grip so strong it felt like they were about to be ripped off. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ALL THIS?" the supervisor shouted at him in an angered voice. "HE HURT MY BROTHER!" Parker cried out, the pain started to settle in, his cheek became so hot red it could almost be seen under his black fur.Parker was big but the bear was bigger. He tried to hold back his tears from the pain, he wouldn't allow that fat so proclaimed supervisor to see him soft and have his way with him. " AND THAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO GO AROUND ATTACKING PEOPLE? WHAT ARE YOU? SOME KIND OF HERO? THREE DAYS IN ISOLATION!"
There he found himself again. It wasn't the first time and sure he knew it wasn't going to be the last time in that stinking cell. This was one of the many isolation rooms that the orphanage had. More like a prison Parker always thought to himself. It had been like that since day one. He looked around the small empty room. No windows, no escape. The only thing that existed in that dark cell was a bunk fixed on the wall.Isolation can do terrible things to someone. The mind starves for stimulation, and in here there was noway to keep someone busy.
He looked at the walls. They were filled with markings made from chalk. Small poems, scribbles , doodles , slogans, insults, phrases with no meaning whatsoever. Many children had passed through there. He could even recognize some of his own. He wished he had brought some chalk with him that time but he didn't have the chance to think about it. He searched the floor, in case he found some leftovers. He found a piece , no bigger than a finger nail. He marked with it the date and under it his name.
He laid down on the bunk and placed both of his under his head. Many broke in here, from the boredom and the fact that they knew nobody was waiting for them outside. But the isolation wasn't going to break Parker. Not him. He knew that as soon as he got out, his brother would comfort him. Will was the only thing that made Parker keep going. He just had to wait. " Five more years."he told himself "Five more years."
Almost two weeks had passed. Parker kept working on fixing the house, and at the same time he found himself a part time job in construction. Everyday either Chloe or Kobel would come around and do him small favors. Kobel would always ask if he could be of any help,as if he had nothing else to keep himself busy with. Parker always turned him out. Chloe always tried to approach him and get to know him but Parker kept to himself and talked as less as he could. He had confined himself in his own mental walls, and would avoid interaction unless it was necessary.
Chloe was returning home from her work. It was a busy afternoon and she had almost lost her bus to the suburbs. There was still a long way to go though. Five streets before her house, she bumped into some thugs. It was three white foxes. They had local gang tattoos all over their bodies and sported butterfly knifes. They looked and acted intimidating. Chloe cursed to herself, she had no time for those fools. She increased her pace and lowered her head, hoping that they would let her just pass, but one of them got in her way, stepping in front of her and grabbing her by the arm.
"Come here girl, don't be shy."A grin on his face and the stench of smoke coming out of his mouth. The fox tried to move but the other two wolfs surrounded her. She gulped, she was nervous and they could see it. That's what they wanted. "What do we have here?" said in another one in a guttural voice, bigger than the rest of them. They looked at her like a hungry wolf would look at some piece of meat.
Parker had just finished his work. The fur on his hands was smeared with cement, and his overall was dirty with stains. It wasn't a great job, it was hard and low paying, building walls and cutting steel beams, but it would keep him occupied. It didn't really matter to him if the car would get dirty, he would clean it thoroughly afterwards. It was a Ford Mustang, with a blue paint job and a custom printed white line which stretched from the hood all the way to the back of the car. It looked so slick and it shined under the sun. Every time he stepped on the pedal he could hear its engine roar and feel its power.
He was waiting at a red light." A good day I can say." Will was sitting on the passenger seat. He had hanged his right hand out the window and was holding a cigarette between his index and middle finger. " I told you to not smoke in here." Parker commented without turning his head."You are the one to talk! Did you even look at your hands?". Will took a puff from his cigarette. "I always clean afterwards." For Parker that car was one the most precious things that he had, it held a special place for him."I told you should have bought that truck instead."
"I thought you liked this car." Parker grunted."I did, didn't I" Will remarked.
"Do you see that?"asked Will as he threw away the cigarette butt. " I do" replied Parker as he stared outside the passenger window,a frown forming on his face. "So are you gonna do anything about it?".Will showed the other side of the road with his hand. Parker just growled and opened the glove compartment.
"LET ME GO!" Chloe tried to cry out. One of the foxes had wrapped his hand around her throat. One had her by the hair to pull her head upwards. "Why are you wearing this mask anyway? You sick or something?". Chloe tried to fight but they were too strong for her."Don't move or you will get cut."A fox had pulled out a butterfly knife and was about to cut off the strings that held Chloe's mask in place. Chloe used her claws to cut his hand and drew blood. The knife fell of his hand "You don't know where to stop do ya bitch?" he said, clutching his hand in pain. He raised his hand to slap her.
Everybody stopped when they heard a car park beside them. Clearly annoyed to be interrupted the thugs turned around."Get your ass over there!" the fox said while pushing Chloe aside.One of them still had a firm grip on Chloe.Parker stopped the engine and looked out the window."The fuck are you looking at old man,huh?."
"The hell are you gooks up to?". He took a good look at them, top to bottom. He knew what he had to do."Gooks? You better get yo ass on while I still let you!That's what you better do." threatened one of them. "That's right bitch." the others shouted beside him. Parker unnerved opened the door and stepped on the pavement. He took a moment to get a good look at them again. They weren't tough, they just tried to look tough and Parker knew that.He could take them, but the presence of Chloe complicated things . It didn't matter who was the leader here, all it mattered was to get the girl out of harm.
"Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have fucked with?" He spat on the ground, centimeters before their feet."That's me." The thugs looked at him questionably.Some out of his mind guy trying to be a hero, dared to come on their turf? He surely was big and buff, but they were more and had knives."Man, you fucking crazy, get out of here." warned the thug pointing his finger down the road. "It's weird, I've been getting this a lot lately." the doberman responded with a straight face.
The thug was going to grab him."If you don't get your sorry ass...".In a single motion Parker reached his pocket and pulled out a M1911. He pointed it right at the thugs nose."Oh shit." "Shut your fucking mouth!" he growled. The thugs recoiled back and threw their hands up."Hey chill pops, ain't nothing to be mad about." said nervously one of them. "I said shut up! You don't listen ,do you?" Parker showed his teeth and his grip on the gun tightened. It looked like a BB gun in his hands. "You!" he pointed with his free hand at Chloe."Get in the car." Chloe quickly did so without asking questions. The thugs did not try to stop her. Parker lowered the gun and put it back in his pocket. He got in the driver seat and placed his hand on the window. "Take care now boys." he mocked them giving them a smug face and drove off.
"What is the matter with you anyway?" Parker turned to Chloe while still trying to look at the road "I thought you foxes were supposed to be smart. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"his voice showed a clear hint of irritation. Chloe tried to avoid eye contact. "I know, I know, take it easy." She tried to confront him. " What were you doing back there anyways?" he questioned her. "I was returning from work."
"So you work now?"
"Yeah but only because..." Parker raised his hand. "Spare it. I don't want to know." There was a moment of silence. " And what about that dork, Kobel. Why don't you stick with him? Aren't you guys friends or something?"She huffed."He ain't my friend. He is just some nerd who doesn't know what to do with himself."
Chloe new everyone on the street probably since day one. But not Kobel. He was always a shy character that avoided her. She didn't knew why. Later she came to a point that she didn't have enough time to try and approach him.
The car stopped. "Out." commanded the dog. They had reached her house. The vixen did so without question and closed the door. He looked at her. "Stay safe" he added and swerved the car around to park it in his garage.
Kobel was returning from a day out. He was angry that his buddies had set him up to wait for hours and in the end no one turned up. He was heading home. He took a shortcut through a back alleyway. Car stopped on the other side. A car he wasn't sure if it was the right time to see now. He was about to turn around. A voice stopped him. It was Jack."Hey there, bud.". Kobel didn't answer first. He slowly turned around and met devilish Jack's stare. "Hey...um ...Jack." greeted Kobel timidly. "I heard you wanted to roll with us." continued the wolf with a smirk.
"Yes." admitted the cat. It was true. Kobel always wanted to be part of something bigger. A way to boost his self-esteem and his social life. If he made it into the gang nobody would like at him again like some little nerd,trying to pick on him. His friends would be green from envy. This was an opportunity that presented itself to him so generously.
"Come on ride with us." Jack persuaded him towards the car. Kobel was reluctant. Every other time he tried to approach Jack's pack he always ended up getting shoved away. _Why would they want me now? _ He didn't give it a second thought, this was too great of an a opportunity to miss.
He stepped into the car. It stank of smoke and alcohol and the music was deafening. There were three more wolves from Jack's pack. The car drove down to the suburbs.
A wolf spun his head to him."Listen dawg. Everything here is about been there , done that. So if you want your ass to be part of this crew you need to fucking earn it. Do you understand?" He explained. "I do." replied Kobel. He shrank to himself. The situation was really uncomfortable.
The car stopped outside a house. Jack turned from the passenger's seat. "You see that?" making a nod to Kabel. Kobel turned his gaze outside."That's a custom made Ford Mustang. It belongs to that old dog that moved here. You get that and you are in. Hell if you prove that you are worth you might as well keep it." Jack instructed him. The car was there but the old man was nowhere to be seen.
"What? are you crazy? He is my father's cousin. If they find out I stole it they will kill me!" pointed out the cat, upset with the task they decided to give him.
"Listen here, you pussy." Jack's stare became angrier. "If you want in you better get that car, and you better get it tonight! Can you do it?"
"Yes. I can do it." Kobel looked outside again. He would get it.