Toka-Ace #1: The Re-Emergence

It was two o’ clock in the morning. I was awake after having my nightmare.

Dominic and Carla were sound asleep.

I went downstairs and sat in front of the computer. The house was dark, save for the light of the screen that I stared into. It gently illuminated the area around me.

Absently, I browsed the internet. Mom wasn’t coming to make me feel better. I couldn’t talk to anyone on Twitter. I went on YouTube. I wanted to find something to make me laugh, maybe an E.R.B. video or a Team Four Star video.

I heard someone on the stairs. I looked and saw Andrew coming down.

“Troy?” Andrew said. “Couldn’t sleep huh?”

I nodded.

“What’s keeping you up, the nightmare or the thought of Mom?” asked Andrew.

“Both,” I replied.

“It’s crazy.” Andrew said. “Hey man, come on.”

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“We’re going on for a little walk,” Andrew said. “It might help us clear our heads.” I couldn’t argue. I logged off and put on a pair of jeans and a hooded sweatshirt.

Andrew and I left the house. We planned on being right back.

The streetlights bathed sections of side walk with orange light. Only the chirping of crickets penetrated the still darkness. The night air was cool. I walked with my hands shoved into my pockets and my eyes down.

Andrew and I walked together side by side. “So?” I asked.

“You know that it’s not going to hurt forever,” Andrew said.

“Yeah, I know,” I said. “It’s just shocking to have everything change on you like that. It’s weird to think that she’s not coming back.”

“Troy,” Andrew said. “It’s like Carla said, every bad time has to come to an end.”

“I know that too.” I said looking at the ground.

“Come on man,” Andrew prodded. “Don’t stay depressed forever.”

I lifted my gaze and looked at Andrew. “It’s been one day, Gimme a break.”

“You know, after you left for your date, Mom talked about how you were growing up and how proud she was of you, She got all emotional about it. You know how mothers get about their kids.”

I managed a smile.

“And that birds and the bees thing was classic,” he added.

I laughed despite everything. “Ah, there he is!” Andrew clapped.

I didn’t think that I could laugh. “I remember the time when Mom was trying to get you to eat your vegetables and you wouldn’t do it, so the two of you sat at the table for a really long time trying to wait each other out until you dozed off and fell face first into your plate,” I said with a snicker.

Andrew laughed at his own expense.

“You know she took a picture of that,” I said barely suppressing a laugh. “You were asleep with little bits of corn and carrot stuck to your face.”

“We’re going to be alright,” Andrew said.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I mean it’s heartbreaking that Mom is gone, but she wouldn’t want us to break down over this.”

Andrew nodded his agreement. “Still, I could go for a little misery drowning. Let’s hit the CVS.” The CVS Pharmacy was open twenty-four hours, so we went there to get some snacks. I wasn’t really hungry, but maybe I could get some juice or soda to drink later.

Andrew and I bought some snacks and we kept walking. We came to a McDonald’s parking and cut through. Once, a long time ago, this was a Kohl’s next door to a Pick N Save. The McDonald’s shared a parking lot with the two, but the Kohl’s has since shut down and the Pick N Save moved leaving their side of the lot empty.

A Nissan came tearing into the lot and cut in front of Andrew and me, not more than ten feet away. The car came to a screeching halt and Andrew and I glanced at each other wondering who was driving like this. The driver side and passenger side door opened and two men stepped out not bothering to close their doors or cut off the engine.

The man who got out of the passenger door looked like he was a college-aged burnout. He wore raggedy jeans and a black vest over a red shirt. His hair was wild and unkempt and he kept his gaze squarely on me.

The driver was an older man with deep lines around his mouth and sunken eyes. He wore a dirty white T shirt with tiny holes adorning it and paint spattered jeans.

The driver walked around until he was standing next to his passenger.

Immediately I became alarmed. The danger sense in my mind was going off. From the cold way that these guys looked at us to the way they walked, it was obvious that they were looking for trouble.

Are these guys going to rob us? I wondered.

Mom had placed Andrew and me in martial arts when we were younger. As teens we had fallen out of the habit but I was reasonably sure that Andrew and I could take these losers.

I was on a hair trigger, ready to go. I glanced over at Andrew I could tell he was ready to fight if needed.

“Troy Haden,” said the driver. “Come with us.”

Andrew and I glanced at each other; now we were both alert.

“Now this is weird.” Andrew said moving closer to me.

“They must be on drugs or something.” I surmised.

“Then how do they know you?” Andrew questioned. “And why would they come after you?”

“Who are you?” I demanded.

The bizarre duo was silent. I was disturbed. I waited for the tension to either deflate or for this to turn into a fight.

Could we walk away? I wanted to think that we could, but part of me knew that these guys weren’t going to let us.

I waited for them to make a move, for this to turn into a fight.

“We should get out of here,” Andrew said.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

While I knew that it was the smart thing to do to get out of here, I didn’t know how to back off without these two coming after me.

“Troy Haden, come with us,” The passenger said, more sternly than the driver had. “You won’t be asked again.”

I balled my fists, I brought my front hand up to protect my head, my back hand protecting my stomach, and I lowered my stance.

Andrew had been thinking what I was.

I would take the passenger. Andrew would take the driver.

They attacked.

Both of them came after me! They closed in with shocking speed.

The passenger reached for me. I jumped back out of range of his reach, but just barely fast enough.

I had an opening! I swung my fist and caught the passenger in the face.

I expected to knock him over, I expected some sort of yield, but no, my attacker did not slow down. My hand hurt unexpectedly, as if I’d just punched concrete. I fell back and I was pinned by an unnaturally strong arm.

Everything was moving too fast.

Andrew leapt over to help. He grabbed the passenger and tried to pull him back.

The passenger turned and swung an arm. The blow caught Andrew in the side of the head and knocked him over.

My head was spinning. I tried to regain my composure, tried to remember my training, but my mind was racing.

Andrew was on the ground. He was groaning and bleeding from a wound to his head. The blood trickled down his face and split into two trails on either side of his nose.

My adrenaline kicked in and I struck. My punch caught the passenger squarely in the nose. I kicked at his stomach. I kicked and punched again and again. But none of my blows had any effect.

My attacker gripped my neck. I was lifted up off the ground. My mind swam and blackness closed in. I was desperate for help. But no one was coming.

Why were these guys targeting Andrew and me? What were they going to do with us? Why? My mind trailed off. The question was lost in the fog that consumed me.

It became harder to breathe. The blood rushed to my head. My legs dangled.

Then, a sudden flash of green. I fell from his grip. I couldn’t even feel myself hit the ground. Everything was a haze.

My attacker fell in front of me. Another flash of green and I saw Andrew’s attacker fall.

I saw a pair of feet coming towards me. Then I blacked out.