Tampa, Florida 1999.
"Welcome to Florida Airport."
Sean took a deep breath after his feet finally stomped on the hard ground of Tampa, Florida. His eyes wandered the familiar streets of the unfamiliar people. Wind pounded his back as he was standing firmly with his hands gripping his suitcase.
He slowly moved his feet along with the loud sound of the wheels of his suitcase. The wheels created disorganized sound everytime it hits the path. Sean felt strange. He wandered around, he felt a strong sense of unfamiliarity, but he knew that this was place he was born and raised. He knew it too well.
"After four years," Sean mouthed quietly as his head dropped down.
"Is my mere existence still troubling them?" he asked himself.
Four years, four million tears. He finally got up and used all the mustered courage coming back home from hiding and running away. Memories from the past he'd rather correct than to have the nuisance of the present. The inconvenient and the disarray of his actions crippled inside him. After taking the blame to all the things that happened. He accepted his fate like a thrown away child.
"Sup, Sean?" the guy from the phone.
"Marius, what's up?" Sean replied blandly.
"Where are you at? It's been years." Marius questioned.
"Oregon," Sean answered immediately.
The line went quite. As if something was urgent that needs a quick fix. "So, about mom's," Marius talked back with his voice trying to hide the pain and regrets.
"What about mom?" Sean asked while burying the unknown feelings that suddenly aroused his heart and emotions.
Sean was leaning towards the balcony of his small apartment. Sounds of loud busy cars placed the long silent sound of the phone call. The blinding city lights blurred when Sean puffed his smoke. He tapped his smoke and asked,
"Marius, are you still alive?" Sean asked curiously.
"Yeah. But mom, isn't." Marius replied out of nowhere.
Sean was taken aback with his sudden flash of words. Sean chuckled, "What?"
"Mom, she's dead."
The awkward conversation was covered by the grief and sadness the other party wanted to tell. Sean was alerted. Never in a million years he thought that he would hear those words. He didn't know what to feel nor, he did know what to feel. But one thing he knew, his mind went blank and numb. The words deadened his already helpless soul.
"Marius, that's not funny." He threw words he never wanted to reply.
"I too, hoped that it was just a bad prank, that it was just a joke, Sean," Marius replied dreadfully.
Sean took a heavy breath, "If I didn't left Florida, if I didn't flew, do you think it would happen?"
Marius was left astounded. "Sean, what are you talk-"
"If I kill myself, would mom be alive as she should?" Sean cut Marius.
"Sean, listen." Marius opened his sole mouth.
"I know it's heavy, it's difficult. I fucking know what you're feeling right now. But this isn't the time to blame yourself, and you did nothing wrong." Marius catched his breath from his stern words.
Sean stared at the yellow lights of the city, his eyes showed no emotions. "I-I got to go, I still need to do something".
"Will you go home?" Marius replied with woeful tone.
"I don't know." Sean pressed the red button from his flip phone before putting it in his pocket.
"Honk!"
Questions started popping inside his head. He's used to it as if it was becoming as foundation for his shabby home. Sean felt the cascade of trembling anxiety shaking the firm ground he was standing at. His heart was racing with the thoughts and questions in his brain. The preconceived notions he was half-prepared with didn't show up.
"Honk!"
The loud sound of the car pulled Sean back to his wandering thoughts. The familiar sound triggered an immense pain of premonition, aching him to brain. He walked fast-paced, faster than his usual. His brows scrunched together forming a bridge in his forehead.
"Hey, Sean!" they guy on the car called, "Hey! I am fucking sure you're Sean, and stop moving in the name of law!"
Sean pretended as if he didn't heard anything. The annoying sound of his suitcase went faster as he continued to walk away. His head dropped down, not minding things around him.
Sean continued until he sensed that the car was not following him around anymore. Sean cautiously stopped at his pace. He's catching his breath after the seemingly endless brisk chase.
"I just arrived. Why can't people let me live for a while?" Sean sighed.
He raised his hand, lifting his thumb. The taxi cab parked at his front. Sean entered the cab to lift him home. Sean rested his eyes after the cab started running.
The taxi passed through the buildings and stadiums around the place. Befor he knew it, the taxi already turned its way right. The driver was heavily terrified. Sean noticed the the blue and red light following behind the taxi, en route.
"Don't stop," Sean tapped the driver's shoulder.
The taxi never stopped running, but it never accelerated nor slowed down. The car with lights accelerated and curved its way towards the taxi's front. The taxi screeched its break rapidly, almost throwing the two people inside.
All of the passerby saw the sudden commotion. In a quick second, they started panicking as if they were in a state of emergency. The crowd suddenly ran towards different directions, avoiding the collision. Screams of panick filled the once calm air.
Two guys in uniform went out from the car. "Sean, if you could've listen earlier, this would've never happened," The officer said in his megaphone.
"But because you're so hard-headed, look what happened." The other officer said as he opened his arms widely while shaking his head.
Sean madly stared at the windshield, not moving a single muscle. The taxi driver was shaking terribly for his dear life. The two officers quickly ran towards the taxi and opened the door, propping Sean out of the car. Sean felt a strong thick hands around his arms, his arms was forcefully placed behind his back before locking him in handcuffs. The officer patted the taxi roof twice, and the taxi made its way out from the scene.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Sean gritted his teeth trying to resist this coercion.
"Sean, just keep calm," The officer grabbed the papers in his pocket.
"Hey! What are you doing?! That's my money!" Sean shouted with anger.
"Tsk. This is drug money."
"My money, man!" Sean reiterated.
"Hey, don't worry about it, we'll fill it out later." The other officer made an assurance.
Officer Lev was maliciously staring at Sean, his mouth line raised together with his eyebrow, "Welcome home, Sean. Glad to be back."
"You haven't forgotten about us, have you, Sean?" Lev asked.
Sean rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, forcing himself to deal with this nonsense. "Hell no, Officer Lev. I was just wondering what took you all so long."
Officer Lev was astounded, "Get in the car."
Officer Lee strongly pushed Sean towards the car, "Ease up man, damn."
"Officer Lee, start the engine." Officer Lev commanded.
The engine started to create noise- a whirring sound, and slowly drove its way to the street. Officer Lev roamed his eyes around the street checking everything out. "So Sean, how's life so far?"
"Shut the fuck up." Sean was enraged and didn't even bothered to look towards Lev's direction.
"Woah, watch your mouth, buddy," he replied, "I heard your mom died?" he added, trying his best to hide his chuckle.
"What do you not know? I'm here to bury my mom's," Sean replied blandly.
"I know. So what else are you up to lately, Sean?" Officer Lev interrogated.
Sean's eyebrows connected with each other, he clicked his tongue and released a deep breath. "Nothing. I live in Oregon now. I'm clean, believe it or not."
The two officers chuckled at the words Sean blurted. "No. You have never been clean, Sean." Officer Lev reminded him.
"Shut up, you know nothing."
The car stopped before crashing it to the train. Officer Lee started to search and feel Sean's bag. "Well what do we have here?" Lifting a heavy thing in his free hand.
"This is a weapon, Officer Lee," Lev started, "That was used to gun down an officer ten minutes ago," he continued, "Officer John. A fine man, I might add."
The loud roaring sound of the giant train passed by before the car started to run again. "You work fast, man. You work fast." Officer Lev smirked.
The shining ray of sunset striked straight to the passengers. "You know I just got off from the plane." Sean defended himself.
Officer Lee heard his answer and replied, "Well, it's a good thing we found you and retrieve the murder weapon."
"That ain't my gun!"
"Don't bullshit me, Sean!" Officer Lev lost his poise and rattled his words.
"Yeah. Don't bullshit him, Sean." Lee mocked.
Sean's face was unexplainable. His furrowed brows didn't move a single inch. He clicked his tongue, "Tsk. What do you want from me this time?" Sean rolled his eyes.
The car turned left beside the church. "When we want you, we will find you. In the meantime, try not to gun down any more officers." Officer Lev laughed.
Lee drove straight at the quiet alleyway. "You all can't leave me here. This is a terrible place and you know what I meant!" Sean yelled.
"I thought you were innocent, Sean? That you don't mess around?" Lev's rebuttal.
Sean's arms was freed from the tight handcuffs. Officer Lev held him tightly and before Sean knew it, he felt the hard ground pound his body and the dusts that sprinkled his eyes. "See you around like a donut, Sean!" The police car drove away and the loud laughter echoed as if loud speaker was placed around.
Sean stood up from his place while staring at the car as if he was visually murdering them. "Stupid fucking shit!" Sean kicked the ground mad to himself.
"I'm back to the worst place in the world. Afton Ct, one of Outlaws' territory. I ain't represented Copse Hood, but Outlaws don't give a shit." Sean talked to himself while he was roaming around. He found an unsecured bicycle and hopped on it. Madly driving its wheels back home.