Moonlit Scars

Seray

"I don't think this is a gym", I said. "We're in the wrong place".

Lalam climbed out of the car and took my free hand. My other hand was holding a cardboard box against my hip, filled with cupcakes in safety containers. Earlier when Demir had dropped me off back at the mansion after leaving Lalam at the preschool, I'd baked them. Lalam thought it was a good idea to hand out treats to the people in the gym, because she'd learned that first impressions mattered.

I didn't have the heart to tell her that these calorie conscious people would probably hate cupcakes.

"This looks like a hospital", she observed.

The place did look like a hospital with long windows and a heavily lit parking lot.

Demir took out a duffel bag from the trunk of his car.

"This is a gym", he said, grumpily. "Come on"

We followed him to the back of the building and instead of going in, he started climbing down a staircase which obviously led to a basement area. We could hear voices emanating from below us.

The gym turned out to be a spacious, brightly- lit basement with a huge fighting ring in the middle of it. Rows upon rows of equipments were placed all around and at the far end, a climbing wall stretched towards the roof. Wooden chairs and tables were stacked against to the side and a bar ran the length of one wall.

"This is not a gym", I said again. Demir made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat.

Two men were cautiously sparring with each other in the fighting ring. When they noticed Demir, the biggest of the two climbed down and came towards us.

"Wait! Where are you going?" I asked as I noticed Demir starting towards the back door.

"To change into my workout clothes", he said. "I'll be right back"

"But..." I sputtered.

"Relax. Ryan doesn't bite", he threw this remark over his shoulder before disappearing behind the door.

I highly doubted that. The man was HUGE, with closely cropped hair and a tiny metal bar through his left eyebrow. The picture of a big, flaming skull on his t-shirt didn't help either. I briefly wondered if I should grab Lalam and make a run for it.

Lalam obviously didn't share the same aversions as me. She stepped forward and stuck out her hand at the giant.

"Hello! I'm Lalam!"

The man grinned and it instantly transformed his face from something out of a mafia movie to an actual, nice human being. He gently fist bumped her small hand, coaxing a smile out of her. His sparring partner joined us, looking amused.

"Welcome, Little Miss. We know who you are- you're Demir's little niece, aren't you?"

Lalam looked pleased with herself for being recognized.

" I'm Ryan", he said. "And this is Bora. Step aside for a bit, he smells like a sewer"

Bora grunted, pushing him away. Then he patted Lalam's head and said something in her ear. She grinned.

"Would you like a cupcake?" She asked.

Ryan quirked an eyebrow.

"Of course, why not?"

Lalam looked at me, suggestively. Oh right, I had them. I opened the box and handed over two red velvet cupcakes with heart icing. Then awkwardly holding the box against my waist, I held out my hand for them to shake.

"I'm Seray- Lalam's aunt"

Their large palms seemed to dwarf mine. The two men looked pretty comical, holding cupcakes with pink icing. Ryan took a bite out of his.