Call Me A Freak

Welcome To My Wicked World

My boots held me steady on the patchy stone walkways.

There was a thick layer of smoke that lay heavy on the streets that morning. Perhaps a nearby gang had gotten angry and burned down another house. Or one of the experimental types had caused an accident. Or maybe I was imagining things and the smoke was as it had always been... lingering.

Shouts rang out down alleyways. Stupid people who had left the house with something valuable on them and lost it a minute later. Or maybe one of the core villain kids had lost their temper and taken it out on a passerby or a shopkeeper.

It didn't matter to me. I smirked, taking in my hometown.

I was a bit out of my neighborhood, but no one would touch me here anyway. These streets were full of lowlife villains who never made that much of an impact. I could have someone murdered on the spot just for looking at me.

And even if it weren't for my status, I was very resourceful. Everyone knew it. My mother would have never let me leave the house if I wasn't. She wouldn't have let me live if I wasn't...

I glanced to my right and found exactly what I was looking for.

I pulled off the street, veering towards the empty, carved out area between buildings. There was just enough room there, and it was smooth.

I dropped my bag to my side and pulled out my spray cans. It was time to go to work.

~ ~ ~

I didn't keep track of time as I worked. I never did. I was well aware that I was supposed to meet up with Evie, Jay, and Carlos, but it was of no consequence to me if I was late, so I didn't worry about it.

Lucky enough, Jay found me fairly soon after I had finished.

"Nice work!" he shouted at me as he approached. Jay knew to warn me that he was approaching while I worked on my art. I often got lost in my head and my defense instincts went onto autopilot. So, if I sensed someone around that I wasn't expecting I would happily spray them in the face with my paints.

I didn't turn to look at him, just began to pack up my belongings. The bottles were covered in different colored splotches from my dyed fingers.

As I stood up and threw my bag over my shoulder, I noticed Jay standing next to me, admiring my work. It was a simple design. I had made a silhouette of my mom in black, then surrounded it with green fire. Inside the silhouette were the words "Long Live Evil". I had put up many similar signs around, ones I knew Jay had seen before, but he still liked to appreciate each design for its differences.

"Earth to Jay," I muttered. "I assume you know where Evie and Carlos are?"

He nodded, bringing his focus back to me. "You up for an adventure?"

I crossed my arms. "I guess."

I followed him out of the alley silently and back onto the main road.

"Carlos is pissed," he explained.

I went to answer, but got distracted as he grabbed a piece of sheet metal along one of the walls and pushed it aside, revealing another alleyway.

"Alright," I responded. "Is Evie also upset?"

"Nah." Jay stopped suddenly and looked at me. "Evie was flirting with some salesman when I left."

I rolled my eyes, then mumbled a quick, "Why are we stopped?"

Jay smirked, then patted the ladder attached to the wall beside us. "Because we're going up."

I groaned inwardly, watching him climb, before pulling myself up to the rooftops with him.

~ ~ ~