The 12 Elementals

Chapter 35

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I hope you're still with me here!

Kinda ran out of things to put onto top such as pictures and music videos. Got an idea?

Also sorry for the Ryder to Reason thing. Confused a lot of you! Don't worry, Im in the same spot. Having to type Reason and call him that is still new to me too!

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Cherry sighs, eyes clouding over as she thinks. "We grew up in a orphange in New York City and it blew. Rita, the woman who was supposed to care for us was a total bitch. She was always extra shitty to Reason because he was the one to stand up to her. She'd beat us, but we got nothing compared to what she'd do to Reason. I remember how she'd burn him with her cigarettes, lash at him with her belt, throw him into walls, stick his head in a tub full of hot ass water. Even though she did all this, Reason would still take the beatings so the rest of us wouldn't. Whenever Rita was in a rage he'd herd us upstairs and use himself as bait. I could hear him. And you know what I heard? Nothing. He never cried or screamed for help or even whimpered. He was so quite." Cherry slightly shook her head as if trying to erase her memories. I am fully submerged in her story, in their shared history. I can't tell if it's because Cherry has a smooth voice and the words roll off her tongue seamlessly, or because it sounds like something from a movie.

I lean in, both in interest and because she began to whisper, "After every beating she'd throw us in the coat closet, lock the door and we had to stay there till we 'could learn to be good.' Back than, Reason had bad claustrophobia and it would set him into a frenzy. I learned to pick locks just to get him out of there. By now I'm sure he's grown out of it."

I can't picture anyone being this horrible to children. This Rita chick must have deep issues to unleash her anger on these who can't defend themselves. Treating my Reason like that! My? How territorial of you Mel.

"How long did this last?" I ask, curiosity laces my words.

"Reason was thirteen before he finally stood up to Rita. He kicked her ass and she had it coming. The next day she threw him out. You can only imagine a thirteen year old orphan in the Big Apple." Cherry shuddered, "Reason used to be my hero. I actually looked up to him, to me he had guts, and I value that in a person." We make eye contact and a mutual agreement passes through us. Though I would say 'bravery' instead of guts, we could eye to eye on that. "Then along came Marco.

"Marco was a gang memeber, notorious for being a bad ass. He saw Reason out on the street. See, Reason had a special talent with cards. I don't know if it's cause all this element crap, but he was good. Give him a deck of cards and it was better than watching a magician. Reason needed money and put his talent to use. He robbed people, betting he could find their number, guess which card they were thinking of. Play a game of goldfish, or war or whatever they choose. Marco was about to walk by before he took a liking to Reason. Marco bet him fuve hundred bucks he couldn't win in a game of poker. Reason fell for it. After that Marco took Reason under his wing I guess you could say. Marco's gang was in need of cash, lots of it. So Marco gave Reason a roof, food and clothes, all Reason had to do was play poker. It kind of became an addiction for him, chesting professional players, taking their money and going back to Marco with it. They didn't care how young he was, only that he earned tons of cash and had a winning streak. As Reason grew older, he become bitter, resentful. Being around Marco and his gang must've been the turning point. The guys treated him like shit. He still got beat up!

"Marco told Reason he had to now earn his place. Though Reason didn't want to be in the gang, he wanted to make Marco proud. So he did what the fire said and fought back. That impressed Marco and he gave Reason his own gangsters to order around.