As He Takes Another Step

Category: Where the Day Takes You
Title: As He Takes Another Step
Author: Devil Chestnut
Genre: General/Angst/Some Romance
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Drug use, sexual scenes, language
Characters: Greg, Robyn
Summary: Greg never had an easy life. But in one night, and only 15 years old, it’s all about to change for him. Again.
Disclaimer: No ownership to the characters or screenplay. Robyn belongs to Dee.

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‘Things happen in our world, our society and our community every day. People find their own living as they please, of how they think it best. How these once-secure lives are destroyed is only up to them. Or is it up to us? Have we driven them this far? To take the extremes and wander as innocent children in their simple years? They poison themselves, in the mind and body, yet we don’t even understand their pain.

Thus, we are subsequently blind to the outside world.’ – Roy Waite

-xXx-

Chapter 1 – The Stranger

What had become of this place? Those stars...they could barely be seen anymore. Only those who looked to their brightness, their hope and dignity were the only ones to really care anymore, as rare people even bothered to think of them. The city, which was once filled with peace and treaty, was now tarnished with filth and crime. The air was once pleasant and cool on the face. Now it was special to even take a fresh breath.

Not many cared for the lives of others. The laws that lived out on the ominous streets were those of a ‘dog-eat-dog’, usually everyone kept in heed of themselves and their own businesses, their own troubles, and their own health.

It wasn’t found often for someone to be on their own, though. Groups were a huge thing, nowadays. Often unknown strangers helped out those who needed it. It all worked out that way, whether trust was guaranteed or not.

The spotlights of the unwary fell onto a young boy, as he raced his way through the darkness, ducking past the sneering bland of colour; brazened graffiti on the wall by some artist. His feet thudded against the dirtied pavement, invading puddles. They splashed the bottoms of his jeans, dried with mud, and hadn’t been washed in months.

He was fast, dodging all obstacles and leaping over the fences into strange territory. The familiar sound of sirens was circling in the air like vultures, and seemed to be getting louder with every step he took. Though the missing sun gave him an advantage, being rather small he found it easier to hide.

He heard shouting, unmistakable bangs and yells. He was hardly tiring, and knew the secret places beside his home and the faster means of escape.

He let a frown cloud his face as he turned his head about, his breath lost. “Dickheads!” he shouted over his shoulder.

Running...running, they were after him. Not regularly did the police chase him, yet this time he had been stopped on the account of ‘acting suspicious’ and had tried to search him on request. Catching the faint smell of alcohol and a musky scent of smoke (which had not been recognised as an original cigarette), they had immediately become aware.

“C’mon son, you’re frightened and it’s late. Let’s say we take you home?”

“I’m not frightened, and I’m not going home! I’m not going back there ever again! You can’t take me back, you assholes!”

They had reached for him, kind actions with a hard grasp on reality. The boy had barely enough time to breathe before he found his feet, struggling from their prying fingers and pulling his shirt out from their grip. He rounded on them as he fled, shooting abuse.

“You fuckers! Leave me alone!”

This was the way that Greg Burtis chose to live his days now. Darting in and out of trouble, carrying on with the drugs he had been taking for almost half of his life, and wasting himself away until maybe, at some turning point he would eventually be nothing more. No one had been able to figure out what had gotten him into all of it, many had thought that he was just another spoilt, whacked-up kid suffering from minor depression and thought no more of it. The truth was, he didn’t even know himself.

He cursed fluently under his breath as he stumbled and fell, tearing a hole in his clothing at the knee. He seemed numb from the fall, as he picked himself up just as quickly as he had fallen down, and carried on running.

“Shit!” They were coming at him from the other way now, closing in around him…just as the walls of his life frequently did when he could see no way out.

How he wondered why it was him that they went for, all the time. Why it was always him to attract attention. Was it because he was young? That’s usually what the excuse was.

He raised his hands to his hair and let loose an angry growl in annoyance, before his feet took him away once again.

He slipped down a tight alleyway, away from the prowling view of the officers and pressed close against the wall, making his refuge behind an old trashcan. It clanged noisily against the brick, sounding like a thunderstorm to Greg.

He got up, unnerved and slightly shaky at the joints, and stared down the street at the passing cars. He took this opportunity to let out all of his air, breathing and leaning his head against the crook of his arm. Shutting his eyes, he blasted every cuss word he could think of in an undertone.

Why were they always on his case? What did he ever do?

Biting his lower lip in twitchiness, he fished around in his clothes for his speed and tried to take his mind off things. But all he could think of was the words the cops had said.

“C’mon son, you’re frightened and it’s late. Let’s say we take you home?”

Home...home? Greg didn’t even understand what a home was anymore. As far as he was concerned, he didn’t have one. Not a proper one, anyway. A real one. Everywhere he seemed to turn in his own world he was always frowned on, always run through with eyes of hatred as they forced him to sit in the corner like some disobedient child. He felt as if his own parents despised him, as if they didn’t care.

Maybe they didn’t.

He felt eyes suddenly on him then, watching him carefully. Thinking that he had run into trouble again, he let out a warning noise of disturbance and tried to turn away into the shadows. “Fuck,” he said, hoping to stay out of sight. Unfortunately for him, he had already been spotted.

“Hey, who is it?” the voice called out. “What are you doing?”

Clearly it was not the kind of trouble that Greg was expecting. The voice was that of a female, and she didn’t sound as if she were out to get him.

He glanced up slowly and saw a shaded, rather skinny figure standing in front of the roadside. She was peering into his corner, trying to make him out. It was obvious that she had heard some sort of noise and had crept into the alley to investigate.

Greg at once stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, secreting his drugs. Finding his voice, he scowled back into the darkness. “Nothing!” he called back, trying to sound pretty aggressive. “I don’t have anything!”

“Did I say that you had?” the girl shot back, her tone rather cynical. She stepped in closer, her face beginning to show up into the little light that there was. Her clothes somewhat hung off her thin frame, and her hair dangled over her face as she turned her head, trying to get a glimpse of Greg.

“What the hell are you up to?” she asked.

“Nothing, I told you – nothing!” he threw back, not wanting all the questions. He ran a hand through his hair in impatience and shot a glare at no one in particular.

He couldn’t even have a moment to himself without being bombarded like this, why couldn’t everyone just leave him alone?

Feeling suspicious, the girl took another step. Greg didn’t even realise how near she was beside him until he heard her speak again.

“You’re fucking ratty to people, aren’t you?” she snapped, her mouth so close to his ear that he could feel her breath upon his skin. He jumped slightly, frowning as he edged a little away from her, turning back into the shadows again.

He made an effort to refuse speaking. Whatever he seemed to say, there was always an answer delivered by her. Who is she, anyway? Greg thought. He would have thought by now that she would be on her way; after all of the retorts he had thrown back. She just didn’t want to give up.

“I wish you’d just fuck off,” he snarled under his breath, a section of his face revealing itself as he entered the limelight of the moon. “Just...leave me alone. It’s none of your damn business anyway!”

There was a long, pregnant silence as the wind whistled through the streets. It made Greg feel uncomfortable. Sometimes, like right now...he would have longed to hear those sirens, just to block out the sound of this girl offering her advice.

Instead of turning away, she straightened up from his ear and laughed, folding her lean arms and studying him. “You’re real friendly, y’know?” she drawled slowly. “No wonder you’re out here all by yourself, on the run and all that crap, hiding away from nothing you couldn’t handle. What happened, did someone want rid of their mistake? Or is yours an entirely different story?”

At this, Greg found a swollen rage growing inside him. He had always feared those very same ideas, but hearing them aloud by someone else scared him. He shoved himself away from the wall and faced her, a lump forming in his throat. “Fuck you.”

This seemed to surprise her. Not that he had hit back, but that her words had appeared to touch a nerve on the young lad. He was shaking at the knees, and his fists were curled as his eyes lit with flames of rage.

For that moment, the girl felt her heart contract with a strange pity, and her voice melted into concern. She held up her hands as a signal of retreat, as if asking for quiet.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” she began. “I didn’t mean - ”

“No, fuck you!” Greg snapped again, backing away from her in disgust. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and kicked against the wall with a grunt.

Was it any of her business to go poking her nose around where it didn’t belong? What did she know about him, about his life?

Another long silence followed, every now and again broken by Greg’s heavy breathing. He passed a hand over his eyes, and turned away, utterly quiet.

“I’m sorry,” the girl spoke up again, holding out one of her small hands as if to hold him by the shoulder. She sighed, watching his hand dive deeply and desperately into his pocket again. “What’s your name, boy?”

“What the fuck do you care?” Greg shot back hotly.

Struggling to regain composure, she tucked a strand of her dark her behind her ear, and cleared her throat. “Because, it Goddamn looks like you need someone right now,” she told him. “Someone to talk to. And you sure as hell are fond of that word, aren’t you?”

He didn’t answer, but shifted a little, and glanced his eyes towards the ground. “I...I don’t need anyone,” he admitted quietly. “I don’t.” His eyes snapped in her direction.

The girl bit her lip, rolling her eyes. He really couldn’t take a hint from someone who was trying to help.

Taking a step closer, she held out her hand, smiling. Catching his attention at last, he came about and looked her directly in the eye, and what she saw astounded her.

He was a state, dirtied face and neck and his eyes seemed too bright to be real. They shook slightly and stared at her, wide and bemused. Dark and shining, she felt as if she were staring into stars...glimmering and sparkling in the vague moonlight. And yet...there was something lost about them, as if some form of his innocence had been stripped and she was staring deep into his forgotten soul...and she could see no sign of real love…

“Quit staring,” he finally spoke, edging away. “What’re you looking at?” It was a demand so brisk, that it sounded as if he were being silently interrogated.

The girl swallowed, regaining herself. Those eyes...that pain...

She shrugged, driving her thoughts away. Still she stood with her hand out to him, reaching as an aid for his troubles. A small smile played across her face as she noticed how he was watching it, as if it would bite him.

“Don’t worry,” she smiled. “I’m harmless.”

“Yeah?” Greg fired back, uncertainly eyeing her up and down, as if she were a figure of poison offering a temptation to drink. His face was curled into a gentle sneer, and his eyes flashed. “Is that some sort of shit you say to everyone? Well, I’m sorry…but my mom taught me not to speak to strangers. Especially little hookers like you.” He hoped his insults would drive her away.

Instead, she laughed again, a dry giggle. “I suppose, judging by your smartass comments, that’s not all she taught you,” she said. “And how, pray tell…have you suddenly come up to the impression that I’m a hooker, huh? You don’t even know me.”

Greg stared at her in amazement. Nothing…no matter what he said would make this girl go away! She had determination though, he had to give her that. And though her words were comforting, they frightened him.

She was right; he didn’t know this girl. She could be anyone, she could have done anything. Even though he knew that he was heading towards that road also, his instincts still proved protective of himself. “How,” he asked slowly, “how can I trust you?”

The girl offered him a warm grin. “You can’t,” she explained. “But how will you ever learn to take risks if you don’t try? I’m not asking for anything, boy. But if you want to learn how that you can trust people,” Here she held out her hand in a bolder action, “you’re going to have to start somewhere.”

Greg stared at her. Why is she so...?

“I’m a stranger to you,” he said. “A fucking stranger.”

The girl kept a still face, staring him straight in the eye. She was unafraid, and didn’t care what he would say or do. All that she wanted was to make sure that this little boy was no longer hurt, or threatened. He’s so young, she realised. He needs to know where to belong, that not everyone is out to capture him. He needs to feel freedom.

“I know,” she replied softly. “I am too. But, I’m afraid to break it to you, boy, you don’t really have much of a choice. Now, do you?”

She was right. Greg didn’t know anyone else out here. He was practically wandering the streets alone, waiting for good luck to rain down from the smog. Maybe she’s the luck I’ve been waiting for, he wondered, his eyes gazing into hers. What the fuck have I got to lose?

Chewing on his lip, he took his hand out of his pocket and placed it reluctantly into hers.

-xXx-