Unknown Reality

Maya ran her fingers along the brick wall as she rounded a corner into an alleyway. Her black heels clicked on the concrete street as she sauntered over to five men crowded around a barrel with a fire burning inside. They each turned to look at who was coming as soon as they heard the sound of her heels echo down the alley. One of them gently hit the other in the chest to get his attention and point to Maya with a satisfied smile. The others soon joined with smiles on their faces and a burning hunger rising in each of them as they admired her figure, while she just continued to walk toward them. “Well, well, look who we have here, boys!” one of them cheered. Another cat whistled to Maya. “Damn, I bet those legs look even better without those skinny jeans on ‘em.” He started to swagger walk toward her very slowly with the other one. “Do you realize who you’re walkin’ toward, pretty girl?” “Do you realize who’s walking toward you?” she barked with a subtle smirk. “A sexy woman who’s about to get treated real nice.” The lead man ran his tongue across his top row of teeth like he was preparing to devour a meal. “Why don’t you come a little closer…unless you’re scared, baby girl.” He looked her up and down again. “I can make you feel warm and safe.” “You should watch your tongue, big boy.” She cocked her head as she stopped a few feet away and just glared at him. “Did your momma forget to teach you how to treat a woman?” He huffed a laugh. “She taught me how to treat a bad girl.” “You happen to remember a woman named Kylie Ostar?” The man alerted to the name. Maya cocked her head to the other side when she saw the reaction, and a grin formed on her face. “Or Laura Like? Sadie Tate?” “Them girls were nice, but they ain’t nothin’ compared to how you’re gonna be.” He smiled and licked his lips. “Is that so?” Maya smirked. Suddenly, Ashton appeared in her head. Don’t do this, Maya. Get outta my head, Ash! Maya, this isn’t you. Shut-up! Maya stop! Maya’s eyes lit cobalt blue. “No.” Lightning rippled across her face, temporarily revealing her skeleton underneath as she began to walk toward the men again. The two men standing behind the front two charged her. She gestured her arms outward, throwing both men into the brick walls on each side. She closed her fist and molded their bodies into the brick and crushing their lungs. The one little coward behind the lead one tried to make a break for it. Maya knelt down, laid her fist on the concrete, made eye contact with the runaway, and snapped her fingers. The man instantly fell to the ground like he’d been grabbed by an invisible rope and was dragged backward, all the way to Maya. She made him stand up, fitting his neck in the palm of her hand. Slowly, she slid the tips of her fingers down the same line in the same palmed position, stopping over his abdomen, and flexing her hand, throwing two halves of him in both directions. She set her calm attention on the last one standing. “Are you afraid now…little boy?” She could easily tell he was pretending not to be afraid. He suddenly lunged at her, but she quickly brought her hand up with only two fingers pointed upward, stopping him in his tracks. “Ah-ah-ah…not so fast.” Before she could do anything, he was suddenly pulled away from her to the opposite side of the alley. “I take it you’re not very good at making friends?” a woman’s voice echoed from where the man now laid still on the ground. “Who the he--“ Maya stopped herself. The woman across the alley had glowing eyes just like her. The two of them slowly walked toward each other, Maya observing her more than the other one observed her. “I suggest next time picking a place less obvious and tactics less…” she glanced at the bodies and pieces of bodies around her, “…bloody.” “You wanna know what they did?” “It doesn’t matter.” “Yes, it does!” “No, it doesn’t because it’s not your job to get revenge!” Maya’s breathing relaxed, and she felt herself growing calmer. Her eyes faded back to normal, and the flickering stopped. Everything stopped for the woman across from her too. She had long dark brown hair and suntanned skin, kind of like Ashton’s; she reminded her of him. Maya was hit with a sudden wave of regret, flooding her with memories of Ashton, Malia, and Luca. She realized she missed them dearly; she missed Jake. Her eyes slowly turned back up to the woman. “You’re a Fluxrate.” “As are you, I see.” “What’s your name?” The woman looked away from Maya, downcast. “It’s not important.” “Why?” “I’m nobody…just a passerby stopping you from going too far.” Maya just looked at her before realizing she didn’t care anymore—she wasn’t gonna push because she had no energy left. “Well…thanks, but I’m okay now.” She flipped her hood back up and turned to walk away.