Another Encounter

I was lounging on the couch, watching a ridiculous soap opera, when mother suddenly burst into the living room like a tornado. She stood before me with a towering pillar of worry, clutching a mile-long shopping list in her hand. Without pausing for breath, she thrust a wad of cash into my palm and pushed me out the door.

The crisp air hit me with force, like a slap to the face. I shivered and stretched, considering taking a walk to clear my head. But the wind was relentless, whipping through my clothes and cutting through my skin like an icy knife. Admitting defeat, I resigned myself to her plan. Shopping it is, then.

The shopping mart is just a few blocks away from our school. It's the coldest here in January, and unless you walk out from your home, you won't get the feel of it. The air is cold and sharp, like tiny needles. My breath comes out in white puffs. The trees are bare, while the leaves make a soft crunching sound beneath my feet. The sky is a dull gray, with big, fluffy clouds. I pull my coat tighter around me and keep walking, my face feeling numb. 

Good thing they had the heaters turned on in the mart, or else I would've been frozen on my way back. After getting all the items on my list, while the cashier was scanning all the stuff, I catch sight of a young boy. He's around my age, struggling to carry two large bags of instant noodles. We make eye contact for a brief moment, and looking all surprised, he starts making his way towards me.

"You're that friend of Boss, right?" he says.

Boss? Who is he talking about? 

"Reol, right?" he asks, as if he's just solved a puzzle.

Boss…? If my intuitions are correct… then I'm not liking the way things are going. 

The cashier was done by then, handing me over my bag. "Sir, that will be ninety dollars." 

"Did I get someone else?"

“Yeah. Nice to meet you… have a nice day.” I quickly hand over a grand, grab the change, and start walking past him.

“Nah, you're totally him. Hey, come with me.”

“Come with you… where?”

“And also, carry one for me?” He handed me over one of the bags he was carrying. 

"Where are you even taking me?"

"Just come. We’re having a party!”

Despite my reluctance and indifference, he kept insisting on bringing me along with him. And in the end I had to cave in. Not like I have a choice… With a ton of unnecessary remarks and stuff I couldn’t care less about, he brought me along with him. Towards the old factory building. It was the same place where everything went horribly wrong last time. I can feel every nerve in my body screaming for me to turn back, to never go near that place again. The mere thought of it sends shivers down my back.

He pushes the rusty slide door a bit for the both of us to walk in. And that's when the familiar stench of damp and decay hit me like a physical blow. There they were, just like I remembered, a bunch of muscle heads perched on wooden crates, laughing and talking about who knows what. Bryant was at the head, bringing his eyes right towards us as he heard the doors creak. All the other eyes follow afterwards.

“Well, well, well, you’re finally here. Took you an eternity!” Bryant sneered with a smirk plastered on his face.

“What can I do, boss?! These bags are heavier than me too…”

“Whatever… it seems you have company.”

“Aren’t you the kid Bryant beat up? What was his name again?” asked one of his lackeys, a skinny kid with a tattoo of a spider on his neck. He was calling Bryant by his name, and even sitting right next to Bryant. Maybe he's the vice-leader or something.

“Reol. Reol Wright.”

"Doesn't matter." His gaze swung back to me. "How'd you get the courage to come back here? Wasn't last time enough?"

"I didn't want to...he..." I tried to keep my cool, but my heart was pounding like a drum.

Bryant clapped his hands loud, grabbing all our attention. "Don't tease him this much, Ash, he’ll just get scared."

So his name is Ash. Seems the same type as Bryant, though that's expected. Ash grudged, “fine… whatever.”

“So, Reol, how come you’re here. I thought you didn’t like this place or anyone of us…”

“I, uh, I was just passing by,” My words were all over the place, yet tried to sound casual.

Bryant laughed with a harsh, grating sound. “Passing by, huh? Seems like sent to buy groceries for mommy.”

The whole crew erupted in laughter. I clenched my fists, trying to ignore them.

Bryant held up a hand, cutting through the laughter. His eyes scanned the room, landing on me. "Alright, enough," he said. "Since you're here, join us. We're having a new year's party. What do you guys think?"

Everyone looked at each other. No one seemed eager to voice an opinion. Bryant nodded, “It seems then we have a new temporary member for today.”

I wasn't sure what to expect from a gang, honestly. More so from Bryant. I've just got no clue what goes through his head. I mean, I'd only seen them in movies. But this? This was different. Right after all the crazy stuff died down, they just whipped out a water heater and started boiling water. It was like watching a bunch of college dorm mates getting ready for a ramen party, minus the dorm.

I grabbed a cup when it was my turn. Seems like someone was absent today, so I got their spot. Lucky... or maybe unlucky me? But watching them all slurping down noodles, laughing and joking, it was weird. They didn’t look like the tough guys from the movies. More like a group of hungry friends.

I mean, who would think these were the same guys who you'd see beating each other up on the streets? It was like two different worlds colliding.

“So, what’s the big plan this year, Mr. Boss?” Ash asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Bryant took a long slurp of noodles before answering. “Same as always, Ash. Do our best to protect this place until Owen comes back.”

A guy named... something, chimed in, "But Bryant, the cops are extra alert this year. Maybe we should lay low."

Bryant's gaze hardened as he spoke. "We can't just surrender to those South Gate losers and let them take over. This is our territory."

"But what happens if we get caught?" the other man pressed.

"We won't," Bryant replied sharply."We're smarter than them."

"That's also what the old boss said," another voice mumbled.

"Like I said, have some trust in me, guys. I know these are big shoes to fill, but I’m not going to give up this easily."

I had no clue what they were talking about. "Um, Bryant, what's this all about?"

A few chuckles erupted. "You don't know about the Great January Showdown? Oh, I forgot, you're new here."

Later, I pieced it together. Every year, on the last day of January, the two gangs in the area, South Gate and East Gate, have a massive showdown for control of the turf. I still don't know where this "Gate" place is. This factory is their base, and that's where the fight goes down. Win, and you rule for the year. Lose, and you're out.

The peeling paint, the broken windows, the graffiti – feels like they all have memories attached to all of these. A feeling I couldn't relate to. Protecting a place? Fighting for territory? It was a world away from my own.

After returning home, the first thing I should’ve done was wash everything out from my memory. I’ve already gotten myself more than enough trouble on my plate. If I go on concerning myself with them… who knows what I might get myself into. Better safe than sorry.

Well, that was me from a few weeks back. I guess I just have a natural tendency of finding my way to problems. Like the two poles of a magnet. I knew I shouldn’t be there. But there I was.

The place was quiet. Too quiet actually. I crept closer, my eyes scanning the dark windows. No sign of life. Maybe they weren’t coming. Or maybe they were already inside, waiting.

Then all of a sudden, the eerie stillness of the abandoned factory was shattered by the sound of shuffling footsteps. I inched closer. Just as I began to think I was alone, a group of figures appeared in the distance - cloaked in black hoodies and carrying various makeshift weapons.

My blood suddenly ran cold. I didn’t think I would be really seeing a scene like this. One guy, taller than the rest, carried a baseball bat. He raised it high and brought it down on the factory doors with a thunderous crash. The metal protested with a groan, but gave way with a screech as the doors slid open.

In one fluid motion, he tossed aside his weapon and charged into the building. Before I could even comprehend what was happening, a figure came barreling out towards him, landing a brutal punch that sent them both crashing to the ground.

Then, without waiting a moment, the two groups erupted into a chaotic brawl. The sounds of fists hitting flesh and bones cracking drowned out any other noise. Blood splattered against the cold concrete floor, creating a macabre painting that seemed to pulse with each new blow.

Every person in the vicinity became a blur of limbs and desperate movements, fueled by pure adrenaline and no regard for their own safety. I could feel my heart pounding violently in my chest, ducking behind a rusty dumpster.

It was like watching a scene from a nightmare come to life, with kicks and punches flying in every direction and random objects being thrown through the air. I wanted to look away, to escape this hellish reality, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the gruesome spectacle unfolding in front of me.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it slowed down. Every person involved was panting heavily. But even in exhaustion, there was still a palpable sense of danger still among them. The fight was far from over

Two figures emerged from the chaos. Bryant stood across from a tall, muscular guy with a cold, hard look in his eyes. The crowd parted to give them space.

This seems to be the final showdown. Between the two leaders. They circled each other like predators, their eyes locked in a deadly dance. Then, with a roar, they charged. I shifted from my place a little to get a clear view. The other guy was big, with a mean look on his face. They didn’t waste any time.

Bryant moved first, quick as a flash, throwing a punch straight at the guy’s face. The other leader blocked it with his forearm, then countered with a hard right hook. Bryant took the hit to the ribs but didn’t back down. He came in again, this time faking left before landing a solid punch to the guy’s gut.

The bigger man grunted, took a step back, then came at Bryant with a furious flurry of punches. Bryant ducked and dodged, but a few connected, making him wince. They were both breathing hard now, sweat dripping from their faces, but neither showed any sign of giving up.

Bryant dodged another swing and delivered a powerful uppercut that sent the guy stumbling back. But the man recovered fast, charging forward and tackling Bryant to the ground. They rolled on the dirty concrete, each trying to get the upper hand. I could hear their grunts and the thud of fists against flesh.

Bryant managed to break free, pushing the man off him. They scrambled to their feet, and Bryant didn’t give the other leader a chance to catch his breath. He came at him with a hard knee to the stomach, then a crushing elbow to the back. The guy went down hard, gasping for air.

Bryant stood over him, chest heaving, eyes cold. The fight was over.

For a long moment, the two men just stared at each other. Then, surprisingly, Bryant extended his hand. The other guy hesitated, then took it. They shook hands. A truce.

The fight was over. As quickly as it had started, it was over. The two gangs dispersed, disappearing into the darkness like shadows.

I waited until the coast was clear before emerging from my hiding spot. I was about to slip away when I heard my name. I froze. Bryant was looking at me.