Chapter I: The BOY is a GUN (Spaniel)

  “Are we gonna die?

  …not tonight.”

  August 28, 1988. Link, The Second's 5th Birthday.

  A yawn filled the air.

  Years had passed since the incident, long so that it caused ignorance to the past…

  And euphoria to the present.

  Stretching his arms out to the air.

  Getting up from the mattress, making a creaking sound as he left his slumber.

  Footsteps echoing as he walked to the living room, knowing how uncomfortable the morning was with Samuel.

  Peering through the living room, he saw a bag.

  A plastic bag, brand new as it sat on the couch.

  He could tell the noticeable difference between bags, reminiscing Samuel's bags that he brought home and the quality of them.

  Stepping towards it, Link II's foot bumped into one of the toys he left out last night.

  Eyes dilated and darted to his feet, He moved.

  Putting the toy away before Samuel stepped out.

  In remembrance of how much Samuel slapped him if he didn't pick up.

  Remembering one time he spoke out.

  “Pick up your mess, Link.

  I don't care if you want to play, pick your mess up before I put you to sleep.

  Worthless piece of shit.”

  Out of the blue, Samuel stepped out, glaring while Link II put away his toys.

  Pretending to be in a sense of care as he watched like a hawk.

  Keeping his eye out towards the belt behind the closet.

  In case Link II committed a double whammy of disobedience, Samuel called it.

  All while Link II felt sweat drop from his forehead.

  The bruises on his arms from yesterday, marks of a belt on his legs and shoulders.

  Remembering the power of Samuel's authority even if in the sense of right and wrong taught by the shows on TV.

  He walked to the table to eat breakfast, glancing at the clock near the kitchen wall, which read 10:15 AM.

  Getting leftover cereal by Samuel, it had become soggy.

  Milk became gray from nature.

  Grains in each pellet of cereal melted into semi solid objects.

  Looking back at Samuel, he saw him stumble around the kitchen drunkenly.

  Anxiety tightened against his throat, everything looked like it was eager to eat him.

  So he ate quickly to ignore what felt like voices.

  Millions spoke to him of something similar to TV static, speaking of things that made no sense.

  Despite the lack of flavor, he ate as if he loved something soggy; it tasted like a sponge.

  After 15 minutes of eating, he got out of the chair, ready to head into his room and play by himself alone.

  Till Samuel approached him, saying as he coughed.

  “The stuff in the bag is for you kiddo. Now move outta the way, I gotta grab my pipe.”

  He stumbled around in the hallway again, eventually opening his door and slamming it shut.

  Link II watched Samuel stumble around.

  Embarrassed to have a guardian who abused him yet also acted foolish.

  Confused on whether Samuel was on the side of good or evil.

  Asking himself as he reflected on the moment.

  “Samuel hurts me sometimes… but keeps giving me presents…why?

  Why doesn't the TV talk about this side of good and evil where people pretend to care for me?”

  Right after, Link II walked to the bag on the couch, digging through it to find many unique items.

  Not understanding the clear cases that led to a circle shaped object inside them from the hatch.

  Looking on the front of one, and seeing a tiny sign that read.

  “Compact Disc.”

  Reading the titles of the cds, which read:

  Kendrick Lamar — Section 80.

  Good Kid, M.a.a.d city — A Short Film by Kendrick Lamar

  DAMN.

  Setting them down on the coffee table near Link II, still digging through the bag.

  Finding in addition, two more of these cds.

  One had the cover of men and boys combined on the cover, some looking angry and some looking happy, surrounding the front of the white house.

  All having expressions of pride.

  Setting it aside, finally grabbing the last CD.

  Showing a stoic man holding an infant child in his arms.

  Wearing a crown.

  A woman in the back coddling another child.

  The walls of the background had paint holes.

  Reminding Link II of his own dysfunctional life with his supposed guardian.

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  Immediately tossing the album away in uncomfortableness, not liking a mirror of his life stated in such a simple art cover.

  His mind spiking in anxiety, choosing to calm himself down while selecting an album to play.

  Talking to himself in the silence.

  “Ohh, this ‘Section 80’ looks awesome! Wait… why are there so many items on the cover? Maybe save for later…”

  “This looks cool ? But the good kid looks… just like shady people in the streets… Nevermind.”

  “...maybe I should try this DAMN. CD first. I think it looks simple and… fun? I do like the red color and brick wall though…”

  Grabbing the cd with his tiny hands, carrying it over to the CD player that Samuel used in his off-time to “make me zone.”

  Pressing the play button hard, the song began with a voice.

  “Is it wickedness? is it weakness?”

  That one line horrified Link II to the bone, his body shivering from the cold line.

  Continuing about a story that an unnamed narrator retold, all connecting to the idea of wickedness and weakness.

  His eyes darting towards the window while listening to the song.

  Seeing two people bump shoulder to shoulder, leading to the escalation of an argument.

  Faintly seeing their expressions filled with anger from inside Link II's home.

  Moving away the blinds to see more.

  Their conversation slightly muted from the closed windows.

  “Hey, motherfucker! You jump one of my n***as?!”

  “Hey, well fuck you too! Fuck you and your crip gang, I dont care if you wanna fight over white lines!”

  Right as the song connected with the line…

  “YOU'VE LOST… YOUR LIFE.”

  The sound of guns broke the sound of superbia.

  Turning it from an innocent neighborhood into something of the ghetto.

  Just from a single choice made by two individuals.

  Link II crouched down, covering his ears from the pain of the large sound of the weapon.

  Getting back up onto the couch, peering through the blinds again.

  He saw the same two men.

  One standing, breathing heavy, holding the gun in the air still.

  The other lying on the floor, bleeding a dark but bright color that Link II didn't understand.

  The man's eyes were devoid of any life left.

  His body losing its natural color, an arm reaching out towards the man before collapsing.

  Just as a smell came through the air, that same smell that Samuel blamed on Link II.

  Smelling like rotting fire.

  The melting of those men at only 3 months old.

  The other man's arm shaking in fear, his eyes slowly losing faith in redemption.

  Finally, that same man who wore a wife beater, yelled to the empty streets.

  “I… I-I did it.

  I killed a man.

  Woo! Fuck Yeah!

  Fuck y’all, only i can kill a man!

  None of yall fuck with the streets!”

  Link II felt a sense of anger towards the man, not knowing why the man hurt the other man.

  But knowing he had to pay for turning evil.

  No matter the cost.

  Not understanding what was really going on behind the scenes.

  Samuel stumbled back out, ready to hurt Link II again for disturbing his “personal” time in the room.

  “alright dumbass, who's got you thinking you can be shit-”

  Before watching through the window and seeing the dead man.

  Lying on the sidewalk of their front lawn, bleeding out to death.

  The blood immediately snapping Samuel back to reality, turning downwards towards the slightly shivering boy below him.

  Link II's eyes filled with a mix of anger and fear.

  His body shivering from the emotional terror of seeing a dead person die in front of him.

  But his gaze comparable to that of a bull eyeing down a red cloth.

  While Samuel checked Link II's body for any gunshot wounds, patting him down.

  During this, Samuel asked him.

  “Are you okay, kiddo? Did anybody or anything hurt you?”

  Link II nodded, his body still and trembling.

  Watching the man run away from the scene, eyeing him down as he ran.

  Almost like he unconsciously commanded hell onto the man.

  Leaving only the dead carcass of a random person in the streets for everybody to see.

  Link II, still confused, wanted to know two things.

  Taking a moment to clear his breath as he asked Samuel hesitantly.

  “Samuel? W-Why is that man… leaking red?”

  Samuel stopped for a moment, his heart racing at having to explain to a god child the concept of death.

  But asking him again.

  “Wait… why are you shocked from death-”

  Seeing his eyes yet again.

  Seeing innocence established after years of forgotten memories crumble into tears and cries of a toddler.

  And with a heavy heart, Samuel began.

  “Kiddo, as much as sunshine and rainbows can exist, nothing ever lasts long.

  We are mortal, we struggle with it each day.”

  All while Link II stayed silent, remembering a lesson taught by Samuel.

  If you ask for shit, get slapped in the face.

  Ask for food? Slapped in the face.

  Cry from an injury? Slapped. In. The. Face.

  Now just learning a horrifying fact of life during his stoicism made from fear.

  Samuel continued.

  “If we get hit, shot, even fall, that's it.

  That's your life gone and wasted.

  Nothing else happens because of blood.

  Blood is our demise, yet we'll need it.

  It's like your toys, something you'll forget but something you'll need later.”

  As Samuel talked Link II slowly broke down about learning the fact of mortality.

  His mind overwhelmed with thoughts and ideas of what happens after death.

  Asking hesitantly.

  “W-Why did the man shoot the guy? What goes on after death?”

  Beginning to uncontrollably cry as he asked.

  Waiting for the eventual slap from Samuel, additionally realizing that everything isn't all sunshine and rainbows.

  Taking note of this in secret and having his mind try to adjust to the sight of blood.

  Samuel watched for a moment, his heart breaking as he heard the question.

  Taking him in his arms, letting him cry onto him.

  While Link II leaned into Samuel, having a slow meltdown.

  “...why? Why do people… die, Samuel? W-why can't they be good people and live happily ever after like the movies?”

  Soon, yelling into his coat and weeping out loud after the lack of response from Samuel.

  “WHY SAMUEL?! WHY IS IT SO UNFAIR?! CAN'T PEOPLE JUST BE GOOD AND HAPPY?”

  His weeps barely heard from the muffled sound of his clothing.

  Samuel took another breath, holding back tears he knew never deserved sympathy back.

  Not knowing the answers to his questions, answering the best default way he could.

  “...kiddo, that's not how real life works.

  That's just how life is. You live, you die with happiness or sorrow.

  I'm sorry… but you have to get used to it.

  It's just permanent.

  It's like a fly when it gets crushed… poof. It dies, nothing else or anybody else gets affected besides the fly's life.”

  Both of them sat in the intimate moment, letting Link II cry despite Samuel's deep hatred.

  Moving the both of them onto the couch, letting the both of them become weak.

  Patting Link II on the back, all while his weeps slowly calmed down and passed out on the couch.

  Around 12 PM, he was now asleep on Samuel's lap, his ears twitching as he slept.

  Taking a breath, Samuel thought to himself while watching over his child.

  He had never really understood Link II during his toddler years, the confidence in not hiding his elven ears in the time that he never abused him…

  Never backing down from any of the elven slurs that Samuel called him.

  Remembering the cat-like ears that Link II's elven ears had the properties of.

  Secretly proud of having such a unique child in his arms.

  Feeling sorry for everything he did to Link II.

  Every grab.

  Every hit with a belt.

  Every time he denied Link II of any happiness besides commands and small comments of conditional love.

  Samuel laid him down on the couch, covering him with a blanket, quietly leaving to go take a puff of marijuana in his room.

  Reeling in the guilt of abusing a young god child.

  Thirty minutes later, Link II woke up from his nap, getting up in joy.

  Believing the talk that Samuel had was just a horrible nightmare.

  Peering outside his window, moving away the blinds to see there was now a group of men in a pickup truck.

  Sitting in the trunk, waiting for something.

  Yelling curse words in their conversation between each other that Link II didn't understand but took note.

  Hearing the faint swears from the closed window and taking note.

  “FUCK!”

  “SHIT!”

  “DAMN!”

  Is what Link II heard.

  And yet… he couldn't fathom why they said it with such joking matter.

  Feeling the slightest pain from the hurtful words, but glad they weren't as violent.

  Ducking back below the couch due to both uncertainty.

  Thinking this was a game of hide and seek every time the men glanced at his house.

  Playfully sticking his head back and forth between the cushions of it.

  A few minutes later, the wife beater man was brought back to the scene.

  Link II watching with returned fear, additionally filled with revenge.

  Not knowing he'd be watching somebody die again.

  Witnessing them beat the man to death.

  One of them quickly pulling out a gun and killing the man from it.

  The same echo hurts Link II's ears.

  Completely still, eyes widened from seeing the man's head blown clean off.

  Both the body and the head itself making a plop unto the floor.

  The neighbors walked out with weapons, ready to defend one of their own.

  Despite it being assumptions rather than fact.

  “You killed our motherfucking n***a! We'll get you back!”

  “Don't nobody jump one of ours in this neighborhood!”

  Soon after, more bullets were fired.

  Link II finally seeing chaos incarnate.

  People falling to the floor.

  Children tagging along with fathers to steal anything useful for themselves.

  Other teenagers pulling handguns on other gangsters trying to intimidate.

  Instead getting shot down due to their lack of self-awareness.

  Mothers hiding their own children in their arms.

  The sounds and smells of gunpowder and blood in the air.

  It felt like forever, curling uncomfortably into himself while waiting for it to end.

  His rather bigger stomach made it hard to hold that position.

  Only hearing one thing repeat in his thoughts.

  “God, please don't let me die now.

  I can't hold on much longer…

  But I might die…

  God I hate this fat stomach of mine…”

  While his body shivered, he felt the cold of millions and billions of universes pass through him as if he had always been inside them.

  Till everything dimmed into silence like a fairytale ending.