SARIYAH MARTIN Atlanta, ga

"You gone have to tell me who that was and what you got going on." Sariyah walked into the motel room, turning to watch Kaelix lock the door behind them.

His movements were deliberate, his shoulders tense as he slid the chain into place. "Ain't nothing to tell," he muttered, shoving his gun into the drawer by the nightstand.

Sariyah raised an eyebrow, leaning against the edge of the bed. "Negro, please. We just killed two people. You don't think I deserve a little context?"

Kaelix sighed, running a hand over his face. "You don't need to know everything."

"Everything? I don't even know your last name." She crossed her arms, watching him carefully. "I just wanna know, so I'm not killing niggas for you— and don't know why"

Kaelix didn't respond. He moved to the window, pulling back the edge of the curtain just enough to peer outside. The streetlights cast long shadows over the parking lot, and everything looked still. For now.

"I'm serious," Sariyah continued, her tone softer now. "Who were they?"

Kaelix let the curtain fall back into place. "They work for someone I used to know. Someone I..." He hesitated, his jaw tightening. "...used to work for."

Sariyah tilted her head. "Work for, like... a nine-to-five? Or the kind where you carry a gun everywhere?"

He turned, his eyes meeting hers. "What you think?"

She didn't answer, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward.

Kaelix sat down heavily in the chair by the window, his elbows resting on his knees. "I was sixteen. Had no money. No family except my mom and siblings, and they couldn't eat for shit because my mom wanted to live off unemployment"

"So you found someone to take care of you and your family?," Sariyah guessed.

"Something like that," Kaelix said, his tone clipped. "He was powerful. Ran shit in Atlanta. You needed money, protection, a way out? You went to him."

"And you?"

Kaelix exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his face. "I wasn't supposed to stick around. Just needed enough to get us through a couple months. But when he figured out I could move product without getting caught..." He shrugged. "Guess he saw potential."

Sariyah nodded slowly, her expression unreadable. "And now he's sending people after you?"

Kaelix shook his head. "He's dead."

That caught her attention. "Dead? How?"

Kaelix leaned back, his hands flexing against his thighs. "His son was my boy. Closest thing I ever had to a brother." His voice softened slightly, the weight of the memory clear in his tone. "One night, I let him tag along on a deal. Thought I could keep him safe. Thought I knew what I was doing."

Sariyah didn't interrupt, her eyes steady on him.

"The deal went bad," Kaelix continued, his voice tightening. "They shot first. I tried to protect him, but..." He trailed off, his jaw clenching.

"He didn't make it," Sariyah said softly.

Kaelix nodded. "His dad—my boss—found out a few days later. I knew I was done for. You don't just let something like that slide."

"So what happened?"

Kaelix's gaze dropped to the floor, his hands clasping together tightly. "We had a 'talk,'" he said bitterly. "But he wasn't looking to talk really. He wanted to send a message. Make sure I knew my place before he killed me."

"And?"

Kaelix's voice was low now, barely audible. "And I put a bullet in his head before he could put one in mine."

The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating.

Sariyah stared at him, her expression calm but her eyes sharp. "And now his crew knows?"

Kaelix nodded. "Took 'em years to figure it out, but yeah. They know. And they ain't gonna stop till they get me."

Sariyah leaned back, tilting her head slightly as she studied him. "So, what? You just been running ever since?"

"Not at first," Kaelix admitted. "I stayed low, kept my head down. Figured I covered my tracks. But they found me."

Sariyah didn't respond right away. She walked to the desk, her fingers brushing over the edge as she let his words settle. "So you know we can't stay here right?"

"We?" He tilted his head. "I just told you I killed my bestfriend and his dad and you still wanna be around me Sariyah?"

Kaelix leaned back into the dingy couch, letting Sariyah's words hang in the air.

"You haven't heard half the shit I've done, Kaelix," she'd said, her tone casual but carrying a weight he couldn't ignore.

For now, he was okay not knowing. Maybe he didn't want to know.

But her question still lingered. "So where are we going?"

He glanced at her, their knees brushing from how close they were sitting. Sariyah was calm, like none of this scared her. Like running, hiding, and surviving was second nature to her. It made him wonder just how deep her past went.

"I got an idea," Kaelix said, running a hand over his chin. "But I don't know if it's the best plan."

"Best plan or not," Sariyah replied, leaning back, "we can't stay here."

Kaelix nodded, letting out a slow breath. "We can go to my mom's house. It's outside the city. Nobody'll look for me there, plus she lives in North Carolina."

Sariyah raised an eyebrow. "Your mom knows you're out here like this, and she lives hours away?"

Kaelix smirked bitterly. "Nah. She thinks I got out of the game a long time ago. As far as she's concerned, I'm just her fucked-up kid who couldn't stay on the right path."

"And she's cool with you just showing up?"

Kaelix shrugged. "She ain't got much of a choice. She'd rather see me breathing than end up in a body bag."

"I hope she would at least" he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Okay then, let's leave tonight"

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Yall I love them like they real.. I've gotten attached to fake characters, I need a fucking life I swear bro 😭

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