by Amber Burns
Not able to sleep, Cade threw back the covers and quickly dressed. He grabbed his leather jacket and made his ways downstairs. It wasn’t too late to get in a good fight. For those that were aware of it, an underground fighting ring was both a source of entertainment and a chance to earn a little cash. Weapons were not allowed in the ring, but it wasn’t unheard of for someone to sneak in smaller easily concealed weapons. Cade straddled his bike and started the engine. 1800cc’s rumbling beneath him. The sensation sending a thrill through him, that feeling never got old.
2
Dim city lights glowed around him and the streets were pretty quiet this hour. Riding at night was one of Cade’s favorite things to do. He turned down a dark alley and parked behind a row of bikes. Many came to the ring on foot, few by car, but most by bike. Cade walked past a smelly overflowing dumpster. The sour smell of refuse invaded his nostrils and he covered his nose and mouth while heading for the unlit door.
Inside, people were jeering and applauding. Smoke and liquor permeated the air and Cade happily breathed it in. He walked down the steps that led into the establishment and headed for the bar. Surprisingly, he only recognized one name on the board as he added his own and paid the fee. It had been a few months since his last fight, but he was shocked more regulars weren’t listed. A tap released its cool contents into a clean glass behind the bar, and Cade looked at it longingly. He didn’t want to drink before a fight, but he was looking forward to a celebration beer after he knocked out his opponent.
“Hey Cade, how are you buddy?” A deep voice rumbled behind him as a large hand slapped him on the shoulder.
Cade turned and clasped hands with the giant. “Tank”, or Larry if so privileged to know, had a growth disorder. His large towering form was frightening to most people, but Cade never treated him any different and they soon bonded over a pack of menthol’s and whiskey.
“Tank, you handsome devil, how has business been?”
Tank was also the owner of this illegal establishment.
“Booming actually, after your ugly face left!”
He smiled, his large lips and teeth spanning the entire width of his face. Several teeth were missing and his large brown eyes had shadows around them. He looked tired to Cade but maybe that had something to do with his condition. Cade turned to the fight and saw he would be up in two rounds.
“The shop has kept me pretty busy. You should really come by for a tattoo Tank.” Cade smiled and Tank shook his head.
“Always trying to stick me with your needles, oh that is right, your “pens”. Bah! No, I will not allow you to torture me like that.”
Cade had learned that Tank was afraid of all needles, which was a humorous concept to him. The man was so large, but he always avoided the topic of tattoos and piercings. They watched the fight in silence. Two young men, shirtless, walked circles around each other. Each watching the other for their next move, then one lunged, but it was a mistake. As he lunged, the other had prepared for this and slammed his fist in the side of the advancing man’s head. The crowd erupted and the winner stood proud, sweat gleaming off his chest.
When the next fight ended abruptly, Cade turned to Tank.
“Well, wish me luck.” He smiled, patted Tank on his large arm and strode towards the ring.
Cade stripped his jacket and crisp white shirt and placed them on a chair against the wall. He stretched his arms to release the tension that had built up between his shoulder blades and rolled his neck side to side, loosening up for the fight. Stepping into the ring, he heard a few shouts of his name. At least the crowd was still full of regulars that knew him and probably his impressive record.
Turning back he saw who he would be up against and smiled. The boy looked as if he was barely eighteen. His skin was pale with a few tattoos running the length of one arm. His head was shaved, except for a strip down the center, which Cade assumed he was working on bringing back the mohawk style. His septum was pierced with a large curved bar hanging almost to his lips. He had also stripped off his shirt, revealing scars up and down his sides.
Cade walked towards him to extend his hand, a friendly hand shake before the fight, but the kid looked at his hand and spit to the side. The eyes that stared back at Cade were hard and unblinking, and they appeared almost completely black. There was something wrong with this kid, but Cade would just have to knock him around a bit and collect his earnings. Someone hit the bell to signify the fight had begun and the small pale skinned boy ran at Cade. Fists and feet rushed Cade in a flurry and he struggled to defend himself against the wild attack. He had not seen anything like this before.
Blocking the blows to his head and abdomen, Cade waited for an opening. He pushed the boy back and landed a quick punch to his side, but the young man kept swinging. Soon they hit the floor, tangled up with each other, sweat and blood mixing from their faces and knuckles. Cade’s cheek was on fire and his lip was split but he felt good. He loved to let out his frustration in the ring. As they grappled, Cade thought he had the upper hand as he wrapped himself around the kids arm and began to apply pressure, but the kids arm went limp and he somehow snaked it out from Cade’s grasp. They continued for a few minutes this way, exhausting one another, until finally Cade landed a punch in the kid’s ribs.
Regretting the slight crunch he felt, Cade threw one more punch in the kids face and watched as he hit the floor of the ring. As always, the crowd erupted with excitement. Their fight was the most exciting one of the night. Cade walked over and bent down to make sure the kid was alright, but he pushed up from the floor as Cade neared and gripped his aching side. Flipping Cade a less than friendly finger, the boy walked away from the ring, still holding his side and slightly limping.
If he can walk, he should be ok, Cade hoped.
After the fight, Cade cleaned up in the restroom. He splashed cool water on his face and washed away the sweat and blood from his knuckles. He would need to ice those later. He looked at his face and was happy that his best friend’s wedding was another week away. His face was red and a bruise began to blossom from the small wound on his cheek. Pulling his shirt back over his head, he felt an ache in his side as he reached above his head. Tomorrow was going to suck at the shop.
Tank waited for him at the bar with a cold draft beer and Cade was never more happy to see that ugly lopsided grin and the frothy beer in his oversized hands.
“As always, undefeated.” Tank smiled and handed Cade his glass.
They clinked their cups and Cade took a large refreshing sip.
“I have missed this,” Cade admitted as he looked back at the ring.
The lights had dimmed and most of the crowd had started to dwindle, the last fight satiated them till next time. Cade caught a glimpse of a bald head, thin strip of hair down the middle and a tatted up arm leaving with the crowd. Cade shook his head and finished his beer. Each of the winners had taken home a portion of the pot and now Cade stepped up to collect his. One hundred bucks wasn’t much, but he pocketed it anyways and shook the coordinators hand.
“I am going to head out Tank, but I should be back in a couple of weeks.”
“Stay out of trouble Cade, see you next time.”
Stepping out into the dark alley, Cade quickly covered his nose to avoid the rancid smell of the dumpster. Out of the shadows, a figure jumped at Cade, surprising him. A street light glinted off something metallic that flashed out from the figure. A burning sensation ripped through Cade’s side and a fist landed against his temple. Falling to the ground, pain blossomed from his side where his shirt felt wet against his skin. Cade spiraled into blackness.
3
He dreamt he was floating down a murky stream, twigs and branches grabbing and ripping at his clothing. A pinch in his hand slowly woke him from his dream. The twigs and branches were actually hands holding a pair of trauma shears to his red stained shirt. He discovered the pinching in his hand was an intravenous needle feeding him a slow saline drip as he was rushed down a brightly lit corrid
or. Something was pressing against his face, covering his mouth and nose.
In his blurred vision a blonde woman with bright blue eyes held the bag connected to the mask covering his face. He watched as her small hand squeezed the bag, providing him oxygen. His head throbbed from where he had been punched and his side felt like it was on fire as the busy hands worked to clean his wound. Those blue eyes stared down at him and for a brief moment he forgot about everything else, the pain, the noise, even the splitting headache. They pushed something else into his IV, and Cade’s eyes rolled back into his head. Once again, he floated into the blackness.
When he finally woke, he blinked around the room and his eyes rested on Tommy passed out in a chair. Resting against him was Heather, reading a book and resting her head on Tommy’s shoulder. A mounted television streamed the local news, and Cade looked at Tommy’s clothes. He knew Tommy had skipped work to be with him. Looking around the room, he saw he was hooked up to a monitor, tracking his oxygen and blood pressure. Antiseptic and sanitizer filled the air and his senses. He knew he was in the hospital, but he couldn’t figure out what had happened.
“What. What happened?” Cade whispered, his side hurting when he tried to sit up.
“Tommy, he’s awake.” Heather shook Tommy, who looked a little disoriented when he opened his tired eyes. Seeing that Cade’s eyes were open, Tommy asked Heather to grab the nurse and he moved to Cade’s side.
“Dude, you scared the shit out of us. You were stabbed in some alley. They aren’t sure if it was a mugging attempt or what, because you still had your wallet and phone. You don’t remember?” Tommy’s brows were furrowed, concern etched across his face.
“I remember leaving the fight and a smelly dumpster, and I think there was someone waiting for me.” His side hurt too much and Heather returned, followed by a nurse.
“Alright Mr. Winters, let’s look at you.” The nurse instructed as he walked around the hospital bed and checked the monitors. “Look’s good. How do you feel?” The nurse started peeling back the gauze and protective layer over Cade’s wound.
“Pretty shitty.” Cade whispered.
The nurse smiled, as did Tommy and Heather.
“Humor is a good sign. Can I get you anything?”
“Water please.”
The nurse took a cup from the cabinet and filled it with ice and water, then brought it close enough for Cade to reach.
“Thank you,” Cade said and quickly took a few big gulps of the refreshing liquid.
“Alright, just press the nurse call button if you need anything.” The nurse left the room and the three sat in silence for a moment.
“Well, I am glad you are okay buddy. I think we are going to head out for dinner, but we will be back tomorrow, sound good?”
Cade nodded his head to signal them to leave and he watched as they both left the room.
The next night he was discharged with wound care instructions, clean gauze, and antibiotics. Tommy and Heather had visited earlier in the day and he was thankful they were not there when he left the hospital. A cab brought him back to his apartment and he worried about his motorcycle. Not in any shape to physically check on it, he picked up his phone and messaged Tank. A moment later his phone lit up with a response, his bike was safe and Tank would keep it that way. At least that was one last thing he had to worry about.
Cade lounged around his apartment on that first day, ordering takeout and checking on his employees at the shop.
“Hey Cadence, how’s everything going?”
“Going well boss,” Cadence answered. “Alex rescheduled your appointments, and we have had several new customers. It’s been a pretty steady couple of days, but we are doing fine.”
Cade could hear the buzz of a tattoo gun in the background, mingling with a local music station from their stereo. He had only missed a few days of work, but was ready to get back to the shop.
“Well call me if you need anything,” he instructed.
He hung up and stood up to go fix himself something to eat. His side was still very sore but the pain was slowly fading. Cade took out his laptop and checked his work and personal emails. A reminder to pick up his tux for Tommy’s wedding flashed onto his screen. Looking at his phone, he thought about calling Tommy, but decided he wanted to get some fresh air.
It angered him that someone jumped him like a coward in the alley. His suspicions were on the scrawny, pale-skinned boy he fought. At least he survived and nothing major had been struck by the blade. Dressing was painful, but he managed. Cade walked on out and down the street towards Tanks. He needed his bike before doing anything.
“You look rough.” Tank stood by Cade’s bike.
“Thanks for keeping her safe.” He patted his bike and climbed on. Stretching his arms to reach the handles, sent ripples of pain up and down his sides, but he was not about to leave without his ride.
Cade left the alley and Tank, and made his way to the formal wear store. After picking up his tux, he started to place his helmet on when he caught a glimpse of blonde hair out of the corner of his eyes. He stood frozen as his eyes traveled down that strangely familiar figure. His eyes moved to her face and rested on two clear blue eyes. A pair of naturally pink lips parted and she tucked a strand of blonde behind her ear. She wore a loose green top over a fitted pair of blue jeans, showing off her curvy hips. She was beautiful and carrying a large dry cleaning bag, satin and tulle poking out of the bottom of the bag. As she walked away carrying the large bag in one arm, phone to her ear, and coffee in the other hand, he wanted to run up and offer her help. Just then, a man opened a car door and she ducked inside. He watched as the man closed the door and walked back around to the driver’s side.
“She has her own chauffeur?” He mused aloud.
Shaking his head, he finished putting on his helmet and prepared to leave. He knew her type, the wealthy snobbish type, it was for the best that he had not approached her.
Cade made it back to his apartment and climbed the stairs slowly. He realized he had not bought any groceries, but did not feel like going back out so he ordered takeout once again. Sitting down on his couch, he turned on the television and searched for anything good to watch. His eyes grew heavy, and before he knew it, he was asleep. He was floating again, that same murky stream as before and those twigs and branches were now flowers and leaves. His body came to a stop and he sat up, there in the clearing of the woods, a woman was stretched out on a blanket. Her blonde hair and blue eyes watching him intensely, as he made his way over to her. Just as he was about to come up to her, a loud screech sounded out. Awaking suddenly, Cade jumped and wiped his face with his hand. The doorbell was ringing, signaling him food had arrived.
4
“So, a unicorn and a beer bottle?” Cade asked as he looked at his client. After taking a few days to recover, Cade had returned to his shop to clear out his growing client list.
“Yes, I want the unicorn on the beer bottle, it’s my own label for when I start brewing.”
His client was a young college graduate, who had decided recently he wanted to brew beer.
“What does it mean?” Cade asked.
“You mean, what does it signify.” His client corrected as he stretched out his hands in a grand gesture. “Mythical Brews.” Cade nodded his head and smiled. “You see, I will have a different mythical creature on each style. On the label, we will have the name, the mythical creature, and a short description that ties in the creature and the different notes and ingredients of the beer.”
“Well, that is actually pretty cool man.” Cade was genuinely impressed. He was skeptical at first, but now he was interested in trying this kid’s beer.
“Yea. We hope to get our license and start right away.”
“Well, remember me. If you like my work, I hope you will bring me a beer.”
Cade smiled and began the process of making the outline. After about an hour, he sat back, wiping away the ink and beads of blood and looked over his work. It was beau
tiful. He cleaned and covered the tattoo and sent the young man on his way. After locking up shop, he checked the time. He had to get ready for Tommy’s bachelor party.
His apartment was within walking distance of the shop, so he headed back to the apartment and showered quickly. He dressed and sprayed some cologne on ready to bar crawl with his best friend. He met Tommy and a few of the guys from the newsroom at the Terry’s Pool Hall. After the first two rounds of beer and a few game of pool, they moved along. One of the guys asked if they wanted to smoke, so they stepped outside and each passed around a joint. Cade was feeling very relaxed and enjoying himself. They made their way on to the next two spots, but by the third they were all already feeling the effects of too much alcohol in such a short amount of time. The men were forced to admit that they weren’t teens anymore. Soon Tommy’s other bridal party members cleared out early, most already married with children.