Dark Future (Part 7)
The crowds at the races were enormous...and Kyotoshi's hangover was slowly creeping up on him. He could tell this would be one miserable race for him, at least in that sense.
The only view of the pilots the spectators had once the planes left atmosphere were what was projected onto a large screen above the starting point. There would be fatalities, of course. Some people betted on those, others betted to win. Some came simply to watch, to pretend they still had a culture that was theirs and theirs alone.
Kyotoshi watched as Kammi drove his parent's car off towards the starting area, Jet still making passes at her from the back seat. Kyotoshi had been let off on the ground floor of the stands, not being allowed to enter the starting area. He wasn't a pilot after all. Never could be one, not with his addictions. A whine keened in his throat and Kyotoshi backed his ears as the first wave of nausea hit him along with the first cheer from the crowd.
Jet's last words had been almost frightening. "Don't worry! I'm not dead yet!"
Yet?
The announcer was speaking now but Kyotoshi didn't hear him. He was gambling his entire existance here, he knew it too. Kammi unloaded the plane onto the feild and he watched from afar, barely able to see Jet's scruffy white hair and Kammi's blazing red.
Engines revved. Heartbeats thumped noisily in the air and the cars and trailers pulled away as the planes inched on their own power up to the starting line. The pilots made their engines growl angrily, challenging one another. Jet's engine roared with the best of them- the young pilot felt he was ready for anything.
A moment later Kammi was beside Kyotoshi in the crowd, saying something he didn't hear. He didn't hear any of it except the roar of engines. It was all silent...
Something snapped in the world- a sound, a movement, something and the planes were off like dogs held too long on a short leash. Soaring effortlessly into the sky and somersaulting, they danced in a deadly ballet. Kyotoshi felt a mournful smile creeping onto his face.
That's right kid, he thought. You got wings now. You grew them back, despite all I've done. I guess I never wanted you to fly away, to be like her. But you had your own ideas. Good for you, kid. Good for you. You fly, Keintem Setamo. You fly.
The End
