Hi, thought I'd put it all in one thread to make it easier for everyone not least me and LW. I've copied these over so some of the text formatting is gone such as italics but i can't see this bothering anyone but me. I hope some of you will read it again or give it a go if you haven't so far. im pretty proud of some of me and LWs work on this story which is why i hope we finish it off soon!
Here's chapters 1-8
*
When I Was A Moonrunner by Union_Jack & The Lady Warrior
Chapter 1 - Rembrandt
by Union_jack
I was just a kid, three years younger than I am now. I guess looking back I didn't know much about gang life – but I wasn't exactly on the right side of the law. It was one run-in with the cops that set me on my path to being a Warrior, but there was a few stops on the way.
The Bronx 20th July 1976, 2.35am
My heart was racing. I was almost worried my heartbeat would give me away in the still night air - the winter chill going right through my denim jacket. I tried to get my hands steady. I had adrenaline pumping through me, topped off with the endless cups of coffee I'd drunk, in my mom's apartment to get myself ready.
The train yard was a creepy place at night. Full of shadows and empty ghosts of trains. Every now and then noises would break through the air – breaking glass? Footsteps? - and I'd stop in my tracks unsure whether it was the cops or another gang or whatever else. I wondered why I put myself through this test. Graffiti was my life. Growing up with no money it was all I could do to make something of myself. I started off small, throwups, racking spray to master my handstyles and now I was back at the trainyard with a design I'd been working on, unable to sleep till I got it just right. This was gonna be it.
I pulled out the piece of paper, from my jeans. It was wrinkled up and thin where I'd erased each line a hundred times. My tag was Rembrandt and I'd drawn it out in spiralling wildstyle. Looking at it I was ready to go and without so much as looking behind me I began. Nerves all gone now. The base was up pretty quick then the outline bouncing off the shapes of the letters. I pulled the next can out of my shoulder bag and began the detail. Steady strokes, I was in the zone. There was nothing but the piece. I stood staring at the it, finished. By tomorrow this would be all-city.
Before it had time to sink in, I heard the cops.
“You son of a bitch. GET OVER HERE, YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!” I saw their silhouette in the dim trainyard lights and they ran into the darkness, straight for me. I sprinted as fast as I could, one last look – REMBRANDT – and I was gone. I ran about 300 yards in and out of dead trains and then ducked behind a one of them, deep into the shadows. I tried to catch my breath.
“Gotcha, you little punk. We're taking you in.” He grabbed my shoulder. Panicking, I pulled out my paint and sprayed him right in the face, fists clenched. He screamed, “You little shit! Aagh!”
With my other hand I punched him square in the jaw, knocking him down. He was curled up on the ground, groaning. I'd never done something like that, I didn't know I was really capable.
That's the last I remember. The other cop must knocked me out, from behind. Like a sucker.
I woke up in a cell and bleary-eyed I saw the cop who wrecked me talking, all soft, to my mom. She saw me open my eyes and frowned at me.
“He's a little vandal, Miss Sanchez” he said to her, mocking me with a smug smile.
“Is he...” she replied cooly.
She bailed me out and I was relieved. Then she turned to me with a look that could kill.
“This is it Marcelino. I've had enough of you acting like some hood. You think I can afford to pull you outta the cells, like this? I shoulda left you in there. Some son of mine you are.”
I pleaded with her but wasn't having it and I soon realised I was out, on my own, in the Bronx. I was scared. I wondered the streets, I had $8 on me. I figured I should keep myself awake till morning to be safe. I bought some more coffee and strolled out, into the streetlight shivering and jittering from the caffeine at the same time. I felt myself start to cry, my eyes burned, but I wasn't gonna break. I was angry. I wandered, fists clenched, through the streets. I was looking for trouble. I didn't care.
*
chapter 2-bullet
by The Lady Warrior
the bronx
For me gang life was easier to bare then the life i already had.i was eighteen years old, still young,fresh.... i had no father i knew,my mother had died when i was young. i got put into care.i met my girlfriend cassandra and once i was eighteen moved in with her. i had been living with her for 3months when she kicked me out for joining a gang, the week before , and not "paying attention to her" as she had put it. this is my story of when i was a moonrunner!!
"Honey what are you doing, just calm down and we can talk this through" i had said softly. it was cassandra- she was kicking me out for joining a gang on the exact week it was our girlfriend and boyfriend anniversary, i ended up not buying her nothin and now she was kicking me out for it.
"No jake i dont wanna hear it! you didnt even give me anything all week and plus i am not having a man who is in a gang. maybe some slutty girl will take ya when your having your little victory-gang party's but not me jake!" she was throwing my clothes and stuff out of the window. i was starting to get pissed off and i BLEW!!
"YOU EXPECT ME TO ALWAYS GIVE YA SOMETHIN ON OUR SHITTY ANIVERSARY BUT Y'KNOW WHAT? I WONT BECOS ALL YOU DO IS MOAN ON FOR THIS 700 DOLLAR RING AND WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? MISTER MONEY-BAGS" she started to feel sorry for feel sorry for me but being that age i wasd having none of it.
"oh im sorry honey i shouldnt-"
"NO cassandra no apoligies ok-listen i grew up in an orphanage, in the slums of tremont and you expect me to pull out money for a stupid ring, well fuck it".
it got all hectic and we started screaming at each other then this peddy shouted" hey you son-of-a-bitch", by then cassy had closed the window and i ran up to the dude and grabbed him then pushed him into a dark-alley and said"what did you just say?", he was shitting himself"nothin man, i didnt say nothin"!
"oh yes you did and now your going to get knocked out punk!" he screamed as i punched him and i grabbed a trash-can and knocked him out cold!!
i knew i couldnt go back to cassandra now, so i got my stuff off the street and walked through the errie, pitch-black night and was making my way to the old, run-down train-yard- my hanout, the moonrunners hangout....!!
*
Chapter 3 - Rembrandt
by Union_Jack
I walked in a haze. I felt so lost. This one night had taken everything away from me. Right now all I had was who I was in the street. I had no mother, I wasn't even a Sanchez anymore. I was Rembrandt... but I wasn't even sure who Rembrandt was yet. My denim jacket hung on my limp frame, moving step after step into a dizzying blur of noise, neon and pure, dark night. Suddenly the streets seemed to narrow, everything closed in on me. I lost my breath. The darkness took over me. I closed my eyes, a searing pain passing through my temples and I stumbled further, not knowing where it was taking me.
“Hey, Afro!”
A voice found it's way through the night air. Mocking, laughing voices echoed behind it. I opened my eyes. I was in a small alley, filled with shadows and shards of street light. On one side a laundrette and on the other a tall building, derelict and fire-damaged, the walls were flame licked and sinister. I raised my head up, and winced – the man wore a shiny silver jacket. He moved closer.
“Hey, I'm talking to you.. Afro.” He was no older than me, but taller, blonde haired, blue eyed and dressed with a mocking smile that signalled to his buddies - dressed all the same - who semi-circled me, dutifully.
“What?” I said wearily, my mind beginning to clear. He continued, pumping bravado:
“Are you freakin' wasted or something, man, I'm talking to you.” I wasn't sure what to do. He dropped the act and narrowed his eyes, “What you think you're doin' here, man?” I turned away, I couldn't handle anything else tonight. My emotions were so high, out of control, I felt guilt and loss ... and anger, burning in the back of my head.
“Hey, ANSWER ME!”
He grabbed me by my jacket and jerked it, violently, pulling me back. I stumbled towards him and into a blade.
“You see this, kid?” he said through clenched teeth.
“Angels's gonna carve you up real nice, bro.” Another said with vindictive joy, as I tried to escape, the shimmering blade teasing my skin, cruelly.
A third walked up, staring at me struggling in Angel's grip, he was chewing gum and smiling at me wildly. He brought his face right up to mine, at spat at me. I stopped struggling.
“Now you get the fuck outta here. Don't you know who we are?” Angel threw me to the filthy alley floor, smashing my mouth and chin. The fourth man leant over and spat on me while I lay there, and they all began to walk off into the darkness, laughing. At me.
Adrenaline began to flow.
I pushed my self off the ground in one motion. I'd nearly lost everything already tonight, I wasn't about to lose this, my dignity - my rep – all I had. They were still laughing at what they'd done to me. I felt the anger begin to flow out of me, and heard the crack as my fist collided with his smug head. He fell out cold to the floor and the others stepped back, startled. They realised he wasn't going to get back up and hardened themselves, arms raised against me. I breathed heavily - looked at Angel, wasted - and clenched my fist. They moved in and I spat blood out on the floor and met them dead in the eye. Bring it on, I thought.
Then, a whistle broke the tension.
Another approached, he shouted ahead of himself, curiously.
“Guys... what's going down?”
He entered the light and looked at the carnage, looked at Angel, and the others. He was taller than the rest, he dressed the same but his jacket had yellow bands on the sleeves and he carried a canvas bag over his left shoulder. He looked right through me. The others stared back at me and then to him, looking for the order.
“He wasted Angel... we're gonna destroy him, B.”
He replied coolly.
“Wait.”
*
chapter 4-bullet
by The Lady Warrior
the bronx-near the moonrunner's hangout
"wait" i replied coolly, the cockiest one out the newblood group zeddy angrily said"what the fuck bullet let us waste him now"
"listen to me you assholes you dont just go around picking on peddy's for nothin"
"yeah but bullet he was our turf, we didnt know what to do"
"well you should of just warned him to back off, now get outta here let me deal with him". i was indeed ready to knock-him-out but when i looked at him closely he was very young and scared,i had had enough done to his pretty face so i decided to leave him! i let him go and explained"just go home kid, your not welcome here"! he stared at me longingly and i said out of the blue"what do you wanna fuckin picture,boy you heard me get outta here"
"well before i go thank's for saving me er...er...er
"bullet and dont thank me i only took pity on you because your young and i didnt want that on my guilty consience, ok"
"ok", he replied sadly for some reason this kid seemed to like me and i dont know why because after all im just another thug in a gang. i looked back as he was slumping his feet off the ground barly able to move them, i walked through a couple of alley-way's and came to the train-yard i opened the gate and checked all the train's and saw one of them had rembrandt on it and it looked pretty good. then it came to me that must of been him because when i had looked at his hand's they had all the colour's that were on the train on his hand's and his top said rembrandt on it, so then i decided to run after him,to talk to him about his talent. i had to run pretty fast but soon i catched up with him then i patted him on the back he flinched as he turned around"hey you what do you want"
"i saw your piece on the abdoned train it was amazing i never knew you could do somethin like that rembrandt", he looked up in suprise as i said his name.
He questioned me saying" how do you know my name"
"because you know your piece well it had a lotta colour's on it and all them colour's were on your hand's and you got your name on your top, rembrandt huh just like that great himself"
"well i wouldnt say i was as great as him but my real idol is scopes he's the grand-master and ive heard about your gang they just love they're tagging". we were now walking up to the big, train-yard rembrandt stopped and looked at me saying"hey where we going this is your hangout"
"exactly seen as you got no place to go and i havent,we can stay in the un-used train's and sleep in them and in the morning i'll take you to our warlord", he looked happy about this and said"cool i could be one of youse". then we talked as we strolled through the big gates and in one of the most cleanest, comfy abdoned train's they were!! i brung one extra blanket in my canvas-bag so i gave him one and dished one out for me and lay down on the seat's. i decided to strike a conversation just to hear what he is like and where he's from... so i said"hey rembrandt where do you come from?"
"oh i come from the south of the bronx"
"gee's so you've walked a kinda long way then"
"yeah"
"i noticed the way you speak has got a little ya know funny twang to it is that coz your....
"yeah im hispanic, my mamma she came from porta-rico in spain to here in the bronx with my father who was a lawyer but he died when i was about 10"
"woa that's some heavy shit, well i think we should get some sleep and i'll tell you about me tommorrow before we meet the warlord see what he think's of you and you probally have to an inatiation.... goodnight"
"night nice guy bullet", i laughed at that before snoozing off into nodddy-land!!
*
Chapter 5 - Rembrandt
by Union_Jack
The sun was coming up, showing the town for what it really was. A bare wasteland, that looked so full of dreams in the night now just reminded me of the past and made me sad. Talking to Bullet gave me a chance to think. It had been a hell of a night but now I could see straight. I had to cut the ties and move on.
I went back home for the last time. It was empty, mom must've been shopping or something. I stopped and looked at our shack. I was going to miss this, miss my family but I knew there was no turning back. This was it, and I knew I could make a life for myself on the streets. I climbed up the drainpipe to my bedroom window. Seemed I did this all the time these last few years. More and more I was out all night practicing my style or out drinking. That's when I thought I should probably talk to Django.
Django was the guy who got me into writing. When I was growing up in the Bronx, around 15, I started seeing his tag appearing on, what seemed at the time, like every building in my neighbourhood. I didn't know much about graffiti back then but what I started to see blew my mind – and I couldn't even pronounce his name yet. I wanted so bad to spray like him so I hit the streets with a can of spray from my dad's old tool box.
I stood in front of the wall in a small alleyway, not knowing what to do, nervous that someone might see me. I started with a big red, dripping “M” for Marcelino. It didn't look great but it still gave me a big rush. I breathed out deeply, when a voice emerged from the shadows.
“You got guts, toy. I'll give you that.”
I backed myself into the wall in one movement of complete terror. I stuttered, lost for words. I knew what guys did who hung around in the shadows. He stepped out of the darkness, casually. He was dark skinned, wore a camo jacket with a red undershirt and a black beanie hat.
“Shame about your handstyle though, brother.” I couldn't place his tone, he drawled sarcastically. Either way I wanted to run but it was all so sudden - I dropped the spray out of fear. He laughed.
“You don't know this is my spot do you?” he looked up gesturing me to do the same, I did.
About 10 feet above us was a huge piece that he'd done above a fire exit. “DJANGO” in huge red and yellow letters. It was the best piece I'd seen at that time.
“I'm sorry you won't ever see me again, I swear,” I turned to leave but I had to tell him, “but that piece is insane.” He grinned at me.
“Hey.. don't go just yet. What's your name?”
I was still so nervous, “Err... Marcelino.”
“No, I mean your tag, man...” I didn't know. “See my tags Django..”
He pronounced it “Jango”, I laughed as the tension fell away. “You know, I've been calling you Duh-jango all this time.”
This caught his attention.
“So, you've seen my stuff before, then?”
“Yeah it's... amazing, Django.” He beamed smugly, the guy was as cool as his art. The thing I noticed most was how at home he was in this little back alley. He walked the streets like an Indian, like only he knew the land.
“I suppose you wanna write like me then, huh?”
“More than anything, man.”
“Well then, you need a name, lil Marcelino.”
Together, we came up with Rembrandt. I knew he was a great artist, and that's what I wanted to be, but here in the streets. The name felt right, down to the shape of the letters. These letters I now see in my head when I try to sleep until I give up, climb out my window to go and bomb, all city.
Django taught me a lot that night and by sunrise I could already feel my ties to the streets becoming stronger. I'd lived in this neighbourhood all my life but I'd never felt such a part of it. I knew I was a part of something big, something growing in the city, and these ties began to pull me in, deeper and deeper.
*
"When I Was A Moonrunner" by Union_Jack & The Lady Warrior
-
union_jack
- Rank: Warrior
- Posts: 694
- Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2006 11:57 am
- Location: UK
-
union_jack
- Rank: Warrior
- Posts: 694
- Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2006 11:57 am
- Location: UK
Re: "When I Was A Moonrunner" by Union_Jack & The Lady Warri
Chapter 6 - Rembrandt
by Union_Jack
I sat on my old mattress, wondering what Django would think now. We'd been brothers a long time now. We'd often tag together, we were like a two-man crew. Now, I was going to leave so much of my life behind I didn't know if I'd see him again. I grabbed my sketchbook and a canvas bag and a couple of colours I hadn't used the night I got busted, and left the room, out the window again, heading for Django's place.
“Moonrunners?”
Sure, I'd heard of The Moonrunners. I'd seen their pieces about the place every once in a while and sometimes a guy in a silver jacket would turn up at a disco, kick out a few headspins before starting a fight with someone. I didn't know much about them though. The night before I was so distraught I didn't even stop and think whether those guys in the alley were gang members. I knew so little about the life. But when I told Django he was shocked about what I was getting involved with.
“Moonrunners? Are you crazy, Rembrandt?”
“What? I don't see the problem, man.”
“Rem, these are not guys you wanna get involved with.”
“Look, I spent the whole night with Bullet, he's a great guy and he's pretty high up the ranks.”
Django sighed, he knew he couldn't change my mind. He was angry but I guess, thinking back, he was worried for me.
“You shouldn't do it man. Just don't.” I was pissed at him for talking to me like I didn't know what I was doing, but I guess he was right. What happened with The Moonrunners didn't turn out nice for either of us, in the end.
“Listen, Django, you may be happy, living like a toy, but this is all small time. I told you before, we need to be part of crew to make something for ourselves.”
“You don't Rembrandt. You've got enough talent in that right hand of yours to get out of this place without getting involved with criminals like The Moonrunners.”
“We're all criminals, Django...” I had to get away, “I don't need this man, I'm going.” I headed off, my temper getting the best of me, again. After last night, I thought the drama was over, and now I'd lost a friend as well.
“Rembrandt!” he hollered, but it was too late. I was gone, and he knew there was nothing he could do.
It was about 6pm, the sun was beginning to set. I sat on a bench that overlooked an apartment block turned to rubble. This was my canvas and also my inspiration. I put pencil to paper, my black sketchbook, each page another style another idea. I could spend hours doing this, completely focussed.
I closed the book as the streetlights came on and the whole scene changed. I knew it was time to see Bullet again, and The Moonrunners. I was edgy still, but I knew this could be my big break. I should've known.
Bullet said he would meet me there and sure enough as I followed the electro-pop music blaring from the old building, he was leaning on the wall outside smoking a cigarette. He saw me approach and dropped it, stubbing it under his sneakers.
“Hey, Rem.”
“Bullet.” I was glad to see him, the only friendly face in a whole twenty-four hours of madness.
“How's it going kid?”
“Tough, to be honest with you. I'm leaving a lot behind for this chance, man.”
“Hey,” he said warmly, “Don't worry about it, your gonna be with us. We're gonna be your family now.”
We entered the hangout and the music blasted. There was about 30, 35 Moonrunners in here and there was a real party happening. Two guys in the corner were spinning the records while everyone else drank and breaked. It was a wild place, once you been here you'd never go to a disco again, that's for sure.
“Come on, man.” Bullet called. We moved up to a bunch of leatherette sofas. Each sofa had just one guy on it, these were the leaders of the pack.
“Wait here.” he said. I waited, watching everything that was happening around me. Bullet went over to the middle sofa where a guy sat drinking a beer. He had sharp features and a cold expression, framed with jet black, wavy hair. He had those same bands on his jackets sleeves, only his were black. He was the warlord of the Moonrunners. Bullet talked to him, he gestured to me and the man turned his head. Bullet came back over.
“Okay, go talk to him now. He's Psychs, our leader. Don't worry, Rem.” He patted me on the back and pushed me ahead. I was worried, he looked like dangerous.
“Rembrandt.” he said, emotionlessly. I wasn't sure how I should react. What was he going to do? Had Bullet set me up?
“Hi, yeah... that's me.” I forced out something, anything I could say to not seem weak in front of him.
“So you wanna be a Moonrunner?” he drawled and turned to look me in the eye.
“Yeah. I do.” I said strongly, I was determined, and I wanted him to know.
Psychs gave a nod to the DJ and the record stopped with a sharp scratch, I was so edgy it made me jump. Every turned to look at the scene. Psychs grinned and held his hands up, and shrugged.
“Well,” He grabbed a spray can from a littered table and pitched it to me, hard. I caught it above my head with a sharp grip, “You gotta prove it to us then, man.”
The Moonrunners cheered and leaped up to me pushing me.
“Lets do this!” he announced.
“Bullet, whats going on?” I shouted over the noise.
“Don't worry man, it's just a test!”
I trusted him but I didn't know what were going on, were they gonna wreck me?
“Theres a few things you gotta do to be a Moonrunner. Show me your worth us keeping you around.” They'd taken me outside. Bullet stood behind me dutifully as Psychs walked up to me and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Show me you can write, man. Moonrunners. Nice and big. You've got time till I finish these beers.”
I narrowed my eyes, rattled the can and approached the wall. I began, their pieces logo was all over these walls, their hangout and of course on the back of their jackets, a moon with a sword stabbing through itself into a star. I knew I couldn't get exactly like them so I decided to do the best I could to show off my skills.
I threw up the base quick, a sky, blues and blacks. It began to piece together in my mind, a scene, something that made sense to me. Next the moon, bright yellow - the Moonrunners cheered and shouted as I sprayed my take on their vicious mascot. I couldn't worry about what they thought now.
Suddenly a beer bottle smashed on the wall a few inches from me shattering, I flinched as shards flew past my face. “Okay, kid, half time.” said Psychs as the huge group of gang members behind me laughed – but I couldn't afford to lose focus. I started to outline a city-scape; destroyed buildings rubble and urban decay, what we lived in, below the sky. Then the detail, grabbing cans, shaking and spraying at top speed. And in a smooth flow – MOONRUNNERS - in a sharp style across the middle of the piece, yellow letters arching across the moon.
The final bottle smashed against the work as I stepped away, now seeing the final image having been so close, so into it. It was good. I looked in the crowd of wild Moonrunners for Bullet. He saw me.
“Rem, that's incredible!” Then Psychs broke the scene.
“Okay Moonrunners! What do we think of this here artists work?” he boomed to the crowd.
They liked it. I breathed heavily, relieved.
“Looks like you did well kid, you got good style.” He turned to the others, “He's a talented kid ain't he?”
Bullet smiled at me, he too was relieved.
“Come here, Rembrandt.” Psychs lured me close.
“Do I get a jacket now, then?” I said, full of adrenaline. He laughed warmly.
In a flash of agony, my head was throw back by a lightning punch, and Psychs threw me into the corner of the walls, in the trash. I raised my head, I could barely see them coming closer.
“If you wanna be a Moonrunner,” he laughed and dropped his tone, “You gotta rumble, kid...”
*
Chapter 7 - bullet
by The Lady Warrior
the moonrunner's hangout
I watched nervously as rembrandt got back up from the corner and looked up at me as if he was sayind i'll do you proud bullet then he stood in a orthadox stance as he was getting ready for the 5 moonrunner's what were coming towards him cautiously. the first moonrunner came from nowhere and speared him, i watched as he got slumped on the floor and nutted in the face he groaned in pain and i felt the horrible crack sound, then all of a sudden he sprung back up and punched the moonrunner in the stomach 3times and then slung him near a trash-can then another 2 came at him and flexibly he elbowed one in the face and blood came splurting out and you could see he was getting a wave of adrineline rush as he crouched down on the ground then spin-kicked the other one and when the dude was on the ground crushed him with his back, everyone owwed and awwed as they heard the earth-shattering thud, even though my other brother's in the ring were badly hurt they managed to groggerly get up and swing at rem but he was too fast and put bottles over there heads and 5mins later they were all knocked out, all 5!!
I watched in amazment as my warlord physc's got up and applauded rembrandt saying"BRAVO,BRAVO my brother rembrandt you just earned yourself a jacket, rem got his jacket from him honourably and laughed as all the moonrunner's cheered loudly and gave him a king's chair. they blasted the music getting ready for a memorable party!! rembrandt excidetley came over and patted me on the back as i hugged him and said"did you see that, i earned my jacket, i cant believe it there so cool!!" i replied"yeah kid you did great and it was amazing how you got physc's to stand up and applaud you like that bro you really impressed him!!"
" i dont get it why dont he do that with everyone who tries out?"
"nah ma man that's the thing he's never applaud anybody like that since EVER"!!
"woa he must of doubted me or something then to do that"
"yeah he probally did ma man but i dont no why?"
i was thinking hard and long about when i first joined but we had had a different leader then name spacey he was a good warlord but died from a drug-overdose.. just as i was going to daydream about my inatiation rembrandt interupted me saying"so what do ya wanna do now?"
i thought about this and then said" let's go to the ELECTRIC ELMINATOR'S TURF"!!....
rem looked at me crazily and said"who the hell are the electric terminator's"
"the electric elminator's ya dummy or electric E's for short, their our worst enemey's they've been fighting with us since 74 kid, it all started this one-time when we were having a party and they crashed it and claimed this was thier turf. we were having none of that so we had a break-dancing compotetion and alot of rumbles but then when we were at our weakest point when half of our gang joined thier gang, they took qauter of our turf and then physc's came around and became our warlord and we took it back and then ever since then they've been trying to take it back the pussy's!!"
"and what does this have to do with me bullet"
"well your a tagger meaning you tag thing's and so now's your big chance to earn more major respect from the moonrunner's lay the moonrunner's mark on thier burner's now how does that sound, buddy!!"
"COOL". we both laughed because we knew tonight would be a very adventerous night!!
*
Chapter 8 - bullet
by The Lady Warrior
near the electric elminator's turf
I had told rembrandt some brotherley advice before we stealthly strolled into the east side of pelhame which up until you crossed the 8th block of houses was moorunner turf..
i looked at rembrandt and saw that he had a slight discomfort in his eyes and i knew when he werent raged enough in a fight he would have disasteris injuries but i looked at him solemly to tell him i was here and that i would protect my brother with my life, i said to him quickly but cautiously"can you see that dumpster my man?"
"yeah"
"well i want you and me at the count of three to quickly run over there because once we're behind that dumpster we're offically in electric E's terriotory,you got it ma man"
"yeah i dig it!!", i took a deep breath in twice taking in all the ugly street scenery, tramp's on apartment doorstep's, bad and stupid graffiti on the wall's what said quite abruptly "electric E's turf!!", dog's raking in bin's trying to sniff a ready-eaten dinner from the can's and then finally i said"GO". we ran and ran till we were in the safe closure and darkness of the 3 dumpster's surrounding us, rembrandt was so exhausted i could feel the vibration of his artistic heart, THUMP,THUMP,THUMP... rem looked at me and asked"so what's the plan now, bro"
"we tag about 5-6 building's what either got thier tag on it or it aint so right here right now you decide which one ya gonna pick coz it's gonna get real dark real soon"
"that one", he had pointed to one of the electric E's coolest racket's what hadnt been touched, i replied"ok let's do this shit"!!
Just as i was about to get up rem waked me back and said"get back down look at the side of you", i popped my head over one of the dumpster's and saw 2 electric elminator's scouting the street's, one had blonde curly hair with a yellow and white head-band and some ratty-jeans on. the other dude was very tanned and had a black,fro with one of the fo combs in his head and some caus pant's on, i quickly put me head back down and was trying to think of what to do.. then i looked at rembrandt and smiled"when they come past we knock em out drag them here and take thier clothes and then we'll put them in the dumpster's they'll get a nice suprise when they wake up", me and rem laughed at our genius plan. i was now listening to what they were saying:
"and i said hey get our turf you fucked up moonrunner and dont be trying any break-dance moves on my turf, boy then he ran away"
"cool man we got this turf packed tight aint nobody gonna get in, hey give me some man", they brotherly splapped and slided each other's hand...
"anyway's i went to ruby's the other day and i just went in her's and after about 10minutes we were making sweet-love baby"
"nice ma man, well it look's like nobody's here let's go report back to warchief he be wondering where we are"
"yeah let's go"... as they were coming nearer to us i nodded at rem and then we tripped them over and got a glass bottle and smashed it over thier head's hard to make sure thwy were out and couldnt scream then we took thier clothes put them on and put them in the dumpster just like we planned!! my caus pant's were a bit tight but i didnt care much.. compared to me rem looked sweet so i said it"hey rem you loo sweet in them clothes baby, whooo-wee the chick's will be digging you tonight"
"aww come off it you just saying that"
"haha im not i wouldnt lie, ya now me baby, oh and just because i said that dont ever convert to theese bunch of wimp's coz your ass will be sorry"
"haha" he laughed so hard he nearly fell over, i loved moment's like theese with ma bro rembrandt. we then put our moonrunner clothes in rem's big sachel full of tagging ideas and spray-paint, then we went over to thier racket and bombed it then just as we were going to thier candy-store to tag.. we came past a big buff dude he had to be secound-in-command and he said"hey newblood's you saw randy-j and dumbo-damm i cant find em anywhere", me and rem looked at each other and i said"we just saw them returning their vest's scorpion, they past us and said i dont why your in this asshole gang"
"are you serious about this are you sure they said that?"
"yeah scorp's we defonatley hear them said that"
"k bro's thank's and IM GONNA KILL THEM TWO". me and rem laughed and sniggered coz we knew there would get killed the next time any electric elminator see's them, we got away with murder and finally done 5building's full with the moonrunner's tag and now it was time to go home!!
We strolled through the strett's and when we got back to our turf we jumped in somebody's back garden shed and changed leaving the over uniform on the floor of the shed, rem was so giggly and smiling because he loved the fact that we got away with muder, and then we went back to our hangout and told everyone our adventure and of cours me and rem got extra credit from the warlord and my other brother's. then we partyed all through the night!!
*
by Union_Jack
I sat on my old mattress, wondering what Django would think now. We'd been brothers a long time now. We'd often tag together, we were like a two-man crew. Now, I was going to leave so much of my life behind I didn't know if I'd see him again. I grabbed my sketchbook and a canvas bag and a couple of colours I hadn't used the night I got busted, and left the room, out the window again, heading for Django's place.
“Moonrunners?”
Sure, I'd heard of The Moonrunners. I'd seen their pieces about the place every once in a while and sometimes a guy in a silver jacket would turn up at a disco, kick out a few headspins before starting a fight with someone. I didn't know much about them though. The night before I was so distraught I didn't even stop and think whether those guys in the alley were gang members. I knew so little about the life. But when I told Django he was shocked about what I was getting involved with.
“Moonrunners? Are you crazy, Rembrandt?”
“What? I don't see the problem, man.”
“Rem, these are not guys you wanna get involved with.”
“Look, I spent the whole night with Bullet, he's a great guy and he's pretty high up the ranks.”
Django sighed, he knew he couldn't change my mind. He was angry but I guess, thinking back, he was worried for me.
“You shouldn't do it man. Just don't.” I was pissed at him for talking to me like I didn't know what I was doing, but I guess he was right. What happened with The Moonrunners didn't turn out nice for either of us, in the end.
“Listen, Django, you may be happy, living like a toy, but this is all small time. I told you before, we need to be part of crew to make something for ourselves.”
“You don't Rembrandt. You've got enough talent in that right hand of yours to get out of this place without getting involved with criminals like The Moonrunners.”
“We're all criminals, Django...” I had to get away, “I don't need this man, I'm going.” I headed off, my temper getting the best of me, again. After last night, I thought the drama was over, and now I'd lost a friend as well.
“Rembrandt!” he hollered, but it was too late. I was gone, and he knew there was nothing he could do.
It was about 6pm, the sun was beginning to set. I sat on a bench that overlooked an apartment block turned to rubble. This was my canvas and also my inspiration. I put pencil to paper, my black sketchbook, each page another style another idea. I could spend hours doing this, completely focussed.
I closed the book as the streetlights came on and the whole scene changed. I knew it was time to see Bullet again, and The Moonrunners. I was edgy still, but I knew this could be my big break. I should've known.
Bullet said he would meet me there and sure enough as I followed the electro-pop music blaring from the old building, he was leaning on the wall outside smoking a cigarette. He saw me approach and dropped it, stubbing it under his sneakers.
“Hey, Rem.”
“Bullet.” I was glad to see him, the only friendly face in a whole twenty-four hours of madness.
“How's it going kid?”
“Tough, to be honest with you. I'm leaving a lot behind for this chance, man.”
“Hey,” he said warmly, “Don't worry about it, your gonna be with us. We're gonna be your family now.”
We entered the hangout and the music blasted. There was about 30, 35 Moonrunners in here and there was a real party happening. Two guys in the corner were spinning the records while everyone else drank and breaked. It was a wild place, once you been here you'd never go to a disco again, that's for sure.
“Come on, man.” Bullet called. We moved up to a bunch of leatherette sofas. Each sofa had just one guy on it, these were the leaders of the pack.
“Wait here.” he said. I waited, watching everything that was happening around me. Bullet went over to the middle sofa where a guy sat drinking a beer. He had sharp features and a cold expression, framed with jet black, wavy hair. He had those same bands on his jackets sleeves, only his were black. He was the warlord of the Moonrunners. Bullet talked to him, he gestured to me and the man turned his head. Bullet came back over.
“Okay, go talk to him now. He's Psychs, our leader. Don't worry, Rem.” He patted me on the back and pushed me ahead. I was worried, he looked like dangerous.
“Rembrandt.” he said, emotionlessly. I wasn't sure how I should react. What was he going to do? Had Bullet set me up?
“Hi, yeah... that's me.” I forced out something, anything I could say to not seem weak in front of him.
“So you wanna be a Moonrunner?” he drawled and turned to look me in the eye.
“Yeah. I do.” I said strongly, I was determined, and I wanted him to know.
Psychs gave a nod to the DJ and the record stopped with a sharp scratch, I was so edgy it made me jump. Every turned to look at the scene. Psychs grinned and held his hands up, and shrugged.
“Well,” He grabbed a spray can from a littered table and pitched it to me, hard. I caught it above my head with a sharp grip, “You gotta prove it to us then, man.”
The Moonrunners cheered and leaped up to me pushing me.
“Lets do this!” he announced.
“Bullet, whats going on?” I shouted over the noise.
“Don't worry man, it's just a test!”
I trusted him but I didn't know what were going on, were they gonna wreck me?
“Theres a few things you gotta do to be a Moonrunner. Show me your worth us keeping you around.” They'd taken me outside. Bullet stood behind me dutifully as Psychs walked up to me and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Show me you can write, man. Moonrunners. Nice and big. You've got time till I finish these beers.”
I narrowed my eyes, rattled the can and approached the wall. I began, their pieces logo was all over these walls, their hangout and of course on the back of their jackets, a moon with a sword stabbing through itself into a star. I knew I couldn't get exactly like them so I decided to do the best I could to show off my skills.
I threw up the base quick, a sky, blues and blacks. It began to piece together in my mind, a scene, something that made sense to me. Next the moon, bright yellow - the Moonrunners cheered and shouted as I sprayed my take on their vicious mascot. I couldn't worry about what they thought now.
Suddenly a beer bottle smashed on the wall a few inches from me shattering, I flinched as shards flew past my face. “Okay, kid, half time.” said Psychs as the huge group of gang members behind me laughed – but I couldn't afford to lose focus. I started to outline a city-scape; destroyed buildings rubble and urban decay, what we lived in, below the sky. Then the detail, grabbing cans, shaking and spraying at top speed. And in a smooth flow – MOONRUNNERS - in a sharp style across the middle of the piece, yellow letters arching across the moon.
The final bottle smashed against the work as I stepped away, now seeing the final image having been so close, so into it. It was good. I looked in the crowd of wild Moonrunners for Bullet. He saw me.
“Rem, that's incredible!” Then Psychs broke the scene.
“Okay Moonrunners! What do we think of this here artists work?” he boomed to the crowd.
They liked it. I breathed heavily, relieved.
“Looks like you did well kid, you got good style.” He turned to the others, “He's a talented kid ain't he?”
Bullet smiled at me, he too was relieved.
“Come here, Rembrandt.” Psychs lured me close.
“Do I get a jacket now, then?” I said, full of adrenaline. He laughed warmly.
In a flash of agony, my head was throw back by a lightning punch, and Psychs threw me into the corner of the walls, in the trash. I raised my head, I could barely see them coming closer.
“If you wanna be a Moonrunner,” he laughed and dropped his tone, “You gotta rumble, kid...”
*
Chapter 7 - bullet
by The Lady Warrior
the moonrunner's hangout
I watched nervously as rembrandt got back up from the corner and looked up at me as if he was sayind i'll do you proud bullet then he stood in a orthadox stance as he was getting ready for the 5 moonrunner's what were coming towards him cautiously. the first moonrunner came from nowhere and speared him, i watched as he got slumped on the floor and nutted in the face he groaned in pain and i felt the horrible crack sound, then all of a sudden he sprung back up and punched the moonrunner in the stomach 3times and then slung him near a trash-can then another 2 came at him and flexibly he elbowed one in the face and blood came splurting out and you could see he was getting a wave of adrineline rush as he crouched down on the ground then spin-kicked the other one and when the dude was on the ground crushed him with his back, everyone owwed and awwed as they heard the earth-shattering thud, even though my other brother's in the ring were badly hurt they managed to groggerly get up and swing at rem but he was too fast and put bottles over there heads and 5mins later they were all knocked out, all 5!!
I watched in amazment as my warlord physc's got up and applauded rembrandt saying"BRAVO,BRAVO my brother rembrandt you just earned yourself a jacket, rem got his jacket from him honourably and laughed as all the moonrunner's cheered loudly and gave him a king's chair. they blasted the music getting ready for a memorable party!! rembrandt excidetley came over and patted me on the back as i hugged him and said"did you see that, i earned my jacket, i cant believe it there so cool!!" i replied"yeah kid you did great and it was amazing how you got physc's to stand up and applaud you like that bro you really impressed him!!"
" i dont get it why dont he do that with everyone who tries out?"
"nah ma man that's the thing he's never applaud anybody like that since EVER"!!
"woa he must of doubted me or something then to do that"
"yeah he probally did ma man but i dont no why?"
i was thinking hard and long about when i first joined but we had had a different leader then name spacey he was a good warlord but died from a drug-overdose.. just as i was going to daydream about my inatiation rembrandt interupted me saying"so what do ya wanna do now?"
i thought about this and then said" let's go to the ELECTRIC ELMINATOR'S TURF"!!....
rem looked at me crazily and said"who the hell are the electric terminator's"
"the electric elminator's ya dummy or electric E's for short, their our worst enemey's they've been fighting with us since 74 kid, it all started this one-time when we were having a party and they crashed it and claimed this was thier turf. we were having none of that so we had a break-dancing compotetion and alot of rumbles but then when we were at our weakest point when half of our gang joined thier gang, they took qauter of our turf and then physc's came around and became our warlord and we took it back and then ever since then they've been trying to take it back the pussy's!!"
"and what does this have to do with me bullet"
"well your a tagger meaning you tag thing's and so now's your big chance to earn more major respect from the moonrunner's lay the moonrunner's mark on thier burner's now how does that sound, buddy!!"
"COOL". we both laughed because we knew tonight would be a very adventerous night!!
*
Chapter 8 - bullet
by The Lady Warrior
near the electric elminator's turf
I had told rembrandt some brotherley advice before we stealthly strolled into the east side of pelhame which up until you crossed the 8th block of houses was moorunner turf..
i looked at rembrandt and saw that he had a slight discomfort in his eyes and i knew when he werent raged enough in a fight he would have disasteris injuries but i looked at him solemly to tell him i was here and that i would protect my brother with my life, i said to him quickly but cautiously"can you see that dumpster my man?"
"yeah"
"well i want you and me at the count of three to quickly run over there because once we're behind that dumpster we're offically in electric E's terriotory,you got it ma man"
"yeah i dig it!!", i took a deep breath in twice taking in all the ugly street scenery, tramp's on apartment doorstep's, bad and stupid graffiti on the wall's what said quite abruptly "electric E's turf!!", dog's raking in bin's trying to sniff a ready-eaten dinner from the can's and then finally i said"GO". we ran and ran till we were in the safe closure and darkness of the 3 dumpster's surrounding us, rembrandt was so exhausted i could feel the vibration of his artistic heart, THUMP,THUMP,THUMP... rem looked at me and asked"so what's the plan now, bro"
"we tag about 5-6 building's what either got thier tag on it or it aint so right here right now you decide which one ya gonna pick coz it's gonna get real dark real soon"
"that one", he had pointed to one of the electric E's coolest racket's what hadnt been touched, i replied"ok let's do this shit"!!
Just as i was about to get up rem waked me back and said"get back down look at the side of you", i popped my head over one of the dumpster's and saw 2 electric elminator's scouting the street's, one had blonde curly hair with a yellow and white head-band and some ratty-jeans on. the other dude was very tanned and had a black,fro with one of the fo combs in his head and some caus pant's on, i quickly put me head back down and was trying to think of what to do.. then i looked at rembrandt and smiled"when they come past we knock em out drag them here and take thier clothes and then we'll put them in the dumpster's they'll get a nice suprise when they wake up", me and rem laughed at our genius plan. i was now listening to what they were saying:
"and i said hey get our turf you fucked up moonrunner and dont be trying any break-dance moves on my turf, boy then he ran away"
"cool man we got this turf packed tight aint nobody gonna get in, hey give me some man", they brotherly splapped and slided each other's hand...
"anyway's i went to ruby's the other day and i just went in her's and after about 10minutes we were making sweet-love baby"
"nice ma man, well it look's like nobody's here let's go report back to warchief he be wondering where we are"
"yeah let's go"... as they were coming nearer to us i nodded at rem and then we tripped them over and got a glass bottle and smashed it over thier head's hard to make sure thwy were out and couldnt scream then we took thier clothes put them on and put them in the dumpster just like we planned!! my caus pant's were a bit tight but i didnt care much.. compared to me rem looked sweet so i said it"hey rem you loo sweet in them clothes baby, whooo-wee the chick's will be digging you tonight"
"aww come off it you just saying that"
"haha im not i wouldnt lie, ya now me baby, oh and just because i said that dont ever convert to theese bunch of wimp's coz your ass will be sorry"
"haha" he laughed so hard he nearly fell over, i loved moment's like theese with ma bro rembrandt. we then put our moonrunner clothes in rem's big sachel full of tagging ideas and spray-paint, then we went over to thier racket and bombed it then just as we were going to thier candy-store to tag.. we came past a big buff dude he had to be secound-in-command and he said"hey newblood's you saw randy-j and dumbo-damm i cant find em anywhere", me and rem looked at each other and i said"we just saw them returning their vest's scorpion, they past us and said i dont why your in this asshole gang"
"are you serious about this are you sure they said that?"
"yeah scorp's we defonatley hear them said that"
"k bro's thank's and IM GONNA KILL THEM TWO". me and rem laughed and sniggered coz we knew there would get killed the next time any electric elminator see's them, we got away with murder and finally done 5building's full with the moonrunner's tag and now it was time to go home!!
We strolled through the strett's and when we got back to our turf we jumped in somebody's back garden shed and changed leaving the over uniform on the floor of the shed, rem was so giggly and smiling because he loved the fact that we got away with muder, and then we went back to our hangout and told everyone our adventure and of cours me and rem got extra credit from the warlord and my other brother's. then we partyed all through the night!!
*
