The last song of the ancestors

Spin Bomb took Akachi to his slab house. He would allow him to sleep there for a while, but not for free. There was no such thing as a free lunch. He took advantage of the extra pair of arms to give his humble abode a once-over. It was a place that hadn't been cleaned in a long time.

The rooms in the house were few and cramped. There were lots of things piled on top of each other. An atmosphere of claustrophobia hung in the air. There always seemed to be a lack of space.

Akachi identified various objects scattered across the floor. He didn't find any family photos or anything to indicate that someone else lived there. The water and electricity were guaranteed by clandestine connections, but that didn't stop the Central Command from charging for the services.

While preparing lunch for both of them, Spin Bomb took something unidentifiable out of the rusty fridge. It stank of sour. Akachi shook his head in the negative as she held it out with both hands. She rolled her eyes and threw the bloody package in the garbage can. They ate some bread and bologna to satisfy their hunger.

"Better save some money for dinner. In the evening, the restaurants run some specials with food that's been reused from the kitchens. You can eat something nice without dying of an intestinal infection. Don't expect any delicacies."

"All right. Spin Bomb…"

"What is it, Akachi?"

"Before we entered Chrome Hill, at the graves, I saw a guy. Who is he?"

The hostess felt a shiver run from her belly to her throat. There was a bad taste in her mouth. She thought the young amnesiac was a bit strange, but from then on things were getting tense.

"You saw a ghost, that's all, hehehehe."

"I'm not kidding. There really was a guy there. I got distracted for a few moments, then he disappeared."

"Yeah, and what did this ghost of yours look like?"

Akachi described the stranger. With each piece of information he told her, Spin Bomb frowned even more. Then she stood up, and with her finger pointed at the boy's face, she shouted:

"Don't even joke about it, you understand⁈ Don't try to make fun of my head. I hope this homeless kid with no memory thing isn't a scene you're doing to screw with me, Akachi. Because if it is, I'm going to shove a pyrotechnic sword up your ass! I don't know how you know about Fenyang, but it's best not to talk about it around here. He messed with the wrong people, and paid with his life for it. This world doesn't like heroes."

His name is Fenyang…

They didn't discuss it any further. They finished eating and, in silence, each went off to their own corner. Akachi felt bad about the whole thing, he was meddling in something he shouldn't have. Now he knew the name of the boy who had watched him from the graves. He needed to understand why Fenyang's image had affected him so much.

Spin Bomb decided to sleep on the sofa in the living room after eating raw bologna sandwiches.

Akachi decided not to disturb her sleep and climbed up onto the slab. A cool breeze stirred her small braids. He wiped the lenses of his glasses on the hem of his shirt. He went to the edge of the slab and sat down. He felt hollow, knowing only his own name and the image of his father in his mind. Life seemed to make no sense.

The only thing he remembered, if it was even a memory, was meeting his father again. There was a promise made, an agreement made in the middle of an explosion. The scene cut to a crash on a garbage truck and… that was it. Everything became noise and fragmented images like the broken stained glass windows of an old cathedral.

He looked down the hill. On other slabs, life seemed to be more interesting. Young women stretched out their dark bodies with electrical tape marking their curves. A dog on a leash barked fiercely at boys who ran around playing in the narrow alleyways. On a multi-sports court with rusty railings, two futsal teams faced each other. The ball made a deafening echo every time it hit the ground.

At the bottom of the hill, there was a road that led to Ilu Nla. But it wasn't possible to see the metropolis. A long, high wall was a barrier to the view. Akachi turned his head back. He tried to see where the last house on the hill was. He thought he might see something from up there.

He saw an old, worn leather armchair in the corner of the slab. He went over and sat down. He sneezed because of the dust that came off the furniture when he sat down. He didn't know why, but he felt worn out.

He only woke up at night when a hail of bullets echoed through the night. When he opened his eyes, he saw a drone crash on the other side of the hill.

"What was that?"

"Relax, it was just the Central Command giving a warning to the military. You know, to mark their territory."

Spin Bomb was sitting in a chair. The backrest was facing forward. Her head was supported by her arms crossed under her chin. She was holding a disposable Styrofoam cup with steaming coffee. The girl stood with her hips tilted back, her legs spread wide in a daring posture.

The boy swallowed. She looked very different from when she was dressed as a scrap collector. Her panties were showing at the sides. Barefoot, with curly hair dripping with chocolate-scented hair cream, wearing a lace blouse, she looked very attractive.

As she sipped her coffee, Spin Bomb looked at Akachi as if to invite her.

"Come soon, or this goo will get cold. My microwave is fucked."

The boy noticed that there were two lunch boxes on the floor. Plastic cutlery was on top of them.

"Thanks. I was really hungry."

"I'm sorry about what I said this afternoon. Fenyang's death really touched me. He helped me and my family when we got here. I don't like to talk about it. It brings back bad memories… ah! Changing the subject, don't throw the body away. Just wash it and you'll be able to use it for a while."

"I'll keep it. Don't worry, I was just curious."

"If you really saw Fenyang there in the cemetery of the damned, you must have some spatial power. My father once told me about them: mediums. I don't know how to explain it, but it has something to do with talking to spirits, I don't know. I don't know if you've confused yourself or if you're just making fun of me. But if you manage to talk to him, tell him that Spin Bomb here told him to take that place."

Akachi blushed. The young woman just laughed at him.

This guy wasn't born and hasn't lived on the streets. If he doesn't get smart, he'll be stopped in a straight line. But then again, he must have some skills. Maybe he'll help me pay off my debt…

"Listen, Akachi. You're going to have to help me get some change. You've got some jobs around here that you can plug. If you want to go back to Ilu Nla, it's going to cost a lot. You'll have to collect a lot of Credbit. The sooner you start, the better."

"Where can I get these services?"

"Tomorrow we'll go to Okafor's store. He's always got something good for me, he might throw in something nice for you too."

"Yes, I will. What I want most is to go back to my father. I don't remember his face very well, but I know that he needs me, and I need him. It's like something echoing inside me."

The two of them stood there gazing at the sky. Sometimes shots were heard and tracer bullets tore through the sky. The graffiti with its neon paint glowed in the dark. Funk dances were held in the sports centers of Chrome Hill. On some slabs, men and women gathered their families to eat a barbecue to the sound of laughter and music.

It was a nocturnal cacophony, and impressively, it all happened at the same time. Not a note sounded outside the urban melody.