Author's Note

Here’s a little side project aside from my main story, I hope you like it.

Chapter One: First Day Out

Chapter One: First Day Out

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ORBtN4pPXVk

Your cell door buzzed and began to open. You watched your cage open slowly as you looked at the cuffs around your wrists.

“Alright, come on out, kiddo.” Said the officer next to you. You took a few steps outside of your cell and stopped. You didn’t know why you stopped, there was no need for hesitation. “What? Don’t wanna leave?” Asked the Officer. “We’d be happy to keep ya here where you belong.”

“Dick.” You thought to yourself as you began to walk again. Trudging slowly through the hallway full of cells, you looked at the inmates shouting at you from their cells.

“Well aren’t you lucky lil boy?”

“Oh come on, you weren’t even in here that long!”

“Don’t miss me too much?”

“Wanna switch places?”

The officer behind you jabbed you in the back with his nightstick. “Come on, I ain’t got all day.”

“Hey hey, I didn’t do anything to you.” You said with a snarl.

“Is that attitude I sense? I’ll throw your ass right back into that cell little boy!”

You decided to keep your mouth shut and keep on walking. The sooner you were out of this shit hole, the sooner you could freely talk shit. And who the hell was this officer calling little? You stood at six-foot-two and you were pretty damn muscular. You could drop his ass effortlessly if you wanted to. Whatever, just save it for after you leave. You left the cell hall and came up to a receptionist desk with an overweight lady sitting in the chair behind the glass.

“What can I do for you?” She asked in a flat tone.

“This one needs his stuff before he leaves.” Said the cop.

“Name?” She asked.

“Anon, last name Mous.” You said. The lady did some typing on the computer with a sigh.

“One moment please.” She said before standing up and walking away.

“So kid, what are you gonna do when you get out?” Asked the cop. Why the hell does he care?

“School. Work. Whatever finds it’s place in front of me.” You said, keeping your eyes forward. The cop was a rather ugly man, short and overweight. Very musty too, you could’ve sworn that he blended his food and shot it through a heroin needle based on the way he looked.

“Alright, well just stay outta trouble. I won’t be so nice if I see you here again.”

“You aren’t exactly Mr. Good Cop.” You said to yourself. You learned to keep your two cents to yourself in this last year. Getting into fights with other inmates wasn’t really something you feared, but getting more jail time or getting the possibility of parole taken away from you. Thankfully, it wasn’t taken from you. Your hearing was last month and the only one that showed up in your favor was your uncle Shaw. Your parents had given up on you when you were incarcerated for robbery, not that you cared. You realized that parents who give up on their children don’t deserve to be cared for by the child in question. You were snapped out of your thoughts by the receptionist coming back to the glass with a cardboard box.

“Here you go, sweetie.” She said, opening a one way door on the wall. “Stay outta trouble for me.”

“I’ll try, miss.” You said, grabbing your box. When you were incarcerated a year ago, you didn’t have much. Only your cell phone, watch, wallet, clothes. Looking down into the box, everything seemed to be there. Hell, there was even a stick of gum in there. Reaching into the box awkwardly because of your cuffs, you grabbed the chewy delicacy. You unwrapped it with one hand and popped it into your mouth, throwing the wrapper back into the box.

“Alright kiddo, lets get you out of here.” Said the cop. “Your ride is waiting outside.”

You were guided to the front entrance, going through several more security doors before actually stepping outside. When you finally reached the outdoors, you were nearly blinded by the sun. This happened nearly everyday, not much natural light got into the building. You only got to see the light of day for about one to two hours daily, so sunlight was a blessing to you. You walked through the summer heat towards the final gate to freedom, eyeing the guards as they did the same to you. They held their rifles as if you were going to try something funny. What would the point be? You’re getting released for fucks sake. When the main entrance opened, you were stopped by the officer behind you.

“One more thing,” he said, taking his key loop off of his hip. He unlocked your cuffs, taking them off your wrists.

“Thanks.” You said flatly.

“Catch ya later?” He said jokingly.

“I won’t make that mistake again.” You said as you turned around and left the gates of hell. They closed behind you as you stopped and closed your eyes, taking your first breath of freedom. It felt great, knowing you could finally do as you pleased with no restrictions. A horn was honked off to your left, and you opened your eyes to see your uncle Shaw sitting in his old orange 70’ charger. He beckoned you to come to him with his hand, which you took as your signal to get going. As you approached his car, he popped the trunk so you could place your box of stuff inside. You did so, closed the trunk, then walked back around to the front seat and climbed inside.

“Orange looks good on ya, kiddo.” Said your uncle with a laugh, giving your head a noogie.

“Heh heh, great to see you too.” You said. “Thanks for letting me crash with you.”

“Hey no problem, neph. You always were like a son to me ya know.” Shaw didn’t have any kids and wasn’t ever married, so spending time with him was always a gift to him. He was always very lax with you, letting you cuss like a sailer and drink or smoke all you wanted, so you were quite fond of him as well. Sure, we wasn’t the best role model but you loved him dearly. Shit, he was all you had at the moment, your parents don’t want anything to do with you so you were left with your uncle Shaw. You definitely weren’t complaining though. Although he was quite lax, he still wanted you to get an education. He took the time to enroll you in the local high school, Canterlot High, since you were expelled from your previous one. “Ready to go?” He asked, turning the keys and starting the engine.

“Very.” You said.

“Then let’s get it going! I got a little welcoming gift for ya at home.”

“Word, I like gifts.” You said, looking out the window. As your surroundings began to move past you, you decided to rest your head on the car window and close your eyes for a bit. You were quite restless this last year, a good nap would be great for you...

***

“Hey, we’re here bud.” Said Shaw as he shook you awake.

“Alright, alright, I’m up.” You said as you shook your head.

“Come on, grab your stuff and head to the garage.” He said as he got out of the car and walked to the garage. You opened the car door and stepped outside, taking a good stretch when your feet touched the ground. You closed the door behind you, walking to the trunk and grabbing your belongings. You closed the trunk and headed to the garage where your uncle was standing. He was leaning on a car that was covered by a tarp.

“Whatcha got for me here ol’ man?” You asked.

“Now I know how much you like classic American muscle, and I couldn’t exactly give ya your birthday gift while you were in jail, so I kept it here till you got out.”

Your stomach jumped upon hearing the words “classic American muscle”. Was he really going to give you what you thought he was gonna give you?

“I thought it’d be appropriate for you to show up to your new school in style, so I went all out for your gift. Here Anon, she’s all yours.” Shaw said, whipping off the tarp to reveal a matte black 1970 Dodge Challenger.

“Holy shit!” You exclaimed, walking over to your new ride. “You even got my favorite color!”

“Yessir, I thought it’d be cool to have your challenger match my charger, so I got ya this. She’s equipped with a hemi, so she can really purr. Why don’t you start her up?” You looked over to your uncle, jingling the keys in between his fingers. You held out your hands and he tossed them to you, and you ran to the driver’s side and climbed in. You put the keys in the ignition and turned them, followed by a loud start of the car. You revved the engine, rewarding you with the sweet sound of the engine.

“Mind if I take it for a spin?” You shouted over the sound of the engine.

“Go ahead kiddo, just make sure you got your license on ya. I’d hate to have to bail you outta jail on your first day out for not having a license.”

“Great! Thanks!” You got out of your ride and grabbed your wallet and your cell phone from the cardboard box. Before you got back into your car, you gave your uncle a big hug.

“Heh heh, love ya too kiddo.” He said. You broke the hug and climbed back into your car. Before you took off, Shaw knocked on your window. You rolled it down for him. “I don’t have a curfew, and the house key is under the door mat. Have fun kiddo!”

“Word, you know I will!” You said as you screeched your tires and took off from the garage. You pulled out of the dirt driveway and made a left, taking off down the road towards town. You weren’t exactly familiar with the area, being so far from your previous home in another city, but finding your way around was never hard for you. You were sure that you were outside of town, so you put the petal to the metal and speeded off towards Canterlot. “Well I’ll be damned.” You said to yourself. “For one bad kid, I’m still a spoiled son of a bitch.”

As you drove down the road, you admired the rural surroundings. Nothing but trees and farmland in sight. You always liked coming around here when you were younger, running though the forest or cornfields by yourself was a blast. Sure, it would’ve been nice having your friends over, not that you had many, but you by yourself was all you needed. You slowed down your vehicle to a sign on the side of the road. It read: Sweet Apple Acres, Help Wanted.

“Well, it’d be nice to have some money in my pocket.” You said. You were about to pull into the driveway of the farm, but you noticed that you were still in your jail uniform. “Eh, I’ll do it later.” You said as you drove passed the sign. Roughly twenty minutes of driving later, and you found yourself within the Canterlot city limits. You slowed your speed to avoid being pulled over and began to cruise through town. The place looked a lot different since you saw it last, then again it has been a few years. Your stomach began to growl, telling you that you haven’t eaten in all day. “I’m in the mood for something sweet, it’s been a whole ass year.” You said as you began to drive around, looking for a bakery or something close to that. After rounding a few blocks and cruising a few streets, you eventually came across Sugar Cube Corner. You found a parking spot and turned off your ride. Pulling your wallet out of your pocket, you found enough cash in there for a meal. “Good looks.” You said as you climbed out of your vehicle and went inside. Upon entering the bakery, it seemed dead. No customers and nobody at the front counter. “Odd.” You thought as you walked up to the front counter. “Hello?” You called, only to get no response. “Anybody home?” After a few moments of waiting, you decided you’d go elsewhere to eat. Right as you turned around, you were greeted by a pink-haired girl, nearly scaring you out of your socks.

“Gahhh!” You exclaimed, jumping back a little.

“Hi! My name’s Pinkie Pie but everyone calls me Pinkie!” She said, giving you a big hug. “What’s your name?” She asked, muffled from her face being buried in her chest.

“Well for starters,” you said, prying her off of you, “don’t touch me. Secondly, I don’t do names with strangers. Thirdly, can I get something to eat?”

“Oh I dunno...” said Pinkie, playing with her hair. “You didn’t say the magic word!”

You let out a sigh and facepalmed. This girl was too energetic for your liking. “Please?” You said flatly.

“Okie dokie lokie!” She said as she hopped over the counter. “What can I get for you, stranger?”

“I’ll take two raspberry jelly donuts, that’ll be all.” You said, whipping out a five from your wallet.

“Okay, that’ll be two bucks!” Said Pinkie, holding out her hand. You gave her the five and put your wallet back in your pocket.

“Keep the change.” You said.

“Why thank you, mister!” Said Pinkie, grabbing your pastries from the shelves below the counter. “Her ya go!” She said as she gave you a small tray with your donuts on them. “Eat em up! But not too fast or you’ll get a tummy ache, I learned that the hard way!”

“Right.” You said as you grabbed your tray. “Thanks for the advice.”

“Anytime!”

You took a seat at a booth and whipped out your phone. Plugging it into an outlet on the wall, you saw it resurrect from it’s dead state. You hoped the battery wasn’t fucked. As you waited for it to fully power on, you began to dig into one of your donuts. Upon taking your first bite, you let out a moan of satisfaction. This was the best damn donut you’ve ever had!

“Glad you like it!” Said Pinkie, leaning over the booth seat behind you. Letting out a shout of surprise, you saw your guest happily watching you eat your meal.

“Can I help you?” You ask, raising an eyebrow. This girl was starting to get on your nerves.

“Nope!” She said with a smile.

“Then what do you want?”

“I was just checking in, and why are you dressed like that?” She asked, pointing to your outfit.

“I just got outta jail.” You said flatly.

“Ohhh, scary! What’d you go there for?”

“None of your business.”

“Okay, jeez! Just asking.”

“And I’m just saying.”

Pinkie was caught off guard by your attitude, and she looked hurt. She said she would leave you alone as she slowly walked back behind the counter and into the employees only door.

“Pssh, softie.” You said as you continued to eat your food. Looking at your phone, you saw that you had no service. You whipped out your wallet and called your service provider to pay your bill. You knew you still had money on your debit card, so you didn’t worry about not having enough money. Once your bill was paid, you were barraged with notifications from various people. You checked some of them, they were your friends saying they miss you, emails with offers and new school opportunities, your parents cussing you out and saying that you’re gone. Nothing that you didn’t expect. You noticed a text from your uncle, saying he had put five grand in your account to carry you until you had managed to get a job. God, you loved that guy. You finished up your donuts and left the bakery, getting back into your car. You decided that you were going to go back to your place and change clothes and go interview for the farm job on Sweet Apple Acres, you decided that a labor job would be good for your body and would pay well at the same time. So, it was your best option that you could see. Not that you had many others, that is.

***

You pulled back into your uncle’s garage and checked the time. It was only three, so that was good. You still had plenty of time to get ready and go apply for a job. Figuring that the door was unlocked because it was still early, you tried the front door. Sure enough, it was open. Stepping inside, you looked around. Everything looked nearly the same, little rearranging done, save for the new TV and other appliances. Uncle Shaw didn’t have a super big place, just a double wide trailer that was neatly kept. What lacked in house was made up for with the outdoor property he owned, acres upon acres of forest in the surrounding area.

“Back already?” Called Shaw from the bathroom. He was peeking out of the door with a towel wrapped around his waist. His grey mullet was tied in a pony tail and his face was covered in shaving cream, he was holding a razor as well.

“Yeah, I figured I should get cleaned up before I go to apply for a job.”

“Gettin’ into it already? Good man!” He said. “Where at?”

“Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Oh! I heard they pay well and it’ll put those muscles to work, not that you need it. You looked like you bulked up considerably since the last time I saw ya.”

“Yep, hittin’ the weights in the yard every chance I got.” You said, flexing your bicep.

“Well, I had a moving crew set up your room while you were gone, it’s the room you always used to stay in when you were younger. Rearrange it to your liking, all your clothes are in your dresser too.”

“Oh word! Thanks!” You said as you walked towards your room. As you passed your uncle, you slapped his beer gut and told him to put a shirt on.

“Yeah yeah fuck you too!” He said as he closed the door.

Walking into your room, you saw that everything was neatly staged. Your bed was in the corner, your monitor and Xbox was placed against the wall, already hooked up. Hell, they even placed your headset on its stand. “Good looks.” You said as you walked over to your dresser. You decided to go with a simple white T shirt and some jeans for your outfit. You opened your closet and saw all of your shoes, dress clothes, and jackets placed in there neatly. You threw on some boots and tucked them under your jeans. On top of your dresser was your small items box, full of miscellaneous junk which you kept for hoarding sake. You opened it and pulled out a gold cross necklace that you bought from a pawn shop years ago. You threw it on, applied deodorant and cologne, and began to make your way out of your bedroom. You were stopped by the sight of your lucky hat hanging on a hook on the door. It was nothing flashy, just a regular hat with a bass on it. It had a few rips on the bill, which you felt added character to it. You took it off of the hook and put it on, facing it backwards. Looking in the mirror on your wall, the hat sat perfectly over your long hair and complimented your overall look well, just as it always did.

“I’m gonna have to chop this soon.” You said, looking at your hair and beard. You never took the time to shave over the last year, and it definitely showed. You took one last look at yourself and left your room. “I’ll be back later!” You called out as you exited the house. Climbing back into your car, you turned it on and let the engine warm up. Looking around, you noticed that a new radio was placed in with Bluetooth capability. “Not bad, old man.” You said with a smile. You connected your phone and began to shuffle old rock and metal. The first song to play was Back in Black by AC/DC. “Not bad again.” You said as you put your car into gear and pulled out of the garage.

As you flew down the road, you rolled down your windows to really get a feel for the moment. You couldn’t help but smile as you felt the wind hit your face and the music flow through your ears. Even though it was only your first day out, life was good, you weren’t complaining. You turned the radio up and sped up, eager to get to your destination.