FICTION | CYBERPUNK

Forgive Me | A flash fiction story

98 of 💯

“I know we’ve had our differences,” Maya said, rubbing the back of her neck, “but we could really use a guy like you. You’re a clever boy.”

Agh snorted. “Give me a break, Maya.”

He was leaning against the railing in the overpass, eyes lost in the crowd below. The colorful mass of bodies moved under the neon lights like the involuntary spasms of an alien muscle, an unwanted growth embedded in the cold heart of the city, struggling to survive amidst the bright colors and deceptive lights that masked their suffering.

It had been at least a decade since Agh had last let Maya stand behind his back without the fear of being stabbed.

He shook his head. “We’re not kids anymore. We’re not those two orphans scamming our way through life.”

Maya hesitated. “You’re right. I grew up. I made a decision.”

“Yeah…” He looked up at the dark sky through the maze of tall buildings. “I guess you were the clever one all along.”

She shifted her weight from one foot to another, looking for words. “I’m sorry. Do you think you can forgive me?”

“For what?” he asked without looking at her. “For becoming a cog? Or for threatening to get me kicked out of the city if I didn’t bribe you? Or maybe for the constant beatings?”

She sighed. Then she walked to the railing beside him, staring at the mass of people below them.

“I’m sorry, Agh.” Her voice floated over the cacophony of the bustling city below. “But I didn’t stop growing, you know?” She turned to face him. “I’m not a cog anymore. I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I feel I’m doing something worthwhile now. Something valuable. Something… good. And I’d like you to join us.”

Agh didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to her, searching her face. He didn’t find the old smirk, the smug confidence he remembered. He wasn’t sure what he found, but there was something there. Something new.

Then, a large figure appeared behind her — a muscular man, a lot larger than them both. He had an expressionless face with a cold, indifferent stare.

“We have to go,” the man announced.

Maya hesitated, then turned to Agh. “Will you ever forgive me?”

He paused, then he gave her a melancholic smile. “You’re the one who’s gonna have to forgive me.”

He turned and walked away, his hands in the pockets of his purple jacket.

As Agh disappeared into a dark alley, hiding from the lights, Maya whispered to herself, “I forgive you.”

She joined Jax, leaving the overpass and her past behind.

< Wastelands | Forgive Me | Good >

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