Alexander

Shelton

Under The Chandelier

 
      A kid whose street name was Alchemist lived in New York, New York in 1996. His given name was Lawrence Shelton. He was an African American male who lived in a one-parent household. His home was the Avenue his only parent that guided him wrong was his glock. He went to her anytime he needed advice. All he needed to do was pull the trigger and she would speak. Her words traveling through the bodies of his oppositions as an x-ray does to view your bones. A pea sized cardiologists that knew one hole through the heart so her son would live to another day. The avenue was a place he gave high fives just so he could get by. He was loaded with dope, which turned to coke, sooner transforming into yay. His mind effectuated with theories, he wrapped his mind around books of scholars. He spoke in metaphors, acted in verbs, and his logic put Einstein’s own thoughts against himself. A skinny eighteen year old that was an angel at heart but his knowledge to advanced for his own good.
     On a Friday afternoon Lawrence was enjoying a book at a local library before he went to dealing narcotics to strung out customers. He got up to leave when he saw three men at least six feet tall dressed in all black. He went to turn around but stopped to see three more men in black behind him. They’re all above his height. Over him as if they were the twin towers. He was an ant wishing he were their size just so he could see the world from their point of view. Each one coming close to seeing the curvature of the earth wrap around the world as a snake coils its self in defense. The men closed in on him as if they were wolves preparing to kill its prey. Alchemist stood tall in his life-threatening situation. He reached for his mother so she could give his aggressors a conversation they'll never forget. Until he noticed a reflection through a window of a 9mm pointed to the back of his head. Ready to place him in his grave, and be a forever slave to death. So he placed his hands in the air as if he was praising God to give him another chance at life. Until he saw a black bag come over his head. Then he felt a sharp pain on his neck then everything grew silent and dark. As if it was night and he was in the middle of the pitch-black darkness. One of the men took the handle of their gun and hit him in the back of his neck. He awoke not being able to see a thing because the bag was still placed over his head. He heard men talking he heard one of them say " Yo man I told you don't hurt the kid we need him to be able to do as he's told". Alchemist couldn't move he was hand cuffed to a chair as if he was a criminal in a police station.
       He struggled to get loose. Before he could the blinding bag come from over his head, and he looked up with his hazel eyes. Ready to see who summoned him to this place of wonders. He took a glance around to only see he was in a run down building. He assumed it had to be burned by the wood coming of the walls and the doors missing from the hinges. Then he looked up to see a short man standing before him at the most 5 foot 3. He was wearing Levis with a plain white T-shirt with white gym shoes covering over his black Hanes that he wore on his feet. His face looked as young as Shelton's did but his hair braded down to his shoulders. His eyes rich as honey but his intentions far from sweet. Alchemist knew who he was he understood why he was there. He was in the presences of Low. An underground leader of a now progressing gang a syndicate in the works. So he spoke and says "What do you want my life or my service" Low laughed hysterically followed by the words "What do you think I am a customer looking to get cheap dime bags when I can just get some from my very own pocket? Look kid I have a deal you might like for two maybe three reasons. I want you to come work for me rapping in a contest known as Under the Chandelier held every ten years. Jumping to the case if you say yes and become apart of the Troublesome 96' you have your life cash and even women. If you say no then I'll have to take your life and you will be more pointless then you were before. So what will it be"? While Shelton looked through the gapping hole through the ceiling Low reached over his desk to pull out a Sawn Off shot gun. It was already loaded as if Low didn’t trust anyone but his bullets because they bring back results not excuses. He pointed the gun to Shelton's head and says with a smile on his face "Well what will it be heaven here with me or hell we're you will fail to bring up bail"? Shelton looked down then looked up to say "Yea". Low put the gun on his shoulders and said "Alrite boy you need a street name because your government can't be passed around like a girl who opens her legs for the whole click. I'll even be polite and let you. Choose it yourself." Shelton smiled and said "Alchemist"

             Alchemist was dropped of at a building that was only half a whole. He saw lights Coming from the side of the building that had noting there. He heard yelling and rapping. He heard the echo of the beats the booing and the crowd loving every second of the hate infused with the love they give the perfumers. He stepped toward his fate and accepted it with as if his life depended on it. He walked into this place of wonders and saw a pure gold ceiling with pictures of angels. That was hand drawn by an artist who found it to be worthy of his abilities and be printed with his mark for all this worlds’ life. Then he saw a chandelier hanging witch was suppose to be the half way point of the too parts of one building making a whole. The chandelier hung as if god himself in heaven crafted it.  On the other hand it was posed by greed and angry because of the words that the people below it speak. The chandelier was made of ivory pure elephant tusks. The ends of it spiraled up ward while the chain holding it in the air were diamonds each one black to show very small diversity in the room and how no other minority would survive in a place blinded by smoke and heart filled hate. The light at the bottom of the chandelier was forever lit as long as the light hit the reflection bouncing off over eleven million seventy-eight carrot diamonds.  The speakers that amplified the voices were gently places through out the building so all you heard was the instrumentals and the voice putting its bass to shame. Alchemist walked in the room and felt someone tap him on his shoulder he looked over it and saw a man. Who was as mysterious as his intentions. Alchemist followed him through a crowd of people not knowing where he was being taken. Until he got to the bottom of the stage and saw that he was suppose to stand on it.

            The man let him get on first the he grabbed the mic to say “Yo Yo Yo people how you feeling today”. The crowd roared as a lion ready to hunt its prey at the rising of the sun. Then he smiled and said “ Alrite Alrite I hear you I get the message. Well I got a special treat for you today this young kid behind me is called Alchemist. He is meant to serve as your entertainment to night. But before he can perform on his own and truly be a true member of the Troublesome 96; He must first go up against the leading champion of rap battling Dictionary”. Dictionary was a man in his mid twenties and ready to rumble he hated the world and his lyrics showed no mercy to the people they were pointed towards. He flirted with death and has had relations with the demons of hell more then the world has lived to see. He got his name by the many different names of people he crushed. Then the announcer looked to the far left of the building and said “ And to make sure this match is fair.” Then two read beams come from the corner and landed on Alchemists forehead and one on Dictionary’s heart. Then Dictionary licked his lips as a sensation of lust for Alchemists blood. Alchemist looked at his forehead to only realize that this was a match to the death and that Low saw no point in having to people in his crew that were both good at one thing witch was hip hop and free styling. Alchemist could see the demon lurking in Dictionary’s eyes he saw how the carnage and the beginning of his cabob would be if he lost. He could see his eyes change from colors showing him how he would rather kill himself then loose his life to a under study. Dictionary snatched the mic from the announcer and smiled then said, “ Lets end the beginning and never renew.” Then he closed his eyes and started rapping He said, “

Master of 96/ I own this age/ But when I turn the page/ I see niggas change to be uncaged/ I’m the real thing leaving you beige/ You say you transport monster merchandise/ I looked you up and down twice/ To see how many keys you carry/ I don’t see any/ You catch me with more then twenty/ Fuck twenty-five years/ If I flee I get the heat on me/ That’s flat out life/ So I keep my berretta close and tight/ To show five O/ When I blast they ass they fall like 304’s/ The lives I take are about three or four”.

The crowd goes crazy they yell as if they are Romans in the coliseum. Waiting for the next gladiator to be devoured by a deadly beast. Then he raised his head to say “ Now watch me to go in on y’all lets see if you can exchange dough in this game or if you get burned by hell’s gate flames”. Before he could finish his sentence Alchemist took the mic out of his hands and said, “I think its time I showed y’all what real hip hop music is”. Alchemist took in a deep breath as if it was his last then said,

“ Cant stay plain/ Cuz my sane/ Will be in vain/ And I hear that’s how you speak my name/ So I gotta drop bombs like who dome who sane/ You claim/ Yo aim/ is swift like bullets/ So I plead you to pull it/ Cuz when I squeeze mine/ I wont give it time to start coolin/ Red hot barrel/ Wit lead flying at you like sparrows/ The Egyptian pharaoh/ King Tut so my lethal promises aren’t fronts/ Cuz every hollow tip is blunt/ I leave yo body hydraulic/ To much information/ So log off of phonics/ You popin glocks/ My tech is beyond it/ My trigger finger is bionic”.

You hear the crowd go crazy they sounded as if they were a pack of lions roaring all at the same time to show they ran the jungle, and that Alchemist was their king. Then in an instant he saw a dark shadow come over his shoulder to see his opposition starting at him in his eyes showing that he wish he could drag his soul with him to hell. Then you saw a bullet go through Dictionarys chest.

You could see the life fade from his eyes. You could see the pupils in his eyes fade into darkness and his soul sucked through his skin to begin where it was born hell.  Then his body hit the ground limp with death and cold from regret. Alchemist saw a silver bullet pass through his flesh like a knife trough butter. He grabbed himself were he was shot to collect his thoughts to look over and realize that he was tricked by the same man who he made his deadly deal with. He was on his knees head held low to look up to see Low standing by his gang of over thirty hundred thousand men. All ready for war with the people on the inside. All ready to take a life and grant them to either heaven or hell witch ever fate decides. Low travels to the stage to speak with Alchemist. Who then pulls out his desert eagle to shoot at Low. Then a red beam went to his hand that was holding his weapon and the person holding the gun shot his hand clean off. At the same time he pulled the trigger and shot a man in-between his eyes and eyebrows. His brains leaking from the front of his head. The random mans blood crimson red the kid only the demons fiend for to drink and only purify the darkness in them. Low looked over then said to Alchemist “ Eww man that’s disgusting you know that right? Well it doesn’t matter because I’m here for this building I’m taking it apart because im going to be rich just of the door knobs of this place and if it wasn’t for you distracting everyone I wouldn’t be able to do so. You see I lied I’m not the gang leader of Troublesome 96’ I really run their number one enemy Underground. O’ and the ma laying on the ground drowning in his own blood is really the leader and you saved me a lot of trouble killing him myself. I would shake your hand but you seem short a right hand”. Alchemist stood up then felt his body gives way when low shot him in his ankle. Then he looked up into the barrel of Lows gun to say “You lied to me you said you wanted me and wanted to use me. Before I die tells me why you lied why you couldn’t have you just asked”? Low bent down to say “ Well I feel like im here to cause genocide and havoc not teach rejoice and happiness. I believe myself to be the “Ghost Rider”. You know the Marvel comic? Anyway instead of me bringing Satan’s demons back to hell that belongs there I send who ever I please. And on the other hand ha-ha witch you are short of, it would’ve have been fun as this”. Low pulls the trigger to end Alchemists life and send him to a place of internal sleep, which, he may never wake again.