"You wanted to see me?"

  Mayor Wilson looked up from his desk to see him standing there. Maestro, they all called him. His hair was tied back, unlike the last time the mayor had seen him all those months ago. He wore a blood red button down shirt with the same black dress pants. As he stood awkwardly in the doorway, Mayor Wilson could tell that Maestro was afraid. His dark eyes portrayed his confusion, his pain, and his fear. Of all people, Wilson never thought that he could actually feel fear. He remembered what Maestro could do-what he has done.

"Yes," The mayor said, breaking the awkward silence. "Have a seat."

  Mayor Wilson watched as Maestro hesitantly took a seat in a big, cushy gray chair to the left of him. For a moment, he watched the younger man cross and un-cross his legs before he spoke.

"Now," the mayor started. "I know that I don't quite understand what happened-"

"-How can you not?" Maestro interrupted, looking up at Mayor Wilson. "I'm sure everyone here knows what happened. Or at least, they know what they want to think happened."

"I wouldn't know," the mayor said. "I haven't been told anything."

"That's a lie. That's a lie and we both know it."

 Mayor Wilson was taken aback at Maestro's outburst. He looked at him to see that Maestro was staring at him with a fierce anger in his eyes.

"Well," the mayor stammered. "Either way, it's not like I would believe any of it. I mean, I never saw or heard anything-"

"They tried to kill me."

"We don't have any proof of that just-"

"What kind of proof do you need?!" Maestro shouted, suddenly standing up. "I know for a fact what happened. Because it happened to me. Not any of them, but me. I have bruises. I can prove what they did! My window is still broken because of what they've done."

"That may be true," Mayor Wilson reasoned. "But-"

"I have the stones,” Maestro whispered so low, the mayor couldn’t quite understand what he said.

"You what?"

"I kept the stones," Maestro repeated. "I haven't had the chance to get rid of them yet. What other proof would I need?"

  Mayor Wilson sighed. He knew that whatever Maestro did, no one could ever believe him. That he could be locked away-or worse-and no one would give it a second thought.

And to think, he thought, that it’s all my fault.