The Park Collaboration

[Ravynlee]

Friday

 

Time ran differently inside thick barred walls.

Sitting in her orange shirt and pants, standard prisoner garb, Ravyn kept guard over each shoulder vigilantly. She had barely slept and refused to eat. As hard as it was to remain dry-eyed and defensive in prison she felt like a child abandoned in this warehouse of killers. Across the table sat a familiar face. When the guards had arrived to take her out of her cell Ravyn had been too scared to believe them and had caught a baton across the back of her thigh. Though she had cried the tears didn’t last long in this place. Somewhere unseen she knew Vincent was watching like a lion in long grass – she was determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break down because of him. Stirring in her seat Ravyn rubbed the back of her leg tenderly. She couldn’t hide her disappointment that it wasn’t Rob sitting in front of her, but a young guy from the apartments where she lived named Justin. He smiled at her and looked uncertain as they both watched a guard stroll past casting his lofty eye over the proceedings. The room in which they sat in was big, empty and oppressive with grey walls, ugly plastic chairs, and speakers mounted to the four corners of the ceiling. Posters were tacked to the wall bolted down behind thick layers of Perspex. What to do in case of emergency, one sign read. Ravyn rolled her eyes across it and snorted to herself. Across from her Justin was restless. Still he kept smiling. His attempt at small talk was brave but Ravyn wasn’t really in the mood for talking. She didn’t exactly know how long she’d already been in here but to her it already felt like lifetime. In the pit of her stomach lay the god-awful fear that she would never set foot outside to sunshine and grass and fresh air again, and she was rendered mute at the thought of it. For a while she just sat there trying to look impassive feeling the eyes of the guards, the other inmates, their visitors, and Justin’s upon her. Inside she was a heartbeat from going hysterical.

“…You may not know me…a matter of fact we only kind of met once…but I am here to help,” he told her. He watched a guard pass again with his eyes zeroed in on the weapons hanging from the screw’s side. Clearing his throat Justin refocussed his attentions back to Ravyn. “Mike is evil. I need to know if he was involved and I need to know everything that happened.”

Again Ravyn scoffed dismally. What was there to tell? What did he want to hear? What did he already know? Reaching up Ravyn rubbed at her neck and shrugged at him. She shook her head. Words were too hard to come by at the moment let alone thinking that name… She sighed.

“I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what you know. I know people say it all the time in here but I didn’t do the things they say I did.”

“I know. It was Mike.”

“It’s more than that,” Ravyn said. She was staring through him as if he were made of glass, her words low, dull and robotic. She couldn’t afford to be emotional or they’d send her off to the psych ward and that was the only place alone that terrified her more than anything on the planet. “This is bigger than him… It’s bigger than… Mike.”

“What are you talking about?”

Ravyn sighed. After spending so much time running she had to confess but it was hard and it felt like in doing it was her defeat. Smiling guiltily to herself she told him, “Before I moved into the apartments, I was on the run. It wasn’t anything major, I was just- lost.”

“What happened? What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. It’s what happened to me. I spent my life being abused, first when I was a kid, then when I got older – by the time I met Rob I was a mess. I don’t blame him for not loving me, but he tried. I was too crazy, literally. He broke up with me and I went out one night, had too many pills, too much alcohol, and tried to kill myself. I was… evaluated. They were going to lock me up. I’d done it before only when I was a teenager. It was stupid I know but… One day I met this cop and everything just sort of fell into place. We met up a couple times, just innocent, you know. I still had feelings for Rob but this guy was just… nice. I’d never had a guy be nice to me before and not want anything so I sort of liked him. He was much older, smart, quiet, and he was a cop so I thought I’d be safe. I didn’t love him but he… wanted me to do things for him, favours-”

“What kind of favours?”

“Use your imagination,” Ravyn said, trying not to notice the way the colour rose in the younger man’s face. “I panicked but – I thought it was the only way I’d ever get a guy to like me, so... After that things just got worse… I’d come home from work and find letters inside my house or something. He started following me everywhere. One night I woke up and he was sitting in my bedroom just watching me sleep. I freaked out. He attacked me. It went on for months, literally. He just moved himself in to my life and stayed there. I couldn’t get out, I couldn’t even call the cops, ‘cause he was one. What was worse he made me feel like I deserved it. He was so sweet and so smart sometimes he made me feel like an idiot, like I should have appreciated the attention. In part I did. There were times I… I actually thought I loved him. But he acted like I was his property or something. I couldn’t handle it. One night it got so bad I ended up in the hospital. He wanted me to tell them some story; I don’t remember what I said. I just remember lying there thinking this was how it was going to be for the rest of my life if I stayed there so I waited til he was gone and I got out. The only place I could think to go was to Rob. He packed up and we caught a bus out of LA that night. Been running ever since – til what happened the other night.”

For a while Justin sat there saying nothing and struggling to make eye contact. Ravyn watched him with a skewed kind of sympathy, as if hearing it was somehow more painful than the memories it triggered – but time was too short to dwell, she reasoned. Summoning his attentions again she continued.

“I don’t know how he found out about it, but he did; Mike. He tried blackmailing me. He said if I didn’t help him he’d tell Vincent where I was.”

“Blackmail for what?”

“Information,” Ravyn said. Her voice was low, tight and guttural.

Justin frowned at her with doubt written all over his face. He seemed to know she wasn’t telling him everything. Ravyn sighed guiltily.

“Drug money…” she told him. She turned her head from his surprised reaction. She frowned at the clock – and obligatory form of torture for seemingly every prison wall – and hurried her confession. “Before I left Vincent was burning himself out. He’s almost 50; he was worried about retirement, was drinking too much and started taking that out on me too. When I disappeared he tried framing me. He thought if he could make an example out of me he’d win some merit I guess, maybe make himself feel better. Some stuff went missing from evidence about the same time I did and they made it sound like I was the one behind it-”

“They?”

“The cops. Vincent. He set me up, made some story that I used him to get to it, basically made himself out to be the victim while I was running for my life. Mike got wind of it and was demanding his share of the action. It obviously got lost in translation somewhere along the line but I don’t have anything. The only thing I took from him was me… Mike already got that,” Ravyn muttered with a dry sticky knock to the back of her throat when she tired to swallow. She shuddered internally as she looked up to find Justin’s eyes staring back at her.

“So – why did he set you up in here?”

“I don’t know. All I can think is that he’s testing me. It’s the only thing I can think of.”

“Mike’s testing you… for what?”

Ravyn sighed. It sounded ludicrous but alone in her cell for hours at a time all she had left was her tears and her imagination. She shrugged back watching the guard on the other side of the room making his way towards the gates. Their time was almost over and Ravyn was desperate to get out every word she wanted to say.

“Mike’s crazy. All drug addicts are."

She didn’t see Justin flinch a little as people began exchanging hugs and words of parting around them. Ravyn leaned closer. Desperation had her clasp his arm but even in an environment where she wasn’t allowed to Ravyn defied it. Her eyes had gone from defiant to helpless in the matter of seconds as she leant so close it was if they were lovers sharing an intimate moment. Nothing could have been further from the truth as Ravyn hurriedly uttered; “He wants to know what Vincent knows. He’s paranoid. They both are. Somehow it’s gone from just us to this thing about drugs and gangs and some guy named Jack who’s in on it. I don’t know who he is. No one’s telling me anything. If I roll on Mike Rob goes down too, I can't I just-" she winced, trying to stem tears from spilling and losing the fight dismally. In a shaky voice she pleaded, "If you see Rob, tell him-”

The guard came and intercepted them. He locked his arm around Ravyn’s bicep. In that one gesture her words fell silent and her face hung low again like some battered animal. Justin said nothing.

“Times up,” the guard said.

 

 

Thursday night Rob had spent at Hugh’s apartment crashed out across the sofa wrestling with his inner demons – and the sound of raspy snoring coming from the next room. He decided before the sun rose Friday to get up and go back and finally face them allegorically head on.

At some ungodly hour he ascended the steps up to the third floor and stood outside his apartment and at the tape that still marred the door. He tore it down and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He stared at the lock and smeared the grey dust that coated the handle. It had been left by forensic investigators dusting for latent fingerprints. That, more so than the splintered wood around the latch, made his shoulders stoop heavily. As hard as he tried he still couldn’t see his girlfriend as being that kind of criminal even if the evidence said otherwise. Though he had tried to catch a ferry across to rikers he couldn’t force himself to do it. Guilt still riddled him and he knew as soon as Ravyn saw him she would see it on him and the last thing she needed was any more heartache right now. All morning Rob spent returning the mess to its appropriate places in some kind of trade off at least in his own mind to actually setting things right again. He didn’t see Sarah all day and purposefully didn’t want to, utilising his ingenuity to replace the lock and reinforce the weakened part of the door with putty and aluminium plates. It looked impressive but Hugh was less than impressed with the makeover.

“That monstrosity better be temporary. This is an apartment complex not Fort Knox for heaven’s sake. You can replace the door but it will be coming out of this months rent,” he snapped when he saw it. “Just because your girlfriend’s in lock up doesn’t mean she’ll necessarily want to live like it when she gets home. If she gets home. This is why you should have bought insurance,” Hugh taunted before making his merry way downstairs.

Rob snorted as he clicked the lock back and let it snap shut loudly as if audibly giving the other man the proverbial finger. Letting his eyes stroll Rob blinked aside at the number #21. He was caught by the urge to kick in Sarah’s door and demand answers but shook his head dejectedly. With a huff Rob returned back inside his apartment and locked the door.

 

 

It was late in the afternoon by the time Rob had finished and had taken the last armful of shattered things to the dumpster downstairs. On his way back up he was met by a face he hadn’t expected to see quite so openly – it was Mike and save for the glassy eyes and beaming smile he seemed to be acting as though nothing had happened in the past 72 hours.

“Hey big guy, haven’t seen you around in a while. Thought you must have run off or something,” Mike said.

They had stopped to chat in the second floor corridor. It was quiet save for the drone of traffic coming in from outside, but the hallways here at least for now were empty leaving the two of them alone together. Mike even went so far as to slide his arm around the other man’s shoulders as if giving him some kind of one-armed macho hug. He was chewing gum and seemed too animated at it as Rob merely blinked back and said nothing. In truth he was expecting Mike to turn on him any second, surely Sarah had to have told him something by now, he thought. But then Rob remembered the noises he had heard the other night through the walls and his anxiety hardened to anger. He looked into Mike’s eyes but couldn’t stand what he saw there.

You fucked my girlfriend and you’re going to stand there and smile about it? He thought, but in the back of Rob’s mind was the guilty admission ‘yeah, but so did you with his, two wrongs don’t make a right do they?’

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to catch up with you-”

“Yeah?” Here it comes.

“Yeah, I’ve been like meaning to give it to you for days now, but, you know how its been last few days-”

“Yeah,” Rob repeated, only a little more uncertain now. He forced a smile and didn’t mean it. Mike grinned making his eyes squint and wrinkles to form in the corners of his eyes. He was all teeth and happiness today – as opposed to the last several days. Rob wondered what drug Mike was on today at all, if any.

Seeing the envelope of money being shoved his way Rob almost choked on his tongue. Though there was no one around to witness it Rob was quick to hide it away on reflex thinking it was probably more dirty money Mike wanted him to hide away for him and didn’t instinctively want to piss off a sleeping tiger any more than he had to. It was more cash than he’d seen in a long time and though he was financially destitute Rob was nervous. The sound of Mike’s laughter wasn’t making him feel any better as he quickly scanned it again.

“It’s yours.”

“What? What for?”

For fucking your old lady. For ruining your relationship. For keeping your mouth shut. “Because.”

“Because why?”

“Rob. You’re so suspicious. We’re friends now. We’re partners. Come on, don’t look at me like that,” Mike said, as if it were all some big joke to him and the horror of the last few days had all been some ultra-realistic nightmare. “It’s a bonus. Think of it as a commission.”

“I can’t take this.”

“Don’t be proud. Come on, you earned it.”

“Doing what? All I’ve done is push a few papers around. I haven’t done anything.”

“Well we’ll call it an incentive then,’ Mike argued. He stepped close and slung an arm around Rob’s shoulders again as if they were and always had been the closest and dearest of friends. “Look I know things have been a little… unusual lately. But when I get myself back on track, you know, when I get this legal shit out of the way, then we can get back to doing what we do best.”

“And what’s that?”

“Selling insurance,” Mike reminded, shoving Rob’s head playfully.

Though Rob had been inferring in regards to the legal issues he didn’t want to press his supposed employer for further details – not just yet anyway. Mike apologized then and said he would have love to stay and chat but he had places to see and so on, and had Rob follow him down stairs like a good little secretary to the first floor landing. Again Rob was reminded of the money feeling like a bear trap in his hand. Together the two men exchanged pleasantries before Mike bid his farewells and continued on outside. Half way down the stairwell Rob mentioned something about using the money as bail to get his girlfriend out of prison.

Mike’s step faltered briefly as he paused, drew in a breath, held it and then continued merrily on his way.

“Yeah, there you go."

The sound of Mike's voice carried back as if it were all some big joke but to Rob the notion had been quite clear.

Turning his back he made his way upstairs to his apartment and started making enquiries. When he saw Mike again several hours later Mike was carrying a sleepy Sarah in his arms. Rob smiled nervously, his previous bravado gone, left rooted to the spot thinking that he was about to get blasted by Mike now after he had obviously taken it out on Sarah. She looked unwell and though Rob was worried he couldn’t maintain eye contact in the couple’s direction, finding the memories Sarah’s face and scent and presence triggered just too overpowering in those moments to overcome. He watched Mike carry her upstairs and struggled with the offer to help. He hadn't even known she hadn't been around. As much as he knew it was wrong, that he regretted it, that the pain hadn’t even begun to surface since he assumed a few key people still didn’t know, Rob couldn’t help but think of Sarah again in ways he knew were off limits to him. Upstairs in his apartment tucked away in the bathroom Rob leant against the shower wall and let the water rain down on him and wash the guilt and unpleasantness and desire away. He retired to bed alone early and lay in the dark listening to the sounds of Sarah and Mike fucking. He tried to block it out but at the same time couldn’t, aroused to the point he wanted to charge in there and take her – but closing his eyes Rob pushed out a long burdened sigh and willed sleep to take him, hoping against all reason and logic that tomorrow things would all be back to normal.

[LPNailz]

SATURDAY...

 

I'm curled in a ball on my bed, tears leaking silently from my eyes. I shouldn't let these things bother me so much. I should be tougher. I should be as tough as people see me. I should be...

 

"...In this farewll

There's no blood

There's no alibi..."

 

"In this farewell..." I murmur to myself. It's a time for farewells. I tighten into a smaller ball. The blinds and black curtains are drawn and all the lights are off except for the dark green lava lamp on my bedside table. I squeeze my eyes closed and blindly reach out to turn it off, then pull my hand back. A manilla envelope is clutched to my chest, and in it are 367 pages I poured my soul into. Them, and one small slip of paper that threatens to ruin my life. Rejection slip.

 

I've been rejected before, yeah. Before, when I was living with my mom and didn't need the money. Before I got published at all. Before I found a publisher who promised to seriously consider anything I sent in. There is nothing more devastating... He didn't like the format. He thought the characters were exaggerated. He said the setting was 'fanciful.' Twice he used 'garbage' as a synonym for what I considered by best work yet. Three times he merely motioned towards it, as though it wasn't even worthy of a name. He told me in no uncertain terms that such a thing wasn't even worthy of lining his parakeet's cage.

 

"You used to talk to me like

I was the only one around

You used to lean on me like

The only other choice was falling down

You used to walk with me like

We had nowhere we needed to go

Nice, and slow..."

 

Daughtry, 'Used To.' I've always loved it, but now it reminds me think of all the things I've lost, ever. I guess depression is like that; you never win. The song just makes me curl up even tighter and cry ever harder. I know I should just pop a pill and erase all my feelings for the rest of the day, but somehow crying is good for me. It reminds me I'm human when I start feeling too good, too immortal. Somehow the pain makes me feel more real. But even that I feel this way makes me cry harder. I'm such a fuck-up. It's so easy to take a pill...it's so easy to take too many...and that's why I can't. I can't trust myself right now to go near the table I left my anti-depressants on, because I know my knives - beautiful, ornate knives, sharp knives, knives I've had since I was twelve - are right next to the bottle. And that I can't trust myself to even lessen my pain makes me hate myself all the more. In the back of my mind there are two escapes right now: the pill, or the blades. Numbness or death. And I'm too much of a coward to choose either. I just lay on my bed and cry like a little child who can't make her own decisions.

 

"...Why do you get all the love in the world...

...Why do you get all the love in the world...

...Why do you get all the love in the world..."

 

Nine Inch Nails now. Trent Reznor's voice, layered over itself many times, creates the illusion of my sanity. Distantly, I hear knocking on my door, but I ignore it. I open my eyes. A sliver of light comes between the curtains, diffused by the blinds, falling onto the table I should avoid. Slowly, I sit up. I tread on bare feet over to the table. The knocking has stopped; all is silent.

 

My hand is on a knife - serrated, lovely blade, dragon-shaped hilt - when my light is blocked out. I spin towards the window, the knife automatically moving to hide behind my back, and I see a human outline outside, on the fire escape. Tapping on my window. Who the hell...? I drop the knife. It can't be Steph; she doesn't like heights, a besides, it's definitely a guy's outline. "Con..." I mumble. I glance at myself in a mirror, and even in the dark I can see grey rivers of mascara running down my cheeks, shoulder-length dark brown hair tangled around my face. Doesn't matter. My brother has seen me worse. I push the curtains out of the way and raise the blind, my hand instantly going to unlock the window before I even look up.

 

It's James. He stares at me wide-eyed and mouths, "Nailz?"

 

I try to sink under the floor. I wish I hadn't dropped the knife. I wish I had OD'd. I wish I hadn't met him. I wish I had never moved out. Unfortunately, I have already unlocked the window, a fact James does not overlook. He pries the window open and slides in, hands out as if to try and comfort me. I turn away. For some reason I'm apologizing.

 

"I'm sorry I let you in." I mumble.

 

"You are?" He sounds disappointed.

 

I'm leaning on the table, looking at the bottle of pills and my knives. I look over at the envelope and start crying again. Out of the corner of my blurry eye, I see James looking desperate. He steps over and carefully rests a hand on my shoulder.

 

"Nailz? What's the matter?"

 

"Nothing." I choke.

 

"Well, you can't be crying that hard about nothing." He sounds incredulous.

 

"Yes, I can!" I clench the bottle of anti-depressants in my fist, tear away from him and throw the bottle in his general direction. "Chronically depressed people do stupid things!" I shout at him, "Things like suicide, things like crying at nothing, like throwing things..." I'm running out of anger. "Throwing things at people who don't deserve it..."

 

I slump to the floor, arms wrapped around myself. It feels like I'm choking on my own lungs, like my breaths are so ragged they cut my throat. I feel like I'm about to pass out...

 

I feel James' arms, picking me up. "Nailz? Nailz, come on, breathe. Calm down. Nailz?" He puts me on my bed and sits next to me. He sounds genuinely worried; probably doesn't want to be blamed if I die in his prescence... Oh, that's not fair at all...

 

I can almost take a breath. He's gone for a second, then back with something that rattles in his hand. He holds it up to the light and squints at it. I remember something about glasses; he isn't wearing any. I can see well enough to tell that it's the bottle I threw at him. He drops it on the bed and puts both arms around my shoulders, resting his chin on my head. My breathing's very nearly normal again, as normal as it can be when you're still crying. "You okay?" James asks quietly. I nod. I'm still not sure if I'm thanking God he's here or cursing him. "Wanna tell me what happened?"

 

"Nothing." I repeat in a tiny voice.

 

"You sure? What's this?" He asks, picking up the envelope without releasing me, which I find I don't particularly mind. But I avoid looking at it, laying my head on his chest. I don't know why I do that: try to hide, as though it can make things go away.

 

"I am still inside here

A little bit, comes bleeding through

I wish this coulda been any other way

But I just don't know, I don't know

What else I can do..."

 

James slides a page out and sees my name on the byline. "You're a writer...?" He murmurs. Then, "Oh...they didn't accept it. Is that what...?"

 

What I threw a bottle at you for? What I almost killed myself over? What I've been crying my eyes out all day for? "Yeah."

 

"But...there are other publishers. Just try again. It can't be so bad..." He seems to be starting to read the first page, and my hand snakes out to snatch it from him. I'm always touchy about my writing. I don't want anyone but me and my friends on my writing forum to read it unless it's published. "Sorry." He whispers, though he plainly doesn't know what he's done wrong.

 

"It's okay." I mumble. "Not you. Me. Not worth reading." I crumple it into a ball and throw it as hard as I can.

 

"You really have a thing about throwing stuff, don't you?" He says, and I'm really not sure if he's joking or not, so I just keep my mouth closed. He tries again. "Where's your dog?"

 

"Staying with my best friend for the day. They enjoy each other's company and I had planned to be out today, but..." Damn it, and I had just about stopped crying.

 

"...But you got this." James fills in. I think he's prompting me to tell him what happened.

 

I shake my head. "Publisher called. Said he wanted to talk to me in person about..." I eye my former pride-and-joy disdainfully. "...that. I thought he must really like it to, you know, want to talk face to face..."

 

"Put the gun

In my mouth

Close your eyes

Blow my fucking brains out..."

 

"Let's turn that off." James finds the remote for my stereo and kills it. "So?"

 

"He hated it." My voice is muffled by his chest. I'm trying to hide again. It never works. "It's worthless, useless. I wasted two years of my life typing, editing, printing, proofreading, printing again... It's bad. I can't do anything with it, it's trash."

 

"I'm sure it isn't. If you hadn't just thrown the first page out the window, I would read it and tell you again." He looks around. "By the way, do I have to watch out for your brother pushing me out the door again?"

 

I laugh, though it feels totally wrong. "No. Why are you so nice to me? Why are you here? I barely know you."

 

"Oh. Your towel. When you invited me in? I didn't get the chance to give it back to you, but I left it on the fire escape when I saw... Well. If you're sure you're ok, I'll get it...I'll be right back." I nod to him, and feel cold and alone when he gets up. My bed slowly regains it's shape, erasing the proof he was there.

 

Abruptly, I get up, and walk into the bathroom to wash my face. When James comes back in, he calls me. "I'm fine." I yell, now not sure I can face him. "You can go, I'm fine."

 

He peeks around the door at me rinsing salt and mascara out of my eyes. I know the flourescent light over the sink makes me look even paler and weaker.

 

"I'm not going anywhere." He says, stepping in, and kisses me lightly on the cheek.

[woodyloveslinkin]

Saturday.

12 a.m.

“Who are you?” Sarah asked, trying to see who it was but she was having trouble seeing who it was. “Do I know you?” Jack shook his head. “How…I mean, how did you get in here unnoticed?”

“He has his little secrets,” Mike explained, still sitting up right and smirking. “So what was it that you wanted with her?” Sarah didn’t know what was going on and she didn’t know if this was a dream or not. Mike turned to Sarah, who slowly detached her eyes off the figure that was clad in black and had mysteriously appeared in the corner of their bedroom. “Babe, this is Jack. He’s here to save ourselves from everything evil in the world. Including people like Vincent.”

“Vincent…?” Sarah repeated. “Why do I know the name?”

“I don’t know,” Mike shrugged. Jack looked eagerly at Mike as though it was an urgent matter to talk to him. Mike looked back to Jack. “So what’s the news?”

“Vincent is being an ass to us all, he’s threatened to bust all of our asses if he doesn’t get a commission, as he put it, out of our jobs,” answered Jack. “This is so stupid what he’s doing. He’s coming around in the next few days to gather what we apparently owe him. I’m not giving him a cent, but I’m really happy to give him a taste of his own medicine. I’m ready to go to the cops about that guy, if I wasn’t up for illegal activity charges already.”

“What are we going to do about it?” asked Mike. “Disappear for a couple of days?”

“Why not?” asked Jack. “That’s all what everyone else who doesn’t want to kiss his ass is doing. He can only stay around us for so long Mike, before the cops think he’s on it.”

“I know one thing you could possibly hold against him, but that means dragging the bitch next door into it,” Mike muttered to himself, as he recalled Ravyn’s dirty little secret. Jack looked intrigued now to hear such things escape Mike’s mouth.

“Carry on,” Jack requested. “Why do I have a feeling that this little bitch has something to with Vincent? Let me guess…” Jack started to think deep about the rumours that had been spread across the whole state about Vincent. “This bitch that you speak of, is she the one that got away?” Mike nodded. “You’re kidding me, right?”

“Would I kid or in that case, lie to you Jack?” asked Mike, sternly.

“Where is she now?” asked Jack. Sarah stayed quiet she didn’t know what was happening and she didn’t like the look on Jack’s ecstatic face that looked too evil to be true. “She’s the one that you did the drugs for, am I correct?” Mike nodded. “Holy mother of God, Mike.” Jack laughed. “You clever little bitch. There’s no way in that case that I’m buggering off, I’m staying if I can help it that case, I’m gonna go bring Vincent down…”

“That’s nice and all, but why are you here?” asked Sarah, getting annoyed with Jack’s behaviour.

“Because I am,” answered Jack. “You guys need to get outta here. Especially if Vincent is going to chuck a psycho if your lover boy isn’t there to give him some money.”

“What kind of money does he want out of Mike?” asked Sarah. “And why?”

“Pay attention little girl, I don’t like repeating myself,” snorted Jack. “Go get some sleep, be up and outta here by midday. Understand? I just don’t want you guys end up dead because of Vincent. I can’t afford to lose the plot and then lose half my men. Are we clear on that?”

“No,” answered Sarah.

“Yes,” answered Mike. Mike looked back to Sarah. “Get some rest and then I’ll explain everything to you in the morning. Okay?” Sarah nodded as she didn’t move.

“Good night and I will be keeping in contact with you guys for the next few days, whatever you do, don’t die on me,” said Jack, as he walked away and slammed the front door shut.

Sarah frowned and turned to Mike for answers.

“Don’t start with the questions, that I only ask of you right now,” requested Mike, laying back down and ready to go back to sleep, just to avoid the three thousand questions that Sarah was bound to throw at him.

“Where are we supposed to go?” asked Sarah. “I can’t drop everything at once and leave this place.”

“It’s not like we’re moving for good,” answered Mike, as he closed his eyes. “Call in sick for a week or something, get Ravyn to cover your shifts.”

“That would be great, but remember, she’s in jail,” retorted Sarah. “A couple of days I may be get away with but not for an entire week. I need that job Michael.”

“Not with the income I’m coming from this insurance business,” mumbled Mike. “We’ll go to Vegas get hitched or something. Just go back to sleep, I don’t want to answer questions right now. It’s too early in the morning and we’ve got a big day ahead of us, if we want to get out of here before midday.”

“How long have you known Jack for you to drop everything at once like this?”

“Stop it,”

“No I’m serious, I don’t trust the guy,”

“Okay, you know what? Just shut up!” snapped Mike, angrily, as he got up, grabbed Sarah’s wrists and pinned her down. “I don’t want to hit you woman, but ask me another question about Jack or question my motives to go for a holiday for a couple of days and I’ll fucking beat you back to that hospital bed and remember, if it wasn’t for me you’ll still be getting raped from Justin.” Sarah didn’t say anything, as Mike smiled. Sarah felt a tear go down her face, as Mike kissed her goodnight, let go of her wrists, rolled back over and fell asleep with the bedside lamp on. Sarah rolled over and sniffled. She didn’t want to be here, like as before when he had changed so dramatically and so quickly.

11.45 a.m.

“Okay, everything is now officially packed,” said Mike, outside the car as Sarah was inside trying to make sense of the road directions in front of her. Mike didn’t want to go to Las Vegas via air travel and Sarah didn’t want to go to Las Vegas full stop. She was afraid that they were going to get off their faces in casinos, gamble their lives away or get hitched while under the influence of alcohol, or as Sarah feared…all of the above! Sarah wasn’t even sure that she loved Mike enough still after last night’s threat, to even marry him anymore. What she had said to Rob on the rooftop was an act; it was just so she could sleep with someone else for a change, and hell, that worked! Sarah had saw Rob several times this morning and each of them Rob looked like he was either going to throttle his own girlfriend, Mike or herself, she wasn’t sure because Rob seemed all over the place. She still wasn’t convinced by Mike’s explanation of things because he was all over the place and whenever she had mentioned the name Vincent as Jack in the dark hours of that morning, Mike completely avoided the subject and resulted in changing the whole topic altogether. Mike opened his door and sat down in the driver’s seat. He turned to Sarah. “You know where we’re going?”

“Yes, don’t worry, I know how to read maps,” answered Sarah.

“Good,” commented Mike, as he lent over and gave his partner a kiss. Sarah didn’t say or do anything to his move. He sat back up straight and revved up the engine. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road.” Again, Sarah didn’t say anything and again, Mike didn’t notice. He put both hands on the steering wheel and slammed down the accelerator doing a burn out along Gethsemane Park’s road. “Bye…assholes.”

“What was that?” asked Sarah, trying to tell herself that what she had heard about him saying goodbye to assholes wasn’t what he had said and that she was just hearing voices.

“Don’t worry,” answered Mike.

[Pheonix791989]

Sunday

____________

 

I had been out of town for the past week or so on business in boston. In all honesty i hated New York, Boston's Irish community was definentaly more closely knit. Benji and i had so many things that we had to do wedding related and business related. I shook my head as i woke up in the apartment again, it was silent and erily quiet. I hated having to lie to people about the reasons why I lived with phoenix and benji. if people knew that i was living with two guys, god knows how many people would think I was some kind of slut. Besides Phoenix wasn't my brother, a good friend yes, brother no. It was our lie to keep people from thinking that anything was going on. I personally thought it was a stupid idea since most people knew that the Irish mob was active in new york. I walked over to the stereo system and turned it on to some of my favorite music.

 

"Freezin', rests his head on a pillow made of concrete, again

Oh, Feelin' maybe he'll see a little better, set a days, ooh yeah

Oh, hand out, faces that he sees time again ain't that familiar, oh yeah

Oh, dark grin, he can't help, when he's happy looks insane, oh yeah

Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies

Oh, he don't know, so he chases them away

Someday yet, he'll begin his life again

Life again, life again..."

 

I shook my head as I got some milk out of the fridge and grabbed the Count Chocula and lucky charms mix from the counter and sat down at the table with my bowl. The moment I set things on the table, the legs flew out from under it, milk and cereal went all over me. I frowned with a string of curses as I got up and shook my head. I started to clean up the mess before I walked out of the front door. It was a bad week all morning. I started up towards the roof. Letting out a sigh, I couldnt even begin to believe that it was only 9 AM. She bumpped into someone and looked up, it was rob.

"Oh hi. Haven't seen you around in a while."

"Visiting family up in Boston."

I said with a dismissive wave of my hand.

"Ahh thats ok... why are you covered in lucky charms and count chocula?"

Rob asked as he looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Sat down at my table and the legs gave out. Spilled my cereal all over me."

"Cant your brother or boyfriend help ya out?"

Rob asked leaning against the wall. I gave a sigh of frustration.

"Its hard when the both of them are always on the go for their jobs."

"Why don't I take a look at it?"

Rob said. I smiled as I took him down to my apartment. I watched him circle around the table before picking up the legs and turning to me,

"You got some tools on you?"

"yeah"

I said sliding the toolbox that one of the dock workers had left and never bothered to come and pick up. Rob started to look through for what he needed.

"What's been up with you lately?"

I asked as he set to work.

"Not much, joined up with Mike working on his insurance thingy."

"I heard about that through the grape vine. Never saw the need for insurance."

I said shrugging. the moment was punctured by the sound of some hammering and then rob looked up from his work at me.

"Might wanna get in on it, Hugh says its Mandatory."

I just shrugged again.

"I don't think that I need it. Trust me.....the insurance that I have is much more....stable and profitable then anything that he could make me buy."

I said with a laugh. Rob finally turned the table right side up and gave it a good little shake. he then set the bowl and spoon back on it.

"There ya go, good as new."

I smiled and gently touched his arm.

"Thanks."

I whispered. Rob gave a grin before the tips of his ears turned pink and he muttered that he had to go.

"Why your lady got you on ball and chain?"

I said with a s******. Rob shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh that seemed even more frustrated then my own.

"Nah.... she's.... gotten into a tiny bit of trouble and got locked up."

I sat down at one of the bar stools near the counter.

"Hmm... that's interesting."

"Yeah not only that i have a bit of my own problems to sort out."

He said.

"Everyone seems to have their own bits and problems. Some times they're problems mob sized other times they're smaller. All problems have their place in the mind."

I said with a laugh. I just shook my head as there was a knock at the door.

"Give me a moment..."

I muttered in a distracted voice. I hated crap like this. I opened up the door to see a large gruff guy standing there. He was tattooed and rough looking around the the edges.

"What do you want Brady?"

"I'm here to talk business is boss man in?"

"Him and Madden are in Boston still. You can deal with me for now."

I said crossing my arms with a dark look. Rob excused himself and said that he had to get going.

"Thanks for your help Rob, I apreciate it."

I smiled at him. I then turned my attentions to Brady.

"Now what the hell do you want. I told you never to come here. If you had a problem call and we'd be there when we had the chance."

I growled at him. Brady swallowed hard as he then backed against the wall. I might have been one of four but i was the most intemidating out of all of us. I had to be, I was the only female.

"B-b-b-but there's a problem with Seamus down at the docks. He's gone mad! he's already killed five of me workers!"

I let out a deep sigh of adgitation.

"Give me a moment."

I said going back into my room before getting dressed and walking back out. I was clothed in a tight skin like tank top with baggy camo pants and my boots. My large hunting knife was hidden in my boots as I pulled my hair into a long braid.

"Let's get this crap started already?"

I snarled as Brady jumpped and started out the door. I followed behind him in my car to the docks. Sure enough when we arrived at the docks, i could see and hear the disturbance behind the wearhouses close to the water. On the way i had put in a call to one of the poliece chiefs to stay out of the mob business. I frowned as i walked out where a few workers were cowering around behind some crates.

"Take the day off boys. get out of here."

I said watching them run.

"Thanks"

They said before running off. I growled as I followed the blood to Seamus. The man looked around with a wild look in his eyes as he spun towards me with a bloody axe in hand. I shook my hand as he raised his axe at me. He came running towards me and I struck out at him with a swift kick before he could realize what had hit him. I struck out again in a right cross, knocking him out cold. I pulled out my cell phone as he fell against the cement.

"Benji its Mel, call up O'Hara and tell him that i need a clean up crew at the docks. When you get in we have a rogue."

"Alright. we're gonna be landing shortly. keep him in the basement away from the druggie. Take Aidan, Conway, Keegan, and Cael. we'll see what's up"

"Aye."

"I love you Mel."

"Love you too Benji."

I grabbed Seamus by his collar and drug him back to the car. I needed no help tossing his ass into the back of my car while Aiden and Conway acompanied me in my car. Two rough lookng dock workers that had grown up in the same neighborhood as all of us.

"Call up Keegan and Cael, we have a job to do once benji and Phoenix get back."

I barked. We arrived back at the apartment complex as Aiden and Conway pulled up Seamus as I opened up the front door of the complex. I stopped to see rob speaking with Hugh and he looked at me with a strange look.

"Bar brawl, we're taking him downstairs till he wakes up."

I explained rob's questioning look. Rob nodded with a laugh.

"Damn drunk Irish."

"Aye that'd be us."

I laughed. We headed down towards the basement, passing by the druggie's room before tossing Seamus into a corner. All we had to do now was wait. He was bound and gagged while Aiden and Keegan stood watch by the door in a military like manner with their arms crossed. we waited. Cael, Conway and I played cards in the corner as we waited. All we could do was wait. I fell asleep against Conway's shoulder as the day ended and Cael's glowing watch struck 10 PM. I only wondered what had happened to benji. I figured his plane probably just got delayed or something. I loved sleep at this point.

[MrsBennington-Delson]

Sunday

 

„Who is there?“ I heard myself saying. A dark shape of a person walked towards me. “Who are you!?” I called out. “Jos…”

I screamed out and woke up. God… what was that? I sat up, looked around and I saw myself lying in bed in my apartment. Next to me I saw Brad waking up slowly.

“Jos you ok?”

“Where am I? What happened?” I said quickly and hysterically.

“You’re all fine again, trust me.” Brad replied.

“But… but…. I’ve been at the rooftop and… and…”

“And you passed out when I got up… Please don’t do this ever to me again! I thought you’re gonna die!”

I looked around confused and closed my eyes for a second. What was happening with me, I asked myself.

“Jos?” I heard Brad say.

“Yeah?” I opened my eyes and looked down at him as he sat up.

“May I ask you something?” he sounded anxious.

“Yeah sure.”

“When did you start smoking?” he looked up at me.

“I’m not smoking.”

“But I found a pack of smokes in your bag and next to your feet yesterday.”

I groaned “I’m just smoking one once in a while… Really I promise…”

Brad looked at me inquiring “Please don’t do it…”

“I’m not…” I said and stopped. My stomach started hurting like someone was trying to cut me off with a knife. I hold it and it started to turn in front of my eyes.

“Jos you ok??” Brad tried to hold me up.

“I… I…” I stood up with one hand on my stomach and the other in front of my mouth and ran into the bathroom.

I bowed down over the toilet and started to vomit. What the hell was wrong with me?? I haven’t done that since I was 10 or something.

I heard Brad ran after me “Jos! Babe!” he hurried and kneed down next to me. “Babe… Can I… god” He looked at my not knowing what to say.

“You need a doctor!” he stood up wanting to get the phone.

“Brad…” I barely could get out of myself. “I’m… I’m… fine” I said half dead.

“You kidding??” He quickly walked into the living room and got the phone.

I just heard: “Please someone come quickly up to apartment number 22 in Gethsemane Park Lane!” and then passed out again.

 

Some hours later

I woke up. It was all blurry and light. I lifted up my arm and rubbed my eyes. I looked around. Hospital? No please not… I thought to myself while scanning the room.

On the right side there was a big window in the wall, through which you could have looked out on the hall where people walked outside.

I heard voices outside and saw Brad shaking the doctors, I suppose, hand.

“Thanks Doc.” He walked in.

“Hey babe you’re up.” Brad walked towards the bed where I was lying in and smiled at me happily.

“Yeh…” I mumbled. “Why am I here?”

“I brought you into the hospital since you passed out again. Babe I know you hate hospitals but you looked dead to me! I was freaking worried I couldn’t let you like that.”

“Yeh it’s ok.” I said tired as he took my hand.

“Jos I love you.” He slowly kissed my hand.

“Love you too Brad. But tell me please… am I allowed to go home again?”

“Yeah sure as soon as you are fully awake.” He grinned at me like he knew some little sweet secret he wasn’t allowed to tell me.

“Ok. And one more thing… I love seeing you happy like that but why are you smiling at me like this?” I said in a moody tone.

“It’s because I love you.” Again he kissed my hand. “It’s because I love you and I have a surprise for you this evening.”

Confused I looked at him and tried to smile. Men… Even in one of the worst moments a woman could be they find some random reason to smile and be happy. I did never get that.

Brad brought me back home into our apartment.

“You should take some more rest you look tired to me aren’t ya?” he said while kissing me on the cheek.

“Yeah.” I said and lingered into bed.

 

An hour later I woke up and smelled something nice in the air. I still felt a bit exhausted but way better than I did the past days, especially yesterday and this morning.

I stood up and followed the smell out of the kitchen. Mmhh… Was Brad cooking? I smiled.

“Oh there’s the chef.” I said with a smile on my face when I entered the living room and saw Brad standing in the kitchen.

“Oh hey! I’m done in a second you can take a seat at the table.” Which I did so.

“This smells so nice Brad. Why’s all that? I doubt it’s my birthday or some other anniversary?” I grinned.

“I have to tell you something.” He said as he put the meal he cooked on the table.

“Oh did you win a new guitar?”

“No something way better.”

“Ah c’mon Brad tell me.” I begged him.

“I’ll tell you when we’re done with diner ok?”

“Braaad…” I said looking at him with the famous puppy eyes look.

“Jos you know I can’t resist that haha”

“Please honey!”

“Ok.” Brad looked down at his plate, took a deep breath and looked up again at me. His eyes were sparkling at me like diamonds. He smiled as happy as I haven’t seen them for quite a while.

“Back in hospital the doc told me what’s wrong with you…”

“And??” I didn’t understand and couldn’t think of a thing that could make him that happy although there was something wrong with me.

“He said that…” he slowed down, too excited and not able to say it.

“Brad what?” I requested.

“He said you’re…” he looked at me with a huge smile on his face.

I looked inquiring and tortured at him.

“He said you’re pregnant.”

[LPNailz]

SUNDAY....... (as always, correct me if I'm wrong.)

 

 

Again I'm curled up on my bed, on my side. But this time I'm not crying alone, a wreck. James is behind me, arms around me as if to keep me from getting away, my hair pillowing his head. I couldn't go anywhere if I wanted to. I've felt so much like I...belonged. I feel like I finally found my life. I feel like the sidekick who's finally had his own TV show started, the minor character who stars in the sequel. New And Impoved, better than the old versions of myself.

 

We sat up talking all night. We weren't feeling each other out; we had skipped that somehow. We had already decided we were going to be together, we were just trying to determine how long our relationship would last. He asked about my triply-peirced earlobes, I asked about the tiny bow-and-arrow tattoo on the side of his neck. He asked about my broken-tailed dragon necklace, I asked about his earcuff with letters 'JTS Sr' carved roughly into it. When we were tired it had seemed only natural that he stay. I closed the window, turned on my lavalamp and without a word he joined me in bed. We were asleep in seconds, and it was the best night's sleep I've ever had, feeling safe and loved...

 

"Nailz..." I hadn't realized James was awake. He speech is slurred, still, by sleep, but he yawns and says again, softly, "Nailz...are you awake?"

 

"Mm-hm..." I barely make a sound, trying not to spoil the moment. This feeling is something I could not pretend...something I could never imagine...it's no wonder I've been so depressed all my life, missing such a large part of myself. I almost laugh at myself. I'm like a living cliche right now.

 

"Nailz..." James is fully awake now, and though I can imagine his beautiful green eyes on me, I don't want to have to imagine; I wiggle around until our foreheads touch. He is so serious...I remember snapping at him for grinning when I first saw him, but I wish he would grin now. "Nailz, where are you?" He smiles, and I'm unable to keep from doing to the same.

 

"Here." I say. "And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." I say this with a certain amount of wonder. I've always wanted to be somewhere else, all my life, never content. "What is it?"

 

He puts on his serious face again. "You're not still sorry about letting me in, are you?

 

I laugh. "No."

 

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

 

Later, I'm alone. Before coming to see me yesterday, James found an apartment to move into, and now he's at work moving. I offered to help him, but he seemed sort of embarrassed...like he didn't want me to see where he was coming from or going to, or what he was taking with him. He promised to come by later, but until then...

 

"If everyone cared, and nobody cried

If everyone loved, and nobody lied

If everyone shared, and swallowed their pride

Then we'd see the day, that nobody died..."

 

Normally this is one of my favotire Nickelback songs, but there's a song I always play when I'm sad. I skip to 'Shadow of the Day,' and sing quietly along with it. I'm crying by the end, but I brush my tears away, annoyed, and turn off my stereo to head out.

 

It's hot as hell, so I stop in a tiny store and buy and ice cream cone. I wander aimlessly down the street, people-watching. I have my laptop with me, but when I sit down against a wall, I have no inspiration... This is bad, I think, I can't think of a single thing. I remember a little poem I read somewhere, a long time ago:

 

Can't think

Brain numb

Inspiration

Won't come

Bad ink

Worse pen

Best wishes

Amen

 

Fits me perfectly right now... I laugh and lay my head back against the wall. For once, I'm pathetic and I can laugh about it! Success, I call it.

[FireHawk]

Sunday

 

It had been a day since Sarah disappeared from the hospital. Mike and Sarah were nowhere to be seen. Justin had swore a few times he saw light in their apartment from the outside. He decided he would check it out tonight if it came on, but now he was heading to see Ravyn. Yesterday he informed Rob about Ravyn. He flashed back to it.

 

“Hey Rob..” Justin shouted. Rob had no idea what to say.

“I talked to Ravyn at the jail yesterday.” Justin was trying to get Rob interested.

“What?” Rob asked.

“You need to get her out. She is innocent. She tried to tell me…”

“No don’t say anything. I don’t know if…”

“She loves you and I think she wants to see you. She is innocent and if you won’t go bail her out I will. It’s your choice, but it would mean a lot more if you did it.”

“I know…its just…” Rob started.

“If you can’t pay it look for me around here I will get you the money. You can take it and bail her out. Don’t even have to say I paid…just say you came up with money…if…” Justin then paused.

“I…I..” Rob started but then was cut off.

“If I don’t see her by Monday I will go bail her out. She doesn’t deserve staying there.” Justin turned and walked away.

 

Justin braked to stop at the red light. “Fuck that was close…” he whispered to himself. The lady beside him at the stop gave him an odd look. Justin was embarrassed; he was so zoned out thinking about yesterday. He heard a horn. The light was green Justin drove on; he arrived at the city jail, but didn’t go in. He decided it was up to Rob to get her out and he said he wouldn’t do anything until Monday. Justin turned around and went back to his place.

 

He had to practice those Zero Life songs, but decided to turn on TV. He switched it over to Fuse, he wanted to see their countdown on “The Most Sad Songs Ever”. It was on a commercial, so he walked away. Then he heard the clean guitar come in that made the hair on his neck stand up. The rhythm he heard every day in his head for two years before meeting Brandon. He turned it was the beginning of “My Contradictions” music video. He was so young then. The camera came to the part with Jacob doing his drum fill, and showed Adriane playing her little bass intro in the back ground. It all came together. “I thought life was a requiem…” the song faded to background music and the video started showing random live parts of them playing with a voice over the video and audio. “They were on top of the world. Three number one hits out of four singles on one album. They were labeled to be the biggest band of the generation. The band to bring grunge back to the front of rock. Then it all went downhill.” The video changed over to Brandon talking in an earlier interview Justin had seen before “It became about him…his drugs, sex, and alcohol.” A picture of Justin and Scott Wieland was shown with Justin having his arm around Scott and both holding up beer bottles. It faded to a picture of all of Zero Life in the studio smiling at the camera and Jacobs voice from a conversation posted on Ultimate-Guitar last year when the rumor of Zero Life coming back was spreading, “We all just started arguing and eventually it went over the top.” Adrian’s voice came in, Justin had never heard this said before, “If I could do it all over again, it woulda been different. I woulda said sorry and wouldn’t ever…ever got involved in a relationship with anyone in the band.” Then a familiar voice Justin heard, it was his from right before they all broke up. “These guys are my best friends I would die with out them.” The words were so true. Justin felt he was dying without them and that every time they didn’t respond to him he lost days of his life. The announcer’s voice came back “Learn the true story of what happened, from the people in the band on VH1’s Behind The Music. 9:00 P.M. August 8th, 2008 only on VH1, and make sure to catch live sold out concerts of Zero Life on Monday 4th, 8:30PM on MTV2 and Thursday, August 7th 2008, 9:00 P.M. on Fuse.” The commercial went to an advertisement for the local cable company.

 

Justin just stood there,” wow we better be good when we play.” He scrambled to his bedroom turned on his electric guitar and started relearning the whole album. The songs came back easy, he decided to be safe and go through the demo songs as well. Including the demos for the album they had planned to be the follow up. It was 11:30 P.M. before he stopped. He grabbed his gun and decided it was time.

 

He walked out the door and saw someone he had never seen before in the hallway. They gave him an odd look like they were wondering what he was doing. Justin looked over to them. “It’s okay I have a permit.” They just kind of stared like he was crazy. Justin saw light coming from under the apartment door. He knocked. The light went out. “Sarah you in there?” Justin started feeling uneasy about the situation. There was no response. “Mike, you in there man? I need to talk to you. I’m sorry about the other day and need to talk man.” Justin lied seeing if this would do anything. Justin realized his face was in front of key hole and decided to stand to the side of it. He didn’t want to be seen. He stood there with his back against the door, feeling like he was in a standoff. He heard a bump in the room. “the fuck?”, he whispered forgetting to even say “what”. He thought of how he was glad he got the fully auto-9MM in case there was a shootout. He stayed silent and waited to see if the light would come back on. It didn’t. He decided to run and kick the door in. He put his back to wall across hall and ran towards the door. He lifted his foot from the air to make contact with the door. The door opened in the middle of his stride. Justin fell into the room that seemed like a black hole. He heard the door slam behind him as he fell to the ground. He scurried, with gun in hand, to get back up. He couldn’t see a thing. “Turn the lights he demanded.” He heard them flicker on. He then saw the pale man point a gun at him with a smile.

“Who the fuck are you?” Justin demanded point the gun at the pale man.

“What does it matter who the fuck I am if you’re going to die, Mr. Chambers?”

Justin was astonished he had no idea who this guy was.

“What…what did you do with Mike and Sarah,” he said trying to stall.

“They went on a trip together, but it doesn’t matter to you, Mr…”

“You do realize I have a gun to right?” Justin asked?

The pale man pulled the trigger.

Click

“Fuck” the pale guy gave a look like he was going to die.

Justin got closer and the pale man put his hands in the air. Justin was relieved and pissed the gun didn’t fire. “Who the fuck are you or you will die!” Justin yelled.

“Jack”

“Jack who?”

“That doesn’t matter and killing me won’t help Ravyn or Sarah.”

“I don’t care”

“Yes you do, you care a lot, you’re a good guy. I’m a good guy to.”

“Shut the fuck u…..”

Jack quickly knocked Justin’s arm out of the way, and punched him in his face. They both fell to the ground trying to gain the upper ground. Jack got on top and beat Justin until he was bleeding from eyes, nose, and mouth. Justin though countered and gave Jack a bloody nose, but that didn’t last long. Jack grabbed Justin’s pistol that had fallen to the floor and hit Justin in the temple twice. Once just made Justin bleed, the second though not him out cold.

[Ravynlee]

Sunday

 

Sunday was quiet for Rob, much as the day before. He had been awoken yesterday at some ungodly hour by a slamming door but this morning there was none of it. Sarah and Mike had gone away. He didn’t speak to either one of them as he watched them pack their car and speed off but heard someone mention later something along the lines of them heading to Las Vegas. People only went to the city of sin for two things, to lose it all on the casinos, or to get hitched by some bloated Elvis impersonator. Laying there on the sheets that stuck to his skin uncomfortably, Rob slung a forearm over his eyes and sighed. He frowned in irritation.

In his ears he could still hear Sarah gasping his name and hearing her tell him she loved him as they had sex on her fiancé’s mattress. Drawing in a sharp breath Rob threw the sheets off. The bed beside him was empty and cold.

“I talked to Ravyn at the jail yesterday,” Justin had said, catching him unawares in the corridor yesterday. “You need to get her out… She loves you and I think she wants to see you… She is innocent and if you won’t go bail her out I will. It’s your choice…”

With a snort Rob pushed Justin’s words from his mind and lay there thinking.

“She loves you… She is innocent… It’s your choice…”

“Damn it,” Rob huffed.

He sat up and in an attempt to get away from the thoughts and the memories he quickly made his way out of the room.

He showered and changed and turned on the TV as a way of killing this ear-ringing silence. He wasn’t really listening to it as he made his way into the kitchenette and made himself some breakfast. Like the day before he ate out of habit, because he had to, thinking he should carry on as if nothing was unusual and keep up some sense of normalcy when his world still felt incomplete and off kilter. The sound of music helped and gave the sense of life and inhabitancy inside the otherwise empty little apartment. Though he craved omelettes he cursed at the effort of actually having to make them and settled down with cereal and a glass of OJ in front of the TV instead. As much as he wished Ravyn were here to nag him about putting his feet on the coffee table when there was food or drink on it he tried not to think about it. In the corner of his eyes at times he could have sworn he could see her skulking past as her usual moody self, doing her own thing, smiling if she were forced to, but there was a strange sinking feeling in his stomach that accompanied this. In his mind he could still hear his neighbour’s claims at springing Ravyn from prison, as if every element was conspiring against him now to get off his ass and do something, but still Rob sat there on the sofa stubbornly staring at the TV and shovelling food into his mouth and pretending like nothing at all was wrong with his existence. Half way through his cereal Rob frowned thinking on impulse that he missed Ravyn’s cooking. Snatching up the remote he pointed it at the TV screen and looked for anything that would seize his attentions and stop him thinking.

“Learn the true story of what happened, from the people in the band on VH1’s Behind The Music. 9:00 P.M. August 8th, 2008 only on VH1,” some wild looking mixed cultured announcer proclaimed, “and make sure to catch live sold out concerts of Zero Life on Monday 4th, 8:30PM on MTV2 and Thursday, August 7th 2008, 9:00 P.M. on Fuse.”

Zero Life, he snorted and set his bowl down. What kind of name for a band was that? Still… might be worth watching if he had nothing better to do with his time, he thought. Then he looked at his wristwatch. He cursed.

“If you won’t go bail her out I will…” Justin reminded.

“Enough!” Rob huffed and got to his feet again. The word echoed throughout the empty apartment. He had to get out of here. He was starting to sound-

What, crazy?

Switching off the TV and snatching up his things Rob made his way out and slammed the door behind him. The sound echoed like a gunshot as it shattered the silence.

 

 

Hearing music issuing up from the floor below him Rob was distracted. Someone else sounded to be playing guitar nearby. It could have just been a too-loud TV. He smiled to himself thinking that there seemed to be a lot of aspiring musicians in the apartments. His smile wavered towards a grimace. Once upon a time his only dream was to be in a band and to get up on stage and perform but it felt like a lifetime ago now. It had been a childish dream really, the kind most kids have growing up in sunny California, next to being a movie star perhaps or at the least surfing, but Ravyn’s return had of course ruined all chance of that. He still remembered the morning she arrived unannounced on his parents’ doorstep nursing busted ribs and other bruises and grazes and felt like he had woken into some badly scripted TV melodrama. He had moved back home only temporarily after his most recent girlfriend had cited a need for personal space, and the sheer look of terror in Ravyn’s eyes had Rob feeling like he needed to do something. Though he hadn’t been the one leaving fist marks all over his then ex-ex girlfriend, in some emotional or psychological way he was left feeling as if he had. Against his parents’ better judgement and thinking at that point only that he had to get her away from the bastard that had done that to her, Rob had relinquished everything tangible he owned to his parents care until he was able to come back and get it. He had left his family, his friends, his dead-end job waiting tables at some crummy coffee joint to do what he thought overall was the right thing by Ravyn. The guilt of not being able to sustain a relationship with her and not being there again when she obviously needed him superseded all else, including that of his own sense of logic. Now months later, and two weeks in this Dickensian hell hole Rob was left feeling like a complete and utter failure in practically every aspect of his life. The sorrowful mourning of Chad Kroeger and Nickleback had him staring off into space vacantly. Running headlong into another resident Rob balked and looked down. It was that Irish chick that seemed to be on familiar terms with their landlord Hugh. He remembered seeing her around once or twice and had lingered a second too long at her toned arms spilling out of her white beater. He forced a smile as she met his eyes. She was cute but fiery. He thought he remembered her name was Mel.

"Oh hi. Haven't seen you around in a while," he started.

"Visiting family up in Boston," she said.

She waved a hand and Rob noticed the subtle curves of her femininity pouring from the neck down behind her clothes and raised his brows in amusement.

“Ahh thats ok... why are you covered in lucky charms and count chocula?"

She said something about the leg of her table giving out but already Rob was wondering what she smelled like aside from the sweet aroma of cereal. In a flash in his mind he remembered Sarah and all but cringed as if somehow Mel had been able to hear it too. Rob cursed himself feeling embarrassed in the much shorter woman’s presence. He cursed his ability to think of anything sexual in the least appropriate times, and tried to dismiss her suggestion of help with his cheeks slightly heating.

"Cant your brother or boyfriend help ya out?"

"It’s hard when the both of them are always on the go for their jobs," she told him.

Leaning against the wall with his arms folded Rob sighed. There was noone around in the corridor to see them, much less her wild looking other half or buddy. Musing more to himself that he could take a look he was sure he could hear her grinning at him and he looked up, trying to come off impassive – and failed miserably. He smiled back feeling that same overpowering heat in his body that he got the first time he had with Sarah. Quick to put that from his mind, and trying to focus on anything other than women or their associated dramas, Rob followed the young hellion downstairs.

They made idle chit-chat as he quickly went about his duty, borrowing some tools she had leant him. Conversation was a good distracter as he hammered away, trying for what it was worth to remain focused. Though they touched on the subject of Mike, and inadvertently Sarah, Rob did his best to make it sound as if he were unaffected and casual. He was glad Mel couldn’t hear more than just the tool in his hand hammering. For a moment he was fearful she was about to go into detail about the work he was doing with Mike. As much as he knew Mike outside of the job to be a psychopath and a womaniser among other things, Rob had to admit that his ‘boss’ was as sharp as they came when it came down to doing business. The fact Mike had taken an impromptu hiatus right after giving him a wad of cash aside, Rob had a horrible feeling that Mike had in essence not paid him for his loyalty but paid him to keep his mouth shut to all else outside. He did his best to recruit Mel but she seemed disinterested and a little standoffish. Rob thought to himself he would have to mention this to Mike when he got back, but tried not to let his mind wander too far into what he and Sarah would be doing in a place like Las Vegas. Setting the table the right way up Rob gave it a shake to make sure it was secure and set her bowl and spoon atop it. He looked at her for appraisal glad to feel like he was of some physical worth in the world, if only in some strange woman’s eyes for that moment in time. When he stood Mel was still smiling at him. She touched his arm and Rob grinned at her. He felt his cheeks and ears burning with colour and nervously tried to distance himself by saying he had to go. He didn't want to.

"Why your lady got you on ball and chain?" Mel asked him.

Rob shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck, frustrated and demoralised by the sound of her s******.

"Nah.... she's.... gotten into a tiny bit of trouble and got locked up."

‘You need to get her out… and if you won’t go bail her out I will. It’s your choice…’ Justin reminded him.

He could feel Mel’s eyes on him as she sat on one of the bar stools near the counter and urged him to continue.

Rob didn’t want to talk. He didn’t want to think at all if he could help it. Torn internally Rob was relieved when his weak attempt at stalling was intercepted by the sound of someone knocking on the door. His first impulse was that it was Justin come to exact another tirade of veiled threats and then that it might have been Benji, Mel’s other half, about to burst into the room and interpret the situation all wrong. Excusing himself Rob quickly left her apartment and made his way out into the hall, surveying the surroundings for signs of Justin as Mel let another burly looking man into her apartment. Feeling physically inadequate, and then a loser for not taking the chance that had subliminally been given him, Rob made his way down to the ground floor to find something constructive to do of Hugh’s bidding.

 

It was a while later that Rob frowned, noticing paramedics rushing in and taking a young woman and her bushy-haired companion out into the city street. Though Rob had only caught sight of this through the curtains at another apartment as he unclogged their toilet, he frowned to himself worried at first that the woman in the gurney was Mel and the burly guy upstairs that he had left her with had done the unimaginable – and history had again repeated itself. Oliva, the resident gossip, informed him that it was some woman named Jos who had fainted but beyond that all the old woman had was speculation. He left her when she started rambling on about how dangerous a society people today lived in and how women should know how to protect themselves. He passed a young woman with shoulder length dark brown hair, what looked to be a dragon necklace, and a laptop under her arm. He smiled at her but he didn’t know if she even saw him. With a sigh Rob thought of his girlfriend sitting away in some prison cell and let his eyes wander. Wiping his hands on his thighs Rob turned and made his way back up to his apartment. At some point he saw Mel and a few men in tow with her but he didn’t really remember much of what was exchanged beyond eye contact.

He remembered he used the words ‘Damn drunk Irish’ but recoiled at the sound of his voice and watched them all head down to the basement.

 

 

Upstairs that night he sat pretending to watch TV feeling his attentions being pulled away by the phone on the wall behind him. Though he had been meaning to call Ravyn on and off all day the day had worn on and time had quickly got away from him. Now that the sun had gone down and the sky outside the window to his left was black, all Rob could do was sit and lament on what should have been and try to make that horrid guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach dissipate by more lies that he would definitely call and make amends tomorrow.

It was close to midnight before Rob retired to bed with a book. It wasn’t something that he often did but seeing as how he wasn’t really tired he hoped brushing up on his accounting skills with a guide he had acquired earlier might actually do the trick. Hearing noises next door Rob frowned and peeled off his glasses and stared at the wall beyond which he was sure he was just able to make out the sound of voices. It was a stupid notion as he knew no one was in there now that Mike and Sarah had gone away, but still the inkling persisted. Poised to get out of bed and investigate, Rob stopped when he was sure he heard Justin’s voice speaking to a second party, though he didn’t hear what they were saying. As much as Rob thought he was duty bound to go in there and take care of his employer’s assets Rob huffed defensively and sunk back into the covers, reminded of the memory not just of Mike's indiscretions with Ravyn, but of Sarah sneaking into Justin's room not that long ago unhindered. Snapping off the light Rob lay in the dark pouting, deciding to let his nosy neighbour tend to his own business. He went to sleep soon after and didn’t see the new day dawning.

[Ravynlee]

Monday

 

Grey room. Grey walls. Navy blue plastic chair. Ravyn sat staring ahead not saying anything. She was waiting. The only reason she knew what day it was is because that was what the lawyer had told her. He didn’t seem court appointed, appearing a touch arrogant, blunt and to the point as he settled into a chair beside her. Ravyn was sure his face looked familiar but didn’t know where if anywhere she had seen him before. She didn’t even know who had sent him but knew that Rob didn’t have that kind of money to act so charitably on her behalf. She had been summoned from her cell and taken to an interrogation room again in cuffs like the proverbial lamb to the slaughter. Seeing Vincent waiting against the two way mirror had made her limbs seize up before she was forcefully dragged to the chair and attached to it. Though she hadn’t soiled herself as she had upon first seeing him again she sat as if carved from stone unable to look anywhere else. With a jangle the cuffs were removed as Vincent stood watching. With a shoulder against the glass and his arms folded across his chest, the look on his face bordered somewhere between professional, defensive and bitter. Ravyn could tell he was seething inside of his skin. Rubbing at her wrists she waited, expecting that any second he would charge at her and pound his fist into her cheekbone in front of all his peers and colleagues - but nothing happened. On the wall the seconds clacked down as the uniformed officer left the room and closed the door behind him. For a good while no one spoke; the only sounds to break the silence were that of her council snapping open his briefcase. Retrieving some papers he slid them across the table. Vincent merely stood staring barely giving the lawyer or his neat little sheath so much as a second albeit pissed off glance. His eyes were wandering the room casually. Only Ravyn could feel from experience the vibes emanating from his defensive body language.

“What is this?” Is all she heard.

She didn’t know whether it was her voice or his. In the silence, shaken by so many days in this hell whole, feeling like a rat trapped in shoe box she was fearful about any gesture from the mundane to the monumental – with her heart hammering away and deafening her to practically all other sounds.

“You think you so smart, but you’re not. I see through you,” Vincent said, smiling the way a paedophile would luring a fearful child into his car. “See they don’t see what you really are behind the mask but I do. I know you. And I know what you’re really up to-”

“Detective,” the lawyer warned in his ‘I’d rather be anywhere else’ tone of voice. But staring down at her lap watching her orange shirt vibrating with each beat of her heart Ravyn wasn’t sure whether he had spoken or if it had been a voice of her own imagination.

Beside her Vincent stood, just in her peripheral vision, leaning down over her on an outstretched arm. The scent of his cologne and breath made her close her eyes to stop them from spilling. Her mouth was so dry all she heard was a dry click when she tried to swallow. Whatever else had been said around her she didn’t hear, lost to the memory of seeing his swollen knuckles caressing her body in another place and time. A chair scraped across the floor and her eyes squinted open. The lawyer beside her was on his feet. Vincent was standing beside the interrogation room door. She looked at her lawyer fearfully.

“What are you doing?” she screamed, “Don’t leave me alone like this!” but the words remained snagged like fists in the back of her throat.

The lawyer smiled as he petted her hand and Vincent rapped a knuckle on the glass panel boorishly.

Though she heard someone mutter the words ‘motion to dismiss’ and ‘wrongful incarceration’ all Ravyn could feel was terror. She didn’t believe it when the lawyer told her she would be getting out today and feared by the look on Vincent’s face it was a set up – she knew if she were subjected to one more round of brutal questioning, of invasive searches, or soul-crushing isolation and psychological war-fare she wouldn’t make it out of this place alive. Even when several hours later she stood outside the courthouse on the sidewalk in her nightshirt and borrowed clothes recoiling at the brilliant sun and breathing in polluted air Ravyn still wouldn’t believe it.

The words ‘Case dismissed’ were on constant repeat inside of her head.

It had to be a trick, a set up, someone was going to shoot her in the back for evading custody if she moved, she thought, so she stood there at the bottom of the steps as people milled past and frowned at her concernedly. It wasn’t until someone finally spoke to her that Ravyn panicked and started to hurry off up the street, mentally scrambling to come to terms with it all. Four days in prison had seemed like a lifetime and now she was free she had no intentions of being dragged back inside in case it turned out to be some kind of clerical error. Hearing a voice call her name, her pseudonym, Ravyn balked and turned towards it. A young woman and a man with colourful tattoos up his arms were looking at her. Ravyn looked around anxiously, a feral alley cat needing to get away from the bright lights and the chaos. The woman had a familiar face but like most people as of late Ravyn couldn’t place it. Scrutinizing with a frown she felt a hand clasp her bicep and cringed, expecting to see Vincent’s bullish face press against hers and warn her that this wasn’t over. In a flash she recognised the man with his bald head and red goatee as the same one that had represented her inside the interrogation room and now in court. She had seen so many faces, especially these last few hours that her mind wasn’t coping with the overload. She didn’t have time to react as her lawyer accompanied her over towards the car to the beaming smiles of his companions. Over her shoulder Ravyn blinked back at the courthouse and scanned the milling sea of faces for one in particular amongst them. She thought she had seen Justin from the apartments but he hadn’t said a word to her and had disappeared before she could verify. It didn’t matter; it wasn’t Rob, was it? Where was he?

The woman patted her shoulder and made Ravyn flinch startling her from her thoughts. It was the first time she realised the woman had an accent, it was faint, but definitely an Irish Brogue. Ravyn searched her face with her heart pounding. She didn’t hear what she said to her as she was lead inside the car and closed away. Staring out at the place that had granted her freedom – and still she had no idea as to why - Ravyn fought back tears knowing she wasn’t really leaving free at all – Vincent was still in there somewhere, and what was worse, now he knew where she lived.

 

 

It was mid-afternoon by the time Ravyn stood out on the sidewalk looking up at the apartment complex that for less than two weeks had been her home. There was no fanfare, no welcoming sea of faces, no one there to acknowledge her let alone greet her with open arms as she watched the woman, who had introduced herself during the drive as Mel, and her companions Benji and Phoenix make their way up stairs and through the glass doors.

Though they invited her in Ravyn didn’t immediately follow. Gethsemane Park looked in its own way like a prison and thinking that a cold shiver ran the length of her spine. She could still remember the last thing she had seen as she had been escorted from here under heavy guard like some homicidal maniac and felt that familiar fear rippling turning her legs to water. She knew inside Mike and Sarah lay in waiting, and Rob may have even skipped town altogether – could she face them alone? Hearing traffic pass at her back and stirred into action by the sight of a blue and white vehicle entering the street Ravyn hurried up the steps and made her way inside. The climb to the top was slow, long and arduous. Mel and her companions wanted her to join them to celebrate but Ravyn just wanted to go home. While she didn’t really know them let alone want to know why they had gone out of their way to help her, she was scared of the prospect of owing them anything – nothing in this world was free anymore, so Vincent had reminded her on many occasions.

It was amazing how every step triggered a new memory or new emotion despite the fact she hadn’t been in the apartment building very long. While tempted on a whim to go see if Justin was in his apartment just to validate her earlier theory or at the least say thank you, she turned left at the top of the stairs instead of right. Number #23 was silent as she approached it. In some ways it felt as if she were heading back to her cell back in Rikers without the burden of chains or armed escorts to accompany her.

With her head low and forcibly keeping her eyes focussed straight ahead and not look at room #21 for fears of who not what she had only days ago seen there, Ravyn came to a stop outside her apartment door and hesitated before knocking. With her fingertips she traced the lock that had since been patched up feeling that same watery fear in the lower half of her body again. Reaching up she tapped the wood. She waited with her breath caught inside of her lungs. In her mind ran a billion and one thoughts and memories and fears and impulses - that Rob was long gone or he was in here with someone else - that they temporarily distracted her from noticing anything else. When she tapped again to the same silent answer Ravyn’s shoulders fell and her downcast face slowly joined it. A moment later she heard footsteps scuffing up the stairs and turned with her back flat against the apartment door. The sight of Rob standing a tad breathless on the top step had her knees buckle with a new kind of sensation. Time stopped as he spoke and walked towards her. She didn’t hear what he said but Ravyn wasn’t really listening. Relief, mixed with equal amounts of pain and humiliation, washed over her as she found herself within arms reach of him. The moment was awkward stiff and silent and seemed to stretch on forever. Tentatively Rob reached his arms out towards her and Ravyn fell against him. For that one shining blissful moment in time all indiscretions, all the pain of their past, everything else but that moment was forgotten. She wasn’t even aware of what was said between them as he opened the door and led her inside. At last, finally, after four days in hell, she was finally back home where she belonged.

 

 

The afternoon passed quickly as Ravyn familiarised herself with her surroundings. Though Rob watched on with a brave smile he said little. Both of them said little. The glances they exchanged were not the same as they had been before Ravyn went away but behind them lurked new painful feelings they weren’t sure on how to admit to let alone address. While neither one of them said it the events of that night left indelible scars on both of their faces. The apartment, which in some ways still felt somewhat new to Ravyn after just over a week of moving in, had that new-home feeling all over again. She went from room to room looking at the little nick-knacks they had and the furnishings and out the windows that overlooked the city street with a sad silent smile on her face. Rob followed with arms folded attempting to play the congenial host. Was she thirsty? Was she hungry? Maybe she was tired? Did she want him to get something, anything? He asked repeatedly. Eventually Ravyn told him she was fine and thanked him. It was a lie and they both knew it.

“Where were you?” she asked – and with it the proverbial floodgates opened.

“I was busy- I meant to-”

“Too busy to see me or too busy with Sarah?”

“What about you and Mike?”

“You think it was consensual?”

“You’re saying he raped you? That’s not what I heard that night-”

“How would you know? You were too busy fucking Sarah-”

“I don’t- I can’t do this with you right now-”

“No, you’re right. I think one of us should go.”

“Yeah, a break away to clear our heads a minute, clear the air-”

“No, Rob, I meant leave. From you.”

“What? You can’t be serious?” Rob asked. He smiled incredulously but despite the obvious shock on his face there was a hint there that on some level, at least in the back of his mind, he had been expecting this. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting? You’ve only been out a few hours. You just need time to - You're in shock - After everything I’ve done, after everything we’ve been through to get this far – that’s it? You’re not even going to talk about it?”

“You obviously want to be with other people and I don’t want to stop you,” Ravyn said, her voice low, distant but emotionally constrained.

In truth she had already talked about it, at least in her own mind, from both sides, over and over and over behind bars. Alone in the silence and surrounded by such a brooding atmosphere Ravyn had fought argued won and lost and found a new sense of peace in doing so. It wasn’t that she felt so afraid anymore, as though she was always walking on eggshells, but now thanks to Mike and her brief incarceration she had learned to push all of that down and suffocate it with an icy facade that felt nothing. She blinked back at Rob with wet eyes but she wasn’t crying. She couldn’t cry. She had to be strong now because she was doing this for his sake.

“Don’t do this – please just – we can – I need to… get my head around this…” Rob uttered and made his way up to the rooftop. Ravyn didn’t stop him.

“I’ll pack,” she said.

Lingering inside the bedroom doorway Ravyn surveyed the room as if setting foot on hallowed ground. She remembered her night of terror thanks to Mike’s psychotic breakdown and pouted to herself feeling gooseflesh break out across her skin. Though she didn’t know whether Mike and his succubus fiance Sarah were purposefully quiet and listening in next door or whether they had split the scene in disgrace learning about her surprise release, Ravyn tried to steel herself against the idea that soon enough she would have to face them and what the Bonnie-and-Clyde of Gethsemane Park had done to her promise of a new life here. Snatching up a bag she stuffed in fistfuls of clothes, knowing most of what surrounded her belonged to Rob anyway. She had to do this.

The sun was low in the sky by now and outside on the sidewalk a man in a black suit stood watching. Though she was too far away to see his face in detail she could tell by his towering height and menacing build and the greying curls atop his head just who it was without so much a second glance to confirm it. In truth through the curtains she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. She stopped what she was doing and watched as he surveyed the street before he wandered a few metres ahead, slipped into a black car, and pulled away into traffic.

“You didn’t really think it was going to be that easy, did you?” she heard him tease over her shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block the sights and the sounds and the smells of the prison cell from her mind. Sniffling back her mounting tears Ravyn pushed it all down, pulled herself upright and wrenched the zip of her gym bag closed.

“Alright Vincent, I'll play,” she uttered, and leaving the apartment as it was behind her Ravyn walked out the door and closed it securely behind her.

[FireHawk]

Tuesday

 

Justin’s face was covered in dry blood as he slowly opened his eyes. His left I was swollen up making it hard for him to see the digital clock. The cold cement beneath him relaxed him, but at the same time terrified him. He decide to move, but couldn’t. Cold chains had him tied to something. Justin had no idea where he was, he reached for his gun. It wasn’t there. The room was pitch black and cold and he appeared to be alone, besides the footsteps walking towards him. As the feet continued to echo Justin just sat there he didn’t know what to do, he couldn’t do anything. Jack switched the lights on and they were in a basement somewhere. “Water?” Jack asked and held out his hand. Justin reached up and took a long drink then spat blood all over from inside his mouth. Jack didn’t say anything about it he just watched.

“So why haven’t you killed me?” Justin asked thinking he was getting ready to die.

“I think you could be useful.” Justin waited for more but be said, but Jack didn’t say anything else.

“Like how?”

“On the inside you’re a cold blooded killer Justin. I saw it in your eyes when you smiled and gave me the most evil look in the world when you held the gun at my face, after my gun didn’t fire. It was one of the few times I really thought you were going to put a bullet in my face.”

“How is that gonna help you?” Justin forcing the question knowing Jack wanted him to say something.

“Well you want Mike correct?”

“Indeed, of course I..” Justin was cut off.

“Well I can make it easier for you. All you have to do is a few little, lets says ‘jobs’ for me, and help me eliminate someone else. Then I will basically turn a blind eye to Mike for any help he may need in the future that involves you.”

“What jobs? I am not doing fucking insurance, and who do I need to kill? I’m not a hit man you know.”

“You will find out about them later and they don’t involve insurance. You are going to work your way up to killing Vincent…”

“Wait what does that guy have to do, with this?”

“More than you need to know.”

“Fine, what do I get out of all this.”

“Like I stated, a blind eye towards anything you do with Mike.”

Justin thought about it and then finally asked, “Seems like your getting the better deal?”

“Yeah, but I could also kill you.

“Good point.” Justin paused he couldn’t believe this shit. “It’s a deal, now get me out of here.”

“Okay, let me uncuff you.” Jack said as he took the handcuff that latched Justin to a pole. As the metal hand cuffs released from his right wrist, Justin felt relieved and free. On the inside he wished he never would have tried to kick that door open. All he had to do was mind his own business. He didn’t even know if killing Vincent was worth it, or if he even wanted to do anything to Mike anymore. At first he was doing this for justice, now he didn’t know why he was doing it. Did he still have feelings for Sarah? He wondered but couldn’t get an answer from his self.

“Okay, there you go. I programmed my number in your phone, and your car is outside in the parking lot.”

“What?”

“Incase you need to contact me.”

“No, the car part…”

“Well I needed a way to get here. Oh yeah here are some clothes I took from you apartment for you to change into.”

Justin was completely confused, how this all happened. He decided to grab the clothes and change really fast. He started to walk out when Jack said one last thing to him.

“Here is your gun, you might need it.” The pale man turned and walked away.

 

Justin walked out of the apartment that was near the local café Sarah worked at. He looked at his phone 11:30 P.M. Tuesday. “What the fuck happened to Monday.” He carried on his mind wondering about what he was involved in now.

 

He arrived at his apartment building and got his mail. A shit load of bills and a letter from B.T., he hurried to open it.

 

“Hey get ready to play this set list:

-My Life

-Cyanide

- One Point None

*Guitar Switch and Audience Interaction*

-Victim

-Lost

*Guitar Switch and Audience Interaction (Introduce band and Give J.C. the mic)*

-Sex Type Thing (Extended)(Justin Sings STP Cover)

*Interlude/Justin Solo/Jam/Another Chorus*

*B.T. gets rid of guitar everyone else re-tune*

-Uncaring

-Cooperstown

-Broken Down Blues

-Cyclone

*Guitar Switch (J.C.12 string, A.5 string, B. Acoustic)*

-The Heartless Ballad (With Intro 3)

*5 Minute Intermission Then Fan Interaction About These Never Played Before Demos*

-Untitled Demo (Demo To 2nd Album AKA Justin’s Idea 67)

-Malfunction (Demo To 2nd Album AKA Brandon’s Idea 3)

-No Friend Needed (Demo To 2nd Album AKA J&J’s Idea)

*Break before Encore*

-ENCORE-

*Start with talking about the dedication of next song and only BT & JC on stage.*

-Simple Man (Justin Sing, B.T. Acoustic, Shinedown Version Cover)

*Rest of band joins and everyone goes to normal instruments*

-Dream

-My Contradictions”

 

Justin was stunned. He had no idea he would have to sing at the reunion. Let alone play Sex Type Thing. Oh well he could sing and play Sex Type Thing perfect, plus he got to play a solo over the instrumental over verse and chorus. Justin grabbed his acoustic guitar out of his room and hurried to the roof. It was 11:58 he saw as he grabbed his guitar and worried he might wake someone, but he didn’t really care after giving a second thought. He started to practice “My Life”. Justin figured he might as go through whole concert. He was half way through intro when he heard footsteps.

[Ravynlee]

It's short but had a long day at work. Better than nothing

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Tuesday

 

Ravyn had spent her first night out of jail sleeping on Olivia’s sofa. Though Rob came knocking sometime just after midnight Ravyn was adamant she didn’t want to speak with him and asked Olivia to send him away. After three hours of negotiations, of Rob standing outside in the corridor pleading for answers, of his words being mediated through Olivia and a frequently opening and closing door, of him walking away several times and coming back, at around 3:00am Rob pushed his way in and gave both women such a fright he backed out again soon after. Though he hadn’t been abusive Ravyn purposefully reacted as if he had and poor Olivia’s old heart wasn’t used to the strain. Though Rob apologized, and continued apologizing, trying to find some way to penetrate this sudden wall Ravyn had put up between them, he finally got the message, apologized to a bleary-eyed Olivia, and made his way back up to the third floor like a whipped dog without his master. Guiltily Ravyn watched his back retreat wishing she could speak the words that were choking her. Of course she still loved him but she couldn’t tell him that, and after settling Olivia in her room and returning to the couch, Ravyn curled up and let her silent tears soak into the pillow.

 

 

Hours later she met with Hugh who seemed his usual gruff and acerbic self. After comments – or complaints apparently from other neighbours about being kept awake all night by what he called a lovers spat – he begrudgingly gave her a key to an empty apartment down in the second floor. Ravyn gave him her word she would ‘settle her problems’ and the hundred dollar note Mike had given her the night before she had been sent away. She was glad to be rid of it. Walking inside apartment #11 with her gym bag over her shoulder Ravyn sighed to herself as she closed the door. She twisted the lock and slid the chain into place. Then she stood a while in absolute silence. The gym bag hit the floor with a soft thud. Dragging over a dusty kitchen chair Ravyn propped it under the doorhandle and kicked it into place. The legs creaked against the polished boards. It wasn’t as secure as a handgun but for the time being it would have to do. Sitting on the edge of the bed Ravyn rubbed at her shoulder and winced at the raised wound scored into the flesh above her collarbone. She rubbed it with her fingertips and pulled her chin back to inspect it. Though she couldn’t see it properly she knew what it was. In a flash in her mind she heard herself cry out the minute he had done it.

'You like that?' She heard him tease with a breathless s******.

Ravyn pouted as she tugged the collar back up, covering the ugly red bight mark. She sat on the end of the bed staring down at her hands wrung together in her lap. She was glad Mike was in Las Vegas (as Olivia had informed her) and feared his eventual return – if he returned – but that wasn’t who she was afraid of most anymore.

 

 

Like several apartments in Gethsemane Park, apartment #11 was for the most part furnished. It had the basic necessities, sofa, table and chairs, fridge, stove and bed, but it didn’t have a TV set. Ravyn rued the fact she hadn’t brought anything from Rob’s to keep her mind occupied, and as there were no other tenants on this floor the silence seemed amplified. Directly above her she couldn’t hear anything. She knew Rob was above. If he was home he was either quiet or stationary. Ravyn assumed he must have been asleep. She pouted to herself. Inside raged a constant war to go back and plead with him but with every passing minute she stayed still and determined to her choice. It wasn’t her choice to begin with but she knew what would happen if she didn’t – the same thing that always happened when she didn’t, before she ran away, before this mess.

Though it was her first day out of prison and she was technically free Ravyn didn’t feel like it. She spent the day in her room. She didn’t see or talk to anyone. She didn’t even have food to eat. Bored, restless, Ravyn slept on and off. It was the only way she could think to pass her time - and the best way she could think to avoid crossing paths with Rob. She heard footsteps pass all day but no one came to see her. She didn’t expect them to. Though she wasn’t in jail she felt like was. She had just exchanged one cell for another, only this one didn’t have bars.

 

Sometime in the afternoon there was a knock at the door but Ravyn refused to answer it. In truth she had been dozing and was roused from sleep when she heard the knock, heard something touch the floor, and walk away. Ravyn lay tensely expecting the door to burst open. Nothing happened. Ravyn lay listening until she was sure the person had completely gone before she pulled herself up and made her way to the door. Though she couldn’t see anyone through the peephole she was anxious. From her gym bag she withdrew a kitchen knife wrapped in a tee-shirt. Holding it behind her leg she unlocked the door. No one was there but a paper bag was. Inside was a container of food, a note pad, pen, book, and a small pack of tissues. The scent of perfume wafted from it.

‘Olivia’ Ravyn smiled and drew it back inside. She looked for the old woman and considered chasing after her but decided for the time against it. Closing the door she relocked it and slid the chair back into place. She decided she would thank Olivia tomorrow. Right now she was hungry, she was lonely, and thanks to intermittent spates of tears she was emotionally exahausted - it was all catching up with her. Gorging herself on casserole that was still warm and chasing it down with tap water, Ravyn lay on the bed and stared at the book that Olivia had given her. It was a self help guide. Ravyn didn't bother putting on her glasses to read it. Inside the cover it still bore its dime store price tag. Scoffing to herself Ravyn curled up on the covers on the bed with her book, her note pad and pen, and with the kitchen knife under her pillow and drifted in and out of consciousness. She slept but she didn’t sleep peacefully. Though she was physically alone inside the empty apartment she was visited by the ghosts of her past on and off all night. They didn’t leave her alone and never would. Outside on the street he was watching, she could feel it. She didn’t even have to get up from her bed to know it.

[Pheonix791989]

Wednesday

_______________

 

I had found that torture and senseless killings really tired me out. Seamus had blamed me for the death of his wife and children in the fires that phoenix had ordered set down at the docks. I frowned as I looked around the empty apartment again. Maybe it was my fault. To be honest I hated that the only thing i seemed to be good at was this stupid mob shit. I walked over to the CD player and turned it on.

 

"As I walk through the valley in the shadow of LA

The footsteps that were next to me have gone their seperate ways

I've seen enough now to know that beautiful things

Dont always stay that way

I know enough now to know that this beautiful place

isnt everything they say....."

 

I looked up as I felt a heavy feeling weigh on my chest as I stood up and mulled around the apartment. I dressed up and grabbed something that I hadn't touched since i was much younger and my parents had forced me to attend mass. My Rosery. I walked to the catholic cathedral of St Andrew. I let one of the secretarys know that I was there and Father David would meet me in confessional. I bowed my head and said a small prayer.

"My child I am here to listen to your confession."

"Father please forgive me for I have sinned."

I said bowing my head.

"It is alright my child, for God forgives us of our sins. Please enlighten me of your sins."

"Father, Seamus O'Connor blames me for the deaths of his family, Forgive me because I have killed him for endangering the dock workers. Forgive me father for the torture I have commited against people on behalf of Phoenix."

I said in a soft voice. The screen was pushed aside by the Priest as he looked at me.

"My Child, you are lost and you need to find your light."

He said as he recognized my face. I nodded as I heard something in the back of my mind.

 

"I heard that evil comes disguised

Like the City of Angels,

I'm walking towards the light

Baptized in the River

I've seen a vision of my life and I wanna be delivered

In the City was a sinner

I've done a lot of things wrong but I swear I'm a believer"

 

I crossed myself making the sign of the cross on my chest. I recited my prayers as a good little Irish caothlic should have before going on my way. I felt a tiny bit relieved from the bit of church that the father had given me. It was more then what I have had in years. I let out a sigh as I found my way back to the apartment complex. I had alot on my mind as I ran into something solid. Looking up, it was Rob. I couldnt help but smile at him as he rubbed the spot on his chest where my head had hit him.

"Is this gonna become a daily occurance?"

He asked with a raised eyebrow. I couldnt help but chuckle.

"I dunno but I might have to get my brain checked for collision trama."

I said laughing. Rob crossed his arms and leaned up against the wall.

"I dont really get you... You vanish for a few days and then appear again. What's up with that?"

"Nothing, its just in the job description. Its hard."

I said with a shrug.

"And what might that be?"

"I work for a corperation, they have me going up and down the east coast."

"Uh-huh."

"Yeah its rough."

"and where do you get off dragging your drunk friends around here?"

"Hugh's a friend of the family. My friend was having some family problem thats all. We irish love to drink our problems away."

I explained. Rob just shook his head. then I thought about something.

"Hey uhh...There's gonna be a party tomorrow night at my place. Few people getting together to celebrate, you're welcome to come and join us Rob."

"OK I'll be there what time?"

HE asked, running his hands through his hair.

"Starts at eight. Be there."

I said winking at him. I smiled to myself as I watched him turn around and walk away down the hall.

 

"you're from a small town your're gonna grow up fast underneeth these lights

Down in hollywood under the bulavard the dead come back to life

To the praying mother and the worried father let your children go

if they come back they'll come home stronger and if they dont you'll know"

 

I headed down to a pub to finish my day off. Hanging around friends that had surrounded me for ages and drinking like the way we had done in high school. The only thing that was missing was the Madden Twins and Phoenix. Jimmy Sullivan, one of the four big bosses, sat beside me and slid me a beer. I downed the cool irish beer with a few gulps.

"You think you and benji are gonna be making it through?"

"I don't know man its rough Phoenix is..... he's making it hard on all of us. With Joel's banishment and things I don't think that benji has been the same since."

Jimmy sighed with a laugh as he took a long gulp of his beer.

"None of us could understand it, I mean Benji and Joel are twins. can you imagine how that feels?"

"Naw not at all. I just wish that benji was around more often. With him and phoenix going every damn where its been a bloody hell."

"well you and me are just the people to run this city you know. Its what we were bred for."

"Aye I know."

I said dispondantly as I downed another beer. I was on five beers and nothing was starting to get to me yet.

"Hey BArkeep, gimme a shot o' whisky for me and my mate."

Jimmy said waving at the bartender. I downed my shot easily and another two were passed to us. Jimmy put a gloved hand on my shoulder and gave me an affectionate one armed hug.

"Hey while the cats are away we mice will play. Don't be too hungover alright?"

"Aye. I'm Irish Jimmy, there is not such thing as a hangover."

I said giving him the finger. By the time I had enough alcohol in me to make me tipsy, I was already back in the apartment by myself. there was no one here but me. I fell asleep on the couch around midnight.

[FM2005]

Wednesday

 

*Strectttcchhhhh*

Oh yay another day! I looked out the window and saw that it was an actual sunny day. The past few days seemed to be dark and not much going around in the apartments. I did my normal things, got ready, and tried to plan out how I was going to be productive today. I mean I felt great, I could lift a car if I wanted to..jokingly of course.

Right about that moment and unknown number called my cell, I picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey old friend, buddy ol pal, what is freakin up?"

I immediately recognized the voice, it was my childhoot friend, Trent.

"Holy cow man, Trent dude how have you been!?" I was excited.

"Good man, good, Im suprized you remember me"

"Oh I have a good memory you yourself should know that"

"Well I dont thats why"

We both laughed.

"Hey man I heard you moved to NYC?"

"Yeah I was looking for a new place and some new jobs and whatever else" I said thinking up excuses.

"Well I live here myslelf"

"No way!"

"Yeah I moved here 4 years ago, I diddnt like where I was headed down in Lex"

"Yeah you did kind of dissapear.." I muttered.

"Sorry, I thought it would be a better idea, I hate saying bye" he lauged.

"I like the excuses man"

"Well if your not too pissed at me then we should hang out, I got some stuff to tell you"

"Dont worry im not pissed haha past is the past...Tommorow?"

There was a Pause, I guess he was looking for something or see if he was free.

"Yeah tommorow sounds good! Ill see ya then?"

"You got it, cya later"

 

Wow one phone call I diddnt expect to ever hear again, this was going to be weird last time I saw him I was 15 now im 19 and hes gonna be 20 or 21 I cant remember birthdays, but I can remember people pssht. Random. i remember how random he used to be, always made me laugh. He was responsible for all the random nicknames I have today, which I still hate him for but still think its funny. It sucked the last year he was here, got involved with drugs and I quit hanging with him. The crowds he was with were dangerous and I couldent handle being around him.

I really hope hes changed for the better but I guess we will see tommorow.

 

I decided today would another lazy day in the aparentments cause im pretty sure that tommorow id be out all day. I decided to make one run to the store real quick just because I was almost out of food that seemed decent to me. And my gummy bear stash was..well..gone. But I can only blame myself. The store down the street was getting to know me, called me the gummy bear guy or something else but the guy who said it always mumbled and confused me. The slur of words was hard to pick out haha. I was suprized that I made friends at a store and not where I live, proves that I dont get out much...I need to geton that..I guess.

[Ravynlee]

Wednesday

 

Just after 9:00am there was a knock on the apartment door. It was Rob.

“I don’t want to talk to you right now,” she said, hating the fact she had to lie to him. But Rob merely knocked again and uttered a sound of irritation.

“It’s the phone. It’s your boss. That guy from the café. He wants to talk to you.”

“What, now?”

“He said he’d call back in ten minutes. I just told him you’d… stepped out – what was I supposed to say?”

Pulling the chair back and stealing a quick look through the peephole Ravyn dropped from her tiptoes and unlocked the door. She peered over the chain lock with a dubious frown. On the other side Rob met it with a variation of his own.

“If this is some vain attempt to-”

“Here,” he said, holding his cell out to show her. “See for yourself.”

Though his tone was wan Ravyn still felt guilty just looking at him. He looked tired, unkempt and defensive. His hair had grown wild in the months they had been gone from LA and his face was shaded on both sides of the goatee with stubble. He just looked tired, and whether it was the momentary lapse into silence or his dishevelled demeanour or the feel they were in the throes of some Mexican standoff, Ravyn eventually pushed the door shut and unlocked it. She opened it and stood in the doorway trying amusingly to block it. Glimpsing down coolly Rob said nothing beyond a sigh. Was this how it was going to be from now on, she wondered?

Though he offered her use of his phone Ravyn declined. It was a goodwill gesture to agree to follow him up back to apartment #23 and step inside now like some visitor. As the door closed at her back she felt a million and one emotions swamp her. Everything she looked at, everything that she saw and smelled and touched was telling her to come home – but she couldn’t.

While they waited Rob invited her to make herself at home. The sound of his voice always seeming unenthused or just plain sarcastic meant she didn’t smile at his side comments. Yes she knew where everything was but it wasn’t her place now. As comforting as it would have been to throw her arms around his neck and beg for his forgiveness she didn’t, she couldn’t, Vincent, Mike and his harpy name Sarah had all seen to that. Declining anything to Rob’s growing frustration she watched him sink down at the kitchen table with a bottle of water in his hand and ask her why she was doing this to him.

“You don’t understand-”

“No I don’t understand. Tell me. Please. I feel like I’m going out of my mind, like I’ve done something wrong-”

“Just forget it-”

“I can’t, can I? I can’t get over things like you do. One day you’re here the next you’re gone. If this about Sarah, I told you-”

“I know, you’re sorry.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Good, that’s okay. That’s a start. We can work on that-”

“No, I meant about this. We should never have come here. I should never have brought you into this mess.”

“What? What are you talking about? You didn’t force me, I chose to-”

“I think it’d be better for all of us if you just left again. Went home. Go back to California, Rob. Now. Tonight. As soon as possible.”

“What?” he asked. It was a delayed reaction. On the other side of the room, several metres still lingering just inside the doorway Ravyn glimpsed at him. She shrugged and shook her head dismally. She didn’t look up again. Now Rob was finally seeing the bigger picture. “It’s him isn’t he? Vincent. I should have known… I didn’t want to see it.”

Ravyn didn’t like arguing. She hadn’t come up here to fight. Mentioning Vincent’s name sent a rash of bugs crawling wildly underneath her skin. She apologized and begged him to just heed her. Digging a hand inside the collar of her shirt she rubbed at the bight mark on her neck tenderly. Rob saw it.

“Did he do that? What is that? I’ll fucking kill him-”

Ravyn smiled despite the fear turning her legs now to jelly. She wasn’t used to this reaction, she had always managed over appropriate times in conversation to gloss over things she knew he didn’t need to hear and saved him the trouble of taking her troubles on board – Rob often saw red whenever he tried reaching out to her only to have her pull away only most times he could suppress it. She was independent by nature, defensive, secretive, telling him only what he needed to hear in her learned methods of self-defence. But on his feet in a flash Rob approached and Ravyn was at a loss trying to placate him. She’d never really had to do that before, not even that night she had left Vincent battered and bruised and barely able to talk with her jaw so swollen. Never in a million years had she thought she would have to defend him again let alone to Rob of all people. Though Rob knew only enough to be cautious about the rogue cop he had never met his predecessor face to face. Though both men were of similar height at around six and a half feet, both with dark features and introverted personalities Vincent was a good 15-20 years older with more girth, more brawn, and a lifetime of experience as a cop, a soldier, a learned scholar in psychology and sociology, not to mention had the brotherhood of law enforcement at his back for protection. It was little wonder then why Ravyn held on to Rob now with both arms like a mother trying to pound some sense into her child.

“You’re no match for him, you’re not. Trust me, just… go home. He won’t follow you there. It’s not you he’s after.”

“And what if you’re wrong? He almost killed you once. I won’t let him do it again.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Ravyn admitted.

She hesitated to tell him the extent of her information, knowing if Rob found out about the all-hours vigils he would most likely never allow himself to sleep again. Through the tension the old feelings returned to her and Ravyn found herself staring at him, at Rob’s shirt when his eyes were too much for her, feeling like she was back at square one again begging for his help like Red Riding Hood trying to get the hell away from the Big Bad Wolf lurking on her tail. Laden by guilt, by too many old and raw emotions, she felt her defences crumbling around him only to be interrupted by the sound of a ringing phone.

“Don’t answer it.”

“I have to.”

“Let’s just pack up and leave again. Right now. Tonight.”

“Where are we going to run to?” she asked him, “We have to stop at some point.”

Backing away from him she answered the phone and spoke to the familiar voice of her one time employer at the café Central Perk. Though she had initially been fired Ravyn begged for the chance to go in and see him. Fraught by the emotional conversation just prior it wasn’t hard to bring tears to her eyes. By the time she hung up her eyes were dry but her heart was still hammering pitifully.

“All good?”

“Yeah. Thanks. I should probably go…”

“Rave, let me help you-”

“Just- give me a few days. Please,” she begged.

With a sullen pout Rob nodded watching the floor as Ravyn made her way out. It wasn’t the goodbye of yesterday but nor had anything concrete been resolved between them. Forcing a smile Ravyn made her way back downstairs unwilling to acknowledge anything or anyone else around her.

She kept herself occupied reading and cleaning and when that got the best of her Ravyn finally made her way outside to the city street below. She kept a vigilant watch out for Vincent but didn’t see so much as a squad car anywhere at all in the whole time she was outside. Driven on by necessity she hurried down the street weaving through pedestrians and traffic trying to seem as inconspicuous and invisible as one person on a NY city street could manage – out of breath she stepped inside her old place of employment and settled down in his office to plead her case with more half-truths, with more glossing over some facts and drawing heavily on others, and basically telling him all she thought he needed to know. She didn’t lie about her incarceration but said it was a case of mistaken identity – by the time she left she was smiling again, the sun seemed to shine a bit brighter, and the tentatively constructed life she had begun creating in this city was slowly starting to fall back into place.

 

 

As a rule Rob didn’t like parties – but when he ran into Mel again sometime midmorning he was in all honesty distracted. This thing with Ravyn had him feeling confused and frustrated and in all truth he wasn’t coping well at all with the burden of Mike’s stock on his shoulders. He’d never really been that thrilled to take the work but had seen it as a quick solution to his financial problems. Now Mike had suddenly disappeared – and Rob had a feeling it wasn’t so much to do with getting hitched as it was avoiding creditors or the tax man or angry claimholders – let alone fucking his so-called business partner’s girlfriend and avoiding conflict and letting the bad blood just simmer between them – so now Rob was left feeling abandoned in more than one sense of the word and by more than just one person. He was sick of things, and with no one else to really talk to he was just brooding. He walked around all day and had for ages now with a permanent frown feeling the weight of his thoughts drawing his brow down cynically. But Mel was a brief ray of sunlight in an otherwise bleak day for him. The opportunity presented itself to do something unusual and Rob took it. It was only after she laughed and went on her way that he felt himself groan internally at what had obviously been another reckless and impulsive decision.

To hell with it, he thought as he pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on and walked in the opposite direction, I’ll just go and put in an appearance. It’ll be a great chance just to get out and do something that didn’t revolve around how fucked up his NY had experience had so far turned out to be.

Glimpsing back over his shoulder he watched Mel walk away and rubbed at the back of his head uttering a strangled sound in place of actually saying anything. He knew she was a sweet kid but she was taken, she would be a good friend if he was lucky, but that was all – he had learnt his lesson with Sarah, he wasn’t willingly going back down that road again. But wandering off up the corridor Rob couldn’t help but steal another quick look in her direction catching her eye as she made her way downstairs towards the city street. His face got hot and his ears went pink again. Rob stood still feeling stupid and brain dead. He nodded in acknowledgement watching one of the young guys from upstairs pass and acknowledge him but for that one split-second in time Rob felt anxious about what hadn’t even happened yet. So far it was just a small party, it’s not like she had shown up out of the blue all battered and bruised and asked him to run away with her, right? What’s the worst that could happen?

 

 

Ravyn spent the rest of the day trying to make the most of her self-imposed solitude inside her apartment. It wasn’t easy. She wasn’t rostered on to work that day, and even now didn’t want to push her luck as desperate as she was for money. She had tried to visit Olivia but her newest confidante was gone when Ravyn went knocking. Hugh said something about her visiting her granddaughter – Ravyn didn’t even know her neighbour had grandchildren. How well did she really know any of her neighbours, she wondered? No one really knew hers – but somehow she felt like she already knew. Only a handful of days in jail and she was a different person – people, even her employer was looking at her differently. Though she didn’t see many of her neighbours around and hadn’t since her release she wasn’t purposefully wanting to. She had enough of feeling like some outcast, and knew thanks to her dealings with Mike whether by choice or force she had unwittingly made enemies here – but she tried not to think about that. She was thankful to Mel and her posse for getting her out but still had yet to front her. She’d heard talk even before she went away and knew Mel or at least her tattooed boyfriend was into shady dealings – even worse than Mike, she was told, so Ravyn was anxious about payback. Vincent had taught her the value of a good deed as much as he had a punishable one and as such Ravyn was afraid of what Mel wanted from her – but what she really wanted was for it to all be behind her. The day was slow and boring. Eating the last of her left over casserole, and having bought enough make-do groceries with what little money she had left at her disposal, Ravyn sat around in the sun on the floor lost to thinking. She felt like she was holding her breath again. She thought of her time in jail like memories of a car crash. She got up and made her way over to the bed and take the knife out. She held it in her hand. It would have been almost too easy to take her own life with it, but something, some impulse made her stop. Ravyn heard a voice in her head that for once wasn’t Vincent and it wasn’t Rob either. She pouted thinking about Justin. He said he wanted to help her, how sincere was he?

Putting the knife down Ravyn picked up the pen and paper from the paper bag that Olivia dropped over the day before and settled back down on the floor in the patch of sun to ponder. Without a TV or music to distract her Ravyn thought a long time before she started to write. Once she started she didn’t stop. She saw out the next morning still sitting on the floor venting out her thoughts, her memories and purging her demons until she was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted.

[woodyloveslinkin]

Thursday.

“Mike, stop it,”

“What am I doing?”

“Your hands can be set loose at other times,”

“Is that permission for future uses of my hands?”

“For the love of God…I won’t even bother,”

“Please bother I like it when you bother with things, especially with my things,”

Sarah and Mike opened their door to reveal darkness. It was just past midnight and they had broken down halfway to Las Vegas, and they had to come back. The only problem was that both of the pair had a bad feeling that Jack would get up them for being back so early. Mike feared that Vincent would just pop out of the dark suddenly and abduct his new wife, who he had gotten married to at a truck stop while completely off his face. She was quite sober, which had surprised Mike entirely because she usually loved to get off her face, especially after the bullshit that he had fed her about Justin raping her and all. Sarah reached for the lights and turned on a single light, so that only the living room lit up. Mike felt like Sarah was hiding something from him but every time he confronted her about it she would completely deny it. Mike closed the door as he lugged up a small suitcase. They weren’t staying for very long, as Sarah had arranged to stay at her mother’s place. The car was that smashed that Mike insisted on getting a new car while they still in Queens and away from the hellhole he labelled as Molly’s place.

It was about 1 am now as Sarah dragged her legs over to her bed that she had missed so much instead of laying in hotel beds that seemed to have all sorts of stains left on the sheets. Mike had said to her various times, that if he could find a five star hotel in the middle of nowhere he would book a room at one but since there wasn’t he had no choice but to settle for second best. It was that or to have sex in the car, as Mike had put it once, bluntly to only see Sarah’s frowning face.

Mike took his shirt off as he flicked the light back off and hoped into bed with his new wife, he knew that her mother was going to flip so many degrees it would be impossible to bend her back to her normal state. Mike smirked at his own remark thinking that the woman was already too bent to be fixed up, and that the only solution was a mental institution.

He pulled the covers over him and her as he cuddled up to her and kissed her goodnight. He was exhausted he was the only one that held a licence and the only driving that Sarah did was driving him up the wall, as she had basically nagged at him about everything under the sun all the way halfway there until they broke down in the middle of nowhere. But they managed to call in a couple of favours with some friends of his to get the pair back to where they were now.

It was now about 11 am when they both had gotten up, stretched their muscles, had a bitching session about neighbours being loud and all, as they could hear some neighbours yelling and shouting at one another. It was until then did Sarah remember her little fling with Rob and now that she realised that Ravyn must’ve escaped from jail and all. She was tempted to call the cops just to stir both the cops and her up, but she decided against it. They both took turns at having their showers and getting dressed. Mike’s plan for today was to keep low and get a car. Mike insisted on going back to Las Vegas, but Sarah shook her head saying that she had told her mother that they were going to pay her visit whenever, that time was and that they couldn’t just travel back to Las Vegas, seeing that Mike had to cancel their reservations at the hotel. Sarah also had business with her work to deal with, as Sarah had a feeling that they were somehow end up back in Las Vegas, because Mike had that look in his eye that told Sarah that he was going to get what he wanted.

Mike and Sarah departed their ways downstairs as they gave each other a ten minute please-don’t-be-very-long kiss and looks. Mike assured Sarah that he wasn’t going to be long. Sarah saw him off, walking further and further away from her, as the smile on her face had slowly faded. She turned around and saw Rob with his arms crossed.

“You had fun?” he asked.

“Lots,” she answered shortly.

“That’s nice,” he muttered, looking unimpressed. “Happy with Mike?” She raised her hand to show Rob her new yellow emerald ring. “You’re…” He trailed off. She didn’t know if it was shock or that Rob was happy for her. “You’re married to him? How could you?”

“Simple, you say I do,” answered Sarah, as she lowered her hand. “I told you that I loved him.”

“I know, should’ve seen this coming,” he mumbled.

“Yeah,” she replied. “I have to go now, Rob.”

“No you don’t,” he said. “Me and Rave broke up. I hope you’re happy.”

“Why should I be?” she asked. “She’s your problem not mine. You chose to fuck me and you knew the consequences of it.”

“You don’t understand don’t you?” asked Rob. “You’re young and now you’ve proven you’re just naïve and, just stupid, you don’t understand anything of that don’t you? Don’t you understand what, what the man has done to you? What that man is trying to do to me? What he’s doing to society with his poisonous attitude?”

“I’ve got better things to do, I’ll catch you later,” Sarah detached herself, turning herself around, but Rob caught her arm and stopped her, as she turned back around to see Rob. “Let go, now. It’s an order.”

“It’s no use anyway, I don’t know why I’m even trying really,” Rob said to her letting her arm go. “It’s not like you’re going to listen to me anyway.” Sarah didn’t say anything to him and just simply walked away, not looking back at Rob.

It was about 5 pm when Mike rocked back up to the apartment complex, in his new yellow sports car as he realised something. Why was he stuck living in this run down apartment block and why wasn’t he living it up in a penthouse on the water’s edge? Then he realised something, it was because Sarah wanted to stay here and she didn’t want to be around all the rich people, despite how much Mike was being paid. It even made him question about Hugh’s presence right now, where was he? He got out of his car and walked up to the mailboxes. He pulled out the white envelopes that had built up during his absence, as Sarah had assigned Mike to be the mail-checker of the apartment because she was too lazy to do it herself. He went through with, skimming through them all, before walking over to the nearby trashcans, and dumping them inside of the trashcans.

He went inside, up the stairs and all, he thought he was alone by the time the time that he had reached the third floor, but he was sure it was Jack that was giving him that feeling of being watched. He stopped and smirked.

“Jack, you find me so well,” Mike said.

“I ain’t Jack,” growled Rob. Mike smiled and turned around. He laughed for a second because he thought that Rob was going to hurt him by the look on his face.

“Why the face?” asked Mike. “Don’t I pay you enough to keep that smile on your dial?” Mike stopped laughing as he realised something. “You don’t want more money do you? Cos if you’re broke already, by all means, you can always ask for a little advancement on your pay.”

“For doing what?” asked Rob. “I seriously don’t get this business. I’m not doing anything, and yet I’m getting paid for it.”

“Look, to be honest man, I’ve been thinking about your position and you know what I said to myself?” asked Mike, casually.

“I need to stop sleeping with other people’s women?” Rob answered.

“What?” asked Mike, as his expression and tone changed completely. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. I mean, I have a perfectly good woman in my life and I’ve always loved Sarah. I wouldn’t do that to her.” Mike continued on what he was saying, as he ignored Rob’s threatening expression. Mike couldn’t really care about Rob right now and he was just dust needing to be brushed off his shoulders. “Been thinking about a promotion. Instead of selling the insurance you come and help me with some associates of mine, starting from say tomorrow, you come downtown with me and meet my friends, and then I’ll even throw in a car for you. Don’t you need one still?” There was no answer. But Mike had already concluded what Rob was going to say. “I’ll take that as a yes. How’s things with your woman going?”

“…Alright….” Rob slowly answered. Mike smiled and gave Rob a pat on the back. “What’s that for?”

“For being a champ,” answered Mike. “Gotta be heading off now Rob, but be ready and out the front by nine tomorrow morning, cos these friends are just awesome. If you ever wanna get somewhere in life, these are the friends you have to meet, and oh, Jack is a legend by the way. See you tomorrow morning man.” Mike walked off without waiting for a response and entered his apartment, as he saw Sarah sitting on the couch, looking a bit teary. He slammed the door shut and ran over to his new wife. “What’s wrong babe? What’s wrong, talk to Mikey.” Sarah looked up, she had been crying for a while now, for she wasn’t sure how Mike would react to the news. “What’ wrong? Why the waterworks?”

“Just went to the doctor’s to get some results back,” Sarah started.

“You’ve got cancer?” asked Mike, as he looked a bit worried. He couldn’t think of the most reasonable answer to her concern right now, but Sarah knew within herself she couldn’t hide the results for forever. Sarah shook her head.

“We’ve got a family on the way, our little one,” answered Sarah, softly as Mike smiled with delight, as he couldn’t see what Sarah was on about. “Twins, to be exact.”

****

[Ravynlee]

I realised when I wrote this I made a mistake with the post the other day. I had Ravyn comment about living directly below Rob when she doesn't. It's too late to edit but at least here I tried to rectify that. Nailz I think lives below Rob, Rav now lives (for now) below Nailz. Hope that makes more sense - if anyone noiced

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Thursday

 

Early thursday morning it rained.

In the heat of the last few weeks the noise, the sight of a darkened sky, the cooler air and the change in atmosphere made it seem like Ravyn had awoken into an alternate time and space. She still wasn’t completely used to waking up alone. As much as she used to feel suffocated sometimes and crowded, she missed opening her eyes to a comforting face before the troubles of the day left their mark. Pushing herself out of bed Ravyn made herself a hot drink and some breakfast. It seemed every little thing reminded her of Rob in some way; every menial gesture seemed incomplete now she knew he wasn’t there with her. Ravyn sighed to herself as she settled on the sofa. Still she wanted to go back upstairs to him but was still too stubborn and too wary to go up and make some sort of half-hearted gesture. She loved him enough to push him away. Vincent was still on the scene now and he had his agenda set – professionally he had vowed to bring down Mike and this shady character named Jack for reasons he refused to stipulate, and on a personal level he wanted her back in his words ‘where she belonged.’ Ravyn had grown up around chauvinistic men so at times Rob came across unfairly like something of a wimp to her – not that she liked being yelled at. But she had come from broken homes, watched her parents and step parents beat each other up black and blue, get drunk and fuck around, it wasn’t so much a ‘normal thing’ as it was a masochistic comfort zone. But even serial killers in the beginning could be charming – when she first met him Vincent had been incredibly observant and astute. She always felt isolated, alone, out of place, the ugly ducking metaphor personified, and he had read her like a book from the minute they met – it was just a shame at the time her judgement was skewed thanks to substance abuse, depression, and resentment for failing to keep Rob’s interest and affections yet again. She didn’t even know what had driven him across the country aside from perhaps a wounded ego; she was short, frumpy, quiet, and stubborn, she was emotionally disconnected as Rob liked to point out, and preferred spending time with her nose in a book rather than literal physical company – but still Vincent had been adamant. In jail he had been kept distant thanks to the dualistic bane and blessing of modern technology; cameras kept an eye on every square inch of the prisons at all times, but in New York Vincent didn’t have the jurisdiction to override anything. He was a visitor in allied territory of sorts, allowed to appreciate the stock but not break it. That was why he seemed so pissed off and bitter the few times he was allowed near her without another person present. Vincent was a man so full of his own self-worth and power he wasn’t used to kowtowing to others even with his reptilian smile that was all teeth and no sentiment. Caught in a memory Ravyn shivered and shoved it as far from her mind as she could. She wasn’t hungry anymore but ate anyway – if only to validate the nausea she was feeling. If she was going to be sick at all at least she’d have something in her stomach to bring up along with it.

The rain didn’t last long but it appeared to linger and drizzle on and off all day.

Upstairs there was more noise than usual. At first Ravyn thought there was someone else staying inside Rob’s apartment – she hadn’t heard from the tenant in the room directly above in #17 for a few days – but she soon realised it wasn’t coming from the floor directly above. Alone in silence it wasn’t long before she heard a familiar voice in the halls and her resolve briefly crumbled. Mike was back and so was Sarah – and along with them was that sickness that had suddenly risen to epic proportions. Feeling too emotional to go face them but driven by a morbid sense of curiosity Ravyn sat out on her fire escape while the sky rumbled but didn’t rain on her and watched the people coming and going from her apartment complex. She sat writing; it seemed to be the best way to constructively pass the time these days. Though she didn’t like to dwell on the bad times every now and then Ravyn would remember something that would make her smile quietly to herself. She had come a long way from being that tortured creature only days ago going out of her mind in that jail cell. It must have been about lunch time or a bit before when she saw a tall man with dark spiky hair make his way down the steps towards a familiar looking car that she could have sworn hadn’t been parked there earlier. Though he didn’t see her as he unlocked the door and looked around Ravyn recognised Mike from her perch metres above him. She froze suddenly reliving that night she had stood practically against the very window at which she now sat (only the floor above) as he hung from one above yelling obscenities at her, the night he had framed her for possession and sent her to jail. Unable to move she watched him climb in the car and pull away, hearing and seeing and practically feeling those long never-ending minutes they had commingled in the front of his car that night. Even now she didn’t even know how such an act had been physically possible in such a confined space but the horror, and the deep bight mark on her neck, was testament that it had. Waiting until she was sure he was gone Ravyn slipped back inside her apartment and closed the window securely.

 

 

The last face Rob expected to see later that morning was Sarah. He had slept in for the first time in ages, more laying in doing nothing than sleeping, and when hunger pains set in crawled out of bed, into clothes and shoes and made his way down to the store for a good old fashioned home cooked breakfast. Coming back upstairs he had crossed paths with a tenant that wanted his help in fixing something. Was Hugh around? Probably not, Rob shrugged; he hadn’t seen that crank all morning. When he turned around and ran headlong, figuratively, into his one-time lover Sarah Rob was momentarily too stunned to say anything. He folded his arms and frowned at her. There was no room for pleasantries. He wanted to grab her by the neck and shake the living shit out of her. He merely stood there and glared at her.

“You had fun?” he asked.

“Lots,” she smiled.

“That’s nice. Happy with Mike?” Seeing the ring in her finger he frowned harder and snorted. He could barely push the words out “You’re... You’re married to him? How could you?”

“Simple, you say I do. I told you that I loved him.”

Loved him? She cheated! Three times in one night to the best of his recollections. Who the hell was she kidding? “I know, should’ve seen this coming,” he mumbled.

“Yeah,” she replied. She was still wearing that stupid little smile of hers as she made a move away from him. “I have to go now, Rob.”

“No you don’t,” Rob said.

Inside he was seething. He wasn’t so much jealous as he was hurt – he knew already he had been used and had wrestled since it happened to deal with it but the way she was acting made it sound like she didn’t even care about it, or him.

“Me and Rave broke up,” he added, alarmed just how raw and suddenly she had been able to tap his nerves. “I hope you’re happy.”

“Why should I be? She’s your problem not mine. You chose to fuck me and you knew the consequences of it.”

Rob was flabbergasted. Ravyn was a handful at times but Sarah was nothing at all like her. She didn’t understand and he knew nothing at all he had to say was likely to change that – still he tried. As much as he knew there was and never really had been a hope in hell between them on a human level Rob was worried. He had seen what people like Mike were capable of and he feared Sarah with her lack of life experience didn’t. What he feared the most he couldn’t say – that behind the charm and money and attitude Mike was just another Vincent, another volcano waiting to erupt and when he blew Sarah wasn’t the only one that was going to suffer the consequences.

When she tried to leave he caught her by the arm but let her go desperate to come across not as the enemy but needing to get his point across – and failing. The way she addressed him and the look in her eyes made him give up anyway. He had enough of trying to do the right thing by everyone, especially women and being shot down for his efforts, or ignored, every single time. No, Sarah was better off on her own. He watched her go and shook his head wondering how long it would take for sense to kick in, or be flogged in, before the honeymoon ended and Mike went back to his old habits – quite literally.

 

 

When he caught up with Mike it was late afternoon and Rob was seeing red. The same tenant who had stopped him earlier had abused him over something business related and naturally Mike hadn’t been around to take care of it. When Mike saw the expression on his face he was practically gloating about it. Rob was by nature usually calm and composed but the events of not just this week, but since moving in altogether, was taking its toll on him. Mike mentioned money but Rob was too busy trying to formulate an argument rather than listen to what Mike was telling him. He was starting to feel like Mike’s whore the way his so-called ‘boss’ kept throwing money at him for no real effort – but when his thoughts turned to Ravyn Rob was ready to leap over the railing and pound the idiotic grin off the other man’s face.

Ravyn was right, he thought, Mike did look like a monkey like that – so why the fuck did she sleep with him, he wanted to scream. Mike for his part denied it, just as Rob anticipated he would. Hell, had the shoe been on the other foot Rob was certain he would have denied sleeping around with Sarah, but still the same ‘who cares’ attitude of this new husband-and-wife team had Rob’s blood boiling. He couldn’t understand and supposed he never would as Mike continued running off at the mouth about some promotion. Rob scoffed internally and rolled his eyes. There was something about a car that had Rob’s curiosities peaked. He did miss driving and was losing his mind like a lab rat in this complex, there was only so many toilets and drains he could unclog or light bulbs he could change or lies he could sell neighbours before he lost what was left of his marbles. Besides, it wasn’t like he had to stay off the grid anymore, Vincent was back on the scene and taking chunks out of his now ex-girlfriend, Rob was feeling more restless than ever – but his dream came to a screeching halt the minute he heard Mike ask how Rob’s relationship with Ravyn was going. He didn’t really know what to say. Ravyn had told him Mike had forced himself on her but Rob wasn’t sure if Mike was feeling him out for answers or was asking out of genuine curiosity – or as bait. Regardless what Sarah said Rob knew what Mike was like and he knew despite Ravyn’s skittish behaviour she was attracted to brutes and Mike fit the bill where Rob couldn’t. It was a tough fact to swallow when literally face to face with it. Mike clapped him on the back and snapped Rob from his daze but all Rob really heard was the name 'Jack' and the word 'tomorrow.' Hadn’t Ravyn mentioned some guy named Jack not that long ago, Rob frowned? He opened his mouth to say something but Mike was already hurrying up the stairs towards his apartment. Rob rubbed his face and mouth in thought a moment before he scoffed and decided against Mike’s proposal.

“Yeah right,” he muttered under his breath and walked off in the opposite direction.

He had put his trust in the man once before only to end up screwed on almost every feasible level – there was no way Rob was going to give Mike the green light to go ahead and take anything else from him when it so pleased him – he just hoped Ravyn would see sense this time around too.

 

 

That night there was a party in apartment #13 and it sounded as if most of the apartment complex was part of it.

Though Ravyn had been surprised to find someone knocking on her door at some hour and invite her to join Ravyn declined through the closed door saying she wasn’t up to it. She didn’t like crowds, she didn’t really like people, but the constant thudding of the music and the noise of conversation and revelling made sleep impossible. Taking her note pad and pen Ravyn crept upstairs keeping a watchful eye out for Mike or Sarah – or Vincent for that matter – and snuck out on to the roof where the music was a little less physical affronting than what it was indoors.

Around her New York City was bustling. The city that never slept. The big apple. Breathing in the night air, that was humid now thanks to the strange weather, Ravyn dragged a chair over towards the building’s edge and delicately sat down on it. The moon above cast everything in a blue-grey hue but still gave her enough light to see. She sat outside for ages; it seemed like hours, listening to the party rage on wishing in part she could go down and join them. It would have been the courteous thing to do given what Mel and her friends had done for her but still Ravyn was wary of them. She wanted to keep as low a profile as possible, besides, she wasn’t really the socialising type – she wished she was though. A young man appeared at some point nursing two women, one under each arm. He was a little intoxicated but jovial as he took them to the side of the rooftop behind the green house for some private time. Ravyn thought she heard one of the women call him 'Brandon' but she wasn’t sure. He looked familiar though – in this place people came and went and came back again all the time. Once they were gone inside again Ravyn manoeuvred her chair closer towards the light near the building exit and sat pondering her writing for a while. They weren’t memoirs but they weren’t really incoherent either. Words triggered others until she sat there lost in thoughts again. She drifted in and out of states so easily these days – it was habit – it was discipline – and hearing someone clear his throat behind her Ravyn almost fell of her chair in a mild panic.

“Hey,” Justin said.

Below them some drunken fool acknowledged it was midnight. Ravyn relaxed against her seat and smiled.

“I didn’t mean to scare you...”

“That’s alright, just… thinking.”

“What’s that?” he asked pointing towards her notepad.

Closing the cover Ravyn nursed it against her chest and thought about it.

“It’s a long story,” she told him.

[Pheonix791989]

Friday

_______________

 

I woke up again, my head pounding and the feeling of a hangover pulsing behind my eyes as I gingerly looked around the room. My eyes hurt as the bright light filtered in from bare spots in the ragged curtins. A good deal of friends were strewn around my apartment, either passed out in their puke, sleeping, or other. THe one's that were sleeping were irish and the one's passed out were just friends of other nationalities that couldn't keep their alcohol. Jimmy was out cold beside me and my other friend Sully was sleeping on her other side. I couldn't remember what had happened for the most part, it was loud, that was just about it, Sully's band had played for the better part of the night. I gave a little smile before I stood up and streatched. I got dressed herself in a fast manner before heading up to the roof as was my morning ritual. If I was lucky the other part of my morning ritual, running into Rob, Litterally, would happen as well. Sure enough I turned the corner to see him coming out of his apartment.

"Hey Rob, Killer party wasn't it?"

"Yeah never realized how much some people could drink."

Rob chuckeled. I nodded with a small laugh as well.

"Yeah... good thing that Jimmy footed that bill..."

Rob nodded as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. I watched him for a few seconds before sensing something was wrong with him. I gently placed a hand on his arms and looked him dead in the eyes.

"If there's something up, someone bothering you, anything.... you let me know ok?"

I mumbeled in an honest voice. Rob's eyebrows raised up on his forehead but then gave way to an expression of relief.

"ITs just.... I've had alot on my plate lately."

"Understandable. I'm here if you need anything or anyone to talk to ok?"

I said as I gave him a small encouraging smile.

"Thanks mel."

Rob said as the two of us split ways again. I sat on the roof once more as I started to think, dangerous I know but it was becoming a daily habit. I looked up at the clear sky and wishfully thought that things could be the way they used to be. The door to the apartment roof opened and shut. I looked back to see Sully standing there with a gentle look in his eyes. I felt a tugging in my heart as Sully came and sat down beside me and put a hand on my lap.

"Hey..."

"Hey."

I whispered into the wind. Sully gently lowered his head onto my shoulder. I gently caressed his neck and hair line the same way I used to do when we were younger.

"Skylar misses you you know that right?"

"I know.... I wish that things wern't as complicated as they are."

I mumbled into his ear as he tipped his chin up to look at me.

"You don't really love Benji do you?"

He seemed to plead. I watched his eyes as they frantically searched my face for some sign of relief to his question.

"I can never love him the way I love you."

I said kissing his forehead. Sully gave a sigh of happiness before my phone went off. I gave a growl of frustration as i pulled out my phone and saw a number I didn't recognize.

"O'Grady here..."

"Mel.... its Benji...."

"What's wrong?"

"Don't worry but is Jimmy there with you?"

"Yes why?"

"Don't worry. Just... I need you to lay low for me ok?"

"Alright...."

The phone clicked off before I could ask any more questions. Sully looked at me in a worried manner as he just sat there watching me.

"somethings up... I don't know what but something..."

I said as I looked around and tried to find something to clue me in as to what was going on. Jimmy came and busted through the door up to the roof top telling us to hurry up and come back down stairs for something important on the news. I couldn't believe my eyes.... Benji and Phoenix had been arrested! I bit my lip as I sat back from the other members of our "mob". Now it was just me and Jimmy left. But I had felt that the lie that I was living with Benji was just only starting to get worse. The apartment cleared out and it was just me and sully sitting there.

"I know its gonna be hard but we can get through this."

"I hope so.... but i dont know what to do now."

"I have an idea..."

Sully said in a bright voice. He whispered the details of his plan in my ear before I nodded in agreeance with them.

"I'll be back soon ok?"

Sully said as he gave me a peck on the cheek.

 

*flash back*

 

It was snowing again, I couldn't help but think that god had planned this in some way. The guy I loved was sitting at the bar with his band, just drinking and having a good time.

"wanna go meet him?"

Benji asked. I nodded in a shy manner, leave it to my best friend to find some way to embarass me. my parents had said that I was supposed to marry Benji when I was older but I didnt see why I had to.

"Sully whats up man!"

Benji said as he drug me over to where Sully was sitting.

"Hey Benji! Who's this young lady?"

"Sul, this is my best friend Melissa."

"Hi..."

I whispered as my cheeks turned red.

_________________________

 

I felt sully's sad eyes on me after I told him that it was impossible for me to be with him. I had dissapeared for a full year from my parents and I watched as Sully had begun to nurse the tiny baby in his arms with a bottle.

"Yes you can. Why do you have to do what your parents say?"

Sully demanded.

"Because I want to keep you and Skylar safe! I don't want them to kill you. You know just as well as I do they would do it."

I growled, tears streaming down my face.

"You think I want to tear us apart willingly?"

I added with a small hiccup. Sully shook his head as he turned back to the tiny baby in his arms. He didnt say anything to me as I heard the horn of a car outside scream through the air.

"I'm sorry..."

I whispered before I turned to leave.

*end flashback*

 

I let out a sigh as I waited for sully to return. It wasn't until much later that night that there was a knock on my apartment door. I opened it up to see Sully standing there with a little girl in his arms, She was a dark haired six year old with her father's eyes. I smiled as her face lit up and she held her arms out for me. I felt my heart leap as I took her from Sully and brought her close to my chest.

"I missed you mommy!"

She said as she nuzzeled her face into me. I smiled as I held my daughter for the first time in years.

"I missed you too Skylar. Is Grandma Erna taking care of you?"

"Yup. But I wish I could be with you and daddy."

The six year old said. I smiled as she asked to be put down.

"I know sweetie. But they won't let you."

I said as Sully sat down on the couch with me and Skylar.

"hmph its not fair."

Skylar declared as she crossed her arms. Sully and I both chuckeled. We spent the last few hours like this, playing with skylar before she had to go back to her grandmothers house. It was around 10 PM before I left the house with Sully. I honestly didnt want to but he insisted that we have a few beers together.

"I'm going to stay with you untill Benji gets back."

Sully said as he sat down on the bed beside me.

"I dont know when that will be, what about your band?"

I asked him. Sully shrugged.

"we're on break anyways. It dosent matter."

he said. I gently laid my head on the pillow and felt sully settle down beside me as I started to think that this was more comfortable then having benji sleeping beside me. Benji is and always will be my best friend. to hell with what my parents said.

[FireHawk]

Saturday

 

“Another job well done” Justin said to him self walking up the stairs. In reality he never thought he would be doing this. He though he came here to restart a music career, but now he was threating, and beating up people for money. He was everything he was against; he didn’t know if the people even owed Jack money. All he knew was next Saturday was going to be the assassination of Vincent. He knew after that he would get to do his dirty work on Mike. Jack said he would turn a blind eye to it. He turned the corner shirt covered in red blood from his victims.

“Justin!” Jack yelled.

“Sup man?” Said Justin friendly, they have become buddies recently.

“You know just setting out finals plans on Project Vincent”

“Yeah I can’t wait to end him.”

“You got the money from last few nights?” Jack changed the subject

“Actually I deposited it to help you gain some interest was gonna give it to you next weekend when we were gonna meet up…” Jack looked angry.

“I said keep the money on you at all times cause I might surprise you!” Jack was getting mad.

“I’m sorry man…I was just trying to he…”

“No…are you trying to spend it? You going behind my back? We had a deal.”

“Fuck no dude, I wouldn’t I just shot and killed 2 people for you!”

“Okay well tomorrow have it or pay.”

“Fine man…talk to you later.” Justin turned and saw Ravyn standing in the hall way. He looked at her.

 

“Hey Ravyn.” He said hoping she didn’t over hear it all.

She just stared blankly then her eyes got big.

 

“Hey Justin.” Justin turned and saw Jack holding a gun out. “Don’t ever fucking steal from me.”

Jack pulled the trigger and the gun fired. A Pain shut threw Justin’s chest as he fell to the ground. Ravyn was standing there in shock with Justin’s blood all over her clothes. Justin opened his eyes and saw the bullet wound right next to his heart. “Wh…wha….what the fuck?” Jack walked over and held the gun right inches Justin’s head. “Ravyn you didn’t see any of this…Justin, sorry I don’t trust anybody.” The last thing Justin ever saw was a finger pulling a trigger .

[Pheonix791989]

Saturday

_______________

 

I smiled as I woke up with Sully's soft breath on my neck and his tattooed arm draped lazily around my stomach. The only thing that was missing was Skylar. I could see myself with them both living in a house in the Boston suburbs, maybe with a few more kids. Although I did miss the times I would be with Sully, sneaking around as to not be caught. Everyone knew that I was expected to marry Benji and it had been a lie when we were together. For the first time I had awoken and didn't want to leave bed. Beside me Sully stirred and sat up. He groaned and then smiled as he propped himself up on his arms and looked down at me.

"God I can't tell you how long I've waited for the day to wake up beside you and not have to worry about my life about to be ended."

Sully said with a s******. I waved my hand in front of my face and wrinkeled my face at him.

"Ewww morning breath."

I said with a laugh.

"Maybe we can finally get married and the judge will give us Skylar back."

"I'm glad that you got clean."

I said as I gently brushed his hair away from his eyes and kissed his forehead. Sully laid back down against the pillow that normally supported benji and gave a sigh.

"What can I say? I lost one of the most important things to me that day"

He said. I gave him another kiss on the forehead.

"I know but I was trying to protect the both of you."

"I know mel. it was still something hard for me to deal with."

"There are just some things that I have to walk alone."

I said as I sat up, his arms cradeled me into his chest and he nuzzeled his nose into my neck.

"You arnt ever alone, you always have me. Even when Benji said he loved you and you told him back you still had me."

Sully said with a nibble on my neck.

"Hey I have an idea, why don't we do something that we havent done in a while?"

"Like what?"

"Just get dressed and come with me."

I smiled as I got dressed and pulled on my tanktop.

"Remember your gloves too!!"

Sully called out. I grabbed my pair of rawhide gloves and put them in my back pocket. I let out a sigh as I begged him to let me know where we were going. Sully said that I would know when we got there. Two hours after getting out of new york we passed into the boston area. Instead of taking the ramp to boston we turned off heading towards Haverhill where I had grown up after imagrating from Ireland. I gave a smile as I looked at the ranch where we pulled up.

"We used to come out here all the time remember."

Sully said as he opened up the door for me.

"I have a gift for you."

Sully said as he waved at one of the ranch hands.

"I know you've always wanted one so now he's yours."

Sully said as the ranch hand brought out a black stallion.

"My god sully, I can't believe it."

I said as I brought up a hand and gently caressed the horse.

"What are you going to name him?"

Sully asked as I saddeled him up.

"Salvatore. That's what his name is gonna be"

I said as I watched sully saddle up his horse that we used to both ride. His mare was a gentle horse and she gave a small nicker as we headed down a trail. I laughed as Salvatore gently nudged against Sully's mare. Sully had pulled his shirt off as the sun beat down on us from small patches amongst the canopy. The horse shook its head.

"I remember when we used to sneak out here at night when things got a bit bad."

I said reminicing. Sully smiled as he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. It was a day of just the two of us riding through the woods and trails.

[LPNailz]

SUNDAY...(I think? I haven't bothered figureing out relative times, it's but sunday here)

 

RIING.

 

"Aaaaaauuuuuugh..."

 

RING. RING.

 

"C`moooonnn..."

 

RING. RING. CRASH.

 

RING.

 

Growling, I reach down from my bed and feel around blindly for my cordless phone. My incredibly stubborn phone. I find the handset, and though I know I knocked the base off the table too, I don't bother with it. "...H'llo?"

 

"Nailz? Did I wake you up?"

 

Con. "Y's." I yawn, sigh, and make the first conscious effort to stay awake. "What is it?"

 

"Mom."

 

"Uhh...what about her?"

 

"...Her birthday. Nailz, it's three days from now."

 

"Uhh...and?"

 

He sighs. "Nailz. She called me. She wants us to come see her - and we're going to - and she's planning something we can all do as a family."

 

"Wha...?"

 

"Nailz! Wake up, would ya? She misses us. I mean, we both moved to the other side of the country, for christ's sake. We owe it to her to go see her on her birthday. And it won't hurt you to be seen with your own mother."

 

"Never thought I'd hear you, of all people, say that..." Mom and Con butted heads all the time while we were growing up. Now, the two of them are closer than me and Mom; really, Con's the only thing that keeps us together.

 

"Nailz -."

 

"Alright! What's she have planned? How long's it gonna take?"

 

"I don't know. She wants it to be a suprise."

 

"I hate suprises."

 

"Me and Steph'll be by to pick you up in an hour. We'll help you pack if you're not finished yet." Click.

 

I moan. This sucks. But Con...I'll do it...

[MrsBennington-Delson]

Monday

 

My week flew by so fast. I couldn’t even realize what has been happening the past days. Almost a week ago Brad told me that the doctor in the hospital said I’ve been pregnant. I first worried a bit since I just came over here and I’m not sure if it’s that good to already take a break from work and everything but I can’t wait to get my baby! Brad is more than happy about this and is probably more excited than I am haha!

The last week I’ve been working at school, visiting the doctor once again to check everything again and make sure that I’m pregnant. Beside of those happy moments I’ve had this past week, I also had a very terrifying one. My mother called and said that one of my good friends was sick and that the docs are not sure if she’s going to make it. It was shocking for me because she’s the only one out of my whole family (besides of my parents and brother) who was there for me whenever I needed help. I’ve also decided that I’ll go over to Europe to be by her side now.

“Babe…?” Brad lay down the papers while I was working on my laptop.

“Yes hun?” I replied continuing with my work.

“Can you take a break from work? Just for a minute?”

“Yeah sure… uhm… wait a sec.” I mumbled and typed the last sentence. Saved and pushed the laptop aside.

“We know each other for a fair while now right?”

“Yeah we do.” I snuggled against him.

“And you know I’ve been loving you since I first saw you, right?”

“So have I. Now what’s the matter darling?” I looked up at him.

“Jos” he stood up from the couch and got down on his knees.

I felt my heart racing and butterflies literarily having a race in my stomach.

He took my hand “Jos… Would you like to marry me?”

My heart exploded, the butterflies in my stomach started to fly around like crazy and in general my insides felt like they were having a huge party.

“Brad I... I…” I started to stutter.

He looked at me with his sparkling brown eyes, waiting for an answer.

I started to cry, sank down on the floor and kissed him. “Brad I love you! And of course I’d like to marry you!” I kissed him once again passionate.

“Oh Jos I love you too!” We both hugged and hold each other for a while.

We spend the afternoon together lying on the couch doing nothing, just enjoying each other’s presence.

Suddenly the phone rang. I stood up and walked towards the kitchen where the phone was hanging.

“Delson Fischer.”

“Jos is it you darling?” I heard a female voice say.

“Yes it’s me. Mama?”

“Hey my sweet I have to tell you something.”

“What happened Ma?”

“It’s because of Kirsten…”

I listened to what my mum had to tell me and couldn’t believe my ears.

“Ok. I… Listen I’ll try to get a flight as soon as possible.”

“Sweetheart listen I know it’s hard for you but don’t get upset too much you know it’s not good for the baby. And rather stay over if it’s not good flying pregnant.”

“Mum I… I’ll call you as soon as I know if I’ll be able to fly over ok? Take care of ya love you.”

“Ok sweetheart. Take care of you too and great Brad.”

I hang up and leaned against the wall.

“Jos you ok? What happened?”

I couldn’t answer. It felt like I had a rock in my throat.

“Jos? Babe?” I heard Brad walk towards me.

“Brad I have to leave. I have to go and see Kirsten.” Was all I could get out of my mouth and even that hurt like hell.

“What happened?”

The rock was still there not wanting to move. My eyes were full of tears as I looked at Brad and started crying. Brad held me so I couldn’t fall even if I fainted.

“Mum said that it’s pretty sure that she won’t make it.”

“Jesus… Hey… babe… “ he held up my head. “We’ll go together ok? I don’t want to go through that alone.”

“Ok…” I sniveled and hugged him.

He kissed my head and hugged me tight.

 

And once again my life seemed incomplete and broken. It’s like it’s been in the past: Amazing, touching moments filled with happiness get cover by pain, loneliness and anger. I hoped this will end, this nightmare I can’t get out, but it doesn’t seem like I’m able to.

My heart and soul are completely lost but then again found.

Maybe this trip back home with my love will brighten up my past and make me face all the pain I’ve been through. Make me stand tall over everything I’ve been through and maybe even make me forget all that. Maybe.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

*So teh Braddles and teh Jos are gone on vacation once again*

Bon Voyage

lol

[Ravynlee]

Okay, warning people, this is a tad... graphic? Well, lets say, 'viewer discretion is advised,'

Regardless as to HOW it reads please note I have NOT killed myself off... If someone wants to 'find' me, by all means go ahead. If not I will more than likely slip subconsciously out of the apartments and into a hospital somewhere, maybe even a mental ward somewhere for a while, who knows, there's options everywhere. Now having said that I've no intentions on leaving for good, I am just there in the background. Rob as a character (or manwhore as he's fast becoming) is still around for your general amusement. Play with him, and what happens to me here, to your heart's (or imagination's) content.

Repeat I am NOT leaving the Park, I am merely stepping back a fraction due to work - I can't write as much as I'd like so instead I can lurk around and be the crazy lady everyone expects me to be haha

Thank y'all

 

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Monday

 

 

Two days of sitting. Two days of waiting. Time had shifted, taking on a whole new meaning from the moment that initial shot rang out. The first had seemed surreal even as she stood watching it as her brain struggled to absorb any kind of logic from it. Soon shock kicked in rendering her deaf dumb and mute to what happened next. The sight of Justin lying there gasping for breath as Jack loomed above with the gun practically against his forehead had been too much for Ravyn to take. She had wanted to scream but the sound strangled her with tears silently rolling down her face. The explosion of the second shot made her flinch, made her cringe, made her stagger backwards and stumble to the carpet on her hip and weakened knees with a thud. Every other sound was hollow in its wake as Jack withdrew and Justin lay motionless, the sticky wet pool of blood blossoming around his head like some scarlet hellish halo.

“Ravyn you didn’t see any of this…” Jack had said.

That had been two days ago – and in her mind it had been all she had seen since.

Now curled up in a weak ball hugging her knees inside the bathroom Ravyn sat motionless. She still wore the same clothes she had worn then; fine droplets of Justin’s blood had now caked into dry lumps but she hadn’t had the will or the heart to wash it off. It was all she had left of him, of the one half decent guy left on the face of the planet who had only ever wanted to help her not hurt her, and now he was dead. Ravyn thought back to that night barely a handful ago, the night of the party where he had met her on the rooftop. He had looked haunted then, tired, but still he had nothing but kind words for her. Though they hadn’t said much as he passed her on the way inside he had acknowledged her – he had been the closest thing she had had resembling a friend in a long time, and certainly the first one here in these apartments. If only she had made him stay longer and gotten to know him better, she thought, maybe he’d still be alive, maybe she could have said something, done something… but it counted for little now anyway, Justin was still dead and there was nothing she could do now to change it. So much for any hope of friendship, so much for anything, she thought. Someone had even said he had been famous once and that he had been planning on making a big comeback but that wasn’t going to happen anymore. The paramedics had been called and his body had been wheeled out and the cops came doorknocking asking everyone in the apartment if they had seen anything. Ravyn hadn’t answered the door but for once it hadn’t been fear of retribution that had stopped her. She had scurried inside and locked herself away the best way she knew how just as she always had whenever anything in her life became too unbearable.

As shock took hold and waned along with the adrenalin Ravyn sat in a numb stupor staring off into space but not seeing much of anything. Justin’s death had probably been chalked down to drugs and gang related activity, but Ravyn knew the real perpetrators had literally gotten away with murder and what was worse they had let their only witness go free. She was now in professional terms what was labelled a liability – eventually someone, some how, was going to do to her what they did to Justin and there was not a goddamned thing she could do about it. Every second she remained in silence was rubbing salt into the wound and insulting a young good man’s memory. Justin had deserved better, and more than likely Mike had been behind it. Ravyn had a horrible feeling that Justin had sealed his own fate in trying to help her and threatening to take down Mike and now he lay in a body bag in cold storage for it.

Back in the interrogation room Vincent had said something about this Jack and Mike being in cahoots and somehow Justin must have gotten involved. It seemed too convenient that Mike had skipped town before the shit went down and Jack had taken the fall for it knowing no one was going to take a convicted felon’s word over his – but at the heart of it all Ravyn knew Mike had somehow orchestrated it, he had to have. Justin was dead and there was even talk through the closed doors on and off since that Justin had been involved in the fraudulent Insurance scam. The money was gone but all fingers at least on paper apparently pointed in Justin’s direction. Mike set up the scam, Jack saw it through and Justin unwittingly paid the ultimate price for the two of them. But worse still the paper trail hadn’t been Mike’s doing, it had been Rob’s, and whether he knew it or not Rob had played a hand in what had happened to an innocent man too and that was just unforgivable.

 

 

How long she sat there she didn’t know. She thought she heard Rob at her door a few times but he seemed hesitant and didn’t fight his way in. There was a point where Ravyn wasn’t sure whether any of what had happened to Justin let alone before him had actually been real. The only evidence she had to tell her she was more than just a walking collection of fragmented memories was the scar on her neck, on her collarbone that was finally beginning to heal. Despite the broken bones Vincent had inflicted upon her and those before him in her childhood the only tangible piece of evidence that she hadn’t somehow made it all up had come thanks to Mike and his drug-fuelled frenzy. True enough he hadn’t forced himself on her but that night too much had been beyond her control – he hadn’t even vocally threatened her but the threat had still been real enough beyond the wild look in his eyes, the alien environment and the gun in the glove compartment. But still bones healed and bruises, even emotional ones, faded to some degree over time. Soon enough even the bight mark would disappear too leaving nothing but rumour and hearsay and the predictable awkward silence to relegate it into memory once and for all.

Dehydrated, in shock, and emotionally vulnerable, Ravyn sat staring off into space seeing nothing and everything in her head all at once.

She was too tired to go on anymore.

On her hands and knees she crawled to the basin and dragged herself up to stand eye level to her reflection in the mirror. It took a lot of work and she didn’t, and never had liked what she saw there. She looked like a walking ghost, like Justin in a way, but at least he was now peaceful she thought. Somehow she managed to pry the mirror from the wall. It wasn’t that hard, thanks to Hugh’s half-hearted attitude with maintenance, and the drywall crumbled a little as the screws fell into the sink below. Ravyn didn’t hear them. She wasn’t focussed. Unable to face herself now, unable to mentally get past everything she’d been through the last few weeks let alone the months before, she hefted the mirror up and slammed it down on the edge of the basin. Glass exploded and shattered everywhere. She didn’t even feel it cut her until she saw fine ribbons of blood rolling down her forearm and palms. She stood staring transfixed a moment as the broken pieces of mirror fell like diamonds to the floor. Then slowly she lowered down onto her knees atop it. She barely flinched; she was no stranger to pain, even of her own devising. As poetic as it may have been to write the names of everyone that had ever hurt her in her own blood on the tiles Ravyn didn’t, she couldn’t, at that moment now, as she had been from the split second that second bullet lodged itself into Justin’s forehead, Ravyn just wasn’t thinking properly anymore. Blinking down at the scar on her wrist Ravyn smiled though her eyes were blinded with tears. She wanted to say so much and do so much but after everything that had happened there was nothing left to say. She hesitated but with her teeth clenched she made sure the second one counted. She lay on her side on the floor in the glass and waited watching the life force literally running out of her. When she closed her eyes a sense of peace overcame her. Her heart was pounding erratically but she knew like a fractured jaw or a blackened eye everything was only just temporary – even love, or the fleeting idea of it – it would pas in due course. For the first time in a long time Ravyn was smiling and she actually meant it. No one and nothing could hurt her anymore – including herself. She was free now; it was finally, thankfully, all over.

[woodyloveslinkin]

****

 

Monday.

 

“Jesus, for the love of Christ Michael, what did you do?” asked Sarah, as she noticed the spilling of red paint all over the carpet. They had been renovating and Sarah had been out trying to get some more red paint for the apartment. She stood in the doorway with her red hair tied back in pigtails and with the base white paint splattered across her face and her denim overalls. Mike looked down from the ladder with a dripping red paint brush with its bristles covered in red paint. “Didn’t you lay down the plastic before painting?” Mike shook his head. Many people had thought that they had gone away, but they were just laying low. They had hardly gone outside only to get food and supplies. The main reason for acting like shadows is because Jack was a shadow and the only way one could protect themselves from a shadow or a phantom was to act like a shadow. They had decided to renovate silently, meaning no drilling, just painting and avoiding the neighbours.

“Was I supposed to?” asked Mike. He had no idea how to renovate or the basic safety precautions to painting.

“Oh no,” sighed Sarah, placing the two heavy paint buckets on the floor and looking worried. “Hugh’s going to kill us. Shit….”

“It’s better than Jack killing us and speaking of Jack, I saw him around today,” said Mike, trying to enlighten the topic. “Look, we’ll get some stain remover or something, and we’ll just scrub it out.”

“It’s not as simple as that,” sighed Sarah. “I can’t be near paint stripper.”

“Why not?” asked Mike.

“You may as well give me heroin while you’re at, let’s start with deforming the child,” replied Sarah. “Benzoline is harmful to me like drugs are to anyone who has the decency to look after their own health.”

“Oh,” replied Mike, stepping down from the ladder. “What do we do now since you can’t be near paint stripper? Let it just fade away?” Sarah shrugged. “That’s helpful. Hey talking of harmful substances, you’ve given your smoking?” Sarah nodded. “Good.” Mike looked at the time. It was half past one in the afternoon. “I have to be outta here now. Gotta meet some guys down at the park.” Sarah nodded. “I love you.” Mike pecked his wife on the cheek, as the telephone started to ring. “That’ll be your mother I guess.” Sarah nodded again, as Mike picked up his keys from the bench as well with his wallet, as Sarah left the room to pick up the phone.

“Hello?”

“So now you pick up, darling daughter,”

“What do you mean, so now you pick up?”

“You haven’t been picking up for a couple of days now, what did you do, go and run off with him and get married?” There was a silence. “I know that silence. You did! Didn’t you?” Sarah didn’t say anything. “I can’t believe you. Where did you go to?”

“Las Vegas, but, we didn’t make it there, entirely, we broke down. Ma, I have to tell you something, please don’t overreact…but I’m pregnant that’s why I had chosen to marry him without a second thought, I didn’t want my twins to go up without their father…” There was just silence and like her mother, Sarah knew what was wrong. “Ma, please…”

“Ouch my heart…”

“Ma, what’s wrong?”

“My heart…”

Suddenly there was a bang and Sarah knew what had happened. Her mother had just had a heart attack and it was all because of her. She hung up and picked the phone up again, but her mother hadn’t hung up on the other end. She hung up again and picked up her cell. She dialled emergency. She gave the operator the details and she found herself moments later, trying to get hold of Mike but he wasn’t picking up his cell. She collected her cell, her wallet and the keys and found herself running down the stairs and onto the streets running for her life as she had a feeling that her mother wasn’t going to make it somehow.

It was just a feeling....

[FM2005]

MONDAY

 

After a couple days of delays and meetings for Trent, we decided today would be the day we would finally meet up! I was excited to see what kinda big-shot or street bum this guy had become.

I woke up got ready fast thinking I was going to be late for the 12:30 meeting at the coffee shop downtown. I hopped in my car and drove about 10 minutes.

"The Coffee Shop, hmm simple name but whatever" I said to myself.

I walked in, the aroma was amazing. I wasnt a huge fan of coffee. I would drink it here and there but it wasnt like I snatched some up every day. The little place was packed with people all around, chatting away with thier little stories no matter how big or how insignifigant they were.I saw a table with a man dressed neatly, I stared at him, looking away at times just so I diddnt seem obvious.

"Brandon? Man is that you"

I choked on my own words suprised "Uhmm yeah"

"Its Trent dude! Woah look at you you've changed for the better my old friend." he said to me.

"Thanks, not lookin' so bad yourself old pal"

He laughed. It was good to hear that annoying high laugh again.

"Yeah money and good looks are a good thing after all"

I agreed with money but good looks...I dont judge guys too much but..yeah.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" I mumbled. "So what are you up to big T?"

"Well I work for a record label, its actually easy as heck for me, I sit in this room and take calls from hopeless bands trying to make a name for themselves"

"Wow dude you really went somewhere, haha that sounds like my band, I loved it but we couldent get anything done" I said.

"Thats how I actually found out you were coming to NYC, the message you posted saying you were leaving the band" he said.

"How did you..wait you know my band?"

"Yeah I searched your name on myspace and it was one of the results, Iactually liked your stuff. It was a little disorganized but you can get better."

I could only agree, we never had a chance to practice.

Pretty much I thought it was awesome he as a record company employee but he sounded pretty high up there for a guy a little older than me.

He looked back at me, "So you have a job"

"Nah I did for like a week, but the hours sucked I was worn out non stop"

"Hey when you get a chance..it cant be today cause I have a meeting, but stop by"

He reaches over and grabbed a peice of paper and jotted something down.

"Thats the name of the place and the address, see you soon?"

"Ha sure you got it"

"But sorry this was short man but we have a new band thats supposed to be calling in today and checking out the place, gotta hear em out"

"Oh well get going dude, I dont want you missning out on your important duities haha"

And with a laugh and a wave he was gone. I thought to myself what a crazy guy he still is, his act has been cleaned up and hes probably making bank working wherever he works.

I glance at the card.

"The Document Records" ooo are'nt they special, afterall it did sound secret. I decided this week I would make a visit somehow..just to see what they got, maybe, just maybe I could get the band to come to NYC with me and we could try something.

In the back of my mind I knew it wouldent work but it was worth the try I guess.

[Ravynlee]

Please note due to time constaints and busy schedules for many of us we have decided that

The Park Collaboration

will be closed

until further notice.

 

If you have any questions or concerns please PM either Woody or myself.

 

Thanks again to everyone for all their help and support and participation.

Hope we get back on track and organised soon.

Apologies and thanks again.

 

Link to the games thread (also locked until further notice):

http://www.linkinparkforums.com/showpost.php?p=582320&postcount=606