“Damn, can’t believe I lost to that asshole,” Ezekiel said, kicking a can down the dark, musty alleyway. His face was covered in cuts and bruises, a black eye stained his usually fair skinned face. He held a hand to his eyes, trying to cull the pain radiating from his face.
“How am I going to explain to the boss I couldn’t get the guys money? How the hell was I supposed to know that he had guards on him?” Ezekiel thought to himself, as he opened a windowless steel door, its hinges and door knob rusted and creaky. A dim light shone through the open door as Ezekiel walked in, looking like a weak dog who had just lost a fight. Across from the door, a man in a well tailored suit sat in a velvet chair, looking straight down the doorway.
“Did you get the money, boy?” The man said in a gravelly, growling voice. His deep blue eyes stared into Ezekiel’s soul like a hawk.
“No sir… I’m afraid he had bodyguards, I wasn’t prepared- I-” Ezekiel tried to explain in a clearly frightened and shaky voice. Ezekiel feared this man, more than any bodyguard, and he was not looking forward to whatever cruel punishment his boss had in store.
Ezekiel was by no means a weak man, in fact, he was rather well built, considering how little he exercised. However, his physical strength did not help him in this scenario, not against someone like Don Trone. The Don looked down at Ezekiel, his cold eyes seeping into Ezekiel’s body.
“So, you didn’t get it? YOU DIDN’T GET THE MONEY?” Don Trone roared, his veins bursting out of his face, filled with rage and malice.
“I’m sorry Don, I just- I couldn’t beat the guards I-”
“NO EXCUSES! DO YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT DAMN MONEY IS, BOY? YOU BETTER GET YOUR ASS OUT THERE AND GET THAT MONEY, NOW!” Don Trone screamed at Ezekiel, getting out of his chair and shoving the boy out of the concrete room, “AND DON’T YOU DARE STEP FOOT IN HERE UNTIL YOU HAVE THE MONEY, YOU GOT THAT?”
The door was slammed shut in front of Ezekiel’s face, leaving him out in the cold, dark alleyway.
Ezekiel walked down the wet street, a cigarette lit in his mouth. Ezekiel stared up at the sky, pondering what to do, how he could get the money? He huffed out a puff of smoke from his mouth, and sighed, looking up at the night sky. It was far too late at night to try and track down the guy, he was long gone by now, for sure. All Ezekiel could do is go home.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Opening his rusted, worn down apartment door, Ezekiel was greeted to the thick aroma of skunk and dirty socks. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why his place smelled like that, but not a soul said a thing while visiting. He laid down on his dirty futon, quietly considering how he got into this position. How did he get here? Where did it all start? Was it when his mother died, and his father had to take care of the both of them on his own. Was it when he had to go into debt in order to pay rent for his family’s house, because his father had become a raging alcoholic?
Thousands of moments flashed through his mind as he contemplated why he was truly here in the present. Slowly, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep…
[BREAKING NEWS]
“A young man aged 19 was killed today in his small apartment downtown, shot in the head with a pistol. The young man was presumed to be involved in gang activities, and was possibly shot by a rival gang. More info will be coming soon,” said the newswoman from the television, blaring inside a windowless concrete room. Across from the TV, a middle aged man, with blue eyes the color of ice water smirked at the news. In front of him lies a dead body of a 19 year old boy.
Ezekiel awoke in a completely white room, with no light, but no darkness. He was completely naked, devoid of any clothing, but he did not feel cold or hot. In fact, he felt the most comfortable he had ever felt. Quickly, he noticed someone in front of him. A humanoid, pitch black all around, stood in front of him.
“Welcome, Ezekiel Perez. You’re probably wondering why you’re here. I will tell you.”
The humanoid paused for a second, letting Ezekiel take in the information.
“Your actions, done by anyone else, would have them sent straight to Hell. Theft, Assault, Larceny, Robbery, Grand Theft Auto … I could go on. Simply put, Mr.Perez, you were not a good man in your life. However, your circumstances are special. Because of how you got to this point in your life, you have been given a second option. You can go straight to hell for your actions, or you can pay your penance, and if you survive, you will ascend to Heaven. Do you accept?”
Ezekiel was dumbfounded by the humanoid’s words. Hell? Penance? His head was practically spinning at all the information dumped on him. He took a second to digest the information. He had to accept, didn’t he? He certainly didn’t want to go to hell, even if he deserved it.
“I accept my penance” Ezekiel told the man (if he could even call it that) warily. He was frightened by the thought of his penance, but even more frightened of what would happen if he were sent to Hell.
“Very well, child. Your choice has been made. I wish you the best of luck in your journey to Heaven. Stay safe, young one,” the humanoid said to Ezekiel, doing a series of hand motions, and raising their hands into the air.
At that moment, everything went black. The sound of water droplets hitting stones reverberated around Ezekiel. He opened his eye, and found himself in a cave.