A drop of water spattering into a puddle prods my sleeping mind, and with the falling of a second drop, I snap out of my slumber. Looking around where I am I see a roof above me with enough holes to make a person with trypophobia scream, except for the area I am laying under. Looking at the walls, paint can bee seen peeling off them in large sheets, and all the windows are either cracked or shattered with pieces from them on the floor, which is on its last legs. Unwrapping myself from the ratty blanket that I was apparently sleeping in, I stand up and a loud creak can be heard from the floor that echoes around the room I am in.
'What was that dream I had about; I can't seem to recall.', I think while massaging my temples
*sigh* 'Well I guess it's not that important.'
*grumble* 'Looks like I need to get some food in me.'
Walking into the kitchen with a broken refrigerator with its door slightly open, complimented by a wall of cabinets, half of which have their doors either missing or laying on the floor. Opening one of the still intact cabinets, an open box of generic crackers sits their surrounded by empty wrappers and boxes. Pulling it out and looking inside, there is about a half of one sleeve of crackers still uneaten. I grab onto the sleeve and pull it out, letting the now empty box drop to the floor. I place the bag into my pocket, and walk to another cabinet. Opening the other cabinet I see a gallon jug with about one sip left of water left in it surrounded by clear bags with some residue on them.
'Seems like I need to get some more water from the water fountain at the park.', I think while walking towards the front door, a white wooden door barely holding onto its hinges and showing its age through all of the scratches and unpainted areas that it wears. Looking next to the door I see my coat on the ground and I pick it up and put it on. Looking back to where the coat was on the floor, there is a .357 revolver with a faded finish. After a few seconds staring at it, with shaky hands I also pick it up, put into the back of my waistband, and then I face back to the door. Opening the door and walking outside reveals a grassless lawn and dead trees littering the sides of the neglected road, along with rows of houses on either side of the road, all of them appearing as if they have been forgotten. As I walk down the side of the road, with slight jitters in my left leg, water jug in hand, the wind can be heard whistling between the abandoned houses, and I think to myself, 'It's a long walk to the park.'
***
After around 25 minutes of walking, while walking down the sidewalk of an empty road, with a slight limp from the jittering, I see a car parked on the side of the road with a shadow of a person inside of it. Thinking to myself, 'It looks like I won't need to walk to the park after all.', I slowly start walking towards the car, I reach to the back of my waistband and wrap my hand around the grip of my gun. Upon reaching the front window of the car, I knock on it with my left hand, to get the person inside's attention. The man turns to face me, and then I pull out the gun, and point it at him, while saying, "Get out of the car if you don't want to die."
He then starts fumbling for something on the seat next to him, which I can see has car keys on it.
"Are you stupid or do you think I won't shoot you?", I say to him loudly.
"The gun is not loaded.", he says back to be.
"Well you got me there.", I say back as I put down the jug, and reach into my coat pocket. Grabbing onto an object in my coat pocket, I pull it out, and it reveals itself to be a bullet, which I then put into my gun after popping out the cylinder. Spinning the barrel I then push the barrel back in and ask the man, "Are you feeling lucky?".
The man freezes as an expression of shock, fear, and sadness all merged into one slowly starts forming on his face. But he still says, "I don't believe that you will shoot it.", in a shaky voice.
"Oh really now.", I say, and then pull the trigger.
A click can be heard, and the man shows a slight relief.
"Let's do it again", I say and the man tenses up and his expression shows even more fear than before.
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*click*
A cold sweat can be seen on his face as a bit of relief can be seen once again.
"How about one more time?", I say.
The man starts panicking and says back to me, "Alright, alright, I'll get out, just don't pull the trigger again."
The door unlocks and opens with a lengthy creaking sound, and the man steps out, before backing away from me.
I then pick up the jug, step into the car, sitting in the seat I close the door, lock it, and pick up the keys that the man was fumbling for earlier. Putting the jug in the passengers seat, I then insert the car key in the ignition and turning it. The car starts with a stutter, and I easy my foot onto the gas. Looking in the rear view mirror, the man can still be seen, looking like he had just lost his wife, and he slowly shrinks into the distance as I drive down the empty road.
'Time to head to Vito's'
***
After a few minutes of driving, a run down auto shop appears in my view. Pulling in to the decrepit parking lot that sits outside of said body shop, I drive around to the back and park the car. Then I take the keys, open the car door and step out, before thinking, 'I almost forgot my water jug.', and bend back into the car to grab it. After getting the water jug, I begin walking, slightly awkwardly, towards the steel rolling steel door that stands next to the back door. I knock on the door, and a metallic sound can be heard ringing throughout the building in front of me. A voice then says to me, "Just a minute."
After a little while, the door starts opening upward and a middle aged man wearing a grime covered gray jumpsuit with a nametag on it, and holding a pair of dirtied gloves in his left hand.
"Hey Ryan, do you have anything for me?."
"Hey Vito, I have another car for you.", I respond.
"Already? What has it been 2 weeks."
"It just happened.", I say nonchalantly.
"Can I see it?"
"It's all yours.", I say pointing the car out to him.
He walks over and begins examining the exhaust, the tires, the mileage, and the suspension.
"A 2010 mid range car, it's in decent shape and its got decent mileage on it. I can give you $800 for it."
"Can you do a little bit higher, maybe a thousand or so?"
"Come on you know the deal Ryan, I have to get it a new license plate and registration. I have to give it a new paint job, and look at it more to see if I need to replace anything else. $800 is the best I can do."
*sigh* "Alright I'll take it."
"Give me a second to get you the money.", he says, before turning around and walking towards the one office the building has.
"Hey Vito?"
"What is it?"
"Could I use your water fountain?"
"Go for it."
"Thanks.", I say before shuffling towards the water fountain placed next to the bathrooms.
While filling up the water jug, a slightly sour smell drifts its way over to me causing my nose to scrunch up. Soon the jug is full, and I hurriedly distance myself from areas near the bathrooms, after sealing up the jug. About two minutes later Vito comes back holding a slightly bulging envelope, and hands it to me.
"It's always a pleasure doing business with you Ryan."
"You too Vito.", I say before walking awkwardly through the open door.
***
Back near my house, looking at the symbol spray painted on a fence outside a house, I turn towards the doorway of said house and walk up to it. I place down the water jug to the side of the doorway. Then, I begin knocking on the door, and shortly a voice speaks up.
"Who is it?"
"It's Ryan."
Soon the sound of a deadbolt turning sounds out and the door opens slowly to reveal a dimly lit room with smoke billowing out, with the opening of the door. Walking inside, I cough on the smoke a little before, I shuffle into the kitchen, in which a man is sitting at the kitchen table with bags of pills laying before him.
"Welcome back Ryan. It hasn't been that long."
"Hello JD.", I say back.
"So you got the money?", he then asks.
"Yes.", I say while taking out the envelope I received earlier and taking out $500.
"Here you go.", I say.
"Let's see what we have here. 20, 40, 60, 80...., 500. Alright, here you go.", he says while handing me a bag of pills.
I immediately open the bag and swallow one of the pills, and the shaking of my leg that has lasted until now slowly starts subsiding.
I place the now opened back into my coat pocket, and stand back up. I start walking towards the door again, and JD's voice echoes behind me saying, "See you next time Ryan."
After walking out of the house, I pick up my water jug and begin walking back home.