To Love a Gangster

To be Submerged Pt. 1

You thought everything would at last be washed away once slumber took you under its spell. The next moment you would open your eyes you would be welcomed by the warm, comforting rays of the rising sun's morning light, signifying a new day to start things all over and every little negative thing would roll right off your shoulders and fade into midair.

However, as soon as your tensed muscles from all of the previous day's doubtful events melted into the arms of the mattress's indentations, no such tranquility came forth. Instead, a mind full of mighty demons screamed throughout the night as every event rewind and pressed play in your head. From the time it had ended with the gash in your abdomen to that one summer.

The very beginning.

Not even old Satan probably knew what was going on in the man waiting in the shadow's head when you first found him.

A cold unsettling feeling sank into your intestines the first time you crossed his path, catching the attention of a pair of disquieting eyes of a predator, disquieted by the dark shadows of the alleyway that liked what they saw.

Seeing a brand new face on his territory had brought him entertainment. It was a new enjoyable hobby that was different than relieving his emotions by staining his hands with dripping scarlet, for even the most feared demon of the streets had grown bored with his life of countless crimes.

Soon enough as the days went by, his appearances became more frequent every time you had to cross through those shady alleyways to get to your destination. Never once would he not be found in the exact same place in the same way as if he had not moved an inch, making each day feel like deja vu each and every time.

He always appeared in the same stance he posed with his back leaned up against the blackened walls and shadows casting down his face, making him appear like a translucent ghost, or like a predator in the corner waiting patiently for his time to pounce.

Though each day you pretended to never acknowledge his existence for you knew in the back of your mind that any form of contact with him would lead toward an unknown darkness, your curiosity would make unfortunate presences and your eyes would lock gazes from afar.

One day, the sky above the world seemed to hang much lower than usual in a thick sheet of gray and the air around you felt so cold against your skin when you passed his shadow once again. This time however, your eyes never even turned towards his direction for every day was the same old, same washed out gangster that felt like he was no longer worthy of your attention anymore seeing that he was not a threat.

Acknowledging that his regular audience gave him no attention that day, his stillness had broken and he had let his presence come forth to you once again.

With the sound of him scuffing his boot in the pavement, he emerged from the corner's masking shadows. Seeing that you were about to slip into the light at the end of the alleyway, he put on an act to attract your interest once again as he finally boasted,

"You sure are a fine one, aren't ya?"

******

It is hard to say what exactly drew you to him after your first official acquaintance with him, whether it was just the fact that you were young and naive, or that he just must have been the dirtiest charmer that caught you on his hook.

Either way, despite his smug first appearance, you had somehow grown intrigued to him. He had managed to accomplish masking his true self to appear heavenly to the naked eye.

When he saw you, he would offer to accompany you back to your place when the sky had grown dark so that you would feel safer than being on your own.