The Mandela Catalogue

Late Night Out

(Twig POV)

I wake up in the living room, Michael and Jackie were asleep.
I look at the time on the microwave, 2:30.
I sigh, taking a key to the flat and leaving.
I lock the door behind me and put the key on top of the door frame.
I walk down the stairs and out the building.
I limp behind streetlights on the patches of grass.
I sit down on a curb.
"Hey, Frowny! Why so down!" Someone laughs, a drug dealer I presume.

"your gonna get yourself killed if you stay out here." I say.
"what? You not gonna kill me?" they say.
"I'm not one of them." I say.
"what's up with your leg?" they ask, they keep their distance.
"car ran over it." I say.
"what were you doing in the road?" he says.
"I was on the car before, but then I fell off." I say.
"why were you on the car?" he asks, walking towards me.
"was on the way back from a trip, with some friends." I say.
Another alternate comes up behind him.
"hey! This one's mine!" I say.
"we can share!" it says.
"no, go find your own you lazy fuck." I say.
It frowns and walks off.
"your not actually gonna kill me are you?" the guy asks, backing up a bit.
"no." I say.
"let me ask you some questions now." I say.
The man sits on the curb next to me.
"why are you out here?" I ask.
"was doing a deal you know. But I was kicked out of my house after it. Was making the money for my mum, she's living on the streets. But my wife found out and now I'm here. I wish I could've said goodbye to my daughter." he says.
"do you have any other places to stay?" I ask.
He looks at me.
"well I wouldn't be out here if I did." he says.
"hmm, I would ask my friends if you could come but we don't know you." I say.
"I'll just stick around." he says.
"I know a place, that the others showed me a while ago. But you can't do anything to it, or tell anyone about it. Can I trust you?" I say.
"yes." he says.
I get up. I hear a yell.
"hide in that bush there." I say.
He runs into the bush.
Another alternate comes.

"your hiding someone." it says.
"I'm not." I say, aware of the guy peeking out behind us.
"you are I heard you." it smiles.
"I was talking to myself." I say.
"I don't believe you." it says.
"well alternates like you are always that stupid. You'd go out of your way to kill one person" I mutter under my breath.
"what the fuck did you just say." it says, coming closer.
"nothing that you'd understand." I say.
"oh, your one of those alternates. The ones that don't belong, who'd actually go out of their way to safe a human." it says.
"yeah?" I say.
"yeah. We don't need the scums like you protecting the thing that's ruining this planet." it says.
"and we don't need one's like you interacting, the humans will do just fine when they find out what they're doing, people change in good ways unlike you." I say.

"you think that changed my mind?" it says.
"no, cause I'm not dumb and selfish like you." I say.
"we didn't need you anyways." it says.
"what does that mean?" I ask.
It smacks me in the face, sending me to the floor.
"weak." it says, it stomps on my bad leg.
I groan in pain.
"where is he." it asks.
"there is no one here!". I yell.
I get up, my leg nearly gives way.
It kicks me and I fall again.
"where is he?" it asks again.
"there is no one." I say again.
"pathetic." it says, it kicks me in the head.
It bends down and we're face to face.
"where?" it says one more time.
"your just wasting your time." I say, I feel blood drip from my mouth.
"your a useless mistake." it says, it walks away.
The guy rushes from the bushes to help me.
"he deserves to starve." he says, he helps me up.
"I'll show you to that place." I say.
"are you sure?" he asks.
"yes, you've made me pity you. So I'll feel guilty if I don't help." I say.
He sighs.
We walk through an alleyway after passing the flat.
We go to this area with bushes along the left and trees on the right.
I grab the guys hand and walk him into a bush.
"I'll visit you tomorrow, I'll bring food." I say.
"OK." he says.
"stay here." I say.
"where else will I go." he smiles.
I go out the bushes and walk. I walk into the main building and limp up the stairs.
I take the key from the door frame and open the door. I go in and lock it behind me.
I walk into the bathroom and look in the mirror.
There was a bruise coming up on my left eye, my cheek was swollen and blood was gushing out my mouth.
I sigh, cleaning the blood from my mouth and walking into the living room. I sit down on the sofa and black out.

_____________________

I open my eyes to see Fox and Damien looking at me.
"you Ok?" they ask.
"yes, why?" I ask.
"you look like you've been attacked!" Fox says.
"and you were coughing up blood in your sleep." Damien says.
"oh, yes I'm fine." I say, I seem to have developed a lisp.
"I need to go so something." I say.
"what time is it?"
"12:38" Damien says.
"shit." I say, getting up.
My head pounds but I ignore it.
I grab some slices of bread and a water bottle. I go through the door and down the stairs with the bread and water.

I walk out the building and through the alley. I walk until I get through the bushes.
Inside I see the guy, sitting by the tree.
I go over to him, he seems to be asleep.
I sit next to him.
He jumps and wakes up.
"I brought you stuff." I say, giving him the bread and water.
"thank you." he says, eating the bread.
"so what's your name?" I ask.
"Joe." he says.
"I can't stay for long, I still haven't told my friends yet." I say.
"OK." he smiles.
"stay safe OK." I say.
"I will, I'm gonna wonder around a bit though so I don't get bored." he says.
"I will come back around dinner to give you more food." I say.
"OK!" he says.
I go to walk out.
"wait, what's your name?" he asks.
"oh... I- It is Twig." I say.
"nice to meet you Twig." he says.
"nice to meet you too Joe." I say.
I walk out of the bushes.
Joe seems like a nice guy, but something feels off about him...