My territory

1. Trouble

Bible is walking down the alley of a rough neighbourhood at night. He's not nervous at all, the place feels like home, and everyone knows him. He's wearing plain black clothes, on his way to meet his only close friends since primary school. Bible doesn't make friends easily so he's been hanging around with the same people ever since he was 7 years old.

They live in a rundown student apartment, the three of them defining themselves as students but working as dealers instead.

Bible usually stays out of trouble, he needs his brain to get ahead in life. He's always had good grades and although he tried soft drugs before and he hangs out with his problematic friends, he takes his studies very seriously. His family has taken several loans to help him go through university and he doesn't want to let them down.

When he arrives there, they are planning on going down to buy more drinks because they ran out of alcohol. They are also irritable because they are running low on weed, Bible is quick to read their mood.

So the four of them get on the street again. They walk for half an hour trying to decide where to go. They pick a 24h shop and they get inside.

Bible is looking for soft drinks in the fridge aisle when he heard someone shouting.

Damn, his friend has pulled out a gun.

So that's what they were planning. Fuck them. He told them he didn't want to be involved in these things.

There is a guy in his late 30s beside him, he looks like he's going to lose his shit, so Bible gets closer to calm him down. If everything goes ok, he knows his friends will just take the money and run.

When Bible is about 1 meter from him, the motherfucker client pulls out a spray of some sort of cleaning product and sprays directly on Bible's eyes while pulling out a knife that grazes his arm.

- Don't come closer! I saw you coming in with them! - he shouts.

One of Bible's pals hands Bible a gun, knocking down and threatening the crazy motherfucker. The wound on Bible's arm bleeds a lot but it doesn't look deep.

Bible is still half blinded by the spray, holding the gun with his left hand, his right forearm stinging like crazy. Good luck he's left handed.

He can see that motherfucker with his peripheral vision. He won't be able to surprise him again.

His other two pals are with the cashier and it looks like this fucking robbery is taking ages.

Suddenly, Bible catches a metallic glow, the motherfucker is making another sudden movement. Bible doesn't think, he just reacts with a jerking movement and the gun in his left hand shoots. He pressed the trigger involuntarily, and he's the first one startled by the loud sound.

Fuck.

The motherfucker falls down with a wound on his stomach, close range. Looking really bad.

The next minute there's sirens sounding in the distance. Bible is like paralysed, looking down at the guy, everything is blurry but he can smell the blood.

-Run! Run!

The shouts finally register in Bible's mind but it's too late. When he drops the gun and starts running towards the exit, his hand holding his bleeding arm, two agents are waiting for him, their weapons pointed at his head and chest.

Damn.

***

Bible wakes up in a prison cell of the police station. His eyes hurt. He remembers the police taking him to hospital, doing something to his arm and eyes, but he's in shock.

For 48 hours, he can't do anything except crying. He has shot a person, he's in prison now, it seems like a nightmare. Why him?

He wasn't meaning to do that. He's studying engineering at the local university, he has a brilliant curriculum, he's not a troublemaker and he has never wanted to shoot anyone.

Shit.

****

Over a week later, in the same cell. He's calmed down a bit, he's beginning to accept this new -weird as fuck- reality.

His friends have disappeared. The motherfucker didn't make it. He's dead. He's sorry for him but also for himself. Bible's family is devastated and doesn't want anything to do with him, they are refusing to answer his phone calls. He has let everyone down.

His lawyer has told him they can plead and get a reduced sentence because he has no antecedents, and he's going to says it was accidental homicide but that might be difficult to believe for the jury. Probably 15 years, that with good conduct can be reduced. He can be out of jail after 7 years.

Seven fucking years.

He's 23 so it means getting out at 30.

Once the panic and self-pity have settled in, his brain is starting to analyse the situation. Bible's family is not very rich, and since they already took loans to send him to university they are not going to take on another loan to pay for a solicitor.

He doesn't want to think of his family. His mother must be brokenhearted, he was always her favourite. The legal aid defense lawyer he's got is not good. His friends have disappeared. Mediocre or not, noone is going to help him apart from this lawyer.

***

The trial outcome is not good for Bible.

They're sending him to Bluehill Prison, where he will be for the next 7 years, without hope of getting family visits and not much waiting for him outside.

He can only rely on himself from now on.