The Summer Anthology ✔

Story #28- Too Far Gone

Written by user QueenTaurus

"At first, I didn't know how I felt, but then, it hit me."

"F**K!" Pierce Washington yelled as he narrowly missed getting hit by the careless driver of a yellow Volkswagen Beetle. He tumbled over the curb of the sidewalk, collapsing on his butt with a quiet thud. Dust from the sidewalk flipped up, particles of dirt and dust invading his eyes and stinging them.

"S**t!" he cursed, rubbing his eyes. He blinked away the tears that formed in his irritated eyes and picked himself up. He looked down the street to see the car swerve to the left at the stop sign, nearly running into a fire hydrant.

"Mother f**ker!" he shouted, though he knew the driver wasn't going to hear him now. He shook his head, adjusting his purple Laker's snapback before proceeding to cross the street.

Stilwater summers were always hotter than the firey pits of hell itself, the temperatures reaching nearly 100°. The people of Stilwater reflected that heat. They would go as far as walking around stark-naked just to keep cool from the scorching temperatures. But at least the hobos had retreated underground this year after a massive earthquake dropped part of a district underground. Too lazy to clean the damage first, the city was ordered to build a missionary church above that space. It was abandoned, and since then, the hobos have taken over the area and claimed it as their own.

Pierce looked over his shoulder making sure he wasn't being followed. He was walking in the Brotherhood territory now, which was close to the docks. He wasn't strapped, so he couldn't protect himself if any shit went down.

Dipping into a shady alley way, he made his way towards the warehouse that was the Brotherhood headquarters. It was another one of the dusty old rundown buildings of Stilwater. His business in this turf was to collect his payment from their leader for supplying them information about the Ronin gang.

He tapped on the door three times before the door swung open. A slim man with a dirty blonde shaven mullet pointed a rifle directly at his face. Pierce raised his hands, quickly stating, "I have news."

The man squinted his eyes at him, but let him inside. The inside of the headquarters was dark and dank. Moldy foorboards were lifted up, the white wall paint was chipped and yellow from rat piss, big patches of green and black mold sunk the ceiling; the condition of their headquarters were terrible, however, it kept them under the radar from police.

Pierce paused as a big black rat scurried past his foot. He shook his head, following the blonde towards what he guessed was their tattoo shop. He grimaced at the needle that had dried up ink and blood on it, but continued following the blonde through that room to a crappy version of any average man's kitchen. It was so dirty, not even the roaches wanted to reside there. Maero, the rather large bulky man he was too familiar with, sat in a tattoo chair, a paper in his hand. He looked up when Pierce had gotten close enough.

"What are you here for?" Maero asked, his husky voice sounding as if he had just gotten through yelling. Pierce rubbed his clammy hands together. The heat was getting to him, and the climate of the building didn't change that.

"You said you'd give me my 750 for telling you about the Ronin's shipment." Pierce replied, slightly teed off Maero forgot why he was here.

"No you're not." Maero replied, brushing him off to continue reading his paper. Pierce stood there, confused.

"The f**k you mean? You said you'd pay me. Where the f**k is my money man?" Pierce clenched his fists. Maero folded up the week old paper, placing it on the slightly clean counter besides him. He folded his hands together before leaning forward.

"I suggest you watch yourself."

"F**k that!" Pierce flipped him off.

"Is this a bad time?" a soft feminine voice questioned. Pierce turned around seeing a short red haired woman, who he recognized as Maero's girlfriend Jessica, had arrived. She wore her usual red camisole with her grey slacks and black heels.

"No." Maero said, sitting up as she walked over. Jessica gave Pierce a curious look over before sitting on Maero's lap.

"What's he here for?" Jessica asked, lacing her arms around his neck.

"He says I owe him 750." Maero replied as if it was a joke.

"Damn f**king straight you owe me 750!" Pierce bellowed. "I busted my ass giving you that information! I followed the Ronin, I recorded and translated their conversations, I pin pointed where and when they said they were going to make deposits, I earned that money! I have bills to pay man!"

Maero glanced at Jessica, and she stood up, moving out the way. Maero got up, towering over Pierce. His body casted a large shadow that engulfed Pierce entirely. Pierce wasn't a small dude, Maero was just a giant standing at 6'10 with his chest and arms tattooed entirely.

"Then I suppose you're going to go into debt." Maero growled. Pierce knew better than to try to fight a man that was twice his size. Being able to bench press 450lbs was nothing compared to a man that could probably lift up an entire car if he wanted to.

"F**k this s**t." Pierce mumbled, heading towards the exit. The blonde that let him in before escorted him out. Pierce shook his head, breathing heavily as he made his way back to the main road.

"How the f**k am I going to do this by myself?" Pierce whispered, clutching his head angrily. He took off his cap smoothing back his new cut before putting it back on.

He knew more about the Ronin than anyone else in town and it hurt that he wasn't getting rightfully paid. He should've kept his job at Freckle Bitches instead of quitting to pursue a rap career that'll most likely never take off. Now, he was struggling to pay his rent and refused to go back to that place for them to see he failed. He wished he wasn't so ignorant and haughty. Now, he was going to have to suffer through this struggle.

"F**k my life..."