Last One Falling «Malum»

Two; Ariana

What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like. ~Saint Augustine 

Michael's POV

I took small steps towards work, I never really drove. After all, it was better to walk. I could take my time and never have to pay for gas. Even though it was about a two hour walk. I glanced up at the moon and sighed, thinking about something that Clarissa might be doing. Honestly, I never really discovered what happened between us. All I knew was that she was far away. I found myself alone most of the time. I had a couple of friends, but nothing too spectacular. After all, the only reason I had met them was because of Clarissa. But even they agreed she was different. 

I thought about a lot of things as I would walk down the streets, I crossed the entire city in a night. I went through the slums and I went through the suburbs. The large apartment buildings with million-dollar views. Then there was me, as small as an ant but as worthless as could be. 

As I walked through some of the shadier parts of town - a part I usually avoided - I could hear what sounded like the roar of a crowd. I tried to pay very little attention to it. I knew that this neighborhood was infamous for some shady business, I stayed away from it as much as possible, my coworker Luke always said he had some idea of what it was, but I never questioned it. After all, I felt like I might die if I were to even know about it. So as a result I avoided it. 

Walking down the cracked sidewalks, I thought about what I would get at the diner that night. By the time I would get back to my house, it was always about six o'clock, usually by the time I was walking in the door, Clarissa was leaving. I usually was just there early enough to be cussed at, but sometimes I missed her. 

But otherwise, the diner is where I spent some of my fondest time. After work, I would stop by a twenty-four hour diner on the way home. A tall and tan brunette named Calli worked there, she was only about as old as I was, but like me she had gotten stuck into the same kind of grunt work that many of us are pulled into. Every morning when I got there, there was a factory worker named Ashton. I would sit with him at the bar and drink coffee and eat food. There were usually a couple of other regulars there. After all, not just anyone goes at about four in the morning. It was a little out of my way, and made my commute home last maybe an hour longer - besides the hour I spent inside - but it was always worth it. 

I ran a hand through my hair as I continued through the area.

I worked at a casino, I was not one of the people who got to do the fun things, as in dealing and playing the games. I was simply the person you bought chips from and got money in return. We were also not a red-carpet bright-light casino. This casino is where people who worked second shift came to get hammered and waste their last paycheck. It was dirty, but it was a place I enjoyed - besides all of the smoke and vomit. 

When I got to the old building, I opened the door and walked inside. "Hey Mikey." My coworker smiled Gracelyn to me. Her job was simple, get guys to bet and play more. She was good at it, despite how much she hated having to hang on these kinds of guys.

"Hey Gracelyn." I smiled back as I walked towards the wired booth where I was "protected" from thugs. I highly doubted any of that though. 

I stood in the back behind the slot and watched the games from a far. That was when I noticed two people walk inside, two people whom I had never seen here before. I sat up, sure that they were going to try and rob me, I always carried a gun just in case but I could never shoot anyone. That I was sure of. 

"Hey." One of the grizzly men smiled at me. "I'm feeling lucky tonight, I just got paid big at one of those hybrid fights. So hook me up."

"Hybrid fights?" I asked as I took the money out of his hand and began to deal him chips. "What are those?"

"Like, human animal things. They're pretty weird, but they fight it out. Y'know, like pitbulls." He explained. "They're pretty cool, I knew voting for some underdogs would work out. Gotta stick with the home team."

"Home team?" I asked. 

"Yeah, the gang that lives right here in the city." The man continued. "They were going against another gang, apparently they're really good. But I swear they got creamed." 

"The team will look a lot different next time, that's for sure." His friend concluded, when he noticed my slight confusion the second man continued. "When they lose, they usually 'switch' up the teams. You know, for a better group." 

"Oh, I see." I nodded my head and flashed a smile. "Well, happy gambling gentlemen." 

"Thanks, we should probably see you later." The first man smiled as he walked off. 

"That's what they are.." I turned my head to see Luke nodded his head. "I thought they were just dog-fights, but they're more than that. Aren't those humans?" I shrugged my shoulders as I tapped a pencil off of the table. "Well, anyways, I'm heading out. It's pretty slow and I have better things to do."

"Bye Luke." I said and watched him walk out. I pulled out a clipboard with lined paper on it and began to loosely sketch across it. This was my job, and I got paid for it but it was pretty effortless. Money, chips and a cage. This is what my life revolved around. 

I went wide eyed when I realized what I was sketching. I usually paid very little attention to it, but when I realized I was drawing my girlfriend dead I put the pencil down. Pulling it off of the clipboard, I folded it up and slid the paper into my pocket. Trying to ignore what I had drawn. 

AUTHOR'S NOTIFICATION; Ariana

So this is my first chapter.

I took a cold shower, it sucked I'm really butthurt about it. 

Hugs, Kisses, Cuddles and Serenades xX