Dante spent the next few days searching relentlessly for a new job. He spent hours and hours on the streets looking for anyone who would hire him. Newspaper clippings were spread out everywhere on the kitchen counter with job offerings highlighted. But every company turned Dante down. They took one look at his bruises and resume and turned him away; bad for business.
Mickey came home from work, tired from the daily harassment of customers and the sudden lack of workers. He put his keys and suitcase down by the living room table and yawned. He glanced over at the kitchen table to find Dante asleep in a chair with his head buried in his arms. Mickey shuffled his way over and looked at the cluttered table. It was covered with Job adds with red 'X's' over every one of them. It was obvious Dante wasn't anywhere near successful in his job hunts. Mickey sighed and nudged him awake.
"Dante, get up. You're drooling on my table. I don't want to have your spit as a replacement for my daily food source" He said in a way that wasn't soothing at all. Dante peered up at Mickey and yawned.
"Sorry, I didn't realize you were going to be home so early" Dante replied sluggishly.
"Dante, It's ten o'clock. I'm not early"
"Oh! Wow, time flies when you're bored!"
"Why don't you get something to eat? I'm having a girl come over and I don't want you here making me look bad with your needy hobo appearance"
Dante gave a quick glare at Mickey and got up and headed to the door.
"Dante, try not to look so down. Maybe your bad luck is for a good reason. Maybe God is just preparing you for something" Mickey said.
His attempt to cheer Dante up was hopeful. Dante just stared back at Mickey and then shook his head with a heavy breath.
"Mickey, after what all happened to me, and the continuous dread.. I'm not too keen on the idea of there even being a God. If so, he has a weird sense of humor bullying me this way"
"Dante, you just need to have some faith"
"Why have faith when you have nothing else?"
"At least you'll have something"
With that, Dante left. He strolled down the apartment steps and out into the busy streets. His hands were shoved deep within his pockets. After awhile he started to hate himself for shoving Mickey's sympathy in his face. After all, he was the only one who has ever truly cared for Dante. Since Middle school, all the way to adult hood, Mickey has been there. But Dante didn't want to even think of the possibility of there being any kind of divine being right now. Why would God put him through beatings, fear, and hopelessness? What did Dante ever do to deserve that?
His thought was then broken by the sudden alarming sound of police sirens. Police cars raced past Dante and jerked around a corner. They were speeding towards Central Park. It was then Dante noticed all of Central Park had been blocked off. He walked across the street and looked around. All around were police cars and "crime scene" strips. People stopped and stared. Some even tried sneaking over the strips to catch a peak, but they were quickly caught and escorted back over the border. What could have possibly happened to make them block off all of Central park? Possibly a murder? Or maybe even a bomb threat?
Dante ignored it and continued his stroll. The boy was lost in a deep thought; he didn't even know why he kept walking aimlessly. His stroll lead him in front of an electronics store. Many different sized televisions were set on display in the window. They were all on the news channel.
"Breaking news!" announced the news casters.
"A great portion of Central Park is being closed and blocked off to all civilians until further notice"
