Character Flaws

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I decided to take the short way home. The only reason one would not take the short cut was because it passed through some of the toughest parts of the city, which posed no real threats to someone of my manly physique.

All the same, I usually went the more scenic route, preferring not to take any chances or unnecessary risks, but today I was tired and figured that nothing would happen on the one day I happened to go that way. And so I took a right where I would have normally taken a left and headed into the heart of the city.

Now, my apartment was certainly no penthouse, in fact even if I spent every hour of free time I had for the next month fixing it up it would still have trouble passing for middle class. But it had nothing on the houses in this part of town. 

It had once been where the wealthiest of the citizenry lived, but that was when the city was still new. The once grand houses were trashed, wide wrap around porches collapsed and crooked around the bases, roofs caving in or perforated with gaping holes, doors hanging off their hinges like teeth knocked out in a bar fight. It wasn’t pretty. Neither were the people. Some where huddled under blankets, crouched at the corners of buildings. Others shambled and staggered around, pumped so full of drugs it was doubtful they remembered their names much less where they were. The most concerning were the figures darting in and out of the shadows, their movements quick and jerky. This was what most people expected us drivers to be like, but it was an unreasonable fear. We were forced into plain view, whether we wanted to be or not, making it impossible for any but the best to get away with much. And that was what made these shadow people so frightening. They were effectively invisible, never allowing themselves to be entirely seen, leaving people to draw their own conclusion. And while fact may be stranger than fiction, imagination could be much more frightening than reality. All the same, I swaggered forward, head up and shoulders thrown back confidently. I passed down the street unmolested and turned onto the next street that would take me through to my apartment.

I was nearing the edge when the sound of a hard impact and someone grunting stopped me. I froze in place, still looking down the road as I listened, the sound of panting came to me from an alleyway behind me on the opposite side of the road. I was torn, part of me wanting to continue on my way, the other part wanting to see what was going on. Curiosity won out in the end. I cautiously crossed the road and walked back toward the alley, peering over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t going to be caught surrounded and unaware in an unpleasant situation. When I reached the corner of the crumbling brick building that made up one side of the alley I paused and peered into the shadows. The sound repeated itself as my eyes began to adjust to the sudden darkness. Two figures slowly became distinguishable deeper in the alley, one slouched against the wall the other standing before him.

As I watched the one standing brought his elbow up, viscously striking the man and causing him to sag even lower, clearly barely conscious. Before I could even think to intervene, the attacker pulled a gleaming blade from inside his jacket and within seconds it was buried deep inside his victim’s chest. He jerked his arm back and the man slumped all the way onto the ground, dead. I was unable to keep a gasp from escaping my lips. The killer heard it, spinning to face me, the blood-soaked knife still in hand. I remained frozen as our gazes met. He seemed as shocked as I was. He had feral eyes that darted from my face over my body, taking me in as I was him. He had a lean muscular build, his skin covered in black ink. One tattoo in particular caught my attention. It was on the side of his neck and I recognized the design immediately. This was no crime of passion, the tattoo on his neck proved that. It was a tag for one of the most powerful gangs in the city. I had just witnessed a gang killing. The thought broke me out of my trance and I bolted, running as fast as I could toward where I hoped other people would be. The slapping of shoes on cement behind me alerted me to the fact that I was being pursued. I pushed myself faster but still the footsteps grew closer. A hand grabbed the back of  my worn shirt, roughly pulling it and swinging me around to face my assailant. I was met with a fist being brought into my nose. I could feel blood spurting from my nose as the sharp pain spread throughout my face. I reacted quickly, ducking as the murderer began to swing again, causing his fist to sail over my shoulder. Before he could recover I pummeled him twice quickly in his ribcage, standing up as he groaned. I grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, shoving him toward the ground and again turning to run. I made it farther this time before the footsteps began following me again, though they were slower than before and the breathing was more labored. I pushed myself even farther, the staccato of my shoes on the concrete increasing in tempo as I raced faster away from him. I sprinted around the corner of a building to my left, my heart pounding in my chest so hard I could feel my blood rushing through my veins and my pulse in my ears. I nearly fell, stumbling over an uneven section of pavement but regained my balance as I continued running. The footsteps behind me faded as my pursuer slowed down until he ceased running altogether. I didn’t pause even as I turned around to check and make sure he wasn’t sneaking up behind me, an irrelevant fear but one that crossed my mind all the same. Running short on breath, I slowed my pace to that of a brisk jog, quick, but easier to maintain. As I did so, I attempted to think but the adrenaline pounding through my veins was turning my thoughts into a jumbled cloud of nonsense and my brain into an even more useless instrument than people said it was under normal circumstances. The only comprehensible thought that presented itself to me was Nugget inviting me to his and Jelly’s apartment and I felt the need to go there, though a small voice in the back of my mind vehemently urged me to reconsider. I could think of no other options and his apartment was the closest to my current location so I pivoted on my heel and continued jogging, this time with a destination clear in mind, but not much else.