No Introduction Needed

Chapter One

The sound of a steel gate creaking open could be heard echoing through the quiet afternoon, a guard with a guard with a crooked mouth stash watched on blankly as a young man stepped through the gates and out into the hot desert sun, he was pleased to see another one so young finally going free but he didn't get excited because just like most a few months later he might just find himself back behind bars.

The young man in question shielded his eyes from the sun and looked out at the partial wasteland where his home for the past five years had been located, the earth was cracked and dry, the sun beat down on him with intent to kill and no vegetation could be seen for miles, he took a few more steps and just waited until a yellow cab pulled up.

He got in and told the man to drop him off at the nearest city, he went through his bag and pulled out a ratted wallet, he looked inside and held his breath when he saw it was empty but smiled happily when he saw the money he was looking for was sealed in a small zip lock, he didn't want to be yelled on for unknowingly ripping off the driver.

He popped open the bag and found a few hundred dollar bills, he was surprised at the condition it was in after sitting around for more than five years, he quickly shoved the money in his pocket and looked at the other things that were in the bag.

His school id and library card, he sighed at the sight of his old school photo, he looked like a baby back then but now he was twenty three years old and looked the part. He quickly folded it up and stuck it in his pocket, he found a few movie tickets, for movies that would be considered old now, he never got a chance to watch them, he quickly stuck them in his pocket and bit back his tears.

He found his old drivers license and remembered when he used to go for late night drives in his old ford Ranger, but it had probably had been sold or something, he had no idea. He gave it one last look before tossing it out the window, he had no use for it, he didn't even remember how to drive and if he did could he even afford a car?

He looked around for his old credit card but figured his parents had taken them, along with his phone and house keys, even if they didn't they might have just closed off his access to the account. He found an old condom and grimaced before throwing it out the window, he won't have any need for that and it would be useless if he did.

Finally he found an old picture it was of him and a certain girl, he would have liked to call her his girlfriend but would someone who claimed to love you do what she did? He crushed the photo and tossed it out the window, he searched the bag and found a notebook that was filled with numbers, he wondered how many of those would even work now and if they did who would answer a call from him, certainly not his family.

He looked up when the man said he was there, he asked the fair and paid the man a good hundred dollars before jumping out the car and walking under a buss stop to hide from the sun, he sighed as he looked around, he needed to find somewhere to stay and then find a job or maybe it was the other way around, he hadn't really thought about it.

With a sigh he heaved himself off the bench and looked around, the city didn't seem all that busy but maybe it was because he had jumped out the car on the outskirts of the city, he should have probably had him get further in but he wasn't even focusing.

He begun to walk and he had no idea ho long it had taken him before he was standing on a street corner watching as cars drove up and down the streets, trying to get to wherever it was they needed to be. He looked up and felt really small as he stared up at all the high rises, he had never seen buildings so tall.

As stupid as it sounded he was from a small town and never ventured far from home, he had had plans to attend a college that was in the main city but obviously never got the chance to go, he remembered the name of his old town and his address but had no reason to go there, there was a possibility his family still lived there in the large middle class home, but they wouldn't want to see him.

He remembered the first few months after he had been sent to prison he continuously sent letter after letter to them but never once got a reply, so after trying for nearly half a year, he gave up. They had given up on him and instantly believed a complete stranger over him what use were they to him.

He looked around and saw a newspaper stand, so he quickly crossed the street not aware of the street signs and flinched at the angry honking he got from the drivers. He went up to the woman and handed her a few cents for the paper and then quickly flipped through it, maybe here was an add or something for a job opening or an apartment.

He saw a few but flinched at the pr icings, he couldn't afford it, but that's what he thought because he was unaware of the changes in the economy. With a heavy sigh he rolled the papers up and held them in his hand as he aimlessly walked down the streets, his feet were starting to hurt as he looked from store to store finally stopping at a giant building.

He watched as some people unloaded trucks and carried them inside before coming out back and continuing, he had done something like that a few times in prison, so he figured he could do it depending on the weight so with a heavy sigh he went around the front of the building.

He stopped just as he was about to enter the building and looked down at the clothes he was in, a not so white long sleeved t shirt, baggy jeans and an worn out converse, his bag was thrown over his back and he bet his curly hair looked like a complete mess, would someone actually higher him with the way he looked.

He couldn't picture it but he needed the money or he might end up sleeping on the road, so he fixed himself as best as he could, running his hands through his hair before walking into the front of the building.

He looked around at the big open space and saw a few people moving around, he watched a short woman in a blue polo shirt and brown pants walked up to him with a kind smile on her face "hello there stranger, how can I help you."

He suddenly felt his throat clog up, he hadn't spoken to a woman in more than five years and the last one was his ex girlfriend, well if he was putting it kindly, he shifted a bit looking away from the woman's questioning stare, he ran his hand through his hair and then looked at her lowering his gaze "um... do you have any job openings?"

The woman's smile brightened "alright so since you're here looking for a job can I see your application?" she put out her hand and he took a step back causing her to cock her head in question.

He looked around nervously spotting a few people who had stopped to watch him, he scratched his throat and tried to smile "uh, I don't have one."

The woman's smile seemed to die a little as she looked him up and down taking in his appearance "you just looking to make a quick buck babe?"

He quickly shook his head and cleared his throat "I actually need a job, it's just that I didn't have time to get an application because..." he found himself trailing off, how was he going to explain to her that he just got out of prison and needed a job really badly, but he didn't have to say anything.

The woman took his hand and lead him down the hall into her office, she asked him to take a seat and he did, when she moved behind her desk she gave him a kind smile "ex-con?" she asked and he slowly nodded while folding his fingers into his jeans "what for?" her voice was calm but still made him nervous.

The next words that left his mouth were so quiet she had to ask him to repeat himself twice and he did "aggravated assault."