In the Shadow of Life

Life, a simple word that has so many meanings. Everyone has his own choice and completely different life. Some of us just can't handle it anymore and just kill ourselves, end it there. Others think they are the kings of the world, living in great fortune while having everything that money can afford. Many more live without a cause, like shadows of life. They try to keep up with their deep scars and regrets, without anyone to support them. Or they just lost the spark that kept them going so far.

Joel drifted inside his small house, with a suit on and a briefcase. Some clients held him longer than expected.

While ambling into the living room, he had put his briefcase next to his couch. Then, he sat on the couch, with crossed legs that rested on a glass bench. The moonlight flashed everywhere through the windows, but pair of curtains hid Joel in the shadow. While gazing through the window, he pulled out a packet of cigarettes from the inner pocket of his suit, and a lighter with it. Cigarette later, one of the burning tobacco filling fell, burning a hole in his suit, right above his heart. When he noticed it, he just delicately blew it off and left it.

As he glanced at the hole, something sparked in his mind. He turned, then gazing melancholically at the empty side of the couch, thinking. 'Emma, I remember when she was around. But this bloody massacre at the butcher's shop. Red Eagle gangsters, those pests of our city. Greediness, they rushed in for money! She was just there at the wrong time, my beautiful and innocent wife. Ten people shot down, counting the butcher and her. I can just imagine what happened. Emma crying in great pain, in her last seconds of her life as she bled out. I'll never forget about her, everything reminds me about my poor girl. Everything was perfect, but that is just the past that will never return...'

He went to the kitchen. The moonlight battled with the darkness within, only tiny amount fell inside. In the meanwhile, Joel was butchering some meat with a razor sharp knife. Blood was dripping from his hands. A rock smashed the whole window in the kitchen, and hit Joel in the stomach. No movement, he kept slashing the meat more fiercely.

Later on, he glanced at the clock and it was 20:35. In the meanwhile, he was purifying his hands from the dirt. Joel's mind sparked, he remembered that someone will meet him at 22:00. On his way out of the kitchen, he glanced at the fridge. It had a mysterious quote on it, saying 'trouble awaits everyone, it's just the matter of time'. Whatever it meant, a tear fell from Joel's eye, as he thought about his wife. He drifted out of his house, with his briefcase. Leaving the half slashed meat in the kitchen, along with the bloody knife.

Along the way, the moon was engulfed by the clouds. Streetlamps were scattered over the street, one illuminating Joel with his briefcase. He stood still, observing a light deprived alley. Nothing took his sight in a long time than this. It was a man, usual black smart suit but pointing a gun at someone. It was an innocent child which sat in a corner, sobbing. Joel's mind was overwhelmed with pictures of his wife. He could imagine how she would shout and cry in the butcher's shop, how terrifying and brutal the gangsters were to her.

Joel's briefcase fell to the ground. He stood there, with a gun in his hand. In his head, he heard his wife's voice yelling 'help Joel! Don't let it happen again!' Carefully, he paced towards the gangster. Few steps away from him, he aimed at the armed man, with his shaking hand. He struggled, but gazed at the child with flooded eyes. The boy held his legs near his body, and had his arms around them, while staring up at the evil man. Joel rushed up to the armed man. Footsteps fell, and the gangster turned around. Joel put his gun towards his skull, shooting right through. He continued to shoot body with all his bullets, the kid ran way. Then, Joel crouched besides the corpse, glancing at the body, with a sigh and his hand covering his face. Seconds later, Joel slowly backed off, put his gun in his briefcase and drifted home, all stained by the man's blood.

He went inside his house at 21:58. Joel pulled out his bloody gun and began to wipe it off with a cloth. Knocks came on the door. 'Come in.' Joel said. A figure came in with a suit on and briefcase, similar to Joel's. 'Joel, some new clients just called me.' The man said as he was coming inside. 'I wasn't expecting you Josh. You shouldn't have come here.' Joel stated as he continued to clean his firearm. Josh glanced around the room, he saw the gun and blood on Joel. His eyes got wide open while he stood there, shocked. 'J-Joel, why do you have a gun in your hand?' Josh asked. 'You really shouldn't be here Josh.' Joel informed. 'I won't tell anyone but you need to explain it to me.' Josh insisted. 'You really shouldn't be here Josh.' Joel repeated, louder. 'God damn it Joel, just tell me what happened!' Josh exclaimed. With anger, Joel launched his firearm to another room, onto the kitchen floor. 'It really doesn't matter. Josh, you are a person I like. I give you the option to go while you still can.' Joel calmly said, as he was looking towards Josh. 'What, are you frightening me now? That you going to kill me if I don't or what?' Josh asked, irritated. 'Just go!' Joel insisted. 'I won't even move my foot!' Josh shouted.

The door swung open and a man stepped in. He had a red eagle sawed to his suit, and a shotgun hanging of his hand. His gun burst out at Josh, Josh's body flew through the room. 'Joel, the butcher's incident happened over a year ago. But this is not an excuse to shoot my men on the streets! I've made an agreement with your gang, remember!' The man bawled to Joel. 'I'm not a gangster anymore, I've ended it a long time ago. And I will never return to it. I didn't do it out of the blue.' Joel explained. 'Your wife is dead, nothing will change it. When my gangsters returned from the butcher's, they told me about it all. How she had screamed when they shoot her.' The man told Joel. 'She didn't have anything to it, your bloody gangsters marched in and made a massacre.' Joel exclaimed while pacing towards the man. 'Ha, ha. You don't get it Joel, it is just business and money. Everything is about it. But you are like a pest, complicating everything for the red eagles, for me.' The man explained while aiming his shotgun towards Joel. Joel stood still.

He ran at the best moment, the gangster misfired. 'Shit! Joel just make it easy for both of us.' The gangster shouted while rushing after him. Joel got down on the kitchen floor, picked up the gun and aimed at the gangster. The gun was empty, Joel sat there on the floor. The man came up closer to him, without tiniest flinch. He gazed at Joel with lowered brows.  'You still making everything difficult, but not for long.' The gangster said. Sound from out door came, gangster turned away from Joel. Instantly, Joel raised himself up, took the bloody knife and slashed the man's leg. 'Aaarh, you fucker!' Gangster yelled from pain and fired his shotgun. Joel rolled over, dodging the shot. As the man was reloading, Joel stabbed him right into his stomach, gangster fallen on the floor. 'Ha, ha. You think you won Joel. I've took some men with me, they all surrounded your house. Ha, ha, ha...' The gangster sighed. His voice got quieter with each word said, until he went silent.

Joel ran up to the door and watched through the glass. There were tens of them, coming sooner or later. He picked up a photo of his wife and took a cigarette out of his pocket. Then, he sat on the couch. His wife's photo been in his hand, he gazed at it. Meanwhile, he lit his cigarette, inhaled the smoke and let it out slowly.

Gangsters bashed into the house. Without mercy, they shot Joel with their machine guns. Joel's body fell on the floor, all bloodied and holed by the guns. In his hand, there was the picture of his wife, of a woman with a smile on her face.