Gaze

Alastair Murrow

I sighed and propped my feet up on my desk, I looked around my "office".
The stone walls seemed to make the room appear more cold than it actually was, but don't get me wrong, it's pretty cold in chicago especially at this time of year. The lone lamp hung from the ceiling swaying every now and then, it provided most of the heat in the room since it was better to have fires or heaters or such in bedrooms or something I'll spend more time in. I looked at the worn wooden door expecting something to happen or someone to come bursting through. I turned my head toward the ceiling. "Just life I suppose." I thought aloud my thick english accented voice ringing through the empty room like the sudden blast of a gunshot.
I yawned and got up, I'd completed my tasks a while back, guess I'd just been too distracted to get up or something like that. I walked toward the door and opened it slowly then hopped out suddenly putting my hands in the air as if to say "Ta Da!". A few of my friends, that were in the room I'd just popped in, snickered at my action. "The recluse himself!" A voice spoke amusingly. I turned to see Brooklyn smiling wide, her brown hair brushing into her freckled face. "I thought you would never leave that place!" She continued. "Well people surprise you sometimes!" I remarked playfully punching her in the arm then we both laughed.
I'd known Brooklyn for maybe a year or two now? Yeah at least two years. She's the type of person that you think you have all figured out, then you realise. You're way wrong. "Murrow!" A voice suddenly called from the staircase, I turned around panicked but they obviously looked calm so I relaxed. I realised quickly it was Skyler waving at me from the staircase, he stood there smiling in his long white trench coat, which he somehow was able to keep clean even after the year he's owned the thing.
I realised something. "Har har, standing on the stairs," I said discovering the joke. "Very funny, mate." Skyler spoke again. "No need to be upset-" I waited for the punchline. "Alistairs!" Everyone else in the room laughed but I just stood and rolled my eyes whilst smiling. "Oh c'mon you know you love that joke!" He said punching me playfully. "Do I?" I retaliated trying to sound serious but we both broke out laughing a few seconds later. Skyler noticed Brooklyn then walked over to her, his silver eyes staring into her red ones, they found each other. "Well hullo pretty lady," He spoke in a fake country accent. "You come around here of'n?" They both giggled then he kissed her. I made a fake retching sound in response which got me a few laughs from the surrounding crowd, and before anybody starts to lecture me on doing that, they laughed too so it's all good. "Alright I'm going out." I waved lightly then jogged swiftly to the front door and slammed it shut behind me leaving before I could receive any response. I continued out of the small alley that our living place was located and found myself on a sidewalk. I walked the streets of chicago and looked around, so many different people come to this city, some have similar paths and ideas, but all different motives. I turned a corner to see this small ice cream shop towards the beginning of an alley, it's not the best part of town for a sort of thing along these lines, as you've told them before, but they didn't care much, probably because it was so cheap seeing as it wasn't exactly the scene of a ice cream shop, or well any shop, then again you should be glad it's here, it's nice to have a local ice cream shop, who wouldn't want one? I walked in, a small bell rung letting everyone know of my presence, and I continued walking up toward the counter. "Hello again." The young female worker greeted me at the counter smiling. "Yeah, can I have-" She stopped me. "Dude you're here like five times a week you don't even need to finish." I laughed as she went to the back to start on my chocolate ice cream. I looked around at the other people in the shop, they were mostly lost tourists.
She came back and set the bowl in front of me.
I opened my mouth to talk to her, then I heard the small bell ring. I turned to see a young woman walk in, but she didn't look like a tourist or anyone who would live around here. She walked up and ordered, then when the worker came back she asked her something. "Something something something Jack something something club something something criminal..." She continued talking, but I already could tell what she was going on about.
I coughed putting my head down then purposefully spoke in a raspy voice. "Yeah sorry I'm just not feeling well." I set some money on the table and got up to leave then the worker said behind me. "See ya around." I slammed the door behind me picking up a bit of speed, if anything went down I didn't want it within an eyeshot of that shop, they were average people, serving mostly average people, most of the people in there would report this sort of stuff. I heard a small bell ring behind me then heard the woman from the shop say. "Stop Chicago PD, I just need to ask a few questions." I quickly turned a corner into an alley then pulled a gun out of my pocket and waited, I couldn't lie to the police, I lie something awful! If she pursued I wouldn't be left any choice seeing as she'd already seen me leave the shop so suddenly at the mention of a criminal. A couple seconds later she came running and as soon as she turned I punched her square in the face, she staggered surprised, expecting for me to have ran by now. I raised my gun up to her head and cocked it letting her know that I had a gun on her. "Don't look up, don't move, don't do anything!" I spoke brutally. "If you really know who I am you know I won't hesitate if you do."