The devil has bangs

The Devil Has A Dream

"Here you go" The waitress sets the shiny cheese fries in front of me. "let me know if you need anything else dear"

I lean my head on my hand, poking at the meal. My appetite disappearing slowly.

The place is pretty empty but as I look up I lock eye's with someone who looks like..

"Edgar?" I say as I approach, slowly scanning his face. His beard is patchy with grey and black, his jacket and hat with the fabric falling apart. He could easily be any old bum but he looks up.

"Kiarra?" He realizes. I gulp. Father..

"Don't say that name" 

 "..Where is .. Athena?" He says cautiously. 

Tears well up in my eyes. "She's dead!" I hiss, slamming my fist on the table. 

Tears well up in his to.. "No.." He begins shaking his head. The room darkens.

My eyes open. "Russle?" Pulling the sheets off my head I see that I am not on the floor anymore but on.. Enriqos bed. 

*Clank. I jump. It's coming from the kitchen. I press my back against the wall and look carefully. Russle?

"Oh thank goodness!" He exclaim, rushing over with coffee. "Sit, you need to sit"

"Wait, stop" I push him off me. "You need to to leave"
"No way in hell" He pushes me over to the dining table. 

"Where is Enriqo?" I glare as he places the coffee in my hands.

"Would you relax? Everything is fine"

"Did you know he would do this?" I snap, but feel my energy drain quickly from the anger.
".....Yes"

The cup stops at my teeth. Before I can jump across the table he interrupts "But that's why I followed you!"

My fist is shaking "Do you know how scared I was?"

"At least now you can prove you were drugged and we can prosecute him"

"You fucking planned this?" Oh no one is stopping me now.

"Look!" He jumps away from me. "This, THIS needs to be handled the judicial way. If you kill him, then he gets away with this. No one believes rape in the gay community. More cases like this need to be made public" 

Oh.. 

"My friend wants justice. THIS doesn't save anybody" He pleads with his eyebrows. 

"I am a wanted woman.. even if I wanted to help I couldn't. So either let me take care of this or I have to go"

His head drops and I can tell he is heartbroken.. He leads me over to the closet, letting Enriqos almost lifeless body fall to my feet. 

"Don't worry about me. Pretend none of this ever happened" I look down at the tight grey shirted body. His chest beginning to rise along with my anger "Don't look back"

Russle looks at me scared, seeing who I really am and runs to the door. Babystache begins to open his eyes as I kneel down. "Did you have a nice sleep?" I lift up my cuffs "Because I didn't" and give him an eternal one. 

****

I've been in this city for too long. I need to leave but I promised the bartender a story.. and I don't leave loose ends. 

Roger gently slides over a cup of water. As if it were worth the information I was about to tell him. "I'm not thirsty"

"Then just say thank you and don't drink it"

"Don't tell me what to do" I challenge.

"Fine, but you're being an asshole and I'm allowed to tell you that" He smiles. I don't back down. 

"Look I just came here to tell you that I aint tellin you shit" I grab my jacket.

"You don't have to tell me nuthin baby. I saw you with Enriqo.." 

I stop. Enriqo. Enriqo. Enriqo. His words echoed in my head when I sit back down. 

"And now, he's dead" He looks back at the tv. 28 year old man found dead in his condominium. More details to come. 

"Are you a cop?" My nail cuts my palm when I realize I'm clenching. 

"Haha no. I'm just asking you to keep our deal"

I settle down. He's holding all the cards. 

"All you need to know is that I help people.. victims of sexual assault." I huff. 

"No no no. I believe you mean to tell me what you did last night"

"If I tell you, you will get in trouble. You understand? It's best if we just leave it there" I sit back and give him a moment to think.

"I wanted a story. You can be vague.. Tell me where you started?"

"Someone hurt my sister"

"And then you got revenge"

"I didn't say that!" I snap. Trying to put words in my mouth. 

"Sorry" His hands rest on the table. 

"She was my only family. I couldn't protect her. but I wont let that happen to anyone else" I look up and meet his eyes.

"How long.. since" 

"6 months" 

"Feels like a lifetime doesn't it?" 

"A whole other one.." He gets it. but I don't ask. 

"Hey Gregory! What's the hold up?" I hear a roar of laughter that startles me. 

"Looks like I'm not the only one with secrets" I say as we both get up.

"Nahh Roger is just gregory backwards. Not that cool." His smile is kind of.. cute. 

"Are we good here?" 

"Okay. I wont pry. It's just no one leaves my bar without tellin me their story. Not even a badass like your self" He winks.

My face gets hot. 

"Safe travels." He leans in and kisses me on the cheek.. Oh shit.

BOOM. The table hits the wall as I throw Roger to the ground subconsciously.

****