I am the Unnamed Narrator.That is all you need know of me, and that I tell the tales, like this unfortunate event unfolding before us now.
See, a middle aged man, cradling his servo supper after a long hard day. Warm, his salutations to the attendant, gentle, the creases of his smile, kindness from the very windows of his soul. The last customer, the attendant locks up for the night, as the man leaves the safety of the station, venturing into the cold, enveloping darkness.
Hark, a feeble 'Please...' punctuates the loneliness. By the last reaches of light from the servo, he makes out the faint outline of a beggared figure, huddled by the side of the road. Hear, how hard his heart pounds, but he silences the cautionary screams of danger in favour of a better hope, a better faith in humanity. Oh, the heart of Man, that is tender and caring, as it offers a helping hand to lift his fellow man from the gutter, and a slice of pizza. Oh, how magnanimous, how noble...
How endearingly naïve.
He does not notice the two shadows step out from the night air, despite the warning from the old adage. Only when the trap is sprung and the feigning thug smiles through a mouthful of pizza does he realise the vultures he is surrounded by. He allows himself a sharp intake of air as a stray ray of light glints off the edge of something sharp; and a slow sigh at how utterly helpless the situation is, stranded in the dark.
"Please..." he echoes the cuckoo cry, but laughter is their cold reply."Why so serious?" their mock concern, whilst intent actions still undeterred.They shove their victim to the dirt; not just his cash, they want to hurt,Their reason: Nothing more than fun, just something that they've never doneTo shower the earth with crimson red, watch it's convulsions till it's deadSuch is their sick depravity, testament to their iniquity.He feels a blade against his neckAnd that is thatAll fades to black.Oh, the darkness in the hearts of Man,The depths of desperation to which one descends...
YOU ARE READING
The Kindness of Strangers
FanfictionYears before Joaquin Phoenix was considered for the role, I wrote a short story about a friend's encounter with muggers. Unsatisfied with just one ending, I wrote three different ends to the tale, one of which bears a strong resemblance to a certain...
