The Streets of New York
It's never a good idea to leave a gang after joining it. I've seen plenty of poor suckers get killed because of wussing out and I always thought "ha, suckers that's what you get for being a coward."
Never, thought it would be me.
Of course I had a pretty good idea what to do and what not to do. I had lived in the red dragon's gang all my life. I knew the territories and I knew that leaving the city unprotected was a bad idea. The red dragons had money and with that money they had pretty much bought out the police. They practically owned the city. When you leave New York City you're recorded leaving. It's suicidal.
I had found an old apartment that had been abandoned a long time.
It had no furniture, no running water and the lights don't work. And it stank.
A while back I had hung a blanket as a make shift curtain. As daylight began to filter through I thought need to get up soon.
I placed my hands behind my head thinking about how much a pillow would cost. I also thought about how much it would cost to find something to clean the carpet.
Thick and shaggy it made a good mattress. However it smelled of alcohol, dried blood, piss and I don't even want to know else. I had spent the first three nights in my new home sleeping on the kitchen counter.
"Disgusting carpet, no electricity, no water bet I stink and worse of all I'm talking to myself" I said "But I suppose we all do at one point or another."
Standing up was a struggle I was hungry and my body ached from all the healing bruises.
My initial escape had not gone well and I had gotten the shit beaten out of me.
I coughed at the cloud of dust that had arisen from my sudden movement.
"Maybe there's something to clean with in the cabinet" I said "duh, why didn't you think of this kind of stuff sooner."
I walked into the kitchen and looked in the cabinet beneath the sink. Nothing was there.
Of course nothing was there. The building is at least 100 years old. I doubt I'm the first to take refuge here.
I'll be eighteen tomorrow I thought happily. Tomorrow I can join the alliance. Tomorrow I can leave the entire gang and my entire past life behind.
I had-I checked my watch it's eight so -24 hours until I join the military.
I was a good sneaker so it was easy to sneak out undetected, or so I hope.
24 hours is not going to be spent indoors. I know I could go to the park. Then I remembered that's where three people who had done what I've done have been killed.
I could go to a gym, but spending 24 hours there was not ideal.
I could go to the library and read. Now were cooking, plus they have a café.
Say I if you agree to go to the library.
"I" I said.
New York was extremely easy to blend in it's easy to let yourself be carried in the flow of people to your destination.
The library was eight blocks down and to the left. 3609 South Street Avenue.
What I loved about libraries is that they always smelt fresh and good.
My entire education came from reading at the library. I liked computers and used the libraries often to research certain topics.
There are more pluses than just being a library that has a café. It was right off cross form the police station and the officers liked to stop by at the café during there during their brake.
I always felt safe in the library.
I gathered as many books as I could carry plopped myself in my favorite corner and started reading.
I went undisturbed for maybe four hours then someone just had to come questioning.
"Aren't you supposed to be in school?"
I looked up slowly from my book to see a motherly looking dark skinned young woman in a New York police uniform.
I smiled at her and said "yep."
She gave me a peculiar look then said "and why aren't you."
"Because I never went."
"And why's that?"
"Because I grew up without any legal guardians and so didn't have to."
"Where are your parents?"
"I think dead but one never knows."
"Any other relatives?"
"Not that I know of."
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"What do you plan to do with yourself?"
"I'm going into the alliance."
"What's your name?''
"Teyacapan Sheppard, but you can call me Teya. And I have a question for you."
"And what's that."
"How many more questions do you have?"
"One, no two more one when's your birthday?
"Tomorrow."
"Ok two what branch?"
"Huh?"
"What branch of military?"
"Marines."
"Marines! Good choice honey."
At that she laughed "Well there's no point in doing anything now. Good luck honey, if you ever need a hand come around the station and asks for Jessie smith. Goodbye and good luck, oh and be careful"
"Yes ma'am I'll be sure to do that" I said.
She walked away and I knew I would never see her again.
I went back to reading.
Six hours and thirty minutes later I was shooed out of library by one of the Liberians.
"Bye" she said.
"Bye" I said.
"Say, what's your name?"
"Teyecapan but you can call me Teya."
"Ok Teya will I see you soon?" She asked.
"Probably not" I said "I'm going into the marines."
"Ok then good bye Teya."
"Bye."
I left the library feeling pretty good I was talked to nicely by two people in the same day. I think that's a record.
I walked home happily thinking about how much my life was going to improve.
I opened the door being extra-quite for god knows why.
As soon as the door was closed behind me and locked. I was going to go to floor; I called it floor because I didn't have a bed but instead a floor.
I stopped mid-step, something was wrong. I don't know what but something was off.
I walked into the middle of the living room and my blanket curtain was open. I had never opened it.
"Welcome home little Sheppard."
"You shouldn't run away from your flock."
Shit. I dove immediately for my bag where all my stuff was kept. I yanked out an eight inch knife and pointed in the direction of the two voices.
"Jefferson and Cory Samuels you better get your asses were I could see you" I said planning my escape.
Talk and keep them distracted for as long as possible try to avoid conflict. Go into kitchen and close and lock door. Escape through window. Head into a crowd and find police. No wait these guys are idiots so let's open window and hide in cabinet. Escape when dumbasses go out window. And don't forget to feed the fish. Gotcha.
"Welcome" I said "to my lovely fucking home you dumbasses."
"Oh, Teya no needs to be so rude" Cory said "were just here to kill you."
"You don't have to kill me though" I said.
"Oh, yes we do were loyal to the red dragons, unlike some people" Jefferson said.
"Than your idiots" I said.
"I thought you were smarter than that going and running away like you did" Jefferson said.
"Yeah, I thought you had more common sense" Cory said.
"No Cory I do have common sense I'm smart enough to run away while I can."
"Only cowards run" Jefferson said "you have no Honor Teya."
"Screw honor I want to live" I said "and not only the brave fight, oh and I am smarter than you think."
Oh, yeah Cory and Jefferson are two very stupid brothers just so you know.
I smiled wickedly "I'm smart enough to do THIS!"
With that I leapt forward and jammed the knife into Cory's stomach twisted and yanked it back out. Cory dropped like a rock.
I didn't hesitate; I spun on heel and forgot my entire plan. I left out the front door.
I sprinted out on to the streets ignoring Jefferson's cries and whales about how I killed his brother.
I didn't really kill him did I?
I went into full gear after that, sprinting at full speed.
I'll calm down after I was in a big crowd of people.
I turned down random streets until I heard a whole bunch of commotion somewhere down the street. It was like a party or something. I wandered into the midst of the crowd and found a bench off to the side. Ignoring all the noise and using my hands for pillows. I immediately went asleep.
Best part about where I managed to fall asleep. Was that I managed to fall asleep right in front of the recruiting office. Sweet, that totally saved me walking to it.
I wiped hands off in my jean pockets knowing that I was dirty and probably looked like crap.
I licked my lips and opened the door it gave off a little be-boop.
The building was pristine clean with chairs all in a row. There were posters on the wall of saluting men and women in crisp uniforms and some of them were in armor.
A woman behind a desk smiled at me and asked "can I help you?"
" Actually yeah, you can" I said all the while singing in my head: were in the army now bud-du-du-du-da-but-du-du-du-da-da-duuu
