Sunrise. For a brief moment the man sitting silently is gifted with confusion and silence as he forgets where he is. The warm glow pours into his living room through the curtains that have been taped to the corners to block out most of the view. His gun rested on its post where it was secured to a chair. He looked back at the monotonously ticking timer as it came closer and closer to its destination. Standing and setting the gun aside, he turned the timer on its side and disarmed it. "No need for that." He grumbled and began pour over the rest of the dusty apartment slowly. Four days had passed with little signs of human life over this once happy home. A good shower and maybe some coffee should wash everything out of his mind. The shower was still a light green from the fresh mold that had grown last time but he crawls in anyway, slamming hands onto the knobs before clothes even come off. With a toss, everything on his body went into a pile in the sink, leaving the curtain wide open. Fear keeps him from sparing the minute or so to soap and wash his hair. When he was as clean as the molding shower can get him, a razor befriends him and with one last ritual the gray and weary is cut from his face. Face and soul a little lighter, the rest of the apartment seems to be flooded with filth. He turned to the most recent piles of clothes and scoops them into the washer. "Dishes. Right." Back to the kitchen, the mess he has left alone for too long demands attention. A few hours pass as the mess seems to shrink in spots left and right, some half eaten food here, some unloved books askew by the couch. His conscious gave a short break when most of it seemed acceptable and his thoughts turned to sleep. For the last week he couldn't keep strait hours and had to switch to nights at work. The suns rising and setting has become apart of his mind, warning and comforting him as the sun moves each day.

Looking out the window and rubbing his fresh shave, he chuckled lightly knowing his lifestyle didn't affect his marriage at least. As the clock ran closer to
nine, safety was assured and the time to resupply had come. The picture perfect town greeted with a soft gust of wind and the kids playing in the streets.
Down just a few blocks from the apartment, under a leafless and rigid tree he laid down to rest and stretch out on the grass. The warmth of the sun mixed with the still damp calm of the grass overtakes him as he drifts to sleep, losing himself in the sea of nature. Hours drift by and soon he is burned, waking to the pink on his skin. Stretching with the burn, it is evening and roughly four hours until sunset. Like a drunk sleepily wandering back down the street, his head is hung and arms dangling. The apartment is silent upon returning, the loneliness filling all of the space now cleared.

Realizing that he only has a few hours left, he fixed some pasta and sat quietly at the table. The other side used to always be so lively, and now the dust
collects because he can't bring himself to face his old life. The soft scraping of silverware echoes throughout the kitchen. "Just another night on the watch who
says it can't be a fun night at least?" Opening the cupboard in the corner, he judged the musty wines and scotches by their color and removed
the strongest. Not sizing for moderation, he poured a full glass of the yellow poison and sniffed it, enjoying the shudder that ran through his blood. "Yeah, a
very good night." The glass drains its way into his system until the bottle is empty. Barely able to keep his trusty rifle steady, he wobbled to his chair. "Alright bloodsuckers, come get some." Drifting into a light sleep, the gun slumped onto the floor.

"Trevor, you can't just live your life in here you know. You think I wanted to marry a bum?" A thin blond women in red stood in front of a mirror, eyeing the
jewelry she was holding over her pale neck. "Oh come on. Were not kids, we don't need to hang out in any clubs. Why not just buy some wine and have a couple fun nights ourselves." Trevor growled and smiled coming behind her. "Just stay in, we don't need the world to see us." "You're not getting off that easy," she giggled and turned to face him. "get your keys, tonight is for us."

Snoring and rolling out of the chair, the thud from the floor forced his eyes open. Still well liquored, he lifted himself onto his feet. Realizing that he can't
carry a gun into the streets, he set it on the counter, eyeing in his drunken stupor what to arm himself with. A kitchen knife was tucked into his jacket pocket
and he headed for the door. Stumbling down the stairs and into the night his eyes were soon blurry with the many signs and lights around him. Walking for what must have been hours, he found his way into a fast food chain and stopped for a quick meal. At least half of the whiskey had been diluted from the grease now pumping through his system as the clock neared three. A couple leaned against the glass of a nearby window and were clearly distracted from the world with each others lips. The girl couldn't have been older then 20, a very deep red leaving imprints on the much older mans face.

Rising quickly and resting his hand on the knifes handle, Trevor started for the door. He slammed both open and turned to face them as the girls lips had moved from the mans cheek and past his chin, pressing to his neck. He kicked the man in the side, sending him crashing to the ground. "Get away!" He caught the girl by surprise and pinned her to the glass. "That's enough leech." The girl had burst into tears, her makeup smearing. "Don't hurt me!" she squealed and tried to look away, squinting. "Hey asshole! What the fuck is your problem?" screamed the man in the ground, holding his ribs. "I only have 30 bucks on me, please, just take it and leave!" The girl sobbed. The smell of whiskey emanated from Trevor and he realized he had assaulted a random kid in drunken rage. Sheathing his knife and letting her go, he started to run as fast as his wobbling legs could muster, losing direction as he darted around corners and cars, trying to find his way home. The sky had turned to a very deep blue with the sun just around the corner. He ran until he didn't need to read the signs to know he was lost, tucking into an alleyway next to a dumpster. Hiding the knife underneath it, he rested with his back against it. Tears came quickly and soon he was sobbing into his hands, smearing his snot covered hands onto the ground to clean them, however oil and food stained it was. The tears rocked him to sleep gently, and he found comfort in his jacket with his hands deep in the pockets to keep him warm.

Morning invaded his eyes and pulled him from his slumber. His stomach churned at the smell of the dumpster and urged him on his feet to find food. As he started home, the smell of food from various breakfast cafes taunted him. His wallet and a clean change of clothes were five miles down the road. By noon he was reaching into his window and twisting the lock open. He walked through the house shedding his clothes in a trail towards the bathroom, once more crawling in and turning whichever knobs he could reach. Half asleep in the shower, the warm water slowly caressed away the the oil and dirt from the ally. Across the apartment the phone began to ring, and still nude, he roamed across the house to answer it.

"Hello?" He cleared his throat, not meaning to answer so groggily.
"Trevor?" a female voice seemed to hang in the air and despite not seeing her, he searched for a towel to clean up.
"Beth, hey, it's uh... it's been a while." They both sat in silence for a few seconds.
"Yeah it's been a bit. Justin called a little while ago asking about you. He wanted you guys to get together again, catch up."
"Uh yeah. Yeah pass my number and we'll set something up. It's good to hear from you. How Frank?"
"He's...the same. He's keeping focused and uh...busy."
"Well hey I'm headed out to work, I have to run...have Justin gimme a call."

She muttered her goodbyes and the phone clicked off. Unsure of why he just lied to someone who reached out to him, he sat in his towel on the couch and stared down at the phone. Though he hadn't spoken to any of the in laws in what must have been seven months or more, the distance that they had was needed, a wound between them that couldn't be healed with the comfort of family members. Justin hadn't visited for the last few months, growing tired of their long talks that always led to drinking.

Trevor was glad to have received the call though and spent the day planning for a better reunion than the last few times they had gotten together. Justin and him had spent the first few weeks of his recovery together but sadly split apart when the partying had started to interfere with his job. When the sun had started to set he put the chair right back at the indents in the carpets and grabbed the gun leaning against the door. Diligent to the nightly watch as always, he sat quietly with the gun and stared out the window into the parking lot. After an hour or so the shrill scream of the phone echoed through the house again and he answered it. "Aron's residence." He said calmly, not taking his eyes off of the street.

"Hey bucko how're you hanging in there?" Chewing on something loudly was Justin as he smacked and ripped whatever it was.
"Speak of the devil."
"Oh your finally talking again, and about me?"
"Yeah I was telling some fine ladies about a friend I don't have." He lied flatly.
"You don't talk to women, they like people who give it a wiggle once in a while. I heard my mom called you today, so I was hoping we could hit the town if you're not too busy."

Staring at the street and then at the gun he set it on the chair and sighed. "Yeah let's go to lucky's, I'll meet you there in half an hour." Justin let out a grunt of understanding and hung up. Grabbing his keys and wallet he headed out the door and to his car. "Hey man, you got any change?" He turned to see a man wearing multiple coats with a long gray beard standing behind him with his hand out. "Here." He reached into his pockets and dumped a handful of various coins into his open palm. "Go nuts huh?" The man grinned and walked away slowly. Noticing that the homeless had never wandered even close to this part of town, he looked around the corner of the building at a nearby park where sure enough were two more men sleeping under benches and trees. A little downhearted that his neighborhood was turning into more of a wreck then he had hoped he drove through the city almost looking for better signs of life. Parking and stepping up the door at lucky's he saw Justin flirting with one of the employees behind the counter. "Don't tell me he fell for the usual." He grinned as he walked in. "I was just telling him about my many adventures through the town." "Madame grey please." They sat and talked as the day wound down and the night life sprang up just across the street with clubs opening and lines forming around the corners. "Do you have a job yet?" Trevor stared down into his drink almost ashamed. "No." "Mmm well have you eaten all of your savings yet?" Knowing he couldn't avoid the question having been close with Justin before on financial terms he nodded. "I've got a month or two left."

"Well as much as I'd love to watch you go homeless and drag all of the shit in your apartment down the street are you going to get a job and pick up the phone once in a while or is this gonna be a conversation I look back on when they put your face on posters." Turning a bit sour and looking over at him he set down his drink. "You're a dick. Believe it or not no one wants to deal with the happy go skippy lifestyle I lead." Not bothered in the least by his rudeness he shrugged. "Make friends and work a job. Then die in a bed at least some day." Trevor sighed. "I will. You wanna head out? Unless you're getting his number I'm sure he wants to close the shop." Smiling while scrubbing a glass the man behind the counter nodded. "If you don't mind." Finishing their tea and leaving they began to walk through Old Town, stopping occasionally and staring into the many windows of trendy stores.

"If you expect a crazy party I'm not drinking tonight I've already had enough for a while."
"You quitting?"
"No I just get tired of getting all boozed up to roll around."
"Well there's always crazy bars. Like drunken monkey."
"Getting put through a window is not my idea of a good time."

Sitting with a young man on a bench was a lady dressed in black, her nails brushing over his neck lightly. "Trevor." Now staring at the young girl he started to move forward. Almost in a trance he kept moving recognizing her as the girl from around the fast food place. "Trevor." Justin called again, watching him closely. The girl was with a different man this time and her arm was draped around her shoulders. He got closer and closer until he was only a few feet away and she turned to him. "Are you gonna keep following me big boy or is this just another play date?" She turned with a coy smile and grinned at him. Her eyes were so sparkly and deep he began to lose himself a little. "Go have a good time and don't..." His world melted away as the very night seemed to rip past his eyes.

Standing in a club with blaring music and lights overhead, he looked around not knowing where he was. Sitting at a table close by with a beer in had was Justin. His eyes locked on and noticing that Trevor was more lucid, he stood and brought him over to the table. "Are you finally awake?" Justin was half yelling from the music. "You have been a zombie for three hours, and wandered until you found this club and just stood on the dance floor forever. What did that girl say to you?" Trevor shook his head trying to remember and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?" Justin tapped his pocket where his phone was and Trevor looked down at it. 2 am. "You're not kidding." Justin glared. "No asshole I'm not kidding I babysat you through your breakdown tonight so you wanna tell me what the hell is going on?" Trevor motioned for them to leave so he could get a grip on where they had ended up and they made their way through the crowd. Outside in the chilled air they moved into an alleyway. "Trevor, who the fuck was that girl? What did she say that ruined your head?" His memory a bit fuzzy even before they went out he rubbed his eyes. "I saw her at mcdonalds one night kissing a guy. I have no idea who she is." Justin scoffed, bitter with the results. "And her magical words?" Trevor shrugged. "No idea. Lets go back to my place." Disappointed and frustrated that he wasted the night, Justin led him back to his car and dropped him off over at lucky's where he was still parked. "See you at home." He yelled out the window as he drove off.

The town was still blurry around him as he drove off into the night. Still recovering from the loss of time, he looked around at the passing people and restaurants affirming that some had closed or parked bikes had moved. As he got home Justin's car was outside and he was already inside. Climbing the stairs and walking in, Justin was eyeing the inside of the fridge and emerged with a beer in his hand. "I see you keep such a...beautiful lifestyle all alone in here." Sighing and plopping onto the couch he flicked on the computer which was connected to the tv. "Here." Justin had brought the whole case of beers and put them in front the of couch, opening his own. "I hope at least we can piss the night away after that little stunt you pulled." Glaring at him Trevor defended himself. "It wasn't a stunt." Justin was nodding pretending to believe him. "Look I've seen her before, and when I go to talk to her she fries my head and I wake up in the club."

"Look Trevor I know what you're going to say and I don't buy it." Trevor flicked on some late night cartoon and sighed. "They're out there." Justin would hear no more of it and finished the rest of his beer and opened another. "Just shut up and drink." The hours ticked away as they drank and watched various shows only pausing to walk across the street to a crooked store that sold liquor past the legal time. Trevor didn't sleep drunk though and sat down at his computer making a list and beginning the application process to various places in town. Justin snored loudly and had rolled onto the floor, reaching up to grab a pillow which he put between his arm and the floor for some reason. As the applications dragged on the sun had begun to come up and the sinking feeling of safety allowed him to melt into the couch, his eyes slowly closing.

"Shut up and dance with me!" She giggled. Her jewelry was flowing as she swayed by the table.
Setting down the drink he had and standing Trevor pulled her close, their arms locking and moving onto the dance floor. "I thought I'd never get you out of that seat." She smiled and closed her eyes resting her head on his chest. The music hummed and rocked the walls and floor as they slowly drifted across it. Bumping into a women who was alone Trevor smiled. "I'm sorry." She had deep golden brown eyes and seemed to peer into his head as she stared. The silenced alerted the attention of the lady in his arms who looked up first at him and then shifted to the stranger. "Something wrong?" The lady smiled and pressed a hand to Trevor's face softly. "Not at all. Enjoy your night." She turned and dissipated into the crowd heading towards the bar. "I swear this town gets creepier and creepier." Trevor laughed deeply at her cold words. Between the heads of the crowd he could still see those eyes burned into his whenever he closed them.