CHAPTER 1 - WE LIVE TO DIE -
The Crow stood overhead and gaped down at the smoggy streets of the Southside of Chicago. It's black wings flew up and graced through the sky peering down at the harsh life that lay below it. The Crow landed on an old garage that was a sure place for stoners and dealers, and most likely for the homeless on the cold winter nights. Other than that it served no real purpose and had never been used and was falling down. It starred into the dark alleyway where the only light was that of the full moon that shown above. The Crow knew where it was needed and his proof as if his mind had been read came around the corner in a frantic run, as if from Death himself was behind him. There was someone behind him, but it certainly wasn't Death, not the myth anyway. It was a pack of gang bangers and drug dealers surely. The young man barely seventeen ran past the crow into the corner house screaming the name, "Angela !"
David raced into his rundown house calling the name of his sister. She was still has he had left her. Lying in a heap on their couch they had gotten from a yard sale with a blanket draped over her. They had lived alone together for the last three years leaving a then fourteen year old to take care of his then, six year old sister. Their mother had left saying she was going to get milk. She never came back. Neither did their father who had left when Angela was just a few weeks old. Burdening himself with the responsibility of being a father figure to her. That's why he had gotten mixed up with his "Friends." He could only do what was in his power and that was quitting school at the second it was available and getting into his current profession. Drug dealing. It was easy money, and it put food on the table for himself and for Angela.
He would do anything for his sister. He felt as If she was the only one who really ever cared about him and he knew she'd never leave. Now he was in a race against time. Running toward her as gentle and fast as he could he scooped her up into his arms and her eyes suddenly popped open and she grabbed his neck, " Davie, what's going on? " Not answering he ran to the crawl space that laid in the kitchen floor, right next to the front door. He jerked off the cover and carried her halfway down the steps and covered the lid again, remaining on the ladder.
Without any light and the smell of dirt and sewer he held Angela tightly as she began to cry in his arms. He could hear pounding of feet on their heads descending to different ends of the house. " Davie, " Angela whispered, " what's going on ?" he looked at her and wiped the tears off her cheeks with his fingertips, " Just be very quiet, Angie. " He no sooner finished the words when the cover of the floor above them was ripped off and they were staring into the eyes of five angry looking boys no older than twenty - one staring down at them with looks of rage and disgust on their faces.
" Well, well, well, " said the dark completed Adrian. The others laughed and gave each other high fives in relief of finding him. Pablo, the ringleader, simply stood and glared down at David and smiled when his eyes shifted to his sister. " Hey boys ! " he yelled. " I think we got us some fresh meat. " He laughed at his own joke and reached down to yank Angie away. David on spur of the moment rage knew what Pablo wanted and his hit in the face bloodying his nose.
Even in small space they all found out David could still hit and make it hurt. Pablo screamed out in pain. " Dave, man, " another dealer Blade started, " We want our money. Where is it ? " In truth David had no idea where it was. Last night had been good for business, when he awoke that morning he couldn't find it and couldn't remember anything else about last night. He'd missed his five o'clock deadline to Pablo, unable to deliver the goods. And in that moment he knew something bad was going to happen. Not to himself, but to Angie as well who was sobbing hard now against his chest.
He held her tightly so as no rats or roaches could get to her. " I don't have it," he said barely above a whisper. The stench of the crawl space was killing him and hurting his eyes making them burn as he stared up at his fellow druggies and asked himself, " what the hell did I get myself into ?"
Everyone stared at Pablo expecting him to try to pounce on David in the tight space he was in. blood poured down his tanned nose, over his mouth and onto his white shirt. David could see the fury in his eyes. Pablo said, " Now listen up you little bitch," he reached down and grabbed Angie's quivering chin, not aware of the fast moment she had made and bit his fingers and refused to let go on her small nine year old grip. Before David could even realize what happened he was punched across his right cheek and went flying down the ladder landing on the bug infested floor with Angie on top of him. Pablo cursed repeatedly and grabbed a lighter from his pocket keeping it hidden from their sight.
" That's it Ese, we're getting your cracker ass " and other threatening words were said, many of which he hadn't wanted Angie to hear or feel his fear which he was sure she could.
He rolled her over and sat on the ground wanting, anticipating, the boys' next move, and wiped his hand over his mouth feeling a few drops of blood. Pablo took the bottle of Bacardi Adrian had been holding and threw it down the hole smashing it to bits. Pablo looked at him with a face full of rage, guilt and bitterness all at once and said, " Last chance." Without thinking David shouted back, " I don't have it ! " Making Angie wince.
David looked from Pablo to Adrian, Blade, Jose, and Rico who'd been silent onlookers the whole time, then back to Pablo who said, " You know why your mother left you, man? Because she knew what a lil' bitch you'd turn out to be. Bastard who can't even save his sister. " David looked at him in fear and panic filled him in fear and panic filled him. He looked at Angie who sat in silence staring at the floor. She no longer cried, she had realized what happened, what David had been doing and what their fate was, all at once.
Pablo took the lighter and sparked the flame and threw it at the spot where the liquor bottle had been smashed and with a roar a large fire broke out blocking their entrance. David pulled Angie onto his lap and inched back two feet, the farthest he could get. The only way in or out was the crawlspace and it was almost totally entrance by the flames. Through the thick smoke and flames he looked at Pablo who smiled. " I'm going to get you motherfucker ! I'll see you in hell ! " said David. Pablo maintained his smiled and yelled, " After you, " laughed and slammed the door to the only way out, not that they could get out that way anyways.
Angie started coughing and held onto David, looked at him and asked, " Are we going to die , Davie ? "Tears welled into his eyes and hugged her tightly afraid to let go as the flames inched toward them. He closed his eyes and heard Angie whimpered as he pulled her closer. The flames engulfed them feeling the pain of burning, smelly their skin as it melted away, but the most painful sound, perhaps, was Angie's last screams.
The Crow stood overhead and gaped down at the smoggy streets of the Southside of Chicago. It's black wings flew up and graced through the sky peering down at the harsh life that lay below it. The Crow landed on an old garage that was a sure place for stoners and dealers, and most likely for the homeless on the cold winter nights. Other than that it served no real purpose and had never been used and was falling down. It starred into the dark alleyway where the only light was that of the full moon that shown above. The Crow knew where it was needed and his proof as if his mind had been read came around the corner in a frantic run, as if from Death himself was behind him. There was someone behind him, but it certainly wasn't Death, not the myth anyway. It was a pack of gang bangers and drug dealers surely. The young man barely seventeen ran past the crow into the corner house screaming the name, "Angela !"
David raced into his rundown house calling the name of his sister. She was still has he had left her. Lying in a heap on their couch they had gotten from a yard sale with a blanket draped over her. They had lived alone together for the last three years leaving a then fourteen year old to take care of his then, six year old sister. Their mother had left saying she was going to get milk. She never came back. Neither did their father who had left when Angela was just a few weeks old. Burdening himself with the responsibility of being a father figure to her. That's why he had gotten mixed up with his "Friends." He could only do what was in his power and that was quitting school at the second it was available and getting into his current profession. Drug dealing. It was easy money, and it put food on the table for himself and for Angela.
He would do anything for his sister. He felt as If she was the only one who really ever cared about him and he knew she'd never leave. Now he was in a race against time. Running toward her as gentle and fast as he could he scooped her up into his arms and her eyes suddenly popped open and she grabbed his neck, " Davie, what's going on? " Not answering he ran to the crawl space that laid in the kitchen floor, right next to the front door. He jerked off the cover and carried her halfway down the steps and covered the lid again, remaining on the ladder.
Without any light and the smell of dirt and sewer he held Angela tightly as she began to cry in his arms. He could hear pounding of feet on their heads descending to different ends of the house. " Davie, " Angela whispered, " what's going on ?" he looked at her and wiped the tears off her cheeks with his fingertips, " Just be very quiet, Angie. " He no sooner finished the words when the cover of the floor above them was ripped off and they were staring into the eyes of five angry looking boys no older than twenty - one staring down at them with looks of rage and disgust on their faces.
" Well, well, well, " said the dark completed Adrian. The others laughed and gave each other high fives in relief of finding him. Pablo, the ringleader, simply stood and glared down at David and smiled when his eyes shifted to his sister. " Hey boys ! " he yelled. " I think we got us some fresh meat. " He laughed at his own joke and reached down to yank Angie away. David on spur of the moment rage knew what Pablo wanted and his hit in the face bloodying his nose.
Even in small space they all found out David could still hit and make it hurt. Pablo screamed out in pain. " Dave, man, " another dealer Blade started, " We want our money. Where is it ? " In truth David had no idea where it was. Last night had been good for business, when he awoke that morning he couldn't find it and couldn't remember anything else about last night. He'd missed his five o'clock deadline to Pablo, unable to deliver the goods. And in that moment he knew something bad was going to happen. Not to himself, but to Angie as well who was sobbing hard now against his chest.
He held her tightly so as no rats or roaches could get to her. " I don't have it," he said barely above a whisper. The stench of the crawl space was killing him and hurting his eyes making them burn as he stared up at his fellow druggies and asked himself, " what the hell did I get myself into ?"
Everyone stared at Pablo expecting him to try to pounce on David in the tight space he was in. blood poured down his tanned nose, over his mouth and onto his white shirt. David could see the fury in his eyes. Pablo said, " Now listen up you little bitch," he reached down and grabbed Angie's quivering chin, not aware of the fast moment she had made and bit his fingers and refused to let go on her small nine year old grip. Before David could even realize what happened he was punched across his right cheek and went flying down the ladder landing on the bug infested floor with Angie on top of him. Pablo cursed repeatedly and grabbed a lighter from his pocket keeping it hidden from their sight.
" That's it Ese, we're getting your cracker ass " and other threatening words were said, many of which he hadn't wanted Angie to hear or feel his fear which he was sure she could.
He rolled her over and sat on the ground wanting, anticipating, the boys' next move, and wiped his hand over his mouth feeling a few drops of blood. Pablo took the bottle of Bacardi Adrian had been holding and threw it down the hole smashing it to bits. Pablo looked at him with a face full of rage, guilt and bitterness all at once and said, " Last chance." Without thinking David shouted back, " I don't have it ! " Making Angie wince.
David looked from Pablo to Adrian, Blade, Jose, and Rico who'd been silent onlookers the whole time, then back to Pablo who said, " You know why your mother left you, man? Because she knew what a lil' bitch you'd turn out to be. Bastard who can't even save his sister. " David looked at him in fear and panic filled him in fear and panic filled him. He looked at Angie who sat in silence staring at the floor. She no longer cried, she had realized what happened, what David had been doing and what their fate was, all at once.
Pablo took the lighter and sparked the flame and threw it at the spot where the liquor bottle had been smashed and with a roar a large fire broke out blocking their entrance. David pulled Angie onto his lap and inched back two feet, the farthest he could get. The only way in or out was the crawlspace and it was almost totally entrance by the flames. Through the thick smoke and flames he looked at Pablo who smiled. " I'm going to get you motherfucker ! I'll see you in hell ! " said David. Pablo maintained his smiled and yelled, " After you, " laughed and slammed the door to the only way out, not that they could get out that way anyways.
Angie started coughing and held onto David, looked at him and asked, " Are we going to die , Davie ? "Tears welled into his eyes and hugged her tightly afraid to let go as the flames inched toward them. He closed his eyes and heard Angie whimpered as he pulled her closer. The flames engulfed them feeling the pain of burning, smelly their skin as it melted away, but the most painful sound, perhaps, was Angie's last screams.