Ahhh. East Village, New York City, Christmas Eve 1989, and just around eight thirty. Where the crime rate is high, the winter's cold, garbage and the homeless litter every street block, drug pushers, junkies and fellow bohemians walk the street. Ahhh, welcome home. The warm cab warms me to my bones, and I'm glad for it. I re adjust my duffle bag on my shoulders comfortably. I slouch a little in the back seat as I pull out a joint out of the cigarette pack from my pocket. I pat my other pocket finding my lighter.
The driver looks back in the rear view mirror and says "Hey, no smoking in my cab, especially that. I could get in trouble for that." I put the joint between my lips and light it, ignoring him. I take a puff and readjust myself. I look at the distance counter and then to the major bucks its stacking up. Fifty fucking dollars! I don't even have any money to begin with. So, why did I even get into a cab? Oh right because I didn't want to walk from the fucking airport in some damn below twenty degrees weather. Oh well, I hope he has a merry Christmas despite the little gift he's about to give me… a free cab ride. His eyes looks back again. "Hey! I said no smoking!" I roll my eyes. " Yeah, yeah. Oh stop. There's my stop up here." I point up ahead. We stop on the corner of E 10th street and 1st Avenue. I make him stop a couple of streets down from my real destination, planning on what I'm about to do with the next wheel in motion of my scheme. The driver pulls up to the side walk and turn saying " That'll be fifty even." He looks mad. Oh fucking well. He's gonna be even madder when he realizes he doesn't get fifty bucks. Geez. I didn't know it'll cost that much from a ride from the airport. Well, not that its gonna affect me in any way. " Ok, ok let me get it." I say as I open the car door and step out nonchalantly. "Hey! What the fuck! Where are you going? You forgot to freaking pay me!" The driver yells. "Merry Christmas!" I say as I look at him and slam the door of the cab and take off down the street. "Hey! You little punk! Gimme my damn money!"
I hear the cab driver yell as I hear his tires squeal against the pavement. " Oh shit!" I chuckle, as I duck behind an alley. Yep, that was my scheme. To freaking run, it was fun though. A little anarchy never hurt anybody on Christmas Eve. Except when you are on the receiving end. I take several of my well known alleys to the flat, and overall effectively losing the cab driver. " Oh fuck!" I realize that my joint is no longer in my mouth. I look around for it, but in the end not finding it. " Damn it, that was my last one too. Oh well, I'll just get some more in the morning. Betcha a homeless guy will be having a blast with my last joint." I grumble. I start back off towards the flat emerging from the alley into the street. I reach the rigged payphone I had set up a long time ago. A payphone that you don't have to pay to use. Ironic huh? Well, why pay when a computer genius can make it free for the people of Avenue A? The government sure as hell doesn't need anymore money, we people of Avenue A should at least keep the little bit we have.
I pick up the phone and dial a familiar number. On the first ring, someone picks up, and I realize its Mark's voice. "Hey, guess who's back in town? It's Collins, man. Throw down the key. Cool." I hang up and walk across the street and look up at the fourth floor balcony. Mark appears "Hey" he yells out as he tosses the key and goes back inside.
I reach out expectantly to reach and grab the keys but they slip through my fingers.
I bend down and grab them off the pavement. I shiver when my bare fingers touch the cold ground. I stand back up and instantly three guys surround me, one holding a bat. Uh oh this can't be good. " Hey got a light?" The one in the middle asks. I reach into my pocket acting nonchalant about it. Maybe they really just need a light, and weren't gonna do what I think they are gonna do. The man to the left suddenly grabs my duffle bag, trying to yank it off my shoulders. " Gimme that shit!" the one in the middle yells as he grabs my front. I push of the guy in the front, making him let go of my shirt and shoving my duffle bag in the face of the on to my left. The guy on the right of me with the bat comes at me, so I do the only thing I can do. I punch the guy square in the jaw, and a thud erupts when my big fist connects with his head. I see him bend over in pain as I start running away. Now, I run. Usually I could've fought my way out of it, but three with a bat against one just wasn't fair. "Get that son of a bitch!" one yells as they see me zoom off across the street. Fight or flight response kicks in and adrenaline pumps in my disease riddled veins as I take off down an alley. I make it about half way through, when my stupid self decides to look back to see if they are chasing me, and yep they are. Why I continue to look back while running I do not know, because they see me as well as I see them.
I trip on some unseen clutter in the dark alley, and fall down at full force. Oh shit is all I can think before they (as in the bastards are mugging and beating the shit out of me) pull me up against the cold hard brick wall and pin me there, and butt me in the stomach hard with the bat. I feel the wind rush out of me and instantly I feel the urge to vomit. I fall down. My head hits the cold concrete and I see double vision. Someone kicks me in my chest, and I cry out, the pain immense in my chest. I cough out blood, and my lungs are on fire. I gasp as another kick and punch to the face is added to my beating. I involuntarily suck in a breath, and the sharp icy wind freezes my lungs. I cry out again, just as the final kick to the gut was given. I feel when my coat, the only thing keeping me warm being yanked off my body. But being to weak, and being battered I couldn't do any thing.
I get up off the floor, and warily look back to make sure they were gone. I push myself against the wall for support, as I try to get up back on my feet. "How do you stay on your feet, when on every street it's trick or treat and tonight its trick?" I raise my bloodied hand and raise it to my face and see that it was only covered with more blood. Just great. "Welcome back to town" I mutter as I stand up, only to regret it. "Oh I should lie down" That was probably the best choice, just until my head feels better. "Everything's brown, and uh-oh I feel sick!" My vision blurs and everything just fades into one color, brown, like the stain of my blood on my white flannel shirt. "Getting dizzy…"I say as my vision finally gives out, my knees buckle under me, and I slide down the wall…