THE SINNER SAINT-PART 1. "These prints are amazing!" Norman said to Sean as they walked through the exhibit. "Yeah they are pretty sick dude, a little dark though guess that's what you get when you come to an art show titled "Creatures of the night, the down side, girls of the pole world" Sean said with laugh. The pictures showed strippers in the dark times, doing drugs back stage, prostitution, beaten and bruised from a hard life. "Wow that might be the most beautifully tragic thing I have ever seen it's like a car wreck man I can't look away" Sean's voice took on a serious tone catching Normans attention. He followed Sean's eyes to the largest pic in the gallery it hung floor to ceiling, black and white, it was a woman, naked on the cat walk in a strip club. Leaning her back on the pole, Her arms spread out as if she was hanging from a cross. Tears flowed down her cheeks leaving long streaks of black makeup in their wake. Her hair hung in long ropes of dreaded locks you could tell where from neglect not styling. Her thin frame was almost skeletal, rib's, hip bones and collar bones defined in shades of grey. Long jagged scars painted her body in lines of black The anguish, hurt and desperation was so visible in her eye's it made you feel her pain in a physical way. "Rainy?" Norman whispered her name as if it were a prayer only to be heard and answered by his God. "What, you know her? That's gotta be a pretty shitty strip club if there letting girls that look like that work the pole" Sean laughed but his smile faded when he saw his friends face lose all color he looked stricken. Norman put his fingers to his lips and let out a loud whistle bringing the full room of people to attention a pin drop would have been defining in the room. "Where's the photographer?" He questioned his voice had a hard note to it Sean was positive he had never heard in all the years they had been friends. A small hipster looking man came walking out of the crowed towered Norman and Sean a mask of confusion and annoyance on his face. "Sorry folks my friend gets really excited by art if ya know what I mean, go back to your viewing people" Sean yelled with a wave of his hand and a smile to the crowed. They all laughed and a few "Amen's" Where called out as everyone turned their attention back to the photos and conversations. "I need to talk to you in private right now!" Norman said leaning into the much smaller man, anger and urgency lining his features. "Listen Daryl Dixon I get it you and Powder over here are celebrities but I have a gallery full of fans that all want my attention right now so you will have to wait your turn" The overly flamboyant man said turning his back to them. Sean raised an eyebrow at Norman who gave him a nod back. Before the hipster knew what was happening his arm was pinned behind his back and he was turned back around to face Norman. Sean kept enough pressure on the man so he wouldn't be dismissing them so quickly but wouldn't cause any real damage. The little man looked panicked "Right this way Mr. Reedus" The balding man said as he pointed with his free hand to his office in the back of the studio. "See that wasn't so hard now was it?" Sean said releasing the photographers arm. They followed him in and slammed the door behind them. "I want that print and all your negatives of Rainy" Norman said backing the man up to his cluttered desk. "Who?" the artist questioned confusion sitting in. "The crying stripper on the pole cross" Sean intervened leaning against the door looking as intimidating as a pit bull leashed with dental floss. Realization dawned on the picture takers face then he laughed. "That's my best print out of the collection I have bidders from all over the world trying to nab that, it's up to a four hundred thousand dollars and climbing last time I checked and as far as me turning over my negatives your mad man" He said brushing his shoulder against Normans as he passed him making his way to the door. Sean stood his ground giving the man a toothy grin "I don't think you heard my boy Reedusstien name your price and hand over the negatives" He said placing both his hand's finger tips on the short man's chest and backing him up till he hit his desk. Sean wasn't sure what Normans deal was with this picture but he had his back no matter what. The man looked from Normans angry faced to Sean's sadistic one and started nodding. "ok ok Jesus you Saint's really are thugs aren't you?" He said thinking of an outrageous price that would make these men lose interest in their campaign. "Five hundred thousand dollars for the print and a million for all the negatives." the artist said crossing his arms over his chest. "Your fucking nut's" Sean said scoffing at the outrageous price tag. "I have over 500 hundred shots of her she was captivating in such a unsettling manner I couldn't stop snapping pics of her. I followed her around for days. I was planning on doing my entire next show with her images. Do you know how much money I could have made off her the possibility are endless" The man stated his reasoning's for his price. "Sold I'll take them all get her off the wall right now!" Norman hissed in a deadly tone that made the hair on even Sean's neck stand on end he had never seen his friend this upset. "Come on man at least let me keep it up for the rest of the showing, your killing me here" The plump man whined out. "NOW!" Norman barked making the man jump he turned quickly grabbing the phone on his desk and punching in a number. "Yes please take the print "The sinner Saint" down off the wall and wrap it up, yes yes I know just do it right now!" The man finished and slammed the phone down. "Done now if you will please excuse me I have a show to get back to" The man said trying to make a B line for the door. Norman shook his head at Sean who was back to filling the door frame. Sean just shook his head no causing the man to look from him back to Norman. "The negatives" Norman said leaning into the man. "Dear lord ok ok I was just going to have them delivered with your print but here" The man said making his way to his file cabinet he yanked it open and pulled out the large yellow envelop marked "The Sinner Saint" with scribbled dollar signs across it. "I'll be walking out the door with the print right now!' Norman said snatching the envelope out of his hands tracing the letters with his finger. "You're a fucking monster making money off these peoples pain" Norman hissed through gritted teeth, staring hard into the man's beady eyes. "Hey she got paid, she was more than happy with the five hundred bucks I gave her shit man do you know how many cocks that kind of girl would have to suck to get that kinda cash, I did that whore a fucking favor!" The hit came before the last word was out of his mouth. "Holy fuck!" Sean screamed a giant smile breaking out on his face as he jumped up and down like he had just watched a prize title fight and his guy had won. "Whoa whoa whoa brother come on he's had enough" Sean sad grabbing Norman from behind when he saw he was dropping down to punch the man who was now curled up like a baby on the floor blocking his bleeding face with his hands. Norman allowed Sean to pull him back but he spit on the man before yanking himself free from Sean's grasp and storming out the door. Sean leaned down on his heels beside the man and cocked his head to the side. "Let's keep this between us ok or you might find yourself in my next photo shoot I'm thinking of calling it "Dead photographers" Sounds catchy right?" The man's eyes grew wide and he nodded his head in agreement. Sean gave him a hard pat on the shoulder and stood walking out of the room. The photographer let out a relieved sigh and laid his head back on the floor. "Hey great pic's btw keep up the good work!" Sean said peeking his head back in the room causing the hipster to jump out of his skin and block his face again. He peeked over his hand and nodded at Sean. "um thanks?" Sean grinned at him tapped the door frame twice and vanished again. Norman stomped his way into the gallery over to his latest purchase two men in suit's where wrapping large white sheets around the photo he pushed them aside and grabbed the frame pulling it free of its hook. It was heavy and awkward to carry through the crowd of onlookers but he made it too the door finally. "Hold up man I got ya" Sean yelled jogging across the studio and pushing the large bay door open for his friend. Norman squeezed the bulky portrait through making his way to the parking lot he had made it about twenty feet then stopped in his tracks on the sidewalk. "Fuck! This is never gonna fit in my jeep!" He sad leaning the fame up against the building he fixed the sheet so no part of it could be seen by the people who passed them on the busy side walk. He sighed and leaned his forehead against the glass of the picture. "Don't sweat it man I got a moving truck on it's way already" Sean said closing his phone and catching up to his impulsive friend. "Thanks' brother" Norman said turning and giving his friends shoulder a gentle squeeze. They both took a spot next to the print leaning against the wall as they waited for the truck to arrive, being famous had its perks and one of them was quick service. It was silent for a few moments but then Sean's curiosity got the better of him. "So mind telling me what that was all about?" He questioned glancing at his friend. Norman ran his hands through his long hair "I don't want to talk about it" he said crossing his arms over his wide chest. Sean copied his actions and shook his head "Ok ok I gotcha man, we won't talk about it then" A few minutes passed and Sean waited his friend out. He knew he could never hold anything back from him and given time he would let loose in a flood of explanation. Norman fidgeted in his spot chewing on his thumbnail and looking down the street searching for the truck. Finally he let out a pained sigh and Sean new he was about to come out with it. "Ok I wanna talk about it" Norman said starting to pace in front of the portrait. "Shoot brother I'm all ears" Sean said gesturing for him to continue, he was dying inside to know what had his best friend in such a state of upheaval. "Mingus wasn't my first kid...well he was but he wasn't" Norman said stuffing his hand's in his pockets. Sean's eyebrow rose in confusion he was there when Norman brought Mingus home from the hospital hell he was his Godfather for heaven's sake and he had never heard his friend speak about having any other kids. "It was never born, a whole bunch of shit went down that was all my fault, Jesus this is all my fault man" Norman said pointing at the photo while he continued to pace. "I don't understand, what is this the girl you knocked up? If so man by the looks of it you really dodged a bullet dude that girl is a hot fucking mess" Sean said cocking his head towered the picture on his right. Norman stopped dead in his tracks and gave Sean an icy stare. "Don't fucking do that" His voice had an edge to it that left Sean feeling like he had been cut to the bone. He raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry man that was a dick move please go on" Norman looked up as the moving truck pulled up. He gave the driver his address and turned to Sean. "I feel sick man I'm just gonna go home" Norman said turning and walking away. "Come on man you can't leave me hanging like that" Sean yelled to his back. "Go home Sean" Norman called back in a annoyed tone and continued walking.