The Salton Sea

Danny Parker/Tom Van Allen is sitting on the couch of his new apartment. He is flipping through the channels, staring mindlessly at the television. Suddenly, he looks indirectly at us and tells us his story:

** "Hello again, friends, it is me, Danny Parker. Or Tom Van Allen. I have yet to decide, but that has nothing to do with this story. No, this story goes much deeper. In fact, it goes right back into the mixed up world of the Tweaker, which I thought I had left for good with the closing of our last discussion.

You see, that's the thing about drugs that you must try to understand. Not only for my benefit, buy for yours. Drugs corrupt you. They take a semi normal life and destroy it, like they did mine. Well, actually, that was my own fault, but the drugs did play a big part in it. Once you let that shit get you, it has you forever. You can try to convince yourself that you are over it, you can take yourself out of the "situation", but it wont last long. Sooner or later, you will be right back where you started, slamming the crank like it was your first time.

And then there are people like me. The people who DO walk away from the whole lifestyle surrounding drugs and never look back. Instead, we get dragged back into it bodily.

I don't really miss my old apartment. It was kind of ironic, really. My old apartment was right in the center of Hell, so it was only appropriate that it should burn down, don't you think? Anyway, this apartment is much nicer. It is slightly larger, also. I could do with out the vomit green carpet, though. Hmm. Oh well.

It's getting late. Or early, depending on how you look at it. There's nothing on TV. I guess it's true, what they say about having 500 channels and there is STILL nothing on. I think I'll go to bed." **

Danny heads off to bed. He strips down to his boxers, and folds down the corner of the sheets before climbing inside. He thinks to himself:

** "For some reason, I have a weird feeling. I don't know how to explain it, it is kind of a foreboding feeling, like something bad is going to happen. I don't know why." **

He lays there in his nice, warm bed for a little while longer, and then he drifts peacefully off to sleep.

A few hours later, something wakes Danny up. He doesn't know what it was, but now that he is awake, he reaches for the light on his night stand. The lamp clicks as he turns the switch, but the light doesn't come on.

"What the Fuck..." He mumbles into the darkness, "What now?"

In his mind he decides that he needs to change the light bulb, so he begins to sit up. When he tries to swing his legs over the edge of the bed, he hits a very large object and jumps into a sitting position.

"Who the fuck are you?" Danny barks, realizing that the "object" was a man

"You mean to say you don't remember me, dawg?" Came the reply- A voice from Danny's past with a southern accent

** "Holy shit! It couldn't be! Could it?" ** Danny thinks

"Holy shit. Morgan? Is that you?" Danny asks the man

"I always knew you were observant." Morgan said, moving closer to Danny

"But. But. You're dead?" Danny stammered, questioningly

"Am I? You didn't really think that you were the ONLY one who knew how to use a bullet-proof vest, did you?" Morgan replied

"You had a vest." Danny said, talking more to himself than to Morgan

"Damn straight I did. I wasn't about to try a stunt like that with out one"

Danny silently fumbles around the darkness looking for a gun that he usually keeps by his bed.

"Looking for this?" Morgan said, pointing the loaded gun at Danny's head.

Morgan cocked the gun, and Danny put his hands in the air.

"Ok. Ok. So you've come here to kill me? Revenge? Is that it?" Danny asked, a little flustered

"Now that hurts to hear, dawg. Would I ever hurt you?" Morgan said sarcastically

"Well, you did try to kill me. There's always that." Danny replied

"I was only defending myself, Danny." Morgan said simply, "And if you remember correctly, you tried to kill me, too, so why don't we just let bygones be bygones?"

"You murdered my wife, you bastard." Danny murmured.

"I already told you, that was an honest mistake. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Do you think I would have killed her if I knew she was your wife?!?" Morgan asked, gun still drawn

Danny paused. He hated thinking about what had happened to his lovely wife, but he answered anyway.

"Yes. Yes I do." He finally replied

"Gee, dawg, I love you too. And kudos on knocking off Garcetti, by the way. He was a real pain in the ass." Answered Morgan

Danny knew that if Morgan wanted him dead he would have shot him already. He hated Morgan so much for murdering his wife, but he knew that if he wanted to leave this room alive, (which in its self was debatable), he would have to play along. He decided that it was for the best, and he humored Morgan. But he cringed at the thought.

"And he didn't even like dolphins." Danny replied calmly.

Morgan laughed at this, and he briefly shifted his gaze to his lap, but the gun stayed level to Danny's head

"Yeah." He said, looking back at Danny

"So if you aren't here to kill me, what DO you want?" Danny asked, changing the subject

"I was hoping you'd ask that," Morgan said, putting his free hand on Danny's knee

"Whoa, whoa, what's this?" Danny asked, moving his leg uncomfortably

"It's ok. It's ok, dawg. We're all friends here" Morgan replied

"If it's all the same to you, DAWG, I have enough friends trying to screw me over." Danny retorted

"Ok, let me explain it to you like this, my little Tweaker friend." Morgan began

"No no no. I am not into that shit any more" Danny said, cutting him off

"Whatever. Anyway, the point is that no matter how big of an asshole Garcetti was, he was still a cop, and you still killed him. You see, other cops tend to frown on that. One anonymous tip, and you are done for, so you pretty much have to do as I say, when I say it. Not only that, but your past with drugs won't help you out very much."

** "That son-of-a-bitch." ** Danny thought to himself

"So, in other words, you are blackmailing me?" He said

"Very good, dawg! I knew you would catch on sooner or later!" Morgan said, sarcastically

"Blackmailing. Blackmailing is. uh. Very illegal" Danny stuttered, as if he were distracted by something.

"Yes. It is" Morgan sighed, "But you know, it's not as bad as. oh, let's say.. MURDER." He teased Danny

"No, I guess not. So what do you want me to do?" Danny asked, reluctantly

"Get some sleep. You look terrible. I'll see you bright and early and tell you ALL about it." Morgan replied, standing up

"I had a feeling that you would." Danny replied quickly

Morgan laughed to himself, and walked up next to Danny. Strangely enough, Morgan leaned in to kiss him, but Danny instinctively pulled away.

Morgan, who was still only inches away, whispered to Danny, "Don't be stupid, dawg. I don't want to bust you, but I will if you leave me no choice."

He leaned closer to Danny once more, but this time Danny didn't pull away. Morgan kissed Danny on the forehead.

"'Night" Morgan said, before leaving the room, "Pleasant dreams"