Ah.
It's you again.
Now take that damn thing out of your mouth. You know what I hate ? Smokers. That's right.
I loathe people who smoke.
Reminds me of the second time I met 'Nny. That's why you're here, aint' it ? Well, here's what you came for.
~
It is quite an irony that this incident took place in a cafe. Heard of Cafe Le Prick ? That's where 'Nny blew up an entire cafe.
No. I wasn't there.
But, I was at another area.
Alright, it was more of a lounge, in a pub, than a cafe. But 'Nny was there.
And it's kinda interesting how this tale started.
~
There's nothing quite like a good drink of liquor after a long hard day. The refreshing, intoxicating taste of alcohol, the kick in the drink, nothing could replace that, nothing at all. I can still remember the full swig I took, the strong brew; nothing like a good whiskey. I was all alone, relaxing on a sofa, in that pub. It was indeed homely. I don't have a real home, mind you, with my constant moving and running to escape capture, but, sometimes, to have a chance of what sort of life I could have lead if I had not taken this damnable path, I would be at home, drinking whiskey. Or, if not drinking whiskey, maybe getting round to knowing my wife better. (make that my ex-wife). But dreams are, sadly, dreams, y'know ? We got a life to lead. I had a life to lead. I chose this path, I'll take it.
The bar was at it's peak. My ol' friend, the bartender was mixing and serving drinks to any thirsty soul in the pub, people were at their tables, drinking, a few were smoking as well, and three really big men were playing pool not far from the bar stand. Not a very nice place for contemplation, but, I found an odd sense of comfort there.
And that was when I saw a piece of rolled paper. At both ends, there was a tissue-lie fibre, and most the tube was coloured white, with about a fifth of it's end coloured a brownish yellow.
It lay, silent, innocuous looking, innocent.
And the urge kicked in.
I'd never know whose cig it was that I picked up. Perhaps it would hardly matter; most of the people in the bar would be too busy, drowning their sorrows, trying to get busy in their pathetic and hopeless attempts to court females of a similar kind, and so forth, so, if anyone had dropped a wallet around here, no one would even bother to check. Yes, I took wallets. But, like I said, it aint gonna make a difference, anyway.
And I lit it.
Ah, yes, and I can remember it. I inhaled. Years of living the life of this wretched criminal was recollected with the inhalation one smoke of burnt tobacco, and with an exhalation, the pleasure derived from the nicotine, an old, once sociable act. I could remember, in that moment, the first time I smoked; it was at a lounge, no different from this one, my uncle, on the sofa, gently placing the thing in my mouth, and lighting it for me.
Perhaps an irony then, that'd it would be, my last cigarette.
~
Now, I'll never understand 'Nny. That bloody bugger always complains about people. And yet, his greatest problem is that he never avoids the places he so detests. He hates cafes, yes, that's why he blew up that Cafe, and all those people who were wasting their times hanging around at that place for no-good reason (well, most of them anyway).
Then again, I am tempted to think that 'Nny purposely goes to these places. And why not ? He's got that message of his to spread to people, his want to change them, to make them understand, and worst of all, to want to change them to be more intellectual and understanding. The problem is, most people just can't reach that level, and even if they did, I believe 'Nny did kill some intellectually minded people once in a while. 'Nny may be right in spreading the message of the eccentric, but, problem is, not all of us can be that. But nonetheless, he goes to these places, and makes a public display. He hopes the people there would not mind him, but, even so, the people there still make the mistake of making fun of him. Well, maybe just one asshole, but it takes a spark to light a fire. And 'Nny pretty much just over-reacts most of the time: the reason why he does all these things.
~
The arrival of Johnny C. was hailed by an unconscious and ignorant lot of blather, mostly between drinking buddies, the incomprehensible sounds made from the televisions across the sofa and on the ceiling, close to the owner, and from a few bozos who just had too much drink that they couldn't stop speaking their mumbo-jumbo.
He seemed arrogant, proud at that moment. Now, that I could understand: if you had a mind similar to 'Nny's, at least not in the murderous aspect, the feeling of superiority over parochially minded people is overwhelming. However, I couldn't understand as to why a man like him should want to visit this pub; hardly a place for intellectual stimulation. Maybe a place for recollection and thought, but, you'd need a drink to gain that. Like how I did. Then again, I'm different; I seem to think best after a good swig.
But I never noticed, or knew if Johnny had a drink. As far as I've observed him, his only cravings lie in sweets, sugars, and anything that had a high level of saccharin in it. He would never go for a drink of booze, a pill of ecstasy, or that sort of crap.
Let alone a smoke.
~
I don't know what that idiot was thinking when he whiffed his tobacco in front of 'Nny. I can still remember how he did it though. And I'm not talking a gentle puff. I'm talking a full-blown cloud right into Nny's face.
He was a man in his early 'forties, another face in the crowd, his hair being slightly bald, wearing a cheap shirt and pair of jeans. he had a rough, stuck-up look, and most memorably, had a cigarette in his mouth.
And I could still remember Nny's disgusted reaction, as he turned round, and stared at that punkass for a while, before responding. It seemed like an eternity. I hesitated as I watched. The old sod gave an ignorant look, in response to 'Nny's disgusted stare at this lowly being. For, in that man's stare, was the summation of the contempt and ignorance men of his calibre gave to odd and different people like 'Nny, the same mass who would laugh at trash shows, nerds and geeks who were far more intelligent than them, and would roll their eyes away when a professor was explaining an essential aspect of our world. It was, truly, disgusting.
"Excuse me, but, can you please put that cigarette away ? I'm allergic to second hand smoke."
But that thug refused to get that damnable thing from his mouth.
"What's it to ya, weirdo ? This is a free country, man, and I can smoke whenever I like to."
And he gave another full-blown smoke in 'Nny's face.
Oh boy.
~
"Why is it that everywhere I go, people always make a mockery out of me ? Why the crap do they even care for what I look ?"
"Well, why the heck do you dress like that then ? Get a fucking life ! Fuck off !"
And he unleashed his middle finger
"You pathetic flocks of worthlessness!!"
This roused the whole bar.
The thing that had remained in my mouth was ejected onto the floor, and I lay my hand within the left pocket of my trousers, clutching my weapon, whilst concealing my arm with my coat. I had to take care.
Sadly, one other fool was not very careful.
~
He was obviously stoned, too drunk for his own good. he had reached a state of intense ecstasy and freedom, and could maintain a stage where he could do whatever he liked, without having to feel shame or remorse.
Sadly, 'Nny wouldn't feel the same.
"Get off me, you pathetic homosexual ! Oh wait, you're drunk ? No matter.
You'll still pay."
~
Droplets of blood was unleashed, as the audience, originally laughing at the spectacle, were now in horror was 'Nny removed his blood stained dagger from the man who tried to kiss him.
The man fell to the floor, finally, and truly free.
"Woah, woah, cool it man ! Let's not over-react here."
That was from the man who blew a cloud of tobacco in 'Nny's face.
"And this is for stuffing smoke up my poor nose !"
And without hesitation, 'Nny grabbed nearby bottle of liquor, and broke it on the guy's face.
As the guy's bleeding forehead looked up, his hair drenched in blood and alcohol, he looked up, and saw his final sight.
"Need a light ?"
~
As fire engulfed the poor bugger, the barkeeper had his 12 gauge out.
"Now watch it asshole ! You just murdered two people in my damn bar !"
'Nny didn't seem to care. The barkeeper was to be his third.
Action time, I got down on the floor, my gun held up high, as I crouched down, behind the sofa. The barkeeper had a knife in his left abdominal region, and was clutching it badly, while a sinister happy face could be seen on the hilt of the knife. 'Nny was now in business.
The three brutes who had been laughing at 'Nny the loudest were now ready to fight. They were big, burly men, each armed with a pool stick, wielding the like staves. However, even though they dwarfed 'Nny in stature, 'Nny could still take 'em on.
The first thug came with his stick held up high like as though it were a sword; he shouldn't have left his chest area unguarded. The second came in with his stick raised, to his right side, ready for the blow. 'Nny dodged the swerve, as he ducked down, then lifted his hand up and cut the stick, and, to the astonished look of the thug, promptly stuck the dagger in his throat.
The third seemed more skilful, and appeared to be the eldest of the lot. He charged at 'Nny with his stick like a spear, the end of the stick used for hitting the billiard ball aimed directly at 'Nny. Nny jumped aside, but this man was quick, he recovered out of his charge, and swerved his stick, both hands situated around the centre of the stick, at 'Nny. But, as usual, 'Nny's agility was his greatest resource here, and he promptly used his dagger to cut the stick at the edge.
But the man didn't give up. The broken stick now allowed him to fight with both hands, and, with a loud cry, he charged at 'Nny, both of his hands clutching the make-shift weapon. 'Nny got down on his boots, and unleashed his hidden pair of daggers. The third thug was brave, no doubt, as he fought his way against 'Nny's daggers valiantly, but, sharpened steel was stronger than worm-eaten wood. finally resorting to his fists, he attempted to punch 'Nny, even though the maniac had already slashed the guy's arms a few times already.
It finally ended, as the thug fell, with a dagger to his heart, with a good enough blow to 'Nny's head.
~
As 'Nny recovered from that last punch, he looked round, to see most of the people fleeing the bar in desperation.
Oh no, they won't.
~
As blood curling screams ensued, I crawled towards the barkeeper, still clutching my gun, to ensure that I did not blow my cover.
"Are you alright ?"
He gave a slight nod, betraying his pained expressions.
I promptly pulled the dagger out of the barkeeper's stomach, my gun still in my left hand.
"What took you so long to get your gun out ?"
"Dammit," he said very slowly, "I called the cops. 'Nny would have killed everybody even if I already got my shotgun out."
I knew that. And so did he.
~
As I got up, I saw that 'Nny had already left the bar, leaving in it's wake a massive pool of blood and smoke, as he was running away, triumphant and free. The man who caused all the trouble was now no more than a burnt out cinder of a human, the drunk that tried to kiss 'Nny laying dead, completely covered in blood, more so than anyone else. For some reason, I felt the bullets in my being wasted.
~
"So that's what happened ?"
"Yes sir, 'Nny came in, a smoker pissed him off, then a drunk tried to kiss him, and you know what happened."
"Dammit ! We've been on 'Nny's trail for a while now. Why can't we just goddamn catch him ?
The detective, slightly agitated, said this as the cigarette burned in his mouth.
"The problem is that he does his work too quickly. Even if we send bounty hunters after him, they usually end up decapitated or missing. That damned son of a bitch !
We have to stop him, somehow."
And he walked off, back into his car, as the klaxons of the surrounding police cars continued to cloud the night sky. An irony perhaps; I was talking to a policeman, when I was a criminal myself. But no matter; they didn't seem to recognise me then.
As I walked on, I noticed that the cigarette the detective had smoked on was on the floor, all burnt out, the slightest hint of flame giving out a little tease of smoke, dying in the cold night air.
I stubbed it out.
~~
I could tell you more right now, but, I'd rather save it for next time. Check back with me later: you'll get what you really want.
