Novella+(Jerry)

Jerry Phok English Period E **It all started March 30, 1988**

“I’m not sure what you’re asking me?” I said. “Alright I’ll play your game, where is he?’ the man said. “Who’s he?” I replied. “Alright.” The man said furiously and whispered, “Take him away he’s not going to tell us anything.”
 * Chapter One: What’s going on?**

It all started in the year 1988. The date, to be exact, was March 30, 1988. I was in the streets of New York, my mom and I left to the grocery store. I was about five; I was dressed in my teal colored shirt and my favorite black slacks. I was so happy to be out of the apartment building we lived in. It was always cramped with my toys and my mom’s clothes. We weren’t rich or poor; we were just a middle class family trying to live life. I had no siblings or any known cousins. My father left my mom when I was only two. I didn’t care at the time, I was just a little boy asking mommy, “Where’s daddy.” But still, I didn’t care about him all I needed was my mom. While we walked to the grocery store I remember asking my mom, “Can we go there mommy, can we please,” my mom didn’t said anything and we kept walking. Very mad I did what most five years old did I cried and whined. I remember my mom picking me up and bringing me to a dark alley. An alleys like all of New York’s alleys, with all its signature features; it had the classic trash cans and homeless bum on the floor. It had all the nice graffiti, and tags saying “Fuck Cops”. It was a New York alley. In the alley though, wasn’t one of my best days, my mom dropped her purse and started to begin spanking me. I was spanked so hard for all of my whining and crying. I had tears of pain, sadness, and anger. I was five I deserve that. After being beaten over and over I finally said sorry to my mother. My mother stopped and began to pick up her purse. I still remember the smirk I had on my face when we beginning to leave the alley. I was thinking finally know more beating or finally we get to go to the ice cream shop. I’m not sure, but the image of freedom came to my mind. I was five and I know after a beating it’s time for ice cream. As we began to walk out I remember seeing a tall white skin male. He had a tattoo of an orange snake and a scar on his right hand. He stopped my mother and I and my mother started to talk, “Excuse me sir?” my mother asked. “I think you have something we want” the man said. “I already paid off my debts, you no that Philip,” “I said give it to me now,” “No are you crazy, I already told you I paid off the debts,” “You know what you have to do, if you past the deadline,” “Yeah I know,” as my mom began to turn around to face the wall I knew something was going to happen. “Run Johnny, run”

I heard gunshots, gunshots of a pistol, maybe, or some sort of revolver. I wasn’t sure at the time, but I ran and ran as fast as I could; the whole gunshot’s sound had terrified me, and now without my mom next to me made it all worst. I kept thinking at the time that mommy was just talking to the man and the loud bang was just mommy banging on the trashcan or something.
 * Chapter Two: Phill**

Being only five I forgot where my house was located. I had tears crossing down my faces, salty sadness tears. I remember asking every adult that I saw “You know where my house is?” they would always shoo me away or even tell me get a job. I was confused why people where so cruel to a five year old. I was sad and cold, the night came. I was lost not sure where my house was. I found the nearest alley and trashcan to sleep in. As I was going to lie down a little boy came up to me and asked, “So you’re homeless to?” he said. “No! I’m just lost looking for my—,” I said freshly. “What your mother?” “No! I don’t know.” “It’s alright, your homeless and so am I. Follow me I have something to show you.” I followed the boy he, he was wearing a yellow ripped shirt that said, “Sunny Life”. He was also wearing blue sliced up jeans and black shoes. He had no socks on and a messy haircut. He had brown eyes, black hair, and was very tall. I didn’t ask his name, all I just wanted to find out where this kid was going and what he was trying to show me. We arrived at a crowed place; people were all cramped at this one road. There were fire trucks, police cars, news reporters and ambulances. I didn’t know what was going on; all I heard was screams and cries for help. I saw people yelling across the streets; neighbors out their houses and with faces that seemed concern. I didn’t know at the time why the news reporter kept saying it was a crime of arson. I looked at the scenario a bit more, but as I was about to see the house; the young boy grabbed my arm and pulled me away. He ruined my view, I was mad, but still I wondered why he wanted me to follow him and what he wanted to show me. Finally as we got into a reasonable area where it wasn’t packed, he finally loosens his grip of my arm and points towards the house. I looked at the house, it wasn’t a house it was an apartment building. I looked and starred at this apartment building for a while. The young boy, I remember, asked me,

“So what’s your name?” “I’m… Johnny and you?” I said nervously. “Name’s Phill, I’m eight years old and proud of it. I’ve been raised on the streets by homeless men and I even went to school, until I decided school is to boring.” I thought to myself and finally said, “Wow, your cool. So why did you bring me to this place?” “Hello burning house how cool is that. I’m cool myself, but a burning building that tops everything. You know—,”

“That’s my burning apartment building. Hey that’s my burning apartment building!” I was shock, sad, and terrified. I couldn’t believe the house that mom and I lived was on flames. I was five to see a burning house was cool, to hear your mom being shot, and to see your beloved apartment house with toys and your mother’s clothes wasn’t cool. Phill tried to comfort me. I was stubborn I didn’t like it. I stood at the side of the street, waiting for my mother to show up, Phill stood with me. I waited and waited until the cars, the ambulances, the news reporters, the policemen, the fire trucks, and even the neighbors to leave. It was maybe about 3:00a.m., when everything or everybody was gone. Phill fell asleep, but still I waited.

I finally fell asleep when it was sunrise. While, sleeping I had this marvelous dream. It was not like any five year old dream of spaceships and fighting aliens, but instead something more mature and un-average. The dream began like this: It was a bright blue sky that glowed the day. The sun was blazing in the air. It was magnificent sight. I just have woken up for some nap on a beautiful cut grass field. My mother was sitting next to my side and some odd fellow was next to me too. My mother was caring some food in a basket, it was a panic basket. I played catch with this odd fellow and my mother was on the side laughing and was enjoying our fun, whatever I felt my mother felt the same. The odd fellow however wasn’t my dad. I was five and I wasn’t dumb. I have seen my father before not face to face, but in a picture. My mother gave a picture of my father to me, when it was my fifth birthday, she always said that your father was a terrible man, but he was handsome. In the dream, I was 100% sure this wasn’t my father, but still I felt a close bond between the man. As the dream continue us three played and enjoyed ourselves. It was dream that I wished would never end. Also in the dream there was some sort of homey sensation. The feeling of belonging to someone and the feeling of peace in someone arms. That’s all I can remember because Phill woke up. He said something to me and after only a good 30min nap, I soon found out, I woke up. All of the sensation was gone; I had those notorious salty tears stained on face. It was a new day, mom still hadn’t return. The street was barren; there was no one in sight. I never asked at the time, but always thought why would interrupt this dream?
 * Chapter Three: The Dream**

After seeing my apartment building being burnt down and waiting for days for my mom to return I decided she wasn’t coming back. It was five days of waiting that I finally gave up. Phill and I left the area and I never returned back. Phill was amazed of how I stood there waiting for my mother, and for five days straight not even touching a bit. He would ask ever once in a while if I was hungry, and I never answered back to him. He wasn’t mad that I didn’t respond because he knew I was in pain. He knew that I was sad and he knew that I wanted to take my anger out, Phill onetime said to me, that we will always together share our pains. It was a corny line that made me better. That night after we left my home street we made a pact to always stay together.
 * Chapter Four: Chapter Four**

Phill and I would always walk for hours every day, we didn’t know where we wanted to go, but we wanted to just walk and walk. Every night we would find a cozy alley to sleep and every day we would shoplift a convenient store for some food and snacks. It was a life of two homeless children. Phill and I grew close to each other, he knew my weakness and strengths and vice versa for me. We would also take turns distracting shop clerks, while the other takes something. We would go to antique shops to steal what we thought was valuable and go to pawn shops and sell them. The pawn shop clerks never cared for our age, all they wanted was cool stuff to sell and for a cheap price. They would trick us into believing the items were just worth some low amount and that no other shop would buy it. We also learn the skills of pick pocketing. We were kids, I was about six and a half and Phill was about nine when we started. Finally one day after an attempt to steal a gold watch from some tall white skin man, we got caught. This man was tall, skinny, and he had a long face. He had small eyes, a pointy nose, and a boney jaw line. He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt in the inside with a red tie. He had a briefcase and a worker card that said “Hello I’m Samson”. The tall man had a gripped of a vice grip, he firmly grabbed me by the risk and then said, “What do you think you are doing?” “I was just trying to—,” I said very terrified. “I said what where you trying to do?” “Stop already!” “Okay I will, but just answer me, OK?” “Phill, Phill, I need help!” “So there are two of you guys?” “Hey tall skinny white man take this,” I remember that Phill had chucked a dirty pair of underwear, that he found in the trashcan, to the man’s face. As we fled I congratulated Phill and we ran straight for some alley. However even though we left in a hurry I remember turning around and seeing that the man wasn’t mad, but sad.

It was a cold new day. It was about 30 degrees and it was only September, but it was New York what could you say. After that failed attempt of pick pocketing, the days seem to just go by. And everyday I would always pictured the sad man’s face, his face being long with small eyes, pointing nose and boney jaw. I asked myself every night why he was sad and why wasn’t he not anger with Phill and I?
 * Chapter Five:House**

However, after that day was one of our best day for Phill and I. While running away from that tall man we ran off to a place where the street lamps were broken and the road was barren. The whole street, we where at, was either an abandon area in New York or a ghetto. We didn’t see anyone in sight and we would run into the streets and try to make as much noise as we can. But still we weren’t yelled out. So we roam this small area, and while roaming we found that no one lived here and that it was a small block that was forgotten. This block was full with empty burnt apartment buildings, and small broken down stores. The stores had either smashed up windows or they had blockaded windows with graffiti all over them. This place was what we called a bum’s paradise. Why would a city be left inhabited and why weren’t this place changed into some infrastructure? Phill and I questioned this place and thought this place was to good to be true. But we decided to not care, we had a place to hangout and maybe live in.

Phill and I used this place as, in terms of cars, a test drive. We would go to stores and do our classic routes of stealing, but this time purposely get caught. When we did get caught we would run as fast as we could, and run to our “place”. And every time we did this, the shop clerk would always give up and won’t even dare to go into our block. Phill and I loved this placed. After months of finally “test driving” this place we decided to call it something and we named it “Stronghold”. It was our new home we could live in the empty burnt down apartments and we could run back here if we where in trouble, this was our stronghold.

Phil l and I loved our new home. After multiple robbing we got tired of this. We didn’t want to steal anymore. We thought that if we kept this up, people will finally get on to us and we would be busted for sure. Instead of stealing we went to look for jobs. I was about eight and Phill was eleven. We weren’t going to steal anymore we were going to get a job.

Some people say finding a job is easy and there are some who same its hard. Phill is the type of man that can never find a job. He wasn’t good with organization, he never could remember anything, and he was always confused and annoying, when it came to doing hard task. As for me it was a different story. I was one of those kids that you would yell nerd to in the hallway. I was smart at figuring out the problems in situations and then finding a way to solve the solution. I was good at math and I could understand people. I could read and write better then Phill, even though he was older then me. I was eight I knew that I was as smart as a six grader.
 * Chapter Six: Change**

When I was eight I never knew why I was smart. Maybe living with my mom was the reason. It was because when living with mom it was different then living with Phill. At about four years old my mom had already taught me to read and write. She also taught me basic math and all that mambo jumbo. But while living with Phill was different, he taught me to pick pocket, run, and lie. I wasn’t much of a liar when I was five, but after living in the streets for three years I knew I was the king of lying.

So when Phill told me that we should get a job I was confused. Why this age start looking for a job? I remember asking him many time “Why get a job now?” and he would give the classic answer of how some day we will get caught. I was eight, even though I was smarter then him, I knew I had to trust him. Being raised in the streets of New York, it meant that Phill knew what he was talking about, Phil was street smart and I was hallway nerd smart.

After months of searching for jobs Phill and I finally got one. It was ironic because we worked at a store, as bag boys, where we robbed a long time ago. –I still remember when Phill distracted the clerk and while I sneaked in the back of the store. There were a lot of people all crowed in the back. There was new type of soda just came out and all the kids wanted to try and buy this. Phill began distracting the clerk by asking random questions like; how’s your wife? like he knew her, or how’s business? I was at the back of the store chuckling when I heard these questions being asked. But even though I knew I couldn’t be distracted. I snuck into the crowd of kids, got two of the sodas, inserting them in my pants, and while I was doing so somehow sneak and stole two bags of potato chips in one go. I was surprised of how amazing I did all this. Impressed at myself I said the keyword “ICE” and Phill understood what was going on. Phill causally left the scene, while I already was long gone to the nearest safe zone— So every time I was bagging the grocery for someone or a group of people I would chuckle and laugh. Phill was always confused and he always asked me why I was laughing. I told him every time he ask me, “Don’t you remember,” and he would always say, “Come on,”

I loved making fun of Phill and getting his brain all confused and what not. Phill, to me, was my older brother and I was his younger brother. When I confused him, I often think of me being his big brother and I being that anxious, annoying little sibling that’s always want to follow and be part of all his shenanigans.

A month salary was ninety dollars, a week’s work was only twenty dollars, and together we made a one hundred eighty dollars. Phill and I decided after a working for three months in the shop that we would save all the money that we earned. We made a plan in which to save one hundred dollars a month and use the remaining money to buy food and maybe some other stuff that we liked. I remember buying my first toy in three years and calling it “Rocket Boy” the toy was an action figure. The figure was about 12inches tall and about 4inches thick. It was suppose to be a man from the military, a strong man. He made biceps that wasn’t reasonable and big enormous thighs. He had a rocket launcher for a weapon and the classic belt ammunition. For Phill he bought a guitar. He said when he was a kid some homeless man taught him to play a guitar. He told me that he’d played for hours everyday and at night he would play until some told him to stop. He loved music, he wasn’t smart, but give him a guitar he would play for you. The guitar he bought was some cheap wooden kid’s guitar. He didn’t like, but it was his personal music weapon.
 * Chapter Seven: Job**

Even though life was getting better I always had memories that still kept rumbling on in my head. Every night I always dreamt of my mom and that mystery man or that man, or something bizarre like a gang and how Phill and I were killing so many innocent people. I never knew what was going on in my head and I never told Phill either. Dreams wasn’t suppose to share I always thought.

After a while, working at the shop, Phil and I began to come accustomed to the work place. We would greet the same people that attended the shop annually and our boss Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson, who was very nice to us and treated us with respect, was a nice man that knew we were too young to work, but knew we needed a job. He was pretty old and couldn’t remember us when we robbed the place, so he treated us as if we were his own kids. Mr. Johnson wife past away before we got the job, so Phill and I decided to never ask him about his wife, and he already had two sons, that he loved very much, but both lived in a different country so he didn’t see them very often. Mr. Johnson’s sons were tall and sort of nerdy. One lived in France the other in England. They visited once and a while and we would say hi to them if we seen them. Mr. Johnson, I always thought, thought that we were probably his sons, but I wasn’t sure. Anyway I still thought of Mr. Johnson as the man.

Life at the store was fun for a while; it got boring with the same routine. Phill finally figured out why I was always chuckling. He told me, at the time, to never keep that much of a secret from him. At the store it was the same thing just different day. It was about two years of working in the shop, I grew about 7inches in the years and Phill became pretty tall himself. All those days at the store we would see Mr. Johnson always happy and excited when we arrive to work. And in those two years we were finally not bag boys anymore. I was the cashier because of my math skills and Phill was the man that worked at the inventory, we sort of got promoted you could say.
 * Chapter Eight: Same Customers**

Mr. Johnson somehow knew we were homeless and he didn’t mind that at all, but instead he taught us some handy math skills and some writing techniques. He offered us to live with him, but we told him we had a place of our own. He was worried at first, but he trusted us. While working there he wanted to teach us some proper English and that entire useful math in life. He taught me multiplication and division, and he also taught me to write better English and read better. Phill didn’t want to learn, at first, but I told him it was a lot of fun and he got into all the English lessons. He hated math and told me, I would always be his calculator, so he never participated in the math lessons. Mr. Johnson made us smarter and paid us to do simple task, I loved Mr. Johnson and thought of him as my very own personal dad.

But as time past we knew Mr. Johnson was getting pretty old and Phill and I knew he was going to gone soon. It felt sad thinking about, but we knew his time was going to be over. I didn’t want to think about or mention it, but every night, at the stronghold, Phill would always bring it up. Our conversation would always start like, “You know working at the shop is so fun, right Johnny?” Phill would ask me. “Yeah I love it especially with Mr. Johnson around.” “You know what?” “What?” “Mr. Johnson is pretty old and I think his time is going to up soon.” “Shut up, man he’s not old he’s only in his eighties or something like that.” “Johnny we have to accept this.” “I know, but why tell me every night?” “I know you lost someone close to you before.” “So?” “Just don’t kill yourself if he does die okay?” “I know Phill.” And the conversation would end and we both would be still talking about another a random subject, or about something irrelevant just to get Mr. Johnson out of our minds. But most of the time I would fall asleep and sleep with the sound of Phill next to me.

When it was closing time in the shop one day, I noticed these groups of adults always hanging around the shop. Phill would always tell them to go home and the men would just tell him to shut up and they would move on. Phill was a tough man he was only thirteen, but look like a grown adult. So I thought the group of men left because of Phill. But everyday at closing time the men would start to get closer to the shop and everyday I got more and more terrified. Finally as the days went by, the group of men would start to shop in the store, buying cigarettes and lottery tickets. They never won the lottery, but they still kept coming. Phill and I got used to this same group of men, we became accustomed to what they wanted and always offer them their products to them. There was a tall dark skinned man that always wanted cigarettes, a short bulky man who wanted the “Dollar Scratcher”, a scratch ticket, a yellow hat man with two earrings in his left ear wanted potato chips, and finally the leader, I think, fat man with huge biceps and nicely cut hair wanted nothing, but always telling us in a joker’s way that he was going to rob us. Every time he told us this, his gang would laugh and we would laugh and tell them its nine dollars and eighty-six cents.

The shop was getting old and rusty and Mr. Johnson started to become sick. Phill said it was time’s up for Mr. Johnson, I said it he just have a cold. Mr. Johnson gave us the liberty to watch over the shop and to be cafefull to not mess up anything. We watch over it for a couple of days and the group of men stopped coming back. Phill and I assumed they stop coming because of Mr. Johnson.
 * Chapter Nine: Maybe?**

On the first day Mr. Johnson became sick they asked us where the old man was. We told them that he was sick, and after that they never came back. We thought they we gone forever, until the yellow hat man came, by himself, to the shop. He bought his potato chips and gave us a piece of paper. I read the piece of paper, but I never showed it to Phill. It wrote, “//Do you remember me?”//

I pictured the yellow hat man again and I tried to figure out what he looked like. I thought long and hard, but still I couldn’t remember what this man meant, when he gave me this note. I didn’t want to show it to Phill and I didn’t want him to get involved with this. If Phill was to get involved he would have probably would have asked the man what he meant and got himself into some sort of danger, I didn’t want this to happen. I wanted to try and solve this by myself. But my plain failed epically. On that day, the night came, Phill and I was getting ready to go to bed. We had locked up the store and it knew everything in the store was secure. I had the note hanging from the bottom of my pants. I took off my pants and was climbing into our bed, which we made ourselves, but I realized I’d left something at the store. Phill told me to forget about it, but it was something important, for me, so I ran back to retrieve it. He told me to be careful and I was. I didn’t have any pants on when I ran back to the store, I ran so fast that it took about 5mins to reach the destination. I got my “something” and ran as quickly as I can, back to our home. As I returned home I saw Phill holding something. It was the note; he had read it and my plan of not showing him this failed.

We began to talk as if we where two married couples and I was the person who got caught cheating. The conversion started like this, “What is this Johnny, and who the hell wrote this?” Phill asked me. “Ummm…ummm.” I said nervously. “Tell me already!” “It was the tall yellow hat guy that always bought those freaking potato chips.” “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I didn’t want you to get involved or something like that.” “Is this man a stalker why would he give you something like this?” “I don’t know, but I can’t remember him at all. It said do you remember me? What I never seen such a man until he first appeared with his gang. ” “Wait I know who this guy is.” “Who is he? Come on Phill tell me who is he?” “He was—.” “He was what? Tell me.” “He was my brother?”

I asked Phill many questions about his childhood and all sorts of questions that dealt with his past. He didn’t want to tell me. At first he would try to convince me to tell him what I was getting at the store, I told him I was trying to get my action figure. He didn’t believe me until I showed it to him. So after some time of begging he finally decided to tell me his story. This story doesn’t have a happy ending, but it did to me, Phill had told me that he was raised in the streets and was raised by homeless men, but all that was a lie and the truth was far worse.
 * Chapter Ten: Phill’s Story**

He was born into a rich and wealthy family. He lived with his mom, dad, and older brother. The family was very successful because his dad had work with other men around the country selling products to other people. He was like a merchant you could say. But Phill never asked his dad what he did so he wasn’t really sure what he really did. All he knew was his dad sold stuff and he sold products to people around the world, that’s all Phill needed to know. Anyway after years of success and luck something tragic happened in the family, while Phill was only around five, his mom was held up for ransom and for a price his father wasn’t willing to pay. Even thought his father was rich he was a terrible person who cared about money, more than anything else. Phill’s brother became very displeased at his father, after not paying the ransom and left to New York where Phill had never seen him ever again, until he thinks now. Phill was too young to do anything or to know anything, so he stayed with his father.

After his mom ransom was never paid off his mother was found at the shore of some New York beach. Phill didn’t know where his mother was and never heard the news of his mother finding by his dad, so Phill never knew where his mom was all the time. So one day while watching the news, by himself, he secretly found out that his mother was found in New York. After hearing this news Phill got on a train and left to New York in a heartbeat, but Phill didn’t hear the rest of the news, the other half he soon will find out. Phill didn't know how he got to New York, but he got there. But as Phill arrived he was too little and foolish to realize that he was young and dumb. He tried to look for his mom, but he didn't know where to look. So he decided to head back to Massachusetts to be back with his father again, but never could return because he had no money.

As time passed, Phill lived in the streets of New York. And one day Phill saw a newspaper dated the date of his mother’s missing. He read it and found out that his mother was found in the shore of New York’s famous beach and that she was dead. Phill told me that all his depiction of a dad as a hero failed, and that he decided to live on the streets and find a way to be street smart. He got his streets smart skills by all the homeless men that he started to bond with, so the homeless did teach him something. And ever since he found out that his father was a straight up bastard, he lived in New York and wanted to change his past. He told me he wanted to start everything all over, like as if he was reborn. After a couple of years in the streets he met me and now he met his past too. The past was Phill’s past, but now it was supposed to come back and bite him right in the ass. He knew that if he told the yellow hat man that he remembers that, that he was his brother something bad was going to happen. I knew now that Phill to have had a horrifying past and he was going to feel the past’s pain comeback. The next day came and I could still remember Phill’s face, it was scared and a sad face at the same time. We woke up to open the shop early, since Mr. Johnson was still sick. I didn't want to mention anything about Phill’s past. But I still wanted to ask questions. I now knew his whole story and I had some many questions left unanswered. The door cracked open, our first customer arrived. We checked up her items and we bagged the items. The small convenient store didn’t need two people at the register, but Phill was still sad and he wanted to register with me. Phill wasn’t the type of man to cry or fell like shit, when he was down, but this day was different. He had never told anyone his true life story and now his brother has been stalking him to make him remember the past. Phill was strong I knew he could break this sadness shield he had. After about almost 12hours of work it finally started to grow dark. The sky turned dark as if it was a tightly shut closet door. The store was getting busy, but still no sign of the gang. We worked in the store until it was about 11:00p.m. I was exhausted and I could see that Phill was to. We got outside the store ready to close it. I pulled down the chained wall and Phill got out the keys ready to lock it. I had seen a yellow hat drop beside me with a familiar shape next to me head.
 * Chapter Eleven: The Day After the…**

I woke up at a strange place. I remember feeling a cold breeze hit my face. I was stuck, tied up on a chair, the chair was one of those chairs that had a shorter leg so when you leaned to one side the chair would fall and you would have the illusion of you going to fall over. I hated those chairs.
 * Chapter Twelve: Warehouse**

I looked around the place I was trapped it seemed to be a warehouse an abandon warehouse. It was cold; the place was infested with large cobwebs and many rats just scrapping around. “Where the hell was I”, was what I thought to myself every time I tried to picture this place. I looked and looked around the place and noticed a familiar figure it was Phill. Phill was tied up and hanging on some chains. His hands were wrapped in chains and he was hanging from the ceiling. He looked like a pig from a butcher’s shop. Just hanging around and looking like he was dead, he looked at me and said, “Your finally awake?” “Yeah.” I said “Well we have been her for about hours.” “What happen back there? All I could remember was a yellow hat being dropped beside me and a gun next to my head.” “Well, it was simple the man with the yellow hat smacked you in the head and you got knocked out.” “So what happen to you?” “I honestly don’t know maybe—,” the door opened loudly a man open the door. I saw a shine of light blast into my eye. I couldn’t see the man’s face clearly, but all I saw was two earrings until I got smacked on the head again.

I woke up at a familiar sight. The place was inside Mr. Johnson’s store. My head hurt and I knew I was the beverages alley. I looked around the place and saw that it was ransacked and everything was everywhere. The store had blood on the floor, bullets and looked completely destroyed. The place had a stench of fresh blood. The odor was very strong, but I ignored it to look around the shop. I looked at the ground again and this time saw a blood trail. The trail led to the back room if the store where Phill got his notepad for inventory. The back room’s door was tightly shut. The blood trail continued into the door and I couldn’t get in.
 * Chapter Thirteen: Mr. Johnson**

I ran to the front of the register, where Mr. Johnson always hid his keys, and I grabbed the keys. I noticed that there were bullets on the floor; the bullets had no blood like the others and been recently shoot because I could see smoke hissing out the bullets. And I noticed the register destroys and of course no cash. As I grabbed the keys and began to walk to the back room of the store I heard loud banging, the banging got louder and louder. I followed the noise and it was coming from the back room. I took out the keys and open the door. Mr. Johnson came out falling holding some letters and two valuable looking necklaces. The letters had the name Phill and John on it. I felt Mr., Johnson’s skin it felt still warm, but as I held him for some time he soon became cold. He had bullet wounds everywhere and was covered with blood.

Mr. Johnson had died in my hands, only and only if I had gotten the keys faster I would have probably saved him. I sat there for hours with Mr. Johnson in my arms. I wrapped him tightly and sat on the floor sobbing and my salty tears came pouring out. I heard sirens and cops soon arrived. The cops asked me stupid questions and told me that Mr. Johnson had died.

I was alone again. I didn’t know where Phill was and my image of a perfect life has been scattered. The glass window of my heart has been hit by a strayed baseball from a gang of men, who I thought were friends of Phill, Mr. Johnson, and I. I was tricked and now alone.

As I sat in my register chair, the cops gave me the two letters and necklaces. I looked at the letter that said Johnny. I open the letter it said, //Dear Johnny,// //Here is a necklace that I brought for you. I want to thank you and Phill for working at the shop and taking care of it, while I was gone. Here is gift that I hope you will keep forever and use this to remember me. I know that I am old and I’m going to probably croak soon. So I wanted to give you and Phill these necklaces for giving the last years of my life comfort. If I do die I want you to remember the friendship that you and Phill have. Remember.// //--Atlas Johnson//

I took Phill’s letter and his necklace and place them in my pocket. I was sad and just wanted to go home. I was hoping that Phill would be there, so that I could give him the letter and give him the news. I got to the Stronghold and I was alone. no Phill just me.
 * Chapter Fourteen: Again**

I feel asleep and woke up the next day with sun blazing and sun’s rays blinding my eyes. I saw a faint image of a man, it was Phill I thought. I got up as fast as I could and realized it was just nothing. A figure from my imagination and my feeling of wanting to see him again confused my mind. The shop was gone and Phill what was I supposed to do. I was ten and I been through this kind of shit five years ago. I didn’t want to be back alone I wanted someone just to be beside me. I wanted a man to be my sidekick someone that will never leave my side. I wanted Phill.

I lived by myself and knew that I had to live life like how I started. I started to steal again living life as a thief. I went through cities stealing items and valuables for money. I went to a different store every time just to steal something to drink or eat. I had money saved and I did the same routine I did with Phill. Every month I would make a good amount of money and save that one hundred dollar in our stash. I had a lot of money saved and I use my street smarts to manipulate people.

Three years of doing this made me decide on something new. I wanted revenge, revenge on the people that made Phill disappear and revenge on the gang that killed Mr. Johnson. My new goal was fuck life and seek what I wanted most, hardcore revenge.

The goal was to get into the gang and get inside their head. I wanted to gain trust, let them become good friends, and then I would do what they did to Mr. Johnson. I was thirteen I hit puberty, you would say. I started to grow some facial hair and I was taller than an average thirteen year old. I knew I wanted to seek destruction on this gang, but still I didn’t know how to join this gang.
 * Chapter Fifteen: Gang**

I start talking to drug dealers asking them if I could do some deals for them. I made money and sold a lot of drugs. Got close to some of the drug dealers, but still wanted to join that gang. I got close to this one drug dealer named Samson. He was tall and in his twenties. He was built and very muscular. He looked like a born fighter and looked like he will split you into two if you said anything bad about him, but instead he was kind, nice, and was just like me. He told me he was born an orphan and that he didn’t have any friends at the orphanage so he left it. He was thirteen when he started to become a serious drug dealer. He joined this gang called the “Orange Snake”, in which it wasn’t that tough.

Samson told me the gang wasn’t serious or anything. The gang’s features where skin heads with an orange snake tattoo on their arm. They did nothing tough until, one day. Samson told me one of his friends named Phillip started to stir things up. The gang formal leader named “Orange Snake” died from natural causes and his son Phillip “Little Snake” was going to take over. Orange snake didn’t like to do anything bad all he did was drug deals and some drug trafficking. But Samson said when his son took over things change. Samson said he saw some of his friends starting to disappear and body bags started to pile up. Samson found out that Phillip was lending money to people and if someone didn’t pay up they would get wacked. Money loans were as high as twenty thousand a person or five thousand the lowest. Samson said Phillip would be nice to the person and then killed them if they didn’t pay up.

Phillip even betrayed some members in the gang and people started to leave. Samson left before anything bad happen to him and has been selling drugs to people since. At the time I remember someone with an orange tattoo, but I couldn’t picture the man. I remembered the man name Phillip and the orange tattoo, but who was this?

Time past and I couldn’t find Phill, Phill was gone and couldn’t find the gang to avenge Mr. Johnson. I lived with Samson, and left the stronghold. I wanted to stay in the stronghold to wait for Phill, but while time past, something tragic happen.
 * Chapter Sixteen: Stronghold**

A month after selling drugs, I started to make a lot of money and I started to tell all my customers to come to the stronghold. I did deal here without even leaving my own home, what a life. One customer, however, became crazy. He brought drugs from me every day, and I even ran out of drugs. The day that I ran out of drugs to sell, this man became hostile and he told me he need drugs to stay alive and keep himself intake; he was a crack-head, he kept bothering me even when I told him to leave. He was annoying the hell out of me, so I finally told him to never buy my drugs. That night I told him this I smelt smoke. I was sleeping and that crack-head was burning my home. My stronghold, my home, Phill’s home, our base, our fuckin hide out; why was this man so cruel?

Life was hard after that day I finally left the place and tried to buy some cheap apartment. I was too young; people didn’t want me to rent out their apartment. I told Samson about this and he told me to stay with him so I did. I lived with Samson, and I wanted to find Phill, the gang, and vengeance. But I had to think of the future, what was to come what would I do next. I had to erase my past like I did before.

It was noon March, 30, 1996. When living with Samson, I finally remember who that orange snake tattooed bastard was, Phillip was the name my mom said before she got shot, orange tattoo of a snake was on the man’s arm and when he’d ask my mom for money that just made sure he was the man. I couldn’t forget my past, something that was a memory; I knew now why I met Samson. Something that is an unforgettable deed can’t be erased and scattered. I needed to know more about the gang and all their tricks. I needed to know the hideout and destroyed it. I wouldn’t kill a fly, but I would kill a man that killed someone I loved.
 * Chapter Seventeen: Remember the Past**

Samson told me everything about all he knew about Phillip. He told me that he was a wimpy person who never killed anyone unless he was force to. He told me that Phillip wasn’t strong, but he had a lot of men that is actually loyal to him. He said Phillip was a coward and thinks of himself. He told me that his hide out was at 55 Grinder Ave. This place was unfamiliar to me, I didn’t know if Samson could be trusted or if he wanted to trick. I felt that Samson was actually Phillip’s loyal men, but still I lived with him, I had to trust him.

That night I planned everything. I planned when I will attack, what I would do if I got Phillip in my grasp, and what I will do if I got him cornered. I wanted him dead; I wanted to give him you much suffering that he will never do this shit again to any.

That morning I woke up early and bought myself a pistol. I didn’t know how to shoot it, but I knew it will kill someone if the trigger was pulled. My plan was to pretend to be a drug dealer; I wanted him to think I was buying some drugs from. After months of buying these drugs I would then ask him if he could lend me some money. After not paying his loan I hoped that he would come to kill me, and then here and only this time I will attack. This was my plan I knew it was a slim chance of working, but I had to try I had to. However the plan had a catch. I didn’t want to attack to earlier; I knew I need to wait. I wanted to wait for three years; this is the time I wanted to attack. March 30, 1999

Fall came to New York. It was cold and the leaves changed its color, the colors were yellow, brown, and even red. It was such a nice day. I walked around New York enjoying the view. I loved going to Time Square and hanging out there. Time Square was such a magical sight. In a couple of months the plan was going to be intake. I couldn’t wait. I still lived with Samson; he was nice to me and taught me to shoot a gun better.
 * Chapter Eighteen: Samson and Phill**

I knew my past was terrible, but I had the urge to dig deeper and remember the alley me mom was shoot in. I walked the streets of Time Square, it reminds me of my mom and how it felt when she brought me to places that I didn’t know, and the feeling was always magical. The alley was next to the store I wanted to go when I was five that’s all I could remember. I wanted to go see the alley, so bad, but I didn’t know where it was. I didn’t like not knowing, but I wasn’t sure even If I knew I would still go. All I wanted to do was to seek revenge, but then I thought of how fall was to my mom and me.

I went back to my apartment building. I never wanted to go back, but thanksgiving was coming soon. I remember all those thanksgiving I had with my mother. I only had one that I could really remember. But that memory made me happy. All I needed was this memory to make me cry. I felt like I was a wimp to cry over something like this. I felt stupid and told myself to stop, but it was too hard.

Thanksgiving came back and so I had thanksgiving with Samson. It was nice we hanged out as if we knew each other for a long time. We ate so much food and we both fell asleep next to each other. We woke up that morning and we were terrified. It was hilarious and I felt closer to Samson. Samson was like me, but he was no Phill. I missed Phill so much that thanksgiving. When Phill and I first met he was, so kind to me. Our first thanksgiving began when were just young boys eating scrapes, and then Phill decided to steal a turkey, so that he could roast it and share with me. He told me that night to wait for him and so I did. He came in the next two hours later running with a man carrying an axe. It was such a scary sight and all heard was “I got the turkey, now run”. Fall and thanksgiving was what I lived for. It always meant I wasn’t alone and I had people that I can share my love with. Samson and Phill were my brothers and I needed them to survive.

Winter hit quick. It was a cold winter, but it was nice and cozy. I spent that winter at the burnt stronghold. Samson wanted me to stay with him because he actually has heat and gas. I didn’t care I just wanted to go back into the stronghold to remember all the good times I had over there, before it was going to be built over. The place was forgotten and it was Phill and I home. I couldn’t believe it was going to be rebuilt. After the fire the stronghold gained popularity. It was somehow a sight not recorded in New York. So publicity rose and many people came to the place as if it was a tourist’s sight. I didn’t like it at all, but it was my mown stupid deed that caused it. I sold the drugs and I told people to come to my own home. I was dumb and now I face the consequences. Stronghold was my place, no Phill and my place.
 * Chapter Nineteen: Last Visit**

As I stayed in the stronghold alone it felt so weird. Samson wanted to join me in the stay, but I didn’t want him. The memories in this place are what I wanted to see. I wanted to see the image of Phill and I hiding out here and first finding this place. I saw these memories and more, all again, I knew if I stayed there longer I would feel lonely; however I didn’t know why, but I felt as if I needed to feel this loneliness feeling. It felt like this loneliness feeling will be gone and I couldn’t feel this anymore. My body had a twitch that made me want to feel this feeling one more time. My body wanted to say that I will never be lonely because I had the memories of my friends and family. The feeling went away when I left the stronghold on March 21. I wanted to stay longer just for the feeling, but also to see if Phill would come back. He didn’t. March 23, 1999 came. My plan was going to be in affect the next week. I was ready, but I wanted Phillip to remember the day March 30 for the rest of his life. He shot my mother that day and now I want him to remember me.

**Chapter Twenty: Why?** It was March 29, 1999 the clock was ticking. In about twenty minutes it was about to March 30, 1999. I couldn’t wait until it was time; I wanted to use my plan so bad that I was bursting out of my sit. I sat there just starring at the clock thinking to myself, “Hurry, turn twelve already,” I was thirsty for revenge and now finally the time was going to happen. However in the last ten minutes remaining I started to become drowsy and fatigue. I feel asleep. I woke up in the next eight hours realizing I just missed my chance for an attack. “Damn” was what I thought to myself because now I had to wait another fifteen hours to attack. I had to attack this day and I wanted to do this at midnight, but now I had to do this at 11:00p.m. I didn’t know why I was so tired I sleep an hour earlier and I didn’t do any physical activity during the time period. It was bizarre and unusual. The whole day I stayed at home with Samson, I moved back in with him, and we talked about my plan. He told me that it wasn’t going to work, but he also told me to attack anyway. It was strange for him to not believe in me. I didn’t care though for what he thought. I wanted revenge and he wasn’t going to make my plan become destroy and make me feel like I should reconsider.

The night came I arrived at 55 Grinder Ave. the place was seemed abandon. I never checked this place until now. The place was a broken down warehouse and it seemed like know was here. I looked around and began to knock on the door. No one had answer the first time, but the second knock I heard someone say, hold on. The man opened the door and I saw the orange tattoo on his arm. Samson was telling the truth and I couldn’t believe I doubted him. I felt sort of stupid and happy. Samson was a man I could trust. After the man open the door I looked around, it was the warehouse.

The warehouse had the same stench and all of the same features. I didn’t like being there, all I wanted to do was to get out of there and never come back, but I needed Phillip dead. So I stood straight up and ignored what I was thinking in my mind, and the man and I started to talk,
 * Chapter Twenty-One: The Deal**

“What you want?” the man asked. “I came here to buy some goods. My business requires me to sustain a lot of drugs; I need a lot of what you have.” “I see, but how do you know that we sell drugs?” “A man told me, that am all I have to say, so are you going to let me buy some or what?” “Whatever, hey boss someone wants to do some business.” “Thank you.” I looked around the place more clearly and thoroughly, I noticed the ceiling looked like it was going to cave in and looked as if someone smashed in the ceiling’s pillars this whole place was going to be in rumbles. While looking around the place I saw something. I saw some chains hanging on the ceiling the chains itself gave me the creeps. I sort of freaked out because there were all rusted and looked like it had been stained with someone’s blood or something like that. And after starring at the ceiling for some time, I realized something that may be true. Those chains could have been Phill’s chain. Phill was hung on this roof with his wrist tied on the chains, I was sure, and so these chains could have been the chains of Phill. If the chains were still up there and there were bloodstains on it, it probably meant Phill was left up on the ceiling and that he was maybe left up there to die.

I knew this warehouse was the warehouse we were trapped in, but seeing the chains on the ceiling, still remaining, made me tear up a little. Phill could be died and these chains are proof that he could have died being hung up from the ceiling. The bloodstains could possibly come from his wrist of something, I don’t know, but all I knew at the time was Phill could be dead. I didn’t know why I thought of all these possibilities of how Phill could have died, but still I needed to stop thinking about this and stay at the task in hand. There was a possibility, I didn’t like this, but there was a chance.

I stood in the warehouse crying a little, but I had to stop because I remember “the boss” was approaching me. He looked as what I remember, being a white skinned male with that stupid, and not to mention ridicules, orange snake tattoo. He had a deep voice and began to say, “So what do you want? I don’t have all day, tell me already?” “You know what I want; I want to buy some drugs.” “What day is it again?” I looked around the “hell hole” and saw a clock and I responded, “Today is March 30, 1988 and the time is 11:48p.m.” “Damn it was just a simple question chill, so how much you want?” “I want 100 grams of your finest cocaine, sir.” “Don’t kid me you know how much that costs get out of here I don’t play games with amateurs—,” “I’m not playing, I know it’s a lot of money, but I also hear that you lend people money, am I right or wrong?” “Right, I see so you know a lot about my business, you seem like a tough guy and know what he is talking about. Here I’ll give you the one hundred gram, but remember if you don’t pay me back I’ll find your ass and I will kill you. You got that? Hey Mini-Snake come here.” I saw a kid maybe my age or maybe a little younger approach Phillip. The kid responded, “Yes, dad I mean boss.” “Give this guy 100 grams of cocaine and hurry. Well this kid will give you the goods. I’ll be waiting for the payment by the end of the week you got that? Also pleasuring doing business with you.” I remember him leaving and laughing a little bit I told him, “Likewise.” The kid approach again, and he gave me the goods. I loved when a plan comes to place, plan successful. I remember the next day I woke up with a rash on my skin; my skin became so irritating. I tried to put on some cream or some sort of itch relief product, but it still didn’t work. I felt distinguished like when you feel when someone gives you something terrible to eat and you try it, and then you throw up, yeah that was how I felt. I felt as if Phillip tricked me and he gave me some fake product that actually was poisoned. I had one hundred grams of drugs, that could have been fake, and I didn’t know what to do with it. My goal wasn’t to sell the product, it was just to borrow money from Phillip so that he could try to whack me and then I kill him.
 * Chapter Twenty-Two: Waiting**

Days and days went by. I still had the hundred gram of cocaine and Samson didn’t want anything to do with my plan. He left town the day I told him the plan was successful and told me that he didn’t want to be involved. I was by myself at the house and I didn’t leave the house at all. By the six day of the week I ate everything in the house and I was tired of just sleeping around the house and waiting until the end of the week, so I finally decided to leave. The seventh day of the week was going to the day Phillip was going to ask me for the money and I was ready. But during the six day of the week I needed to get the hell out of the house.

I walked around New York and found a place to hang out. There was a new arcade called the “Fun time” that had opened up. I went in there and spent about one hundred dollars just playing video games and what not. And after three hours in the arcade I left and got something to eat. While I was eating I thought of things that I could do to Phillip. I had a sick mind, I thought of shooting him, strangling him, and even just robbing him. It was useless ideas just flowing into my brain. I knew what I wanted to do to him, but sick and horrible ideas just kept popping up. After paying the check I left straight home and fell asleep with a smile on my face.

Day seven arrived in a hurry. Today was the day if I didn’t pay up Phillip was supposed to “whacked” me. I woke up that day with a sinister smile and evil face. I had the look of a devil or some sort of demon that just wanted vengeance and blood. I was a demon; I did want all of the above. I waited at the house with my glock in my right hand and I sat on a revolving recliner facing the door and just waiting. I heard people knocking, but I didn’t answer. I wanted someone to knock down the door so, boom I can shoot the man. Times passed and still know one knocked down the door. I sat on the chair all day, but still it didn’t happen. I thought maybe Phillip was to scare or he actually was too much of a wimp to hunt me down. I faced my revolving recliner and faced the other way. I heard a loud bang on the door I turned around quickly to notice it was someone knocking the door. “Finally” I thought. The knock got louder and louder, I thought of shooting the knocker through the door, but I knew I needed to see the right face first. I was ready to shoot I had my gun held high, I wasn’t shaking or anything. My index finger holding the trigger, and my gun was loaded I had a full magazine.
 * Chapter Twenty-Three: Tricked**

The knocking stop, I hesitate a little and I dropped my gun down lower. The door stood there not harm or anything. It was a false alarm I thought and so I sat back down. As I starred at the door for some time I saw a piece of paper being slid through the bottom of the door’s crack. I moved slowly trying not to make any noise. I crawled to the piece of paper and I picked it up. It was some sort of message it wrote, //Open Now! It’s Samson, hurry.// I felt relief and I began to open the door. As I cracked open the door I saw little boy standing at the entrance. I tried to ask for his name, but the boy pulled out a gun. He told me to drop my pistol and move away from it, and so I did. I was tricked and confused. That bastard Phillip sent a little boy to whack me. I was angry and very disturb. I was tricked by a little boy how could have been seven and tricked by some dumbass who probably was laughing at me at the time. The little boy told me to turn around and enter the house. We entered and he closed the door behind him, and he began to tell me face the wall. I remember hearing these words again. I was going to be shoot by some little boy. I thought to myself as if I deserve this, but I also thought this was how I was supposed to die. Being only a teen and going to face the same fate as my mother, still I was confused. How did this boy now I lived with Samson?

As I turned around I heard a loud bang. I open my eyes, and I began to touch my body. I felt no pain and I felt nothing. I saw no blood or any sign of injury. I turn to face and looked at the little boy .The little boy sat there, in my chair, with a tape recorder in his hand. I saw him press the play button on the tape recorder a loud banging sound came out of the tape recorder. The front door opens again. It was Samson and I started to ask Samson question, “What the hell is going on?” I asked very angrily. “That was hilarious.” He said chuckling a lot. “Hey answer me, what the hell is going on? First I hear loud banging and then I see a note that is telling me it’s you, and then some little ass boy, maybe seven, is standing at the door entrance, pulling out a pistol, and telling me to face the wall. Then I fuckin hear some loud ass bang, that sounded like a gunshot, to find out that I wasn’t shot and you come here and telling me this is hilarious, what the fuck is going on? “It was a test and you failed. Hey Jay thank you for helping me out.” “No probably you where right it was funny, I pick up the candies tomorrow.’ The little boy said. “Wait so what?” “I told you it was a test and this little boy Jay was the neighbor’s boy. I told him I would play a trick on you and I will give him candy if he helped—.” “What tricking a kid for your own fun?” “No, I now this kid and he love to play tricks on people, so when I offer him this “job” he agreed on it.” “I don’t care about that, you know that’s creepy right though, I care more about you test what do you mean?” “No, I told you I know him so it’s not creepy, and you should know what the test was for. I’ll give you a hint orange.” “Orange what does that mean? Oh wait hold on, orange, you mean the orange snakes, and yeah the test was for the orange snakes. I see, but I don’t understand how it was going to help me.” “Damn I thought you where smart; I’m an ex-snake so I know all their tricks. They loved to let people face the wall so that they could check the scene and then shoot you. If they tell you this, this is your chance to run. And second thing is don’t fall into notes, they know your family and they know everything, so don’t fall into simple tricks like that. Last, but not least they always bring a back up, so never forget this. One will always equal two.” I told Samson thank you and I started to get tired. It was late and Samson had told me he would keep watch, so I went into my room and fell asleep, tomorrow, I hoped, will be the day. I woke up at around noon the next day. Samson left me a note saying he would be back later. I was scared because Samson left me alone while I was sleeping. I walked around the house and saw my drugs missing, I didn’t care though, and there was a new front door. The door had a peeping hole and it had another note of Samson on it, it said, //Don’t’ worry I’m not that dumb, this door is tightly enforced and this peeping hole will help you out.//
 * Chapter Twenty-Four: The Loud Bang**

I felt sort of safe, but I knew if they weren’t going to attack me the day before they were going to attack me this day. I got into position and this time brought some chips and dips. I sat at the revolving recliner and starred at the door. My gun in one hand and my other hand filled with chips. It was going to happen today I knew it was. Timed passed and still no snakes or Samson, but at around 10p.m. I heard some knocking. The door was getting banged pretty loudly, and this time I was prepared and ready. I wasn’t going to get trick or anything, but I was going to camp this out until the door would get knocked down. Again I had my finger on the trigger and the pistol held at a solid distance height. I thought to myself “shoot once you see an orange snake, and only shoot if this happen.”

The banging was getting more anxious and annoying. “This was the snakes those stupid orange snakes” I thought to myself. I knew Phillip wouldn’t come, but, I thought to myself, if he sends his people it will be a message that I would be willing to sign. Finally the knocking stop and I heard sounds of foot steps. The door was trying to get rammed open and this tightly enforced door seemed like it was going to break. The door kept getting smashed and I didn’t like it all. I actually felt some regret and scared. I wanted to go back into the past and never meet with Phillip. I was starting to shake when the door started to crack and break. I could see some of the wood start to split and the screws of the door falling out. This door was being destroyed and it was facing punishment due to me.

I stilled had my gun facing the wall and still had my finger on the trigger. Around ten minutes passed and the door finally split open. I shot some many times. I kept shooting until the whole magazine was empty and kept shooting until I ran out of ammo. The door was destroyed and I could only see smoke around the place. I heard some nearby sirens and I wasn’t sure to run or stay. I choose to run. I ran away from the scene not knowing if I killed anyone or if I even hit anyone. My pistol was burning and all the neighbors came running out there houses. There was chaos. People where everywhere running and hiding due to fear. It looked like the scene when I was five, chaos striking into everyone, but instead of me checking out the scenery I wanted to leave this place. Know one notice that I was running with a smoky pistol in my hand, everyone was concerned about themselves. I fled to the stronghold the only place I knew other then Samson house.

However the stronghold had changed. Since it was burnt down it was rebuilt into a tourist sight. It was late, so no one was there. I stood at the place where it used to be Phill and I house. It was sad thinking of how much time had passed since I last saw Phill. Phill could have died in the warehouse, but I knew he could somehow still be alive. The next day arrived and I went back to Samson’s house. He looked as if he was talking to some reporters. He saw me and ran all the way to me and hugged me. He told me to never do anything that ridicules again or he would beat me up. Samson had told the cops and the reporters no comment so they didn’t know anything. When I arrived I told them so made up situation. I told them gang members would come by the neighborhood and yell at each as if they where going to fight, and so that night was the day they became hostile and shoot each other. They believed me and ask where Samson and I were at during this time, and so I told them Samson and I was staying at a friend’s house, and still they believed me. The last question they asked was why bullets on the door and why was it destroyed. I told him they probably broke into our house and the fight started there. The cops looked like they didn’t want believe us, but they also look as if they didn’t care. That night the reporters stop coming because there questions was answer and the cops left and didn’t accused us of anything because nothing, it seemed, bad happen.

I shot recklessly and I didn’t hit anyone. I had some questions left unanswered that night, like where Samson was, and who destroyed the door? I tried to ask Samson where he was at, he just told me store, and I looked at the floor no blood. Either I sucked at shooting or someone knew I was going to shoot and so he left before he was going to get shoot. Last question I had was where were my drugs? Months gone by and there was no sign of the snakes and it looked as if I scared them off. I settle down at Samson’s house and did my normal routine. The snakes seem to not care about me anymore and it looked like I was in the safe zone. I did my daily stuff and I even decide to start school.
 * Chapter Twenty-Five: School**

I was seventeen and I needed some education. I didn’t know why, but I was put into the tenth grade and it was horrible. Samson was my guardian and we pretended as if he was my distant cousin taking me in. I study hard but still failed all my classes. I wanted to give up, but I knew I need some education in me. During my sophomore year I was lonely kid. I wasn’t that tall I hit my growth spurt early, so I was kind of the small guy who people didn’t want to bother to talk to. I was hurt that no one wanted to talk to me, but I didn’t mind it. I didn’t want them to know my past I didn’t want them to feel sorry for me; I just didn’t want to replace Phill.

Every time before school started I always would try to study for my class and every time I would feel the exam. I had this contract with my science teacher she said if I final out a “C” she would make it a B. I felt weird having this secret contract with my teacher, but I asked around and some kid way dumber then also said he had one. I felt better and that made me preserve to past the tenth grade.

Timed past and I got better at school. My junior I took all easy classes and one higher rank class. My favorite class was math and that was my only class that I looked as if I could succeed so I decided to take advance. “I was streets smart” was once Phill and I used to say, but I became smart. I liked the class a lot and I learned the math very easy. I already master multiplication, division, and all that easy stuff when I was little. So learning geometry and algebra was very easy. That junior year I even made friends and invited them to my house. Samson was alright with it because he knew that meant I went to school. My new friends were crazy seventeen year old that were nice and funny in many situations. By senior year I took all advance classes and I became to find school fun. I graduated with a 3.4 GPA. I was happy at my accomplishment. The entire friend I made end up going to college, but we told each other to stay in contact. I didn’t want to go to college I was only nineteen and I wanted to joy life a little bit more. I decided to take the year off. That summer of my senior year was a summer I wasn’t going to forget. I felt pain, suffering, relief, and all the feelings you get when you see a man you haven’t seen in a while. It all started in June 12, 1991. My have just graduated from my class about a week ago. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do this summer or the whole year, so that day I went to ask Samson what he wanted to do.
 * Chapter Twenty-Six: Encounter**

Samson was always a fun and outgoing man, so when I asked him what he wanted to do this whole year it was weird. That day he told me to leave the house and never come back. He told me to move and find a different place to live. He told me to forget him and don’t ever talk to him. Very displeased I left and in hurry and started to cry. My friend that I been living with kicked me out his house. I decide to talk to Samson to find what was up.

I run back the house and knocked fiercely and loudly until someone would answer. He didn’t answer, so I still felt bewildered. I had the keys the house so I unlocked the lock, and open the door slowly. I ran to where I last saw Samson. I looked into the room and saw Samson still on his favorite couch. He had letters scattered around him saying “Samson” and “Phillip” I tried to wake him up, but he didn’t respond. I checked his pulsed and it had stop. I wanted to call 911, but I was to hurt and scared. Samson had killed himself, why had he done such a terrible thing?

I looked around Samson a bit more, he had poisoned himself. I saw some sort of poison on his left hand and a note on his right hand. Of course it had said my name. The letter wrote, //Dear Johnny,// //I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not telling you the truth and making you lives with me. My goal was to kill you. The letters scattered around will help you understand. I was still in the gang. I never left. I took back the drugs so that you wouldn’t’ be killed. When I first met you I thought your where some amateur drug dealer. A little boy how needed money. So when I took you in I wanted to make you join the gang. But as I heard your stories I knew you where the kid I was supposed to kill years ago. I told you the snakes always had a number two and I was Phillip’s number two.// I destroyed the letter. I didn’t want to see anymore. I always felt that weird vibe from Samson as if he did want to kill, but to think it was true just mad it worst. That night I search the letters read it, analyze it, and I even double checked the letters. I read every word, I remembered all of the letters and finally after eight hours of intense analyzing I found the truth and my new goal. Revenge was a sin. It meant retaliating, it meant to fight back to what happen to you in the past, it meant to seek so sort of evil pleasure, or it meant to get back at someone. Revenge was everything to me, everyone I was around died or disappear. Phill, Mom, Samson, Mr. Johnson, and even my new high school buddies all could be dead or disappeared or gone from me.
 * Chapter Twenty-Seven: Seeking Revenge**

Phillip started it all, he had let me see my mother be shot, he lead me to meet Phill, he lead me find a job to keep myself alive, in which I met Mr. Johnson. He made me feel the pain of holding someone I loved dearly in my arms, he made me homeless to meet up with Samson, and then he made want to go to school to have a better life, but now he made me want to end his life.

I had a new plan to take what he loved dearly and killed all who he loved. I want him to feel the pain that he gave me. I needed him to regret the day he met me, I wanted him to regret the day March 30 for the rest of his life.

It was the summer of senior year I got my weapons and I secretly place them next to the warehouse. I stalked the place learned all of the guards movement. I knew how to kill on guard and then the other. But I didn’t know the inside guard formation. I snuck on the roof and everyday in the summer I study the guard’s formation in and outside of the warehouse. This place was abandon just like me and now it was going to feel the pain I felt.

The clock struck midnight it was now August 1, 1991. I was going to move out to launch a full scale assault. I killed the guard in the door entrance then the man that circles the place. I killed the last guard who arrives at the time 1:00 a.m. Then I killed the inside guard, how always come out for a smoke of cigarettes. My knife was bloody and the bodies kept pilling on. There was crack in the roof; it was time to lead my assault in the inside.

I got in silently and stabbed the guard that kept watch the roof on top, and then I walked quietly to kill the other. There was a man at the entrance that was always asleep and one guy always tells him to wake up. I shot both of them with my silent pistol. Last was the man guard that kept watching Phillip and his son. He was a strong built man that was about 7ft. tall and with a rock shaped face. He always had no facial expression. He comes out around 1:30a.m. To check up on the guards and informs Phillip. It was 1:30a.m. He came out I wanted to shot him, but I end up trying to stab him. This was my fatal mistake. He had shrug off the pain and grabbed my neck. I saw Phillip come out and tell the man to let me go we had a brief conversation,

“So you were the man on the roof all this time? I can’t believe you killed all my guards and almost try to kill my own bodyguard Bob. Thank you Bob got watches Little Snake.” “You bastard you killed my whole family and now I’m going to kill you.” I took out my pistol and tried to shoot the man. He ducked and dodged the bullet this was his fatal mistake. My plan wasn’t to hit him, but to hit Bob. Bob fell to the ground direct headshot. I ran into Phillip’s shed and grabbed Little Snake. Phillip was about to shot, but he knew I had Little Snake as hostage. The plan had worked. I told Phillip to not shoot or I would kill Little Snake, and he didn’t. Suddenly I heard some noise two o’clock from me I shoot and notice it was someone I knew. I had shot my mother my own mother. She was still alive, but how. I started to ask Phillip what was going on and we started to talk, “Why my mother, why is she here?” I could see my mother dieing it was a shoot to the heart. “Why is she here?” “I had kidnapped here years ago and as you can see she escaped.” He started to laugh. I wanted to shoot, but this sick bastard ruin my life by kidnapping my mom and now forcing me to kill her. I wanted to kill right there in the spot, but I finally decide to ask him one more question, “Where is my friend Phill, where is he?” “Give me my son and I will tell you.” “Fuck You!” I left the scene he didn’t follow me. As I open the door he told me something he said, “Hey kid if you don’t get my son back I’ll kill you. Oh yeah one more thing your friend will come to you.” I was confused of what he meant, but I had his son that is all it meant. I got back to my house, Samson’s house, and I tied up the kid and put him in a room I made from him. The room was inside the hallway walls and could only be enter in through a secret passage. I put a shocking collar on his neck and I tied up his hand and gave him food that he didn’t have to use a spoon or some sort of utensil. He couldn’t scream or eat right. I had his hand-cuffs. I kept in the room until an orange snakes try to attack me. Again I sat there waited for the snakes. The next day I woke up I saw people surrounding me. They had ropes and they kidnapped me. The group of men grabbed my legs, my arms and my torso. I couldn’t escape the group of men where huge and I couldn’t escape. They took their gun and smashed my head. I was still conscious, but I received another smack on the head and then I blacked out. I woke up at the most familiar spot, it was the warehouse. It was terrible not this place again. Phillip came next to me. He said, “Wake up.” I woke up and didn’t speak. Phillip kept rambling on how he was going to kill me if I didn’t give back his son to him. I chuckled, but still I didn’t say anything. He told me he would kill me once he finds him, I still didn’t care. Finally he said, “Fine you don’t have to talk to me, talk to your dear friend Phill.” I saw Phill. He looked the same. I cried a little and still I didn’t say anything. Phill didn’t say anything he just looked at me. Phillip left and told Phill to deal with me. It was just like the last time I saw we where both alone in this warehouse. I couldn’t believe that he was well and healthy looking. We started at each other and he still didn’t say a word. I finally began to ask Phill a question,
 * Chapter Twenty-Eight: Shot**
 * Chapter Twenty-Nine: No Words**
 * Chapter Thirty: All from the Start**

“Phill why?” he didn’t answer he looked at me and still didn’t say anything. We sat there for hours just starring at each other. Phill got up and went to the nearest guard and looked like he told him to follow him. The man followed and then the classic interrogation scene went on. The lights flashing in my eyes and finally for the first time I have heard Phill talk, “Where is he?” Phill said. “I’m not sure what you’re asking me?” I said. “Alright I’ll play your game, where is he?’ the man said. “Who’s he?” I replied. “Alright.” The man said furiously and whispered, “Take him away he’s not going to tell us anything.” “No!” Phill said. “It my orders to kill him not you, so get the fuck out of here!” the man left. “I want to know Johnny why do you want Phillip dead?” “I thought you were my friend why man why?” “Tell me the reason now.” As I began to tell him I told him the whole story and how it all started on March 30, 1988 the story I been told. He listened and the time came he brought back a crowbar and smacked me in the face. I was bleeding, or I’m bleeding right now. I can still see Phill smacking me right now. I feel the pain, but I don’t want to say anything. I can see the light right now. That light that people always talk about when they are about to die that light. Phil kept smacking I can feel the pain, he had just stop. I reach into my pocket to give him Mr. Johnson letter to Phill. I still can’t say anything. I can see that dream again this is my first time in years. The dream of my mom and that mystery man, I know the men now it’s Samson there’re waiting for me. I can see Phill pick up a pistol; I see the blurring image of a man walk up to Phill. I can hear one more thing right now, Phill said, “Johnny thanks you. Hey Phillip fuck you!” Bang

//The End//