You mind if I bum a cigarette? You got a flame? Thanks.
Okay, so I’m not in trouble, right? No, sir, I got no ID. Lost that damn thing a while ago. You just want to know what went down for your report? I mean, I don’t even think I believe that shit myself. For all I know, you’re gonna put me in the bin if I tell you. I know they got security cameras, I’ve seen ‘em behind the counter and I wasn’t the only person who saw that shit go down. I mean Freddy saw it, too.
Alright, so I was inside the store when that shit happened. I was actually warming up. Freddy usually let me stay for a bit when it gets cold and I at least buy a can. Sometimes he just lets me hang out for a while anyway, even if I buy nothing, because I don’t cause any trouble, you know?
He’s a smart kid, a good kid. No idea why he works in a place like this. I think it got something to do with his dad. I gotta be honest, I was never much of a listener. Especially not that late in the evening’ when I had a beer or two. You think you could get me one? I mean afterwards. Alright, can’t blame me for asking, right?
So anyway, I was there nursing the beer that I bought, hanging out near the magazines and newspapers. You gotta stay informed; you know? Then this dude comes in. Mind you, at this point I’m not paying attention. For all I knew, he was just some guy wanting to buy a pack of smokes. Next thing I hear is some glass shattering, like a bottle breaking, but I don’t see nothing. Maybe Freddy dropped something, but he’s just staring at this dude, like his eyes were popping out of his head. You know, really freaked out, like he was looking at the devil, you know what I mean? So I immediately know something isn’t right. Maybe he’s getting held up, but I don’t see a gun in the guy’s hands. Pretty sure he had said nothing either, just stands in front of the counter. Freddy is still staring at him with wide eyes, but he’s not moving. It’s like he’s frozen.
I know that something is obviously going down, so I try to duck behind one of the stands with the chips but my clumsy ass bumps into it and some of the stuff falls to the ground.
Oh yeah, I got a good look at the guy, but let me tell you, I wish I hadn’t. I know you’re not gonna believe me, but I swear by my dead mother’s grave, that dude’s eyes were like glowing red. No, I mean it. It looked like he had some hot coal stuffed in his head. That shit really freaked me out, so of course I fall backwards, knocking a bunch of more shit over, but whatever, at this point the guy just stares me down.
I don’t know man; he was some pasty white guy with black hair. No, no beard. I mean, just look for some motherfucker with red glowing eyes, right? There’s can’t be too many of them running around.
Anyway, so that guy stares me down with his creepy-ass eyes and I just can’t move, like I’m stuck on my ass looking back at this dude. Then Freddy takes off, you know, books it out of there. Can’t blame the kid, that dude was messed up big time. So that get’s that guy’s attention. He turns around and goes after Freddy. First, I thought he would just go behind the counter and grab some cash, maybe some smokes and get the fuck out of there. I mean, why else do you start trouble in a store like that? But no, he just follows Freddy around the corner, so I don’t see them, but I can hear Freddy shout “Leave me alone” or something like that. The kid sounded freaked out. Then I just hear some weird noises, like someone’s choking. So I get up to check on Freddy.
Yeah, I know I could have run, but we don’t do that here, alright? Listen, I know I look like a piece of shit, but I still try to be a decent person when I’m not completely drunk and Freddy is a good kid. I know, I know, you just think we’re a bunch of drunken assholes. So, no, I don’t book it, I go an check what’s up with Freddy, see if I can help the kid. What else was I going to do? Find a pay phone and wait for you clowns to show up to make some notes while that kid’s in trouble?
So I walk around the corner and here is what I see. Freddy is pushed against the wall, but not by the dude. At least not with his hands. Freddy’s a few feet off the ground and he looks like he’s choking. The dude is standing a few away, just facing Freddy and I know how this sounds, but I somehow knew that he was pushing Freddy against the wall.
I don’t know, maybe with his mind? Maybe he has a magical dick? Fuck man, I’m just telling you what I saw. I don’t know how he did it, just that he did. Oh yeah, I’m certain that boy was off the ground, no doubt in my mind, no, sir.
So I don’t know what else to do, so I just grab a can from the shelf and hurl it at the freak, hit him on the shoulder. Motherfucker didn’t even flinch, so I grab another can and want to throw it again, but then he turns his head and looks at me over his shoulder with his fucked up eyes and I freeze. He looks seriously pissed, his face is all scrunched up, shows me his perfect teeth. Looked like he was snarling’ at me like a pit. Pretty sure he’s gonna do the same weird shit he did to Freddy, but then I see the kid come up from behind the dude and full on tackle that son of a bitch, right to the ground. As soon as they hit the ground, I can move again and try to help Freddy pin this fucker down.
Now I don’t know exactly what went down, but we pin that guy down and he just starts screaming. And I mean, not just like some druggie screaming, that shit was not normal. It was hurting my ears. And then next thing I know, someone grabs my coat from behind, throws me and I crash into the shelves with all the snacks and shit. Hurt like a motherfucker. So I think, the freak brought his friend, and I didn’t hear him come in. Looked like a damn giant, too. Long blond hair, wore one of these black topcoats. But then Blondie picks up the freak by the neck and just lifts him off the ground like he weighed nothing. Just holds him there and the guy keeps screaming and screaming, worst noise I ever heard, so I have to cover my ears. Bottles and shit keeps breaking all around me, like you see in the movies, but for real. I mean, you saw the mess inside, right?
So the giant just punches the screaming freak right in the face. Just one blow and it knocks the freak straight out, like flipping a light switch. Boom! Never seen that before. Then he just throws the freak over his shoulder like he’s just a damn towel. Doesn’t say a word, doesn’t even look at me or Freddy. I mean, I don’t want him to look at me, so that’s all good, but it’s like we don’t even exist. Grabs a bag of chips from a shelf and just walks out the front door.
You kidding me? You think I’ll follow Humpty and Dumpty down the street to see where they are going? I’m dumb, but not that dumb, alright? That’s all I know, so can I go?
Note: This First Draft was part of NaNoWriMo 2021 – 30 First Drafts in 30 Days