CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 30: EXTRA C AND CLOUDS OF GRAY (3)

I stepped out of Hit Parade. Walking right past the bouncers. They looked a little confused seeing me, but didn’t question it since I had stepped out from inside.

Scott... I was sure, would do everything I told him. He was a smart man.

The helmet and the gloves had to go, so did the knife. I had already did the best thing with the bag by giving it to the homeless addicts, it would be good to do the same with the rest.

I found myself at the alley again. Beaten and tired, the homeless were all on the ground. Or rather, they were just three, the rest had probably ran away from the bouncers.

The three of them looked at me, their eyes wide.

"It’s him!"

"That man is back..."

I think, it was better to call them addicts. That was what had brought them here, not homelessness but this gambling addiction.

My body was aching, it was extremely painful. The tenseness at the end had just added more to the effects of the fight already.

I pulled the helmet out and tossed it over to the people on the ground. Then the gloves, and lastly, the knife.

"T-this..."

"Why do you give this to us?"

"You’re just a kid..."

I took in a deep breath.

"Keep it," I said. "Try... not to lose your money."

One of them stood up. He walked over to me, a young man, in a complete mess, but young.

Stopping a step before me, the man leaned down and grabbed the knife I had thrown. He inspected it for a second before coming closer again.

I wasn’t alarmed or on guard. It was fine.

"Thank you..." said he.

I nodded. I didn’t know what got over me, perhaps it was the tenseness, or maybe the emptiness from the seeming futility of all this.

"What’s your name?" I asked him.

"Richard..." the man said. "Richard B—"

"I got it, Richard."

I cut him off.

This shitty rom-com.

Without another word, I turned and walked away.

I got it. I really did.

It was ok.

I had everything I could.

The rest... was never in my hands.

***

There is a little more to this day, it didn’t end so soon. Perhaps, an epilogue. Yes, that is right, I should call this an epilogue of sorts.

When I returned to the road where Mrs. Benson’s shop was, I got my camera back. Police had created a lining around, and the store was completely blocked off.

I got the camera back and checked my messages.

[Emily: Mrs. Benson’s arcade got thrashed by those thugs today]

[Emily: A robbery and then destruction of property. She is staying at my place today.]

[Sebastian: What!???!]

[Eric121: Is she okay!??]

[Emily: Ye. She was taken for jury duty mistakenly. Luck I guess.]

[Lialicious: That sounds too crazy for a coincidence.]

[Emily: Tell me about it. Well, Mrs. Benson apparently has insurance.]

[Anna: Insurance would help... but it’s such a shame about the arcade]

[Emily: She’s taking it strangely well. Saying it’s alright.]

[Eric121: We couldn’t really find her son either...]

[~: There used to be big insurances for arcades a long time ago.]

[~: Very heavy amounts.]

[Emily: @~?? Really?]

[~: Enough to rebuild. And for her to take care. I think.]

[Sebastian: (screenshot.jpg)]

[Sebastian: Dayum!]

[Emily: LOLOL Do we actually have a good story folks?]

[Lialicious: Maybe XD.]

I kept my phone back in my pocket and checked the camera.

A few of the initial frames had caught us.

A cat had come and knocked the camera over, though, right after I left. I sped the video ahead, and later, some seemed to have placed it back up. There was no person in the frame, just a hand. Someone in a suit. God knew who.

The rest of the video was a neighbour going down the street and seeing the destruction, a call to the police, and then Mrs. Benson’s return with Johnson.

My phone rang again.

Aside from a spam of 64 messages on the group (how did they even send that many in such a short time?) was a message from Anna. A private reply to my message on the group.

[Anna: work done?]

[~: Yes.]

[Anna: Okay! See you soon!]

I kept the phone down and looked up at the sky. It was already night.

What a long day.

***

When I returned home, the lights were dim. Anna was dressed in shorts and a loose t-shirt as she sat on the sofa, reading a book. Her eyes beamed when she looked at me.

I smiled and placed a bag on the centre-table before going to the side of the room.

"Welcome back," said Anna.

"Did you have a nice day?"

"It was alright. Lunch wasn’t so fun. What about you?"

I smiled and turned on the old speaker kept on one side. In an SD card attached to the speaker unit were a bunch of songs. Two taps on the remote, and it switched to the SD Card.

I quickly punched in the number 13.

"Anna, have you ever drank alcohol?"

"Nope..."

A smooth, cool, jazz beat started playing. A pipe and bass.

"You wanna try?"

"Yes," said she.

I smiled and grabbed the bag, pulling out a bottle of malt whisky from inside.

"There’s glasses in the third cabinet."

Anna quickly hopped over and ran to the kitchen, she brought out two glasses and placed them on the table.

[They’re writing songs of love... but not for me...]

As I poured the alcohol in, Chet Baker’s voice spread in the room.

[A lucky star’s above... but not for me....]

"Cheers?"

"Cheers!"

[With love to lead the way]

[I’ve seen more clouds of gray...]

[Than any Russian play... could guarantee]