day eight

Oddity four: can never find the same street twice. Not on purpose, anyway.

This city changes. As unpredictable as a woman quitting smoking. Every street sign is the same, when there are signs at all. I fall asleep on a street corner and wake up in a house with busted windows or in front of a corner store.

Every store’s empty. I experimented, trying to push some limits. There was a clothing store that I broke into the other day, and I took new clothes. It’s been years since I’ve worn new clothes. I found a security camera, waved right into it, and wandered off, expecting the cops to come all day. No one did. When I woke up in the morning, though, the clothes were gone. Like they’d stripped me in my sleep, put my rags back on, and left me sprawled out on the pavement.

That’s what I forgot.

Oddity five: the shadows.

I know they’re there. There are people, in corners, just out of sight. Shadows that move like they shouldn’t. Makes me think that I can’t be alone in here.

Maybe I’m wrong and it’s just the city, living and breathing. I can feel it breathe, truth. Sometimes when it’s pitch-black, and I’m falling asleep in the middle of the road, I press my ear to the ground and listen. I swear to you, I hear it. Inhale. Exhale. Little rumbles.

Oddity six: the city is alive.

day one

I woke up this morning on the corner of an empty street. That’s usual for me. Every day for the past fifteen years, woken up on a street corner, but it’s never been entirely empty before. I thought I’d just hit another patch of bad luck; it’d be just like me. Had my luck go progressively downhill over the years. I’ve hit rock bottom so many times that I must’ve hit the center of the earth twice over.

This morning, though, it’s nothing but quiet, grey, and chill. Low mist in the air, soaking my dirty clothes right through. I got up, looked around, tried to check the time.

Oddity one: no clocks.

I figured, though, if there wasn’t even traffic and the sun was up, I was on the wrong corner. Started wandering along sidewalks. Cut through an alley once or twice. Normally wouldn’t run the risk, I’ve seen what rough types’ll do, even to someone they can see they can’t get no money from. Still, bright grey day like this, I could see right through to the other side.

About the third time I cut through between buildings, the alley turned. Didn’t think alleys could turn – they’re like lanes, between buildings, so it didn’t make sense.

Oddity two: strange turns and twists.

I decided it was a kind of sign and kept going, followed it right through. It took me out onto Main – least, it looked like Main. Looked just like my city, down to every last speck, to be honest with you. Except;

Oddity three: not a soul around.

It was like everyone had up and gone. Like the Rapture, but not even clothing left behind.

Crossed the street, not a single car to blare their horn. I fished around in my pocket for some change, because my stomach was starting to burn enough to make me notice; went into a café, overpriced little strumpet that is was, and looked for a person. There was no one. It looked like people had been there minutes ago, and then just evaporated.

So I sat down, helped myself to a biscotti and some trendy little student’s laptop, and relaxed a little. If they came back, I would let them have it. Wasn’t going to steal it, just been ages since I’ve caught up on the news. There’s an election coming up, haven’t voted in years. Big news overseas. Lot of trouble in Korea, then it calmed, then there was trouble again, now things seem quiet. Hearing tiny scraps of information from Republican media really doesn’t compare to all the information out there.