A Short Story (Excerpt)

Here's an excerpt from my short story: Dog Days

"No. You said you'd pay me full by this time of the day!"

Mrs. Lilac's voice is starting to haunt me. She doesn't accept my explanation that I've been robbed down at Reek Alley while I was making my way home. She's colder than the rain still pouring down for over a hour now. I'd like to think that her icy heart was the reason why her husband committed suicide.

"Mrs. Lilac, I promise you, tomorrow. I was robbed for Christ sakes!"

"Now you listen here, Missy: I don't know where you get your money.. but I want them tomorrow for sure. Or else I'll kick you out."

She gave me that look of power again; eager to get what she wanted. She left my room and I closed the door the moment I wasn't able to hear her footsteps from the stairs anymore.

To be honest, getting kicked out of this place would be a blessing. I don't even understand why she makes a big deal about the rent. The apartment is ugly. I see rats everywhere no matter how many times I try to clean this shitty place. The walls have cracks and the ceiling is about to collapse any moment someone from the third floor hops. I could find somewhere else to say but I never really made an effort of doing so. Maybe because I wasn't ready yet. 

I took out a box from my closet where I keep emergency cash. I still had $300 so I went out because I was hungry. My stomach was screaming for food already. After I eat, I planned to linger in the subway and wait for the man who snatched my bag earlier. 

***

I never experienced rain this hard before. It was one of those things that doesn't seem normal. Like how my parents call me 'darling' on the phone when they needed money. I felt like the rain was asking for something. Everybody looked drenched and the streets smelled like wet garbage. Maybe the rain was asking for people to slow down on life; to take some time to look at the world and how it it came out to be. Normally people will always be in a hurry and won't mind shit going on around them Maybe the rain wanted people to see shit. But they won't because they're too busy with their smartphones. 

I feel  sorry for the rain's failure. 

I was about to leave the subway, but then I saw him: the man who robbed me.

It wasn't hard to find him because he was still wearing the same brown leather coat earlier. He was talking to a group of men smoking cigarettes. He was about 10 feet away from me. I tilted my head to see if he seemed to notice me. He didn't so I slowly approached him. I stopped after he glanced at me and smiled. He puffed smoke one more time and tried to throw the cigarette butt inside a trash bin while walking towards me. He missed.

"Look, lady. I know you're going to call the cops," he said. New Yorker. "But lemme stop you right 'er, huh? No one ain't goin' to believe ya."

I didn't answer him. I just looked at him because I was waiting for him to say something I want to hear.

He let out a long sigh, "Jesus. I'm sorry. They made me do it. I dunno what was inside yo bag, huh? I can give you half of somethin' they paid me.." and he took out $100. 

"Who were they?"

"Some old lookin' rich guy and a woman about 10 years older than you. Both blonde.."

Edward and Janice.

 "..they say the bag belonged to them and they'd pay me a couple of bucks if I'd take it from ya. A man's gotta eat, kid. They covered the tracks already. No evidence of stealin' yo bag."

That was enough information. I walked away from him and he shouted if I want to take the $100 bill. I stopped and glanced back at him, "You should have opened the bag first. Maybe you'll get something more than 200 dollars-"

He gave me a puzzled look.

-because I had $10, 000 inside that bag.

And I'm about to take it back.

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I just wanted to share that 'cause I was bored. I hope you liked that. If you want to read more you just have to ask me and I'll give you a PDF copy. 

Have a happy Sunday :)

LOVE,