Tough Love

Chapter 8

Luna

He said he tried hard to be a good man, and for me...he'll try even harder. I can't stop thinking about that.

I ain't seen him since he dropped me home the other day tho. It's always happens that after a sweet time wit him, he runs away, gets busy, hardly texts me. Kinda hurts but, it is what it is, especially out here.

He texted me this morning. Talkn bout he don't want me to come to work today. But I've got to. I have to earn money, support my grandma and child, support myself. Whether he like how I do it or not.

I get changed and head to work. With that never ending feeling in my throat, like the world has its hand wrapped right around my neck.

***

I walk towards the trap house. I can't see Virgil anywhere. But maybe it's better that way. I don't want him to be angry at me or nothin.

I go inside, but he's nowhere to be found. In fact, it's pretty empty altogether. Just several guys sitting inside, and a few girls getting ready for the night. One of 'em approaches me. Her name is Atlanta, she a sweet but tragic case. Too much crack.

"You alright honey?" She asks, they never ask that type shit. So I look at her skeptically.

I nod. "Yeah, same old."

She offers me something to sniff and I calmly decline. "It's pretty empty here tonight." I say, looking behind her, she looks behind too and smiles a bit.

"Oh you don't know?"

I glare at her. "What you mean?"

"Theys a gang war out tonight."

Oh shit. That's why Virgil told me not to come.

"Well..." I say with a sigh, tryin not to think too much "you wanna go spot some cars?"

She shakes her head.

"You on ya own, it's a cattle game for these gangs, they'll steal you for they self if they see you, because that's another animal that can graze on their farm for a profit. You know what I mean? Those cars are a slaughter house tonight." She says.

I kiss my teeth.

"I spose that mean I can't even go home."

She laughs. "you could try," she offers me what she's smoking and I shake my head before she lights it "and if you don't make it, well, I'll see you in hell baby."

She walks away. What a loser. They all are. Even I am. This world is for low lives. And it makes me feel ill every day, every time I wake up.

I sit down in one of the trashy bedrooms upstairs. And light a joint I have on me. I look out the window. Into the darkness. The shitty backyard.

And all of a sudden, a couple figures comes into the light. Am I trippin? A couple more follow, and then even more. And when I look closer. They holding guns, machetes, covered head to toe in either black, grey...or red. Red. Oh fuck. It's the rival gang.

There's shots and screams and I crawl under the bed with my heart beating outta my chest. I can hear my breathing, and through the cracks of the wood I'm lying on, there's flashes of light from all the bullets being shot.