World Of Darkness

Anthony tightened his jacked around his shivering body. Not that it helped. The jacket was ripped and torn from the last fight he'd gotten in and all he had on under the jacket was am old white tank top. His jeans were thin and worn out. he glanced down at his shoes, or what was left of them. He looked up at the sky. It would start snowing soon. He sighed. He had lost too much weight this past summer from not eating. If he didn't find a stable place to keep warm, he wouldn't make it through the winter. But this is the life he chose. "Being homeless is better than the home I had." He said to himself as he backed against the wall and watched people walk by. At twenty years old this is basically what his life had become, struggling to find food and water and worrying if he would live through the first snow storm of the year. This is ridiculous. 

He looked at all the people rushing by to continue on with their little lives. Some of them ignored him completely, he was thankful for those. Some people just stared at him. Then there were the few that would glare at him as if they were preparing for him to attack them. If they had children with them they would quickly pull them away as if he was a rabid dog. What made him laugh were the tourists who were obviously not used to seeing a homeless guy. They would gasp when they saw him or they'd say "Oh my God!" thinking he couldn't hear them. 

Then there were that few that tired to offer him money. He never reacted to that well. It was just in his nature. He had been taught at a young age that all kindness comes with a price. Viloance and doing what it took to survive was all he knew. He pushed himself up off the ground. It was time to try to find something to eat. when he rounded the corner he saw a group of guys standing there. "Shit." he thought to himself. he knew who these guys were and he'd hoped they didn't know him. 

"Hey theres the bastard that stole that money from you Marcus!" one of the guys shouted. Anthony took off running. The group split up to chase him, half going around the other side of the block knowing he'd turn the corner eventually. Anthonys lungs were burning but he knew he couldn't stop running. he dodged people and jumped over trash cans knocking them down, hoping it would slow the guys down. He turned the corner thinking he could lose the guys in the next alley. He ran into what felt like a brick wall. 

"Gotcha now fucker. No one steals from me." This guy must be Marcus. The guy pulled back his arm and the next thing Anthony knew a harsh pain erupted from his abdomen. He looked down at the knife that was buried to the hilt in his stomach. 

"and just for good measure." The guy behind him said and the pain started all over again just in his back right below his shoulder blade. "Well at least I wont have to worry about this winter. I'll bleed out before the sun sets" The guys walked away leaving him to die. Anthony was in so much pain he could barely move. He put his hand over the wound on his stomach and pulled it back. All he saw was red. This was it... He was going to die right here on the New York City sidewalk and no one would even know he was gone. He could already feel himself blacking out. Anthony sighed and let the darkness take him. Praying death would be quick.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Teria made her way up the crowded streets. The icy cold winds tore at her face making her green eyes water. Her long brown hair was pulled into a pony tail to keep it out of her face as she walked. She kept her eyes on the ground and her ear phones blasting to block out the world. Teria was on her way home from work and wanted to get there as soon as possible. she turned the corner delighted that her apartment was in sight. She could picture curling up in her warm bed with a cup of tea. That would be heaven. 

she stopped when something to her right caught her eye. She looked at the alley she was passing. "Oh my God!" there was a man laying right at the entrance of the alley in a pool of blood. she could see he was breathing but it was labored. He was dying. she rushed to him taking off her jacket and using it to cover up his wound keeping the remaining blood from coming out. She got out her phone and called her neighbor. 

"Hello?" he sounded like he was just waking up. she forgot he worked nights and wasn't up yet. 

"Colton! Get dressed and meet me outside."

"What? Why?"

"Because I need your help with something. I'm in the alley beside the appartments." she hung up the phone and looked at the man. he looked so young, no older that twenty-four. She wondered what he did to get himself stabbed. 

"Jesus Teria!" Colton gasped when he saw her next to the man. "Did you dial 911?"

"He's homeless Colt. Even if by some miracle he did get seen my a doctor. how would the bill get paid?"

"So you think you can save him? Youre just a nurse not a doctor. And you have no idea who this guy is. He could be a killer for all you know." Colton tried to get her to see reason but she was too stubborn for that. 

"and he also could be the worlds nicest guy who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Either way I'm not going to just let him die. He's already in shock he doesnt have that much time left." She glared at Colton who just glared right back. Man, this had to be the most stubborn woman he'd ever met. He picked up the man and carried him to Teria's third floor apartment. Teria rushed ahead to open the door and get things ready to wash and stich his wound. "Set him on my bed." she told Colton.

"What about all the blood?" he asked

"It washes out dont worry."  Colton set the man down and looked at his blood covered shirt. "I'll pay for your dry cleaning dont worry." Teria tossed him a new shirt. "Now help me out."