Endangered/Issue 5 (Old)

This is Issue 5 of Endangered and is titled ''Charles. ''

Charles
I can hear the laughter. I feel people’s eyes staring at me. Sympathetic. Laughter. Pity. Annoyed. Whatever the cause I always get looks. Back in the day if you gave me a bad I look I would pop your face but now, I deserve every look I get. I’m nothing more than a failure. A low life who deserved what I am now. A homeless man with no friends, no money and no job. A man who could die at any moment and no one would care.

Currently though I’m still alive and I am sitting against the church wall, where I happen to sleep in the alley. I sit there in the front though as many people walk bye with most not even caring about me. I wasn’t shocked though. Humanity wasn’t easy to find in this world. In a world full of killers, rapist, muggers, dealers, racist, corrupt, greedy, drunks, whores there just didn’t seem to be humanity. Then again who am I to be talking about humanity, not like I would have it. Me Charles Smith. The once great gang leader of killers would no nothing of a thing like humanity.

I wasn’t always this homeless person. I used to be the toughest person over in Chicago and everybody would fear me. I would be the one people would never look at in the eye due to fear I would kill them. I would lead the biggest gang in the city, The Bloodhounds. We would rob places, get money, kill people, we were like the rulers of the city. It was a good life, a life of terrible things, but a good life. My own son, Josh even joined the gang. Personally I never treated him like my son, infact I never even took care of him. But when he joined that gang I was proud of him.

But with a life of sin also comes with punishment and I sure got mine. I still remember the dark day when those punks did a drive-bye on us. We were at war with another gang, The Luchadors and they decided to attack our home. They drove by our base and opened fire. My son was one of the victims. I didn’t know what to think after that. I never treated him like my son but seeing him die and knowing I was a horrible father, it broke me. I couldn’t take that life anymore and I just left. I left to start a new life and that’s why I’m homeless now. Life wouldn’t give me a new chance

So here I am, sitting here hoping to survive another night. Going to soup kitchens for food and digging up for money by the street. That’s my new life but I like it. I feel like a different person now. I learned from my mistakes and I hope to make a better future, for the time I have left that is.

Glancing at the clock that is across the street I stand up from the church wall and I begin to walk among the people, although they probably don’t want me. But I keep walking and walking among them until I reach the soup kitchen that laid down the street. I walked into the place where there are many more people like me. Homeless people. I stand in line and get my sloppy food. The food wasn’t the best but the fact people would come down here and make it ment alot to me. It showed me there was a sense of humanity.

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I soon left the soup line and I know stand in the line at a corner store, with a soda and $2.48 in my hand. I didn’t come into this line a lot due to my lack of money but sometimes I could use a nice drink or something. People wouldn’t aways like me in this line due to my scent and appearance but I just ignored it. Soon enough I would leave them alone. So I walked up to the counter and laid my drink on the table. He ran out and the number $2.50 appeared on the cash register and I put my $2.48 on the table. “Your two cents short.” The man at the register says he won't accept my money.

“It’s only two cents.” I say in voice that makes me seem desperate, which I don't mean to be.

“You don’t have enough sir please step aside.” He says annoyed like he just wants me gone.

“Sir..” I try to say but he soon cuts me off again.

“Did mommy not give you enough money for your soda?” He says in a mocking tone “Get out of the line.” Powerless I nod my head and take my money back before I walk out the store and back into the open, still thirsty. But there was nothing I could do.

I began my walk back to my alley thinking of what I should do for the rest of the day. There wasn’t much to do anymore but I did find something. As I walked passed an alley I could hear some screaming. Bloody murder screaming. I glance into the alley to see two men trying to mug a woman. Might have been more than mugging but it was still something. I stared at them and thought of what I should do. I began to walk away knowing this ain’t no place for a hero. But something makes me turn around and walk down the alley. “Leave her alone.” I say as the two men look at me.

“What did you say to me gramps.” The first imitating man says as he walks toward me.

“I said leave her alone sir.” I say and can soon the man push me back a little.

“You gonna come here and stop me?” He says not knowing who I am. I could easily take him down and kill him but I want peace not violence.

“I don’t want to fight I’m just saying you should...” I try to say before I feel a fist go across my face. The punch was hard enough to make me fall to the ground, holding my bloody nose. I then feel a foot dig into my stomach. Then into my face again.

“Gramps next time you come down here be prepared!” He says and I soon feel the wet, spit from his mouth sink into my jacket. I look up at the two men as they walk away, leaving me and the woman alone. The woman glanced at me but doesn’t help me. She instead runs away leaving me there, not even thanking me. Still I know I did the right thing since I stopped those men from hurting her. So I slowly stand to my feet and begin to walk out of the alley ready for a nice nap.

I soon end up my alley and I lay in my tent, tired and beat up. Using my jacket to stop the blood, I try to clean myself up. I rest my bruised face on the hard ground and just lay there for a little bit. I think how funny it is how I got beat up by two scum, but I let them. I don’t know why I even went in there. Whether it was Humanity or just trying to make myself feel better all I know is I did the right thing. I did the right thing even in a world where humanity is endangered.

Trivia

 * First appearnce of Charles Smith