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 Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 8:10 pm
Before a butterfly
there is always first a caterpillar
Before ripples in a pond
a stone must first be cast
 1954
Crime has not yet taken over the city,
but the seeds are planted.
Here in the midst of these seeds are people that just want to get by,
or people just looking for a friend.
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Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 8:43 pm
Early in the morning inside a cluttered Apartment the Sun peaks in through the closed Blinds uncovering dirty clothes and Mechanical tools
Breaking the silence, an desk clock sets off it's alarm
awakening a man in a deep sleep.
with an outstretched arm from under the covers the man grabs the Clock and forcefully throws the clock against the floor breaking upon impact
"s**t...
I'm already late"
Says the man to himself grumpily
The Man climbs out of bed and readys himself for the day.
finally leaving the Apartment
the orange morning Light hits him
he hurrys down the street focused on getting to work on time,
until he hears the piddle paddle of little footsteps catching up from behind
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Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 8:58 pm
"Johnny!" calls out a tiny voice, as a little girl todders up beside him. She struggles as she trys to keep up with his long strides.
"Good morning" little Alice smiles and tugs on his arm.
"momma says she wishes you would come for lunch today if you have a break."
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Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 9:04 pm
Johnny releases a Long sigh as he has no time to be bothered by the little neighbor girl.
"go away, kid.
I gotta work
tell your mom i said thanks but no thanks but I gotta get"
Replied Johnny trying to just blow her off.
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Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 9:09 pm
"does that mean we cant go to the park today?" her smile turns a little sour,
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Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 9:18 pm
"look darlin, you're slowin me down, I gotta go"
Johnny stops when Alice stops in front of him making a sour face
."Darlin..."
he kneels down to pick her up
and places her behind him.
"... I gotta run!"
and with that Johnny takes off down the street
eager to not get yelled at by his boss
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Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 9:27 pm
Little Alice sticks her tongue out after him.
kicking up the dust with her feet as she walks, she heads to the park alone.
Alice beheld the playground, a single slide, monkey bars, a mary go round, and the swing set under the big tree. among which played a collection of neighborhood kids, all ranging from around 6 to 11.
She walked sulkily to the swing set and sat by herself, kicking her feet in the air, as her legs were too short to touch the ground.
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Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 9:49 pm
Johnny made it to the garage on time, but still got yelled at by his boss,
in between cars, he could see the park where Alice went to in the distance.
he saw her swinging by herself while all the other kids playied.
his distractions got the best of him and accidentally started a car without putting Oil back in it.
What the hells a matter with you!"
his boss screaming at him.
"Sorry, i gotta go take care of something"
Johnny replied as he threw his rag down walking out of the shop.
"YOU LEAVE THIS SHOP DONT PLAN ON COMMING BACK!"
yelled his boss
Johnny without slowing down or turning his head waved in the air as if dismissing the man and made his way to park.
he walked up behind alice still slowly swinging on the set
he started to push her
She turned her head with great joyful surprise to see her friend
"Johnny!"
she said with a smile.
"Shut up..."
He replied menacingly
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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 2:47 pm
they played at the park for hours until it started to grow darker out.
"you oughta get home kid" Johnny said, picking Alice up off the swing and setting her on the ground.
The two walked back to the apartments as the sun got lower in the sky and the street lights began to blink on one by one.
Finally as they reached the steps of Alice's apartment, the moon could be seen, just coming out on the opposite end of the sky.
"johnny? can you stay for dinner?" she pleaded with puppy dog eyes.
as she did a man could be seen in the distance slowly staggering up the street towards them. It was Alice's father.. As he came into view Johnny noticed the messy clothes, and half finished bottle of liquor in his hand. he was obviously drunk and johnny didn't want to stick around.
"I should get goin darlin."
he walked slowly down the steps and then up his own, as he unlocked his door he gave alice one last wave.
The neighbors knew about her father. Oh sure, everyone knew. how could they ignore it. the fights that broke out in the early hours of her mother and father throwing dishes and glass. Alice's father coming home every night drunk and angry. even the collection of bottles dropped by the man on his way inside. some of them still containing spirits.
this was every day for the eight year old.
occasionally her father would not come home at all.
better off, Alice thought. sometimes she wished something would happen, and he might never come home again. but she knew it wouldn't
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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:30 pm
Johnny left before her father realized he was there
not out of fear,
but because Johnny Hated the man.
and he hated Johnny just as much.
he hated Alice having such an older friend.
Calling him a ***** to turn public eye down on him,
Johnny suspected that her father hit her.
he knew he hit her mother.
but they wouldn't do anything, and her mother made him promise not to tell anyone.
Though of course, who would he tell?
Johnny never talked to anyone else.
Johnny went into his home, and watch out of the window in his living room into a window in Alice's Apartment where he saw her spot him.
she came to the window and smiled,
they both heard her father Yelling for her, she turned to look,
and then glanced back at Johnny before pulling the shade down.
"Dumb kid...."
Johnny said to himself.
He then turned on his radio and set on his couch and slowly drifted to sleep.
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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 7:26 pm
Next morning it was Monday. time for all the little children to go back to school.
And they all ran, bright eyed and bushy tailed down to the school house, their lunch pails shining in the morning sun.
but not little Alice. that morning Her mother came home very late.
as he heard by the squeak of the door, and her light footsteps up the stairs. her mother often had to sneak back in, lest her husband wake up in a drunken slur and star a fight again.
No Alice's mother hadn't the time to pack her a lunch. and she knew it. but Alice didnt mind. whats a day without lunch? she thought.
She entered the school house and made her way to a seat.
as she passed each row of students, each pair of eyes stared at the bruises on her arms and legs..
"alice?" called Mrs. Wilson. "will you come here please?"
Alice reluctantly stood and walked to the front of the class.
she questioned her about the bruises with a look of pitty and concern.
"a-I fell down the stairs.." stuttered the child.
"Alice you must be more careful." scolded Mrs. Wilson with a calm disbelief
After school on the playground, Little Alice sat by herself on the swings again.
she saw the other children looking at her. she new they were talking about her. she didn't care anymore. she was used to it.
She hopped off the swings and began to draw pictures in the dirt with the end of a stick.
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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 8:30 pm
Johnny woke up on the couch with the morning news playing on the radio.
he had turned it off and with his Alarm clock still smashed on the ground it looked like he wasn't going into work today.
he sat in the stillness of the morning,
bathing in the orange light
letting his eyes adjust to the sea of light slowly flooding his living room
Something was different.
He knew that today would bring a new change.
When he finally got up he started his normal day off routine.
showered, brushed his teeth, shaved and fixed his hair.
again he noticed something was different.
something he hadn't felt before.
everything had a stillness
Everything was a little bit brighter.
Johnny took a step outside and felt the breeze against him.as if pushing him down the street.
Directing him him where to go.
He found himself comming up on the park, where he spotted the little girl swinging by her lonesome drawing in the sand.
he came up behind her casting a shadow over her drawing
"whatcha drawin', Darlin'
He asked
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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 8:36 pm
Alice looked over her shoulder at him, then back to her drawing.
"monsters." she mumbled softly. and indeed they were monsters. one of them very much resembling her father, but she scratched that one out so johnny wouldn't see it.
"t-they're just like the ones you tell me about. See?"
she pointed to a ghost, a witch, and a stick man with fangs that was meant to be a vampire.
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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 8:48 pm
Johnny saw the bruises on her arm when she reached out to point at her drawings
a quiet fury grew inside him
but quickly gained control of it in front of the little girl.
" Whoa, Spooky!"
he said to her enthusiastically trying to lift her spirits
"...and which ones your Boooyfriend"
he said teasingly, knowing that she had countless times told him that boys where "icky"
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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:02 pm
"ewww Johnny," she replied with a giggle
"haha what?" Johnny laughed as he helped her on her feet
"cmon kiddo, lets go get some ice cream huh?"
Alice held his hand as they walked in the direction of the malt shop.
the colorful red and white doors could be seen in the distance.
as they entered, the bell rang and the man working the counter looked up and greeted them.
Johnny lifted her up onto the bar stool and orderd their treats.
"will you tell me another story?" she pleaded as she gobbled down her ice cream, managing to somehow get a drip on her nose.
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