Trash is Worth Trash and Nothing More

Warning: Violence

Just admit that it’s over. What’s done is done, there’s no going back.

It was a cold, winter day. It wasn’t stormy, not yet, but it would be soon. The clouds were rolling across the sky, and I was huddled in a dark alley for fear of sudden downpour.

She probably won’t notice. I mean, how often did she see him during the day? He was starving. I did them a favor.

I hear footsteps.

Coming closer.

I have to hide. What if it is her? Coming to avenge his death, the one that I caused.

I run towards the back of the alley, running fast but quiet, until I dissolve into the shadows.

I am a shadow, after what I did.

A tall figure appears at the front of the alley. They are shaking, and their shadow if trembling along with them.

“Come out! I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE!” The figure booms, curling up their hands and shaking their fists at me.

She doesn’t know I’m here….Just fade away, like you did with him…..

The figure starts going down the alley. It’s very narrow, and cold, and there are rodents scrambling around as her feet pound down on the cement, getting closer every second.

Don’t get up. She’ll kill you like you did with him.

I get up.

“What? What do you want?”

You fool. You’ll end up just like him now.

“What did you do to him?! I know it was you, I saw your contact in his phone and followed you here.”



Stay silent, you fool. Stay silent and make a run for it when you get a chance. Don’t tell her anything. Just run.

“I-I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

You dumbass.

“LIES!” The figure roars, stepping forwards.

“I-My mum is probably looking for me. Bye!” I run up to her and try to scram, but the figure blocks the way.

“Oh, no no no, child. You’re going to tell me what you did to him and then we can discuss you leaving.”

Look what you’ve done. You’re going to get yourself killed. Look at the person! They ain’t messing around……

I scream. As loud as I can, I scream.

The figure is caught off-guard, and jumps up in shock.

The neighboring building floodlights go off, and the figure is bathed in light.

Holy-

My jaw drops in shock.

“You. You dirty low-down lying rascal!” I launch myself at the figure, an offense of scratching and punching.

“Ow! HEY! Get off me, you little rat!” The figure leans forwards and throws me off them.

“Look, Moon-Girl, I don’t wanna fight. So leave now or hold your peace forever.”

“You know I don’t like it when you call me Moon-Girl! My name is Khloe, so use it. Or face the consequences. So, tell me now, what did you do to him?”



“Who?” I play dumb, hoping that she’ll leave, even though I know she’s smarter than they give her credit for.

“Don’t play stupid with me. We both know who we’re talking about.”

I am silent.

“…Roy. What did you do to him?! Where is he?!”

“You won’t be seeing him anytime soon.”



Khloe roars and lunges at me. I fall to the ground and hit my head on an exposed, sharp metal sheet that was leaning against the alley wall.

The last thing I see before I pass out is a deep, penetrating stare that then turns into a grimace.

#

Well played, comrade. You failed. You failed us all.

At least it wasn’t her. It was just Khloe.

You know they talk to each other. She’ll find out, soon enough, and she won’t go easy on you like Khloe did.

Khloe didn’t go easy on me. She’s weak. Not like me. She’s too afraid of the consequences, of what would happen next. She wouldn’t have had the bravery to do what I did.

There’s a fine line between brave and stupid, child.

So I did this for nothing? They won’t let me in?

Of course not. They aren’t stupid, and they don’t let stupid people in. They’ll just gawk at you. Not to mention if people found out. Their reputation would be worth garbage.



One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Believe me, trash is worth trash and nothing more.

#

when i wake up

I wake up on someone’s couch. The paintings on the wall are familiar, like I’ve seen them before. The TV is playing music I’ve heard plenty of times before, but I always forget the title.

You- you idiot…

There’s a picture of me on the wall. Me with somebody else. I don’t know who it is, though. There’s also a picture of some boy, maybe my age, up on the wall with the girl in the picture with me. They look similar, like siblings.

What have you gotten yourself into? Oh God, please help this child.

The girl from the picture walks in.

“Hey. Er, I was thinking we settle this in a nice, civilized way. Let’s just forget about what happened in the alley.”

“What alley? Who are you? Settle what?” The array of questions come bounding out of my mouth, as if they had a propeller attached to them.

“Oh god.” The girl grabs a jingly thing from the wall and pulls me up from my awakened slumber.

“Ow! I have a headache! Be careful!”

The girl shakes her head, and frowns.

We get out of her apartment. As she’s locking up, she drops her keys down the stairwell.

“Shit.” She whispers under her breath.

We go down the stairs, and as she hunts for her keys, I wander off, walking on the sidewalks.

No, no. Go back and stay there. Stick with her.

I see a shop.

“Robert’s Convenience Store,” I mutter. I’ve been here before. I know that name.

#

three days prior

It’s midnight. Roy should be locking up the shop soon, and that’s when I strike.

No. Don’t do this. You can still turn back. It’s not too late.

I have to do this.



I dress in all black, and as a nod towards the typical burglar stereotype, don a ski mask. I grab the weapon and make my way downstairs, careful not to make any noise even though I live alone.

Just as I reach the shop, Roy is exiting the store. He always goes around the back to check for rodents or robbers, and that’s where I ambush him.

#



I can’t remember anything else. It’s like my memory just stops there.

I mournfully walk back to the girl, now that I know who she is.

“I- I’m sorry.”

Khloe stares at me.

“For what?” She smiles a small smile, but she’s not playing.

I gulp.

“About Roy.”

“What about Roy?” The smile is even wider, but I can see the pain beneath her eyes.

“I’m sorry for- for ambushing him.”

All traces of the smile are gone, and I can only see anger in her eyes now. She snarls.

“You murderer! You didn’t ambush him, you murdered him. Shot him twice in the back and ran away like a cowards.”

“I- I didn’t know that. I’m sorry. Really. I’m sorry.”

Khloe held a stone-cold gaze and said,

“Never.”

And that was that.