• I was woken by the sound of gunshots miles away, which in some cases may be a surprise to some people, but to me, it was normal. Living in the watered down, shithole of a city, Rodhells, you got used to being awaken by the sound of gunfire, and angered men screaming at people to go to hell. Which is ironic, considering Rodhell is basically hell. A couple years ago the government withdrew all law enforcement and every law official from the city due to “high violence rates”, causing the violence rates to skyrocket even further, and with no one to stop bad people from doing bad things, they soon had to shut down all stores, houses, and hotels. The whole city was a watered down shithole, where junkies, crack heads, and teenage runaways came to live and that’s where I fit in. A teenage runaway with nothing to lose, and no where to go, so why not go here. The lovely paradise where you could potentially be shot, just for walking the wrong way, looking the wrong way, or in some cases, sleeping the wrong way. My friend Victor which I had began to grow fond of was the type who never really liked to be out too late, but last night just so happened to be the night he decided to crash at Raven’s, the all loving, queen of sluts pad and when he came to his senses and discovered where he was, it was too little too late. Raven hated the way he snored in his sleep, so she pulled out her black revolver that she used for those special people, and shot him. Which wasn’t such a good idea, because our house was a block away, and in the land of misfits and outcasts, the tradition was that if you shot the body, you take the body to the home of the deceased, and that would be my cozy two bedroom apartment on Badman Ave.
    I was devastated, someone I had begun to care for was there dumped on my door way, and worst, the gunshot I had heard only an hour before, was the one that ended his life. How was I going to move on? Victor was the only friend I had, and the only person I trusted. Things were never going to be the same, I didn’t even get to say goodbye to him. Relax, I needed to relax. Breathe. After I got a hold of myself, I got a hold of the Grim Brothers a.k.a the two brothers who moved deceased bodies to make some money. Since I wanted a ‘proper’ burial, I had to pay cash, something completely worthless in this part of the world, or pay in karma, Rodhells current currency. I had neither so that meant I had three options, get shot in the face, get the goods, or leave Victor there, and the second and third were unreasonable. I liked my face, and Victor, although he said he loved his life, I knew he didn’t. His childhood was rough, an abusive dad, alcoholic mother, and a suicidal sister, he ran away on his thirteenth birthday after his dad beat him and his sister to dust, which is how he ended up here. He had a such shitty life and he was a nice person, he deserved a proper burial, and I was going to give it to him. Which left me with one option, get the goods, and give Victor the burial he deserved.
    That was easier said than done, I didn’t have any karma or cash. Victor got the food, I was basically just dead weight to him, and he allowed me to continue to live with him. He always had cash or karma, I’ve always had cooking skills, and great survival instincts. He didn’t deserve the life he had. Around here he was saint in a sea of sinners, in this world he was the purest you were gonna find, hell, he was beginning to be known by the name Father Vic by anyone within a two hundred metre radius. He deserved better.
    When I told the creepy brothers as I liked to call them, that I’d have the money in an hour they said they’d, return, and I better have the goods when they do.
    Yay… Big scary threats, the Grim Brothers were not the ones you ever wanted to cross. I was a dead woman walking and I was freaking out. I knew some connections in the city but none that would just say “Here, take these 50 karmas, I don’t need it.” Karma was hard to come by, if you wanted it, you had to get down and dirty, when I say down and dirty I mean literally down and dirty, whether that be, doing a drug run for someone or the frick frackle. The violence rates weren’t the only thing that raised when the law officials left, so did the sexual transmitted dieases and viruses. I had come to the conclusion that doing a drug run was the only available option, and I knew just the person who would hire me. Aleks, the drug overlord of the west, he attempted to hire me when Victor introduced us, unfortunately for Aleks, I was not the type who got caught up with the drug business, but I was desperate and desperate times call for desperate measures.

    When I reached Aleks and told him about my situation, he agreed to give me a job, on the conditions that I only take the amount of karma I needed. I needed fifty karma or cash, each run earned me twenty-five in both cash or karma, that totalled to two runs. I only had forty minutes, since it took me ten to get all the way over here and that was sprinting, if I wanted to have the goods by the time the creepy brothers returned, I was going to have to run. Aleks gave me the drugs, with no questions asked, other than where I was going, I left.
    Running as fast as my body would let me wasn’t easy, I hadn’t ran in about 3 months, and these three blocks wasn’t making it any easier. Every block I slowed down to a walking pace to catch my breath and wait for the cramps to go away, you would think that someone living in Rodhell would be running, frequently, but I liked to stay inside, where the chances of getting shot were lower. After I dropped of the drugs, with some girl named Kase, with a tall yet slimming figure. I decided to check the time, I now had thirty minutes, with zero time to spare, I ran back once again. Let me rephrase that, I didn’t run, I was sore, and my muscles were tense from the previous run, I had to jog, this meant no time for breaks and no time to catch my breath.
    My lungs were on fire, and my legs were about to give out when I reached Aleks dark, shabby house, more of a shack then a house. When I got inside he asked how was the run, I could have told him how terrible it was and that I was dying and left with only twenty-five, but I needed fifty so I lied and told him it was a great workout. He gave me the next package and I left. This package only had to be delivered two blocks away, but I was tired, and my lungs hurt. I thought the first run was bad, I had to run with a dry mouth, sore everything including my lungs for another two blocks. These blocks belonged in Rodhell, they were very steep inclined, making it so much harder to run up. I was having a great time, with only twenty more minutes to spare and a body that wasn’t built for tough terrain. When I arrived, the cruelest of the cruel was waiting for me, Raven. “Hey, how’s Victory doing?” Was she mocking me? She knew damn well how he was doing, dead and ice cold. “He’s uh doing just fine, a little bit dead, but hey he couldn’t be better. I’m kinda running on short time, so here’s your stuff and if you could just pay me that’ll be great.” There. That should shut her up, she says nothing further and hands me the money. “You take care Tris, I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt in this cruel place.” Are you kidding me? You kill my best friend, and you act so casual about it, I guess, living here, you aren’t really supposed to get attached to people. The run back to Aleks is a breeze, with the steep decline, gravity was doing most of the work for me. I gave him his money, took my share, and was about to leave when Aleks said “Hey Tris, uh if you ever need another job, or anything just stop by, I could hook you up.” Other than discussing where to go and who I will delivering to, these are the first things he actually said to me after I turned down his invitation into the drug life. “Well, thanks Aleks, I’ll remember that.” I have zero time to spare and with the money in my hand I give him a smile and I’m off. The run to my home was hell, I was sweating from the other previous runs, my muscles ached, and I was dying. I get inside five minutes before they show, I guess I could have walked the way back, which is a little disappointing considering every joint in my body is screaming at me. Jack, the oldest grim brother looks at me and the first thing he says is, “Wow, Tris you look like crap, had a long day of working I suppose?” You don’t say, I had to run all over the place like a maniac while you two were laughing your faces off. “Yeah, running around town sure did a number on me, so are you gonna move the body or not?” before Jack could say anything further, his younger brother Andy steps in with his two cents as always. “Listen Tris, we just want to get this over with okay, so hand over the money and we’ll get to the burial site.” He looks like s**t, I figure he’s had a long day, just as I have, so I decide to go easy on him. Without another word we leave.
    The ‘burial’ site, is, was Victor’s favourite place to go when he needed to relax, and I chose it out. While the grim brothers dug, I looked around taking in the scenery, I could see why he loved this place so much, it was quiet, on the edge of town in a nice little field of grass, and a big old tree to hide from the sun. Maybe it reminded him of home a little quiet town three hours from here. I was so busy trying to get the money for him to be buried in this spot that I had placed my emotions aside, I was torn, the fact that Victor was gone forever had finally hit home, with so many questions in my head, so many feelings, I had to let it out. Tears began rolling down my face before I could stop them, why, why did it have to be Victor, he was so kind, caring and thoughtful. In a screwed up place like this you needed someone like him. He was my best friend, and now he’s dead. I could have, should have went over to Raven’s and convinced him to come home, now he’s gone. It’s all my fault, and this time, there’s no way to fix it. But now is not the time to be feeling guilty, I had to hide my tears and hide my feelings. Here in Rodhell people beat on the weak, and take whatever they have, so you learn to hide your feelings. I quickly clean up, and just in time, the grim brothers are done, it’s time to say goodbye. As they lower his body, Jack asks me if I liked to say a few words, but I can’t, not without choking. “No, but thanks for asking Jack.” Is all I can get out, Jack on the other hand. “Well, if you won’t I will. I haven’t known Victor for very long, but from what I hear, he was a good guy, which is hard to find. May wherever he is now, bring him peace. He deserves it.” The lower the body, and that’s it, I will never hear his voice, see his face, or feel his presence, ever again. Goodbye Victor, I love you.
    The Grim brothers offer me a ride back, but I need some time alone so I walk, they tell me they’ll pick me up on the way back if I’m still walking. Maybe they aren’t so bad after all.
    On my long journey back, I think of so many things, but yet so little. I ask myself over and over again, why didn’t I save him, why didn’t I stop him. I think of all the great times we had, and I think of all he’s done for people. I’m starting to think this walk wasn’t such a great idea, and just as I’m about to continue torturing myself, the grim brothers roll up in their 1970 chevy pick-up truck and offer me and ride, this time, I won’t decline their offer.
    When they drop me off at my house, Andy rolls down his window and gives me some wise words of advice. “Hey, Victor was a big boy, he made the decisions that he made on his own, you couldn’t stop him. Take care, okay?” For once I see a different side to these two, “Sure, both of you take care.”
    I get inside, and sit down. It was time I wrote down my feelings, and let them go, I need to make sense of this day. Today has been the most exhausting day of my life, physically and emotionally. I needed rest, but with so much on my mind, and tears threatening to run down my face there was no way I was getting sleep. Victor, my only true friend, the only friend I had in years. Was gone. Wiped off the slate of the earth. Before I could stop them I felt the tears streaming down my face, and with every new patch of skin they touched it felt like acid dripping down my face. I could feel my heart breaking. He’s gone, I’m never going to hear his soft voice tell me a joke, or feel his warm arms around me when I was wishing of a better life ever again.