By Thomas Caterer
Tyler’s skin lustfully soaked up the sun’s rays. His walk, playfully described as swagger by his friends, was on auto-pilot, as he sauntered past the array of boutique stores, and coffee shops that littered the path to his favourite spot for a business lunch. He was joined by some friends from marketing; Alex, Billy, and Aaron. All dressed in full business attire. Tyler had just wrapped on a humorous anecdote, detailing his regrettable tryst with an overweight woman from the night before.
‘Not like you to shag an elephant, Tyler!’ Billy quipped. The others broke out into raucous laughter. All except Aaron. Cheeky cunt. Tyler was fond of Billy, and his eyes smiled broadly behind his designer sunglasses. He caught sight of Aaron’s arched eyebrows, his expression that of a disapproving parent. I swear that one’s fucking queer.
‘Any spare change, lads?’ asked some old boy from the side of the road, with a gruesome stench. He had the audacity to hold out his beggar’s cup before even receiving a response.
‘Nah mate’ Alex replied. ‘But if you’re looking to get loaded, you can drink my piss, that’s probably about 70% alcohol by now!’
As they walked on, a young buxom woman with glasses, and blonde hair, came into Tyler’s view as she was walking in the opposite direction, just about to pass them. His mind raced for a chat-up line, to show Billy he hadn’t dropped his standards after all, but then he noticed a chubby lad walking behind her, looked about student age. His eyes were on the woman in front of him as well, until they met Tyler’s for a moment. Tyler smiled the kind of smile that only the cruel know how to conjure. The kind that mocks the real kind, envious of its power.
‘Hello gorgeous, you aw’right?’ A mocking smirk crossed his face.
‘Good, thanks’ came the fat student’s curt, sarcastic reply, not missing a beat, and he walked straight on. Nonetheless the boys still saw the wit in Tyler’s remark, and guffawed on cue.
Jake put his disappointingly light cup back on the ground next to him. Rex whined as he looked imploringly into his eyes. The poor bastard hadn’t eaten for the last couple of days. Jake felt guilty.
‘Sorry boy, business has been slow of late’
Jake felt tired. Tired beyond what the body can feel, beyond the bones, beyond the flesh. Sleep wouldn’t remedy it, he knew. The weather turned, the clouds above were darkening. Jake began to assemble his shelter from his boxes. He wanted to make sure Rex wouldn’t get wet. Wanted to provide cover for Jumble too. He pushed him to the back of his makeshift fort. By rights, Jumble ought to be mad at him, ought to hate him like everyone else did, but in those black button eyes was a serenity. Forgiveness maybe…
‘I’m glad you’re still with me’ Jake told the bear.
Caitlin’s face was streaming with tears. Her face was red hot with anger. Jake felt helpless.
‘I’m sorry my love, but when somebody goes to Heaven, they CAN’T come back’
Jake bolted awake. He was crying. Rex was still asleep. There were footsteps in the distance. Jake’s stomach roared with hunger like a dying beast. The footsteps came closer. Jake saw a man wearing a grey suit, like one of those men had worn. He was wearing sunglasses despite it being the dead of night. Jake could hear him singing to himself. Good, he thought, people are more generous when they’re drunk. He had been too, once.
‘Excuse me sir, could you spare any change?’
‘Oh, it’s you again’ the man had approached with a drunken stagger, yet his speech was strangely clear. He kneeled beside Jake.
‘So what’s your deal, lost your job?’
‘Yeah…’ Jake answered uncertainly.
‘So you just sit here, day after day, asking good people, working people for money huh? You can’t do anything to earn it?’
‘I’m not work-shy, never have been, I’m happy to work.’
‘All right then!’ the man jumped up with aplomb, he pulled out his wallet, and drew a wad of cash out.
‘Dance for me, do a merry jig, and I’ll give you this.’
Jake’s posterior was rooted to the ground. ‘No’ he said firmly.
The man laughed. ‘Well beggars can be choosers after all, eh?’ His face darkened. ‘You stink, your dog stinks, your little hut here stinks. You need the money for some fucking soap!’
He lunged his arm forward and withdrew Jumble.
‘What are you doing!?’
‘What am I doing? What the fuck is this old man? He stinks worse than you. Oh, I get it, do you keep your stash in him? You got some smack in here?’
‘Please just give the damn bear back.’ Jake’s voice was breaking beneath the weight of his anger and his hands were shaking with mounting fear.
‘Let’s see what your stash is like’ the man ripped off Jumble’s head, and plunged a hand into the stuffing, pulling chunks out as he did. The stuffing fell to ground like snowflakes descending in sadness.
‘Well this is disappointing’ he dropped Jumble to the ground. ‘Are you taking the fucking piss? You have nothing old man?’
Tyler was enraged. This stinking old bastard was punking him, he looked like a junkie, he was bound to have something. He’d teach him a lesson. He grabbed him by the head, and slammed it into his knee. He released, and his head flopped to the ground, the nose streaming blood. He started to work the torso, punching first then kicking. The old boy groaned, and repeated a mantra of ‘please… stop… please’. Finally Tyler whipped his cock out and took a piss on the old man. He would have to tell Alex about this later. 70% alcohol by now.
‘Here ya go mate, have a drink on me’. Tyler smiled. A smile only the cruel can conjure.
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