Murder City: Chapter 1
The sirens cut through the quiet night, but no one listened. Nobody cared anymore; there was nothing we could do about it. Crime had taken over the city, but it's not like the citizens tried to stop it from happening. It's just what happens when we don't stand up for our rights.
I lie awake in my shabby apartment, furnished only with a small television and an old picture of me and my parents. No animal should have to live in these conditions, yet I put up with it, because it's all I can afford. When the sirens dissipate, I put on a shirt and head out. Hopefully, the 24 hour store wasn't the one in trouble, because I had a date with its working toilet.
The snowflakes slowly fell down and stuck to my fur. The cold was slightly uncomfortable, but it did not deter me. Making my way to the store, I came across a bunch of teenage street thugs tagging a building. When they saw me, I just rolled my eyes and threw them my wallet. It didn't matter; I was going to get paid for cleaning up their mess anyway. Turning the corner, I finally made it to my destination.
"Hey, Fred." I grunted as I entered the store. He nodded at me as I made my way to the lavatory. After I flushed the toilet, I washed my hands as I stared at the mirror. What had happened to me? I realize looks were supposed to leave you when you hit 30, but I didn't know they were supposed to go this fast. Of course, it could have something to do with my living conditions.
The fur on my muzzle was already starting to grey. My green eyes have become bloodshot and slightly dull. I've began shedding my fur little by little, without growing it back during the winter months. Before I know it, I'll need a hip replacement and a hearing aid.
I heard a crash coming from the store front, pulling me away from my thoughts. In these types of cases, I usually just wait to the side until things go down. This time, I wanted to throw caution to the wind. I needed something to make me feel young, and this came crashing through a low-class corner store window. Also, no one messes with my bathroom.
I sneaked out of the men's room and hid in one of the aisles. I stood on my toes to check out the scene. A twitchy possum and a bumbling hedgehog were trying to rob Fred at gunpoint. It was clearly their first heist, and the Scottish terrier cashier had to do all that he could to not laugh at them. Luckily, Fred remembered the most important life lesson: No matter how incompetent a person is, you give them respect if they have a gun.
The closest weapon I could find was a walking cane. Clasping the item in my paws, I crept toward the front of the store. Fred glanced in my direction for only a moment, but it was long enough for the criminals to notice. They whipped around and I swung my cane at them. The object cracked against the possum's skull and hit the hedgehog square in the jaw before he had a chance to pull his trigger. They fell to the floor with a loud thump as a small smirk came across Fred's muzzle.
"You decided to play hero, huh?" He asked me.
"I thought it would be a nice change."
I stared at the unconscious bodies. A little splatter of blood dripped off of the cane. I pulled a crumpled five dollar bill out of my pocket and placed it on the counter. I walked out of the store with a murmured goodbye and headed home, cane in hand.