Board Thread:Writer's Showcase/@comment-27008899-20160624122638

"What did this schmo do anyway?" Vinny asks. His thick Jersey accent always makes Mike smile.

Mike slows the sedan to a stop as the light turns red. He looks over at Vinny and says shrugging, "I honestly have no idea. Not my business, the boss said take him out, I don't ask questions." Vinny lights a smoke and rolls down the window. He coughs and snorts then promptly spits the accumulated mucus over the rusty hatchback and onto the sidewalk in front of Lasordo's Deli. The corridors of the dark silent city echo the sound as it splats on the ground. Mike rolls his eyes and shakes his head in disgust at this. "Ya know, if you stop that shit maybe, just maybe, you wouldn't have all those sinus problems." Vinny flips his ashes out the window as the light turns green.

"Yeah, ya think? And maybe you should shut the fuck up and drive before I put a bullet in ya." Mike laughs at his friend's idle threat and proceeds through the stop light.

The car slows to a stop in front of the New York apartment building. The pile had no glass in most of the windows. Much of the architecture from the upper levels lay on the sidewalk in front. Brown vines laced the exterior. This was a place forgotten by time. The perfect spot to dump a dead body, or leave one. "Which one is it?" asks Vinny flipping the half smoked cigarette from the window. It strikes the ground leaving sparks trailing as it rolls to the center of the road.

"215." Mike says pulling the slide back on his .45 caliber Smith & Wesson. It slams forward quickly as he lets go.

"Too damn noisy" says Vinny as his switch blade opens. The street lights reflect off the razor sharp blade creating a strobe of light as he rolls the handle in his fingers.

"And what are you gonna do if the he has a gun dip shit?" Mike asks mockingly.

"That's what this is for." Vinyl replies pulling the right side of his black trench coat from his chest to reveal a sawed off double-barrel shotgun attached to the inside with a string through the trigger guard, which lead to a safety pin, and the barrel resting in his inside pocket.

"Jesus, you're a crazy fucker." Mike said turning his head to look up at the single dimly lit room on the second floor. Vinny smiles at the back of his head as he pulls the latch to the door. The metal creeks as it swings open.

The two men make their way to the front door of the building with Mike leading the way. He grabs the handle and gives it a quick turn. "Shit, it's locked." he says as his hand slides around the knob only slightly moving in both directions.

"Maybe there's a fire escape." Vinny says looking down the dark alley between the building and an abandoned factory.

"You wanna go down there?" Mike asks.

"Not fucking really, but we ain't getting in through the front."

"God damn it. Can't we come back in the morning?"

"Don't tell me you are afraid of fucking ghosts."

"Fuck you Vinny, I'd rather not find out is all."

Vinny puts his hands in his trench coat and begins walking down the alley. "It's just the dark asshole. Same shit there that's in the light." he says as his steps echo in the darkness environed by the buildings.

"Did I ever tell you how much I hate you?" Mike asks following his friend into the void. The two men come to a fire escape. They can barely make it out through the dark cloudy skies of the night.

"Give me a boost." Vinny says lifting his foot. Mike laces his fingers and places them under Vinny's fine Italian leather shoes. Vinny forces himself up and grabs the ladder. It easily falls free with a screech. Vinney starts climbing the ladder, but quickly realizes that Mike is just standing there looking at the old factory. Biting his bottom lip he lets out a low whistle and says, "Ya coming or do I get your half of this job too?" Mike says nothing and just stares for another few seconds.

Then, as though waking from a day dream, he replies, "Uh, yeah... I'm coming." Vinny reaches the top of the first level as Mike begins to climb.

."What is your fucking deal?" Vinny whispers as he crouches down in front of their targets window.

Mike finally reaching the top and responds, "Can we just do this and get the hell out of here?" Both men peer into the dimly lit room from each side of the window.

The room contained little more than a dirty rotting couch and a worn coffee table. Gently, Mike reached down and began sliding the window up. It provided little resistance as he pulls it open. Mike slowly steps through the sill and pulls out his pistol. The apartment silent enough to hear police sirens clear from Queens. With no signs of life anywhere, the two men creep from the window on separate sides of the near ancient couch. A single door stood in the corner, presumably leading to the rest of the apartment. As they approach it they hear a yell "Don't come in here!" Both men look at each other and laugh.

Mike replies "Well I guess we should leave then!" Both begin laughing even harder at the derisive statement.

Two loud bangs strike the wall followed by a scream of, "Fuck you!"

"So much for the element of surprise. Man, fuck this guy. Lets go in hot." Vinny says ripping the sawed off shot gun from the inside of his coat.

Vinny grabs the knob and whips open the door. Suddenly the thug's entire body lifts in the air. Struggling he reaches for Mike, but before he can reach him Vinny disappears into the room behind the door, with it quickly slamming behind him. Vinny was gone, as though he was inhaled by the adjoining room. Mike stood in shock just looking at the door. It seems an eternity in his own mind, trying to rationalize what he just saw, seconds later he let out a cry, "What the fuck! Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God." He approaches the door and begins lightly rapping on the poorly painted slab, "Vinny? Are you in there?" his voice noticeably shaken at what he witnessed just seconds before. Dead silence was the only reply. Mike begins pacing the room rubbing the back of his neck with his unarmed hand. "I gotta go in, I... gotta finish the job. Vinny, Jesus, fucking Vinny man, I gotta go in." he says frantically. With his heart racing he walks over and stands in front of the door. His skin begins to feel as though millions of needles are piercing his flesh all over his body as he grabs the knob. Mike slowly turns the knob and pulls until the door is ajar.

He peeks inside through the crack to see nothing but darkness. Pulling the door open further he is met with a cool gust of air. "Vinny?" he cries out peering into the void. His echo answers the same. Mike pulls the door open until the knob is touching the wall. He lifts his weapon quickly as though it could defend against the fate that befell his friend just moments ago. The cool breeze subsides as he cries out once again, "Vinny!" The hitman stares into the dark abyss as sweat begins to drip from his brow. His hands tremble as he places his foot into the blackness. He reluctantly brings his other foot into the darkness and stands ready for anything. "Vinny, where the fuck are you man, quit fucking around!" he screams begging for a reply in his head. The cry is punctuated by the door slamming behind him.

Gripped with fear Mike lunges back to the door only to fall to the ground. The gun fires a single round into the darkness as he lands face first. He stands up and reaches out for the knob, but feels nothing. "Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy fuck!" he screams, as he steps forward, searching for his escape with hands stretching out before him into the darkness, not that he could see his hands in front of him. After a few steps Mike realizes his exit is now gone. The thug turns around and around waving his pistol about the blackness. His now sweat soaked shirt clings to him as though it too was afraid of the dark. "He...hello?" he said, praying for any response. Even if he bellows of a cop telling him to freeze would be a welcome response. This again is met with silence.

As he slowly made his way through the darkness, Mike felt a wave of calm flow over him. His hands stopped shaking, his sweaty brow dried, and his stride returned to casual walk. It was then he notices a light in the distance. Barely more than a pin prick, the goon began making his way toward it. Slowly at first, but with fear behind him, his pace quickly turns to a jog, then a full sprint.

Several minutes past and Mike could not see himself getting any closer to the light than when he began. The exhausted thug slows to a stop. Breathing heavily, he kneels down gasping for air. His knuckles white from holding his weapon for what seems an eternity. His tired hand releases his grip, and weapon disappears into the black. It was gone; lost into the abyss, just like Vinny, just like himself. Mike sat down with his legs sprawled out and leans back, supporting his upper half with his hands. As his breathing calms he began to faintly hear a sound. At first he thought it was in his head. He remembered all the stories he heard about people going crazy in sensory depravation. He starts to shrug off the noise, but it grew louder and louder, and before long he could make out the faint words, "Mike." It was that voice that always made him smile, the voice of his partner calling out to him.

Mike quickly jumps to his feet and roared into the darkness, "Vinny!" He could hear the footsteps drawing ever closer.

"Where are you, ya bastard?" Vinny voice was nearly on top of him now.

"Here." Mike says just as Vinny runs full speed into him. "Oh you stupid son of a bitch." Mike says from the flat of his back. Both men crawl to each other laughing and embrace. "I never thought I would find you." Mike says fighting back the tears as he cradles his best friend's head.

"I'm glad just to see any ugly mug in this place, even if it has to be yours." Vinny says with barely visible smile.

"Your sister loved it." Mike says with a laugh as he stands and helps Vinny to his feet. Both men stand silent for a moment in the darkness and look around brushing themselves off. This was more of a manly gesture as both were just as clean as when they fell. "I...I thought you were gone." Mike says shaking returning to his voice as he remembers seeing his friend being sucked into the darkness.

"Yeah," Vinny begins, "this place sucks." Both men laugh at the ridiculous pun. "Where the fuck are we?" Vinny asks, his face barely visible in the aphotic world they now reside.

"I have no idea, but there is a light over there." Mike says pointing in the direction of minuscule dot, but quickly drops his hand as he realizes from his elbow down disappears into the black. "Look, just take my hand and follow me." Mike says sternly to his friend.

"I'm not holding your greasy fingers." Vinny says pulling his hand from Mike's with a jerk.

"Ok, do you want to get the fuck out of here or not?" Vinny reaches his hand out and the two fumble for each other's for a moment before taking hold.

The two thugs walk hand in hand through the darkness toward the light. As hours pass both begin to get weary of the trek. Neither had said a word for at least an hour when Vinny chimed up, "Lets stop for minute. My legs are killing me, and I think I have blister on my ass." Mike snickered and let go. Both sit in the darkness just listening to the silence for a moment.

"Worst job ever." Mike says breaking the period of both being taciturn.

"Yeah, you ain't kiddin."

"Where do you think we are?"

"Space ship? Dead? Your mothers vagina?"

Both men laugh for a good thirty seconds. Seriousness quickly returned as both truly thought about it for a moment, to no conclusion, then Mike asks, "Where did you go when you got sucked in?"

Vinny paused placing his hand on Mike's shoulder. "In here. In fucking here.," Vinny's voice grew louder, "I got sucked into this god damn place! This place where there is nothing!" Mike hears Vinny stand as his voice became enraged. "This fucking place! This god forsaken place and there's nothing! No buildings, no people, just nothing!" his screams echo as he began struggling to remove his coat mid rant. "If we're dead, why doesn't someone fucking tell us? I at least want to know how!" Mike hears the trench coat flap against the hard ebony floor.

Another moment goes by before Mike says, "The bangs on the wall." Vinny calms down and Mike feels him sit close to him. Vinny looks around realizing, but ignoring the fact his coat is now gone.

Vinny says, "Jesus, your right. That dirty piece of shit shot us clean through the wall. Ha...I guess he wasn't kiddin about us not coming in." As the men sit and laugh for a moment, reality sets in. They lean their head against one another and stare off into the blackness side by side. "If I knew death was this boring I woulda got into another profession." Vinny says as they begin to hear a sound in the distance.

"Shhh," Mike asks, "what the fuck is that?" Both men go quiet and listen hard.

"It, it sounds like, it sounds like a baby, crying." Vinny said in a confused tone.

Both men jump to their feet and notice the white speck begin to come towards them. The closer it moved, the large it became. The baby's cries grew louder and louder as the once tiny splotch began moving in their direction. "Come on, let's get the fuck out of here!" Mike yells gesturing with his now visible hand. The thugs begin running as fast as they can, fighting to stay ahead of the terrible cries. Mike looks back to see the light now upon them. He stops in his tracks, mesmerized by the radiating glow.

"Mike come on damn it!" Vinny yells grabbing for his friend, his voice nearly muffled by the baby's cries. As Vinny took hold of him, Mike's body begins rising, his feet gently dangling gently in the air. Vinny's hand slips from his companion's and he watches him float up into the light. Vinny burst into tears and falls to his knees screaming, "Don't leave me! Please Mike! Don't leave me."

It wouldn't be long before Mike would completely forgot about his friend on the other side of the light. He would even forget his own name in a short time. David would be the name his mother chose for him. At a young age David would begin having dreams of a man in the darkness. At first he would be afraid, but would start feeling as though he knew the man for a life time. His thick Jersey accent would always make David smile. 