Idle Company. A Cold Silence

The thought of company lingered for a moment, then passed just like draft that had conjured it. While the fire would be warm, the company can sometimes be just as cold as a dark alley, hidden from sight. The gamble between idle company and insanity is daily risk. Pausing on the street corner, I glanced back up the road, deciding to follow the dimly light street into the distance.

One foot in front of the other, I trudged for what felt like hours. Only minutes had passed. The air had started to cool, a light crisp edge to the breeze flowing down the empty streets, finding its way through worn clothing, caressing my skin with a chill that causes old aches as a reminder of the frail existence that has become my body.

The silence is broken briefly by the sound of screeching brakes, a gunshot, a dying scream. The city claimed the life of yet another poor soul. All too often did the night consume lives, some deserving, some innocent. Their last moments filled only with fear. The sun would be rising in an hour and my stomach could feel it, tensing as it anticipated the simple idea of food. I knew I needed to eat. It had been days since the remaining juices of a half eaten burger had dripped down my throat. I started for the docks; maybe, just maybe today I would be so lucky.

As the cool breeze swirled the dust on the street, I drifted towards the docks, with the hope of food fading with each breath …