Light at the end of the tunnel. Chapter One.

 (This is a brand new story I have started. Many people seem to like it and I hope you enjoy it too!)

                    Light at the end of the tunnel.                                      Emily M. A.

The light at the end of the tunnel. That’s what everyone says. Go to that light, and God will be at the end. But is it true? That’s what I am wondering. Is there really a tunnel that you can go to and good will be there? Does it mean any old tunnel? Or is it a ‘special’ one? A gold one? Or maybe a two hundred year old train tunnel. Or maybe it isn’t even is a real tunnel. Maybe it means something else. But that’s what I am here to figure out. And I am going to do it. Who am I you may ask. You will find out. I am not your ‘normal’ person. No, I have been though too much to be called that.  I am just a person looking for the meaning to life; looking for an adventure; looking for a way out of the only life I have ever known. 

   The morning was early and the sun was just about to rise. It was still dark and I looked around my room in the tiny apartment. It wasn’t much. One room with one bathroom. My bed was a pull out sofa and the kitchen was just one of those three feet tall refrigerators, two counters and a microwave. I had a small 19’ inch t.v and a coffee table. And that was really it other than a dresser. I had a dog, a two year old male Rottweiler who was my best friend. Yes, I lived alone. And most people would freak out knowing that I did not live in a safe part of the city. But if you are one of those people I ask you this; why do you think I got a Rottweiler? He’s a good guard dog if he wants to be.  But other than that, he is a big baby. 

   I pulled back the covers of my sofa bed, stood and then stretched. I grabbed a shirt and a pair of jeans off of the floor and walked into the bathroom. I hopped into the shower and the cool water felt good on my body. I loved cold showers; it shocked my body into waking up and going. As soon as I got out of the shower I looked into the mirror. My beard was growing back... With a sigh I pulled on my jeans and started to put shaving cream all over my beard and then shaved. 

From outside a knock could be heard on the door. And then the deep and loud bark of my dog could be heard. I quickly shaved and splashed cool water on my face, then patted my face dry before I slung the towel over my shoulder and walked in the room. “Okay boy.” I said as I reached the door. “Sit! And stay!”I ordered my dog who obediently sat but let a deep growl out at the door. I reached for the handle and slightly opened the door. “Who is it?” I asked as I peaked though the crack. I never opened the open too wide. Where I lived, it could be someone with a gun; or a robber, or worse. But no, it was older lady from next door. “I – I got your mail again by accident.” I opened the door a little wider and gave her a smile. She was a widow and about 70 years old. I had only met her a couple times. But she was sweet and almost always had curlers in her graying brown hair. She had a motherly look in her brown eyes, but she was clearly scared of my dog. Her hands shook as she held out a few envelopes and kept her eyes glued on my dog. Who still sat at my feet. “Mrs. Cooper. Don’t stare at him. Just let him sniff you hand. He won’t bite.”I had a smile on my face as I said that and watched Mrs. Cooper think it over. I took the envelopes and sat them on my dresser, which was behind me.

Mrs. Cooper worryingly looked at my dog, but she held her hand out. I nodded to him and my dog stood and sniffed Mrs. Cooper looked terrified. “Mrs. Cooper, this is Maxie.” Maxie’s stub of a tail wagged and Mrs. Cooper smiled. “He is a nice dog!” She said as she slowly knelt down and touched Maxie on the head. I smiled as I opened the door wider and let her. My small apartment wasn’t the neatest place in the world. Clothes and dishes were everywhere, my bed sheets were all tangled and dog food was on the floor. But Mrs. Cooper didn’t seem to care. Maxie licked her face and she giggled. “So…. How is that book coming along?”Mrs. Cooper asked with a smile upon her face. “I have nothing to write about.” I told her as I started to pick up my clothes and put them in a bag to take to a Laundromat later that morning; my life wasn’t very interesting… at least not now anyways. And my book was about my life and what I have done. Being only 19 years old, nothing happened. I had a part time job as presser washer. I didn’t get paid much but enough to pay the 150 dollar monthly rent. I didn’t have wifi so that saved. Plus, being a small apartment in a bad part of town helped with the rent too. Mrs. Cooper nodded, stood and opened her purse. She pulled out a pamphlet and handed it to me. “A friend gave this to me and I thought of you.” I took it and looked at the picture on front. The picture at the top showed an island with nice, light, light blue water. It looked as if you could see the bottom. The sand looked almost white and the palm trees looked beautiful! But I already knew I couldn’t afford it. The words under the picture read. “Take the trip of your life time, now!” I opened the pamphlet and inside was information on the island, how much it would be and all that. “I thank you, Mrs. Cooper. But I cannot afford it just yet.” I kindly told her as I handed the pamphlet back to her. “oh, That’s no problem. I will pay for you. And you can take your dog.” She smiled and started to open her purse. My mouth was open and I bet close to the floor as she took out a check. “Oh, no. You do not have to do that!” I was in complete and utter shock! She was going to pay all that for me to go on a two week long trip..? I could pay a year’s worth of rent in a brand new apartment for that much! “Oh no, You have been a great friend and I want you to go. Get away from all this and have fun for once!” She handed the check and I very slowly took it; still in shock. “Th- thank you.”I said as I looked down at it. “You leave tomorrow, that will pay for the train ticket to the air port. I already have the plane tickets. Maxie will get his own seat.”Mrs. Cooper told me. She handed me two tickets and my eyes were wide. “Why are you doing this? Just taking care of me is good enough.”She was like a mother to me; meant the world to me. Mrs. Cooper would lend me some cash when I needed it. And she would randomly go and pick up lunch for me or drive me places when I was out of gas. So I didn’t want her to spend all that money on me, I was fine the way I was now.

 Mrs. Cooper just smiled and started to pick my dirty clothes off of the floor and put them in my hamper. “Mrs. Cooper, you don’t have to do that either.”I rushed over to her and took the clothes from her hands. She really didn’t have to do any of that. If she truly wanted to pay for his trip she didn’t have to do anything else. An odd smile appeared on her face as she looked up at me. “Why do you think I am sending you and your dog away? So I can get this place cleaned.” She laughed and I had to join right in. But I could tell she wasn’t joking. She had my clothes in the hamper and then started to get the dirty dishes from around the room and started to put them in the sink. “Mrs. Cooper, you don’t have to do this right now. At least wait until I go before you start this cleaning. These tickets aren’t until tomorrow…”I had looked at the tickets and just noticed that the plane leaves the next day at seven am. “Oh gosh! I have a ton to do!” I ran to my dresser and pulled my wallet out. I slipped my feet into my boots and put the harness on Maxie and I grabbed my hamper. “I will go and get these washed and Maxie and I will be back later. Lock the door when you leave.” I told her. And then Maxie and I slipped out the door and jogged down the hallway and out the building. I never left alone…Maxie was always with me. And it was good that the places here allowed dogs In most of the buildings if they were well behaved. Just like Maxie was. 

After thirty minutes of walking we made it to the Laundromat. It was a small building with a lot of washers and dryers, the kind that are stacked on top of one another. I opened the door and Maxie walked in ahead of me. We were known there; coming ever week or so and he was allowed to come in. I walked over to a washer/dryer that I often used and tied Maxie’s leash to a table nearby. “Stay!” I ordered him. He laid down with his head on his paws and watched me as I sat my hamper down and opened the washer. I took out of the darks first and threw them in the washer. Put in soap and popped in a dollar of quarters into it and then started with the reds in another washer. I always had three going, it was easier that way. They were done at the same time and I could leave in a couple hours. I had all three washers going and I sat down in a chair and picked up a magazine. One of those about cooking, and cleaning, and mom things; maybe I would need some of that information one day.

After an hour I moved everything from washer and put them in the dryer. Almost done… More people started to come in and my heart sank to see Viper walk through the door. Viper was a mean guy, one you never wanted to meet. He did… bad things; Things that shouldn’t be spoken about. I moved down in my chair so hopefully my dark hair wouldn’t show. Maxie lifted his head and started to growl as Viper closed the door. I closed my eyes and tried to slow my heart rate. It was beating so loud that I was sure it could be heard .I shot Maxie a look, trying to calm him down and stop him from calling attention to us. But that just made him bark and I cursed under my breath. I was not liked by the men in his gang; mainly because I am mixed. My mother was white and my dad was black. They were married but my dad was in a gang. And when they found out that he married a white woman…. Let’s just say that it didn’t go very well. My mother raised me as a single mother. Being only nineteen it wasn’t easy for her. But I say she did a good job with me. But being mixed… it isn’t easy. My hair is black, but I don’t have the type of wiry hair that black people have. And I have the dark chocolate eyes and my skin is dark. But more tanned than black; it can be weird sometimes. And I lived on Viper’s side of the town and he didn’t like that I was mixed. And now that he was here. I would have to leave soon and my clothes weren’t done. “So….” I heard Vipers very deep voice say as he walked towards me just by the sound of his footsteps I could tell he was not happy. I sat up and Maxie stood as I did and he growled even deeper. I knew he would attack if he had too. He normally did. “James… what are you doing here? You are only allowed to be here on Wednesdays.” I sighed as I stood and looked at his face. He was an older man with a lot of power here. He was in his 40s with brown hair, brown eyes and very dark skin. He also had all these tattoos and scars on his body. And he had this deep, deep voice that you just did what he told you to do. “I am leaving tomorrow. I needed to wash my clothes.” I told him in a small and non threatening voice. “Ah,” Viper said as he shifted his weight and gave me a look that told me to get out and now. He didn’t care if I was leaving and needed this. This was his hangout, and his place to be not mine. I can only be there on Wednesdays. “I can leave… If that’s what you want.”I slowly told him with a small nod. Yeah… I could leave and dry my clothes later. I could hang them up somewhere and let them dry like that. Or have Mrs. Cooper come and dry them the rest of the way. She was white and able to do what she wanted when she wanted. Lucky her. Viper just nodded and shifted his weight to his other leg. “That might be best.” The way his said it made me nervous: like he was planning something. But I turned and took opened the dryers and pulled out the damp clothes and put them back in the hamper. Then I took Maxie and left without a word. But I could hear whispers as I opened the door and walked out of the building. In all truth I was scared…. This wasn’t the first time I had disobeyed the Wednesday rule.

 I was halfway home when it happened. Maxie pulled his leash out of my hands and I quickly turned to see what he was after. I thought it would be a cat. But no, it was Viper and a few other gang members. “Maxie!” I called, I dropped my hamper and some clothes fell out. My dog luckily stopped and he ran back to me. The whole time he kept right on growling. “Go home! Now!” I told him as I pointed the way back to the apartment. I didn’t want him shot or hurt in any way. He was a dog… and Viper and his men could care less about him. Maxie gave me a strange look but I held eye contact and Maxie whined, but did as told. I watched him turn the corner to our apartment building and disappear. Then I sat my hamper down on the ground and turned to face the men. “What are you doing? I am heading home.” I told them with my eyes looking down at the ground and not them. “Just makin’ sure you are leaving.” One of the big dark men said as he walked closer and closer to me. “I was heading home, you know where I live.” I nervously told him with my hands up as I stepped backwards to try and get away from them without running. They were like a pack of wolves. They would go after the weak, the submissive, and the one who was different. And I was all three of those. “I know we do.” Viper said as he stepped out from behind a big, strong looking man; his bodyguard. “But you said you were leaving tomorrow. Where are you going?” Every step I took backwards Viper took one step forward. I knew that if I ran he would too and it would not be nice. They had guns, the youngest and smallest of the group had his hand on one that was tucked into his pants. So I knew they all had to have one. And I had no weapons other than my fist. I had some training in self defense. But not much at all! “Just… out of town for a week.” I told him with a nod, all truth, no need to lie. “Where out of town?” He asked. Oh, an island. I said in my head. If I told him that he would ask where I got the money. Then Mrs. Cooper would be in trouble. She was an old woman living on her own; an easy target for the gang. “I am just going out of town. I am not sure where.” Again, that was somewhat the truth. I really wasn’t 100% sure I would be going. Viper sighed and slowly shook his head, then ran towards me. Before I could do anything he had me by the collar of my shirt and had his face so close to mine that I could smell the beer and cigarette smoke on his breath. He picked me off the ground and I was terrified. The group laughed and all smiled and crossed their arms as they watched. I kicked my feet, but was careful not to kick him. This was just a game, right? He has done this to other people, I have seen it and it normally ends just fine. Most of the time he just wants money; and I didn’t have much but hopefully he would be fine with it. “Will you be coming back?” His eyes were wide and he licked his lips. He reminded me of Maxie before he would tear into a piece of meat. It wasn’t a nice look at all. He wanted to rip my head off. “Yeah – yes Sir.” I told him with a nod. I was ready to cry and that would make me even weaker and we did not need that at all. Viper raised an eyebrow and sat me back down but he didn’t let go of my shirt; instead he tightened the grip on my collar. “Last time; where are you going?”And with that he brought his knee and hit me right in the gut. I buckled forward and almost lost my balance. I would have fell face down on the sidewalk if he hadn’t been holding the collar of my shirt. The group in the background cheered. This was a show, Viper wanted to show that he could make anyone do what he wanted. And I didn’t want to give in. I was tired of this! And all because I was both black and white! Who cared!? “It is none of your business!”I said with a groan as I forced my legs to pull me back up and stare at Viper right in the eye. If it wasn’t for Mrs. Cooper I would give him all the information he wanted. But I couldn’t have her get hurt. She meant too much to me. Viper let go of my collar with one hand and punched me right in the gut. I buckled over again and this time was allowed to fall to the ground. I laid on the ground on my back, sweat pouring from my forehead and the look of pain plastered all over my face. “James, James, James… I thought you knew not to speak to me like that. You know what happened to your father after he did and lied.” Viper walked over to me and stood right next to me with his arms crossed. The rest of the group came up and stood around me. They were going to kill me too. I just knew it! Just like they did to my father! And it wasn’t a nice death! Viper nodded to the men and stepped back. “No killing… take this as a lesson, James. NEVER, EVER, speak back to me or lie! Or next time… we won’t be so nice.” He turned and walked away. Then I started to get kicked on every side. I couldn’t fight back! I was trapped. And soon I was crying, I could feel ribs breaking and my nose broke. I had never been in so much pain. And the gang all laughed like this was a game. And what did the people who were out in the street do? Nothing. They couldn’t. Viper would kill their families.

The last thing I remember was being kicked in the head and groaning, I remember heading whistles and seeing lights. Cops running the gang members off and seeing Maxie grab onto the arm of one of the gang members. Then I passed out. Right there on the sidewalk.