Redemption

Vigilante tale of a man who lost everything.

The night was calm and the sounds of the inner city began to fade. The smoke drew heavily from the end of my cigarette. My eyes blood shot from lack of sleep narrowed in as the smoke began to clear. A face filled its hollow shell. At first it seemed alien but as the shadows faded with the on coming breeze I could make out her lips. Full and vibrant they were, most deadly. We met eyes for merely a second before a passerby pulled her into the alley. I flicked the bud of my half finished cigarette into the sewer drain beside me and made my way across the empty street towards the alley. A thug stood near by, preaching to a small group of teenagers about profit and “The Man”. I made my way past without catching a glare; I preferred it this way. When I reached the alley I slid my hand into my coat pocket where I kept my closest friend. I called him Cult. We weren’t always friends you see.

            About five years back I had met a girl at a little joint called Sally’s. It wasn’t a classy joint per se but it sure made the night go by. All the ladies from the east Bronx went there, especially a little lady that went by the name of Libby. Boy did she have a glow about her. Long brown wavy locks, atop a milk white face and baby blue eyes. She was a stunner, a pure genuine angel. But of course even the sweetest of things can cause cavities. And my sweet tooth wanted nothing more than her. It started off small; we met a few times a week, had a few drinks and retired to whomever’s place was closest. Things were really starting to look good, until I met her brother Frank that is. He ran the local mob on the North end of town. I’d seen him before at some clubs but I wasn’t impressed. Sure he had the glamour and jazz but even a low time sewer rat could see he didn’t do any of his own dirty work. No for that he had his gorilla, a Russian commy f**k who called himself Razor. Ya sure, he was big and had the rep to back it up too. Needless to say Frank grew tired of me dating his sister and so I got a visit from his boy Razor. Bloody mess that was let me tell you. I was sitting at home minding my own business when this two ton ape kicks down my door. The beating wasn’t a quick one either. He took his time breaking four of my ribs and left me in a coma for three months. When I woke, I was fed the bad news about Libby. Apparently she had lashed out against Frank for what he had done to me. I really don’t need to get into details but when they found her body only the dental records saved her. I was furious, lost and confused, I hungered for blood. So I worked my way through the ranks, tracing every step Frank made. Before I got to him though I made a little visit to our friend Razor. I worked him over pretty good. As the paper called it, “Identity undetermined.” But of course that’s nothing compared to what I did to Frank. His skull still sits on my dresser. And since then I’ve been on the hunt for anyone who thinks they can harm someone in my town. Cult and I alone have been responsible for three hundred unsolved murders and fifty missing persons. And tonight I think we’ll make it fifty one.

            As the shadows surrounded me in the alley, I could hear the cry of the girl. Moving in complete silence I made my way through a maze of cardboard homes and dumpsters. Another corner lead back behind Tony’s Deli. I caught the reflection of a man standing over a woman as I approached. Her red dress was tore at the shoulder, exposing her skin. The hands of the man reached for his belt, god only knew how much I hated rapists. He threw himself over the top of her, driving her head into the hard cold concrete beneath her. She fell silent for a moment before groaning. I had to act fast, and with the hard cold steel firmly in my grasp I sprang from the shadows and released a furry that was beyond even my understanding. His flesh tore easily against the bone. Cult even helped relocate a portion of his jaw. The candy apple red ran freely from the wounds covering his body. I wasn’t going to kill him, just yet. I worked his legs for awhile, crushing his knees beneath my boot. When they felt like jelly, I decided to return to his face. I noticed a spot in the concrete where over the years the weather and constant pressure of delivery trucks had torn it up. I drug him over and placed his peeling flesh against its jagged surface. Forcefully I pushed and pulled his face across the ground like a block of cheese against a cheese grater. I stopped when the fragments of bone made a powdery residue in the red.

            My breathing was heavy and my thoughts began to cloud when a hand gently grabbed my shoulder. I turned ready to strike but it was only her. She stared deep into my eyes, almost like she was searching for something. I tried to speak but all words were lost to me. She reminded me so much of Libby, as if this stranger were a clone. She made no expression and as she began to speak I swore I could read her thoughts.

            “Thank you stranger”, she said “I thought for sure that man was going to rape me”.

I smiled as to reassure her of her safety and turned to face the night once more.

            “Hey wait! I didn’t catch your name” she yelled out at me. I turned to her and laughed.

“The names Gabriel.” I whispered “And yours?” and just as quickly as she had appeared she was gone leaving me only a faint whisper that parted with the wind. “Libby.”        

 

Author's Note

Ignore grammar issues.

Reviews

[Hello, Goodbye]

You have great skill. The stories flow with a great combination of description and narration.. Great stuff..

[Bhumi]

I loved the story - I must say you are a great story teller. I also liked the personification of the knife it was unique and added to the character.

Would love to read more of your work.

Thank you for sharing

Have a great day

Bhumi