I was standing outside my house on Normal Street, waiting in the cold of an autumn night after a rain. The roads were still slick and hissing with the passing of cars when Clean pulled up in his Impala. He had called. Told me he needed a friend. When I got in the passenger side… Continue reading Guardian’s War 7: Clean
Tag: Cage
Bold Boy
I had a friend once. He was a good kid. We were nine and we didn’t deserve what happened to us. One day in a park I lived near, a teenager I call Dogshit and his two teenage friends tortured us. Beat us. Pissed on us and almost raped us. That day it was all… Continue reading Bold Boy
The Tiger and the Cage
When I was with Tigress, I was taken care of. I was guarded by her unflinching ferocity. No one could mess with me. With Cage, I was in conflict. You need an example. I can see on your face that you want an example. Here you go: I spent the night at her house once,… Continue reading The Tiger and the Cage
The Tigress
In my life, I have seen a few superheroes. Teachers, soldiers, cops, and a few robbers, but there was never anyone who compared to the Tigress. She was my little cousin. A year younger and the boldest and most fearless person I ever knew. She was filled with fuck you from her toes to her… Continue reading The Tigress
The Pool
See, on days like these, shoes were such a pain in the ass. If you brought your shoes, you had to keep an eye on them. You would set them next to the fence, and every few minutes, you had to look to make sure someone had not stolen them. It was a poor neighborhood… Continue reading The Pool
Invasion
You cannot believe the kind of liquid terror that ran through my entire body when Meek told us that next morning. We stared, shocked and betrayed. I felt as if there was a stalking demon behind me. And though I did not want her to repeat herself, she did anyway. “Latin Kings lost last night.… Continue reading Invasion
Duck at Gus’s
If you came and set pins at Gus’s, they paid you a five dollar bill. It was the easiest way for a eight- and nine-year-old to make money in the King’s neighborhood. Gus’s was a bar in the area, with a Pabst Blue Ribbon sign over the door that read “Gus’s Place.” It looked like… Continue reading Duck at Gus’s
The Fatboy
How was I supposed to know what it was when I was standing in front of the most gorgeous piece of machinery I had ever seen? On the road they looked different. There was always a scary guy riding it. Always a guy who needed a bath, wearing a torn-up shirt and scuffed boots. Under… Continue reading The Fatboy
First Blood
When you are a boy growing up in the year 1985 there are so many cool things going on around you. But of all these things nothing exists that is as pure and as righteous as Rambo. Me and Cage adored Rambo. He was our hero. We were growing up with the ramifications of Vietnam.… Continue reading First Blood
Meek’s Song
I can’t tell you why she did it. I can’t tell you much about what was going on in Meek’s house when she was twelve. I can’t tell you what drove her to pack a few things in a rush and leave her home for the streets of Milwaukee. She was a good girl. She… Continue reading Meek’s Song
