A Mugger after Midnight

It's always so bleak out. The world always seems colder when midnight hits. The people wondering the streets of downtown. Not
expecting anything can go wrong. Little do they know that people like me exist in this world. People who keep the idiots who walk the streets
in fear. I am a mugger. I find people who I know I won't like and I take any money I can off of them. It's always easy for me to find people
I can't stand out in the streets. The men who where nice cloths and too much cologne. The women who dress up too nice with too much makeup.
The couple whose love is not real. Those people are what I hate most about this world. They're so fake. They're all so awful and do nothing
but piss me off.

My friend who also does this says he will mug anyone and get anything he can. I don't know how he can even sleep at night. I tried
to do it once with a very nice man and I felt like **** for five days. And I refuse to take belongings too, money has no personal value to
anyone, but belongings tell too many stories. I take a ring from someone and find out the ring is over 300 years old and has been passed down
though the generations and then I can't sleep at night. Knowing that I broke the chain of someone's family. I guess I'm strange in that
respect. A mugger with core values. Sounds fake in itself.

I don't know how I got here or why I started doing this anymore, but I'm good at it. I guess it's because I have rules. Firstly I
don't hurt anyone no matter what. I carry a knife and a gun that's never loaded. I use the gun to threaten people. Never even take the knife
out. I make sure to tell them to turn and run as soon as they throw there money down. I never avoid police men either. I confront them and
talk about their days. I make sure they can trust me so if they see me later they don't suspect me for anything. I swear I know every police
officer on this strip. I don't pick random spots to do it either. I will follow someone until they go somewhere near an escape route I
marked out. I always make sure to not hang around after. And finally I will only pull one job a night no matter what. I don't care if I get
is 25 cents, anymore than one and you are asking for trouble.

So here I am, back on 6th street. Walking down eyeing people. I see a man who is concerned about something and decide to pass on him.
Concerned people are too aware. I see a women who has been crying. I would probably try and do it and break down crying with her. Sometimes
I think I'm so pathetic. Finally I see two people. I won't call them a couple though. They are holding each other but as if they just met. I
begin to follow them. Not too closely however. I need to keep a respectable distance. But be close enough to observe and listen. I get to that
point and I can hear what they're saying. The man is saying how he is a engineer. Says he has been donating all this money to some bull****
charity that sounds made up. He says he loves what he does and the women is listening just nodding her head. I can tell it's all bull****. He
doesn't really do any of what he says. And she knows it too, but he appears to be attractive. So she is ignoring his blatant lies because Of
his looks. What a ****ing joke. These are the people that piss me off the most. They're so fake. I can't wait to see there faces when reality
hits them here soon. When I show them who I am, I bet the man will jump behind the women. We've just passed 22nd ave, it's getting close to
time. I'm going to thoroughly enjoy making their night terrible.

I run up to them and tap the man on the shoulder. They both turn. "Its a lovely night" I say
"Yea I guess" the man says.vHe tries to shrug me off.
I grab him again. "How would you like to get shot" I say grimly. He just stairs at me and I pull my gun. Of course it's not loaded but he
doesn't know that He jumps back behind the girl. Called it, what a ****ing coward. "Don't make a goddamn sound" I say "just throw any cash you
on the ground in front of you." It's very important to be confident. Don't let them know that's you're just as scared as they are. They do
as I say and I look at them. I think they can tell I'm pissed off. "Turn around now and run" I say. They just stair at me. "NOW" I yell.
They do it, they run, I pick up the cash and I walk away, down an alley, into an open area, and on my way home.

I never count the cash until I am home. Just in case. I look at my watch, 1230, I could feel that I probably got 300 from that steal
alone. Not too bad for thirty minutes worth of work. I continue to walk, and I see something. A shadow, a tiny one. I inch closer and it's a
kid. A kid out at this hour. He is asking for trouble and to be hurt. I go up to him. "Hey kid" I say. He looks toward me and I could tell he's
been crying. "Why are you out so late?" I ask The kid looks at me.
"I ran away from home" the kid said sadly.
Oh this is just what I needed. A runaway. Why?" I ask
"My parents don't love me anymore, they love my baby sister more!" The kid said and started to cry again.
I was speechless, this kid was so real. He was crying in front of a stranger. He was letting himself be hurt and not holding it in. He was
the embodiment of the emotions that we lock away as adults. Our fear of being alone, our plagued existence as lovers, and our emotions
running rampant causing our actions to be rushed. Or maybe I'm being weird again. "I'm sure your parents love you very much and are probably
worried sick about you" I said with sternness. The boy looked at me and I could tell he wanted to go home. "What's your name kid?" I asked
"Victor" he answered.
"Well victor where do you live?" I asked
"I don't know" he began to cry.

I noticed he had a backpack on. "Can I see your backpack?" I asked. He hesitated for a moment, but he then handed me the backpack. I
looked it over, it had a picture of some kind of red dog on the front. Kids cartoons are strange. I finally found what I was looking for. When
I was a kid my parents used to write all there contact information on my cloths and stuff in case I got lost. Glad to see the practice is not
dead. "So I know where you live now, how would you like me to take you home?" I asked.
Victor nodded and I grabbed him by the hand after having him put his backpack back on. I must be a damned fool. He lives on the corner 21st
and 6th. Near where I just robbed two people. But do I leave a kid alone in the dark to fend for himself? No I'm not that goddamn fake. If I
get caught at least I can say I'm not a coward.

I can tell the kid is afraid. "You want to hear a story?" I asked.
The kid just nodded his head again. "Okay this one is pretty uneventful but it's a story all the same. There once was a man who had the whole
world In front of him, he had friends and family and was excited for what life was to bring him. He could hear people talk about him and say
how handsome he was and how lucky he was and how great he was. And allThat was fine for a while, but the man grew tired of hearing this. He
thought that people should be more in awe of themselves than him. So he changed, he let go of friends and family, gave up his job, and chose
to live alone." I've never been good a telling stories. The kid looked up at me.
"That's not a very good story" he said with a sad look on his face.
I began to laugh. I don't even know why, I just laughed.
"What do you know about telling stories?" I asked with a smile on my face.
"My mom says stories should always have a happy ending." The kid said.

I looked at him. So much pain in my mind had led me to give up on the world. And this kid was just starting. He hasn't went through love
and loss yet, never been disappointed by the ones he's loved. He's so innocent, he's so real.
"So how would you end it?" I asked.
I could tell the kid was thinking about it. He was thinking hard and finally he spoke up. "I would give the man a nickel, and every time he
felt angry or sad he could just look at the nickel and know someone out there cared enough to give him something precious. Something that was
worth something to them."
I was aw stuck. I thought about what he said for a moment. This kid knew so much for someone so young. Maybe I'm crazy but what the kid
said made so much sense to me. And it was pure and kind hearted. I wish more people were like victor. The world Would be a much happier place.
"So why is a nickel so special victor?" I asked him with real curiosity.
Victor looked at me confused and replied. "My grandma gave me a nickel before she left for heaven. She said it was very important to her and
she's had it since she was tiny. She said it always brought her strength and it meant more to her than anything. She told me to keep it safe
and to always use it to bring happiness".
This kid is full of surprise, it makes me regret taking money from people. I always thought money had no meaning and was worthless. Now I see
that even a nickel can have value to someone. So many thoughts in my mind, running rampant almost not making sense. Maybe I was just scared
because we were heading back to the spot where I was, or maybe it was genuine feelings. Whatever it was I felt great.

"Well that's very nice victor, your grandma sounds like a great person."
"She was, are we almost there?" Victor asked.
"Yea, just around the corner" I replied.
The kid was being impatient. Although I could understand why. I can't really tell how I feel about this yet. Minutes away from getting this
kid home and I was feeling regret for what I'd done earlier tonight. My brain hurts a lot. I looked around, I saw nothing was the same as it
was before. Nothing seemed as dim. I must be insane. To think that some kid could change my mindset in a matter of minutes. I'll never
understand humans. We can be so horrible and so good a the same time.
"We're here." I said.
The boys eyes were wide. I knew this was his house just from the expression on his face.
"Come on already, you're parents are probably worried" I told him.
"Okay" he replied
As we approached the house I saw a police car in the front. Well I've come this far I might as well follow through. We went to the door and I
knocked hard.
"Hold on" a voice rang from inside.

Another minute went by and finally a women answered the door. She shrieked when she saw the boy. She lunged toward and grabbed him.
"My baby" she yelled. "Where have you been"
"I was lost mommy, but this nice man found me and brought me home." He replied.
Suddenly the moms arms were around me.
"Thank you so much" she said crying.
I felt like cringing for a moment, I'm not a real huggy person "It was no problem" I said. The father came out along with a police men.
They both shook my hand and told me I was a gentlemen amongst men and yada yada. The police officer was the best part. He told me the world
needed more people like me out there. I almost laughed at that but I held it in. I've never been one for all of this. I was about to leave
when I felt a tug on my jeans. It was the boy. He looked at me with with a smile, first time I saw the kid smile all night. First time I
really saw him at all. He was a cute kid, brown hair, green eyes. Skinny but not too skinny. He was wearing some dirty cloths though. Probably
from his late night stroll.
"This is for you" he said as he handed me something. It took me a moment to see what the thing was. It was covered in rust and looked very old.
Then I noticed it was a very old nickel. "I can't take this kid, it means too much to you" I told him.
"Its for you so you can heal who you are and become happy" the boy replied.
I looked at the kid again. Could he tell I wasn't happy all along. What a freaking guy.
"You're a good kid, don't run away again though okay" I said trembling.
"Okay" the boy said with a smile.
I walked away, story of my life. Walk away from happiness because I can't handle it. But for some reason I feel good. I'd forgotten that
I was in the same spot I was when I robbed two people. I looked at my watch, it was one thirty. Interesting how this night turned out.
I looked down at the nickel and started to laugh. What a weird kid. It's not like this nickel is going to change the fact that all the people
in this repressive world are idiots and self absorbed. I looked at the nickel again. I stopped walking and felt water on my face. I looked up
and saw no rain. I touched my face, I'm crying. I looked backed down at the nickel. "Stupid kid" I said as I wiped away my tears and continued
to walk home