Naps wondered, did these appear to be the actions of a desperate man?

On the surface? Yes. Probably.

If you saw the equipment neatly packed in his trunk and worked solely from perception, you would probably nail him for all kinds of wrongs against society – even though he hadn’t done anything…yet. But if you took the time to know the details, to understand the nuances, you could probably forgive, and perhaps even endorse, the plan and the off appearance – and most certainly clear the air of desperation around what he was about to do.

It was a fleeting and near effortless gesture on his part.

He just decided, on the spur of the moment, to walk Cyndi the three blocks to Snyder’s deli over just giving her directions. He was sort of headed that way anyhow and there was that tricky turn near 4th. He didn’t know her, but what the heck? He also didn’t know that had he not come along, a desperate Maxton, sweaty with nervous panic, was ready to add robbery to his list of bad decisions in the form of Cyndi’s purse.

As the two left, M slid back into the alley shaking with a heavy breath and asking himself if this was really what he had become. A battle of conscience churned in his head, and he kicked and punched the nearby dumpster several times before hearing the tiny and timid whimper from the other side.

As he stepped around to the back and saw what took refuge there, the rage and indecision faded. His path seemed clearer somehow. And while new questions presented themselves, he could imagine answers, and the ripples that followed set the world, at least for the moment, on a more positive rotation.

Ellis hated selling things door to door. Every time someone opened the door to him – if they opened the door at all – and if they were at all interested in what he had to offer, he got a glimpse inside of how they lived. Something invariably caught his eye which stirred the smoldering coals of envy in his gut like a kick that let him know these strangers had to be living better lives than his. To which he would punish himself for all his life choices between one house and the next.

Bernice closed the door after listening politely to the salesman’s pitch. She didn’t want what he was offering, she never did, but sometimes it was nice to see a different face. A sad respite from the grind of her existence. He had a nice smile and what seemed like a quick wit and a pleasant demeanor. As the door clicked, she turned back to the chaos that was her own existence and with a sigh, silently punished herself for all her life choices. A man like that would never understand her circumstance. His had to be a much better and far easier life for sure.

Drew stepped out into fresh air with his high tech gaming remote and was ready to take on the world.

He prepared for this moment his whole life. Since he was very young, he had vanquished zombie hordes, saved kingdoms in peril, slew dragons and orcs and performed countless other deeds of daring do. But out here…in the real world, it didn’t take long to realize those skills did not translate well. He learned that no matter how fast his reflexes or how clever his strategy, life didn’t seem to respond the same as a game console. There were no bonus rounds, no power ups, no cheat codes or hidden clues. Life was much harder.

Carter seemed hypnotized as Motts shared his sagely prognostications of the boy’s future.

Motts spoke of trials and tribulations, joys and frustrations. He spoke of love and heartache, friends and family and finally he gave a glimpse of what was to be Carter’s eventual end. Then Motts fell silent.

After a moment he whispered, “Please, put me back in the water.”

Carter shook himself from his daze. Unhooked the fish and dropped it back into the pond. As he gathered his stuff to leave, Carter turned back and shouted, “DUH! SPOILER ART!” And he stomped off, never to go fishing again.

This was a pickle.

Philly’s finger hovered over the ‘ENTER’ key as if it were hanging over the button that would trigger armageddon. His carefully crafted response was curt and direct, cutting but true, and clear beyond a shadow of a doubt regarding the matter Juniper raised – and that so many others felt free to join in on. It was true, and this time he had right on his side. Juniper had gone too far. She deserved this. And yet, his finger…hovered, suspended in time and space as his mind whirred.