Chapter 2.

I got it.  I used WriteOrDie to finish the final thousand but I not have chapter Two, in which Hugh dreams, and wakes up, and does things.  I'm about out of creativity for today :) But I have alot more to write still.

Enjoy everybody.

        

Chapter 2:

          He woke quickly the sound of shattered glass splitting the cold day.  All was still except a single green bottle in pieces still spinning across the street away from him.   Hugh leaped up and shook his head.  His hair was soaking wet and red blood stained a small part of his old battered hat.  He heard the wind whistle through the empty street and tried to figure out where he was.  He looked up at the sign in front of him that read in bold while print on one wide “43^rd Street S.” and on another “Bucking Street East” this is where he lived…

He saw across the street a tall building, one that he knew well, but with a larger section of a north facing wall ripped out and laying in pieces across the road.  Inside he saw burned walls and pieces of furniture littering the floor.  Fire burned somewhere in the distance.

 He ran across the road holding a coat of rags tight around him to keep him from the cold.  He looked around the pieces of the wall till he saw a body laying in the street covered in bricks and blood.  He rolled it over and saw what was left of a face, one that he knew.  Hugh stood up in fright and looked around frantically.

His heart pumping hard Hugh breathed a prayer and began to shout to anyone, or anything out there.  His ears pounded with the blood rushing to them.  His mind was clouded by wonder at what was happening.

The street lamps that he knew so well were in disarray, some still stood tall and some were bent or completely ripped away.  He hurried down the road looking and seeing nothing wrong except the lamp posts and that there were no people.  Last he remembers it had been Christmas Eve.  People were all around the streets and joy filled the London air. 

Hugh closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders against the wind and cold, the pain of his flesh outweighing the wonder of his mind. 

“What happened?” he wondered allowed. 

“It wasn’t my fault.” A voice spoke.

Hugh turned on his heel and shouted “Hello?”  He slipped on the ice and fell hard on the ground, and through it.

Then he woke up. A cold shiver drove down his spine and he looked up and yawned.  He pulled his coat a little closer around him and moved back against the building he slept by.  A milk cart drove by and Hugh looked around his street and watched the sun show just a little over the horizon.  He stood up and stretched slowly thinking about how much he loved his new coat.  Hugh rubbed his hands together against the cold and then held them in his jacket.  He shuffled his feet in the icy sludge that he had slept in and after a minute of rest trudged off down the street.

Everything was just the way he left it the night before.  He smiled and clapped his gloved hands as he worked one step at a time down the street.  As he walked under a street lamp the light flickered and died.  He glanced up and smiled at the light, probably hoping the warmth from his silent gesture would light the bulb again.  Hugh continued down the street and watched as everyone began waking up.  The sludge in the street would soon be crushed and splashed midst wagon wheels and the running footsteps of excited children. 

Christmas time was a good season for Hugh as he thrived on the joy of his surroundings and never was there a larger abundancy of joy than this season.  He smelled the sound of ham and toast frying as he walked past a busy intersection and smiled to himself again.  The city slowly passed by and as he turned onto the street where the grill was Hugh sighed to himself.  He opened the door with one hand and stepped in to find Ashby already cooking.  The city had woken up early this morning and it demanded nourishment.  Hugh quickly took his place beside Ashby dropping his coat on the table in the middle of the kitchen as he walked past. 

“Hello Hugh! I’m glad you’re here.”  Ashby smiled at his friend and turns some ham over on the grill he was using.

“ Aye, I’m glad this day is on us.  Always something to be grateful for.” Ashby started cooking toast and eggs in front of him.

“There is.  Oh! I found your hat on my table last night. You must have left it there yesterday.” Said Ashby.

“I did? Could’a sworn I’d had it last night. Oh well.” Hugh shrugged and began preparing food again in his swift and accurate manner.  He watched the grease pop and listened to the chatter of people in the other room as he cooked.  He continued working with Ashby by his side and would often hum under his breath.  He thought about things He wanted to do with his life. 

The day passed quickly and when everything was wrapped up Hugh left quietly this time remembering his hat.  He walked quickly down the street headed north.  Hugh walked quickly avoiding children running quickly up and down the street. He wondered to himself what tey thought about as he smiled while they ran in circles around their mothers or the more daring ones slid down the ice all along the street. After a while he slipped into a bar he would often frequent when he had a little bit of money on him. He ordered his favorite drink and found a chair along a table with a few other men talking among themselves. He needed company tonight. He listened to their voices as he thought about what was happening outside and how he wished he had someone to spend this time with.

Left to his own thoughts, Hugh did not notice the man who was now sitting across from him until he was greeted by him."Hello, Hugh?" Said the stranger.

"What? Aye, thats my name. Who are you?" Hugh eyed his new found acquaintance from across the table.                                                                                                                      "It doesn't really matter. I'm here to tell you something important." The man across the table was build tall and thin. He had a light beard of reddish hair matching that on his head. He wore no hat and the look on his face msde Hugh think that God's fortune must not have shined on this one recently. The man smiled and nodded at Hugh a little."What might that be.?" Replied Hugh                                                                                    "It's very important Hugh, and it's not something everyone would want to hear." The man said.                                                                                                                           "Oy? Alright. What is it?" Hugh had a curious tone in his voice already.                  "I can't tell you here. Tonight, I will see you tonight." The man's smile had faded quickly during his last sentence and Hugh's mind was buzzing.                                               "Why not? Wait who are you?" Said Hugh.                                                               "You'll understand. Just wait." The man replied. "Just wait..."                                  Then he was gone.                                                                                          Q         Hugh looked around the room quickly. He saw nobody except for the men at his table and the barman scrubbing the bar in front of him.                                                    "Oy!" He leaned into the group in front of him. "Who was that just now?"                          "Who, now?" Said one of them.                                                                                        "Him." Hugh pointed at the chair across from him. "Was sittin' right there not a minute ago."                                                                                                                                              The men looked at him with mild interest and a little more annoyance on their faces. The one who had taken the innitative earlier was quick to assure him that their had been nobody else at this table except for them.                                                                           "Aye, I didn't see anybody when I got up to get our drinks. Just you yourself." Said one of the others, a comically short Irish man with a top hat perched oddly on his head.                                                                                                                                             Hugh couldn't help but chuckle when he noticed the man. "Aye, must've had a little too much already. Thank you though."                                                                                   "Anytime." they Chorused at him as he stood up to leave. He laid a coin on the table and called out to the proprietor notifying him of his method of payment. The man tilted his head in something of a small nod of acknowledgement. Hugh walked out the door and smiled as he saw the sun setting behind the buildings across the street. He heard the clock strike seven times and laughed to himself.                                                               "I reckon that was enough time for me to be seeing things." He chuckled to himself as he turned down the walkway heading south toward 43rd street. He walked past several intersections and when he turned he was greeted with a chill blast of wind. Hugh lowered his head and hunched his shoulders against it as he walked east toward his corner. "Changes direction every hour." he mumbled.                                                                      Hugh glanced up to see where he was after several minutes. He saw a sign for Alpine street and laughed and shook his head out to clear his thoughts a little. The wind didn't bother him as he turned around and went west on 43rd street until he reached Buckley. He was home again one more night. He had made it through another Christmas with relatively few exitements, and that was enough to set his soul at rest as he huddled up against the cold again in his coat moving around very little till he found a comfortable spot. Here he fell asleep, and here he would dream.


            Brandon