5
Sunlight began to peek through the evergreen trees in the snow covered yard of Johnny's residence. Finally the sun rose just enough to shine through the cracks of the window blinds, and directly into Johnny's eyes.
"Ugh.." Johnny uttered as he stretched out all his limbs and curled up under the covers again, tucking his head underneath the couch pillow. The silence was golden. The only sound was the wind blowing soft breaths across the landscape and the music of early morning nature.
"Engaged in crime I grasp my throat.
Enraged my mind, starts to smoke.
Enforce a mental overload.
Angry again, Angry again, Angry. OW!!"
"What?!" Johnny quickly sat up, his eyes widened at the sudden shock of loud noise. Then he became angry as he had been the night before, rushing off of the couch and into his bedroom. He death-grabbed the loud alarm clock and shook it. "Only 6.am!?, You weren't even supposed to go off until 12!" He threw it as hard as he could into the wall, where it smashed into separate parts and cluttered on the floor. The megadeth song slowly faded out from the speakers and silence had been regained.
Johnny growled and lowered his ears in anger as he slowly padded into the living room where he had been so comfortable only a few moments before. He sat down again, defeated...annoyed. When suddenly he spotted his jacket laying sloppily on the floor near him.
"I know what I'll do..." He smiled, walked over to his jacket and bent over, the sound of his metal necklace clinging softly as he did so. Johnny fished in a paw and dug out the last pack of ciggs he'd gotten as well as his lighter. Proceeding to sit in his usual spot on the couch.
The ashtray was in reaching distance so he got comfortable and wrapped up in the blanket, finally realizing he was still naked.
"No wonder it's been a little colder that usual this morning." He smirked.
With the flick of a finger, the lighter was lit, and Johnny had the sweet relief to coat his lungs again. "Oh.." he sighed and sat up a little, shaking his hair out and trying to rattle last night's memories out of his head.
"Now what?" He thought to himself as he left the cigarette in his mouth and picked up the photo of Michael and himself in a romantic embrace. His eyes flooded the photo as if he were trying to see the whole thing at once, or trying to somehow go back in time to re-live it over again. His eyes met Michael's, and he became furious, beginning to tremble with despair.
"NOW WHAT?!" He yelled out and slammed the photo onto the table.
"Ngh...now..what.." He whispered to himself as he began to tear up. Holding the burning cigarette in his right paw and wiping the tears beginning to form with the left. He just sat there awhile and fought it, but it still flowed anyway.
"I just don't get it.." He sniffled and cupped his forehead in his free paw.
"I just can't take this anymore.." He whispered out into the cold, empty cabin as he finished his cigarette, got dressed, and began packing things up that he could take with him. A few clothes and accesories, knives, his songwriting bag, and an old, beat up guitar is pretty much all he wanted to take, leaving everything else behind. After he was done, he donned his leather jacket, walked to the door, and with one last look into the place he used to feel the best.
He said goodbye.
***
"Daddy was a Cajun, raised on southern land.
And so my kinfolks tell me, was a street-fightin man.
Well, they rushed him down to see the doctor.
hey doctor, won't you check his head?
The only thing that was wrong with him.
Was Johnny walkers red."
"He drank ole poison whiskey.
Till it killed him dead."
"Ahh, another day, another beer." Shot chuckled happily as he drove up to the bar, content with the radio and thinking about the little shack he had fixed up into something that grew as much as it did. And in such a short time.
"Man, people must really like to get wasted!." He smiled and pressed a little harder on the gas pedal. Trying to get to his home away from home.
The gravel of the old parking lot cracked and grinded up underneath the snow as the tires of Shot's truck slowly rolled over them. Which suddenly came to a halt as Shot caught the glance of a car he recognized to be Johnny's.
"Heh, there he is again." He thought to himself and smiled warmly. Getting out of the truck, he walked to the entrance of the bar and placed a paw onto the door handle to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "That's odd, Johnny usually leaves it open when he's here." Shot inserted the rusty key into the lock, hearing a click as the trips and mechanisms turned and shuffled. "Nah, couldn't be." He muttered and looked over at Johnny's car before he walked in.
And there was the wolf, a curled up ball of fur, denim, and leather; laid down in his car seat and fast asleep. But Shot could tell something was up as he noticed the facial expressions Johnny made as he slept. It looked like pain. Shot rushed over and knocked on the car window several hard times, finally managing to wake the sleeping wolf, whom slowly opened his eyes and noticed the German Shepherd at the window.
"Johnny! What the hell are you doing out here it's freezing!"
"Tryin to get a tan." Johnny snickered and rolled over.
Shot growled and slammed his paw into the door. "Get out of there, now." His voice was stern.
"Fine..fine.." Johnny sighed and unlocked the door, which Shot immediately opened and grabbed Johnny out, leading him into the toasty bar.
"Ohh, I like it when you get rough like that."
"Ah, shut it." Shot said, annoyed. But he calmed down after the two sat at their usual spots and grabbed a glass of whiskey to warm up.
Shot turned to him and slid the glass over.
"What were you doing out there?"
"Sleeping."
"All night?" Shot seemed concerned.
"Since 6, only a few hours... All my savings finally ran out."
"Meaning?"
"They kicked me out."
Johnny's ears flattened back as he took a shot of the strong liquid and sat the glass back down on the table. He couldn't think straight.
"Man, I just don't know why all this is happening at once. I figured I could at least get a break in between, ya know?"
Shot turned his head to watch Johnny's eyes. They were matted with dried tears and looked almost as if they would start to flow again.
"So.. what are you gonna do now?'
"I.. really don't know. Don't have anywhere left to run to."
Shot rested a paw on his shoulder and smiled.
"There's always a place for ya here Johnny, You know that."
Johnny grasped the glass with both paws and smiled as he looked into the bottom.
"Thanks Shot."
***
Tap tap tap tap tap.
Michael stared out into the distance beyond the window he was in front of, unconsciously tapping his finger against the windowsill as he pondered the dilemma in his head.
"I've gotta see him.. I know he needs me.."
He paced back and forth in his bedroom. Every step meant every second. He couldn't decide whether or not to go through with it. If he did go, it could only hurt Johnny more or maybe it couldn't. But if he didn't go at all... He just hated to see him like that. Suddenly he made up his mind and stood up, rushing into the hallway and grabbing his coat.
"Jess, I'm going out, be back later!" He yelled to her so she could hear him. It startled her and she stopped washing the dishes, peeking her head around the corner and waving to him.
"Ok hun, don't be out too late!"
His footsteps were quick and light across the walkway to his car, he wanted to hurry, but not seem too hurried in case Jessi was watching. That's the last thing he'd need when he got home. If he got home.
***
"Oh my.." Michael expressed aloud. He became sad as he finally approached Johnny's house. The outside was in shambles and everything looked so cold and lonesome. It wasn't anything like what he remembered. He didn't see Johnny's car in the driveway but he figured he might've parked around the back so he padded up to the door and knocked three times.
"Johnny?" He said aloud through the door, hoping that he would be heard. "You in there?"
"Come o-" He paused. "What's this?" Michael noticed a badly ripped piece of paper on the floor of the porch and bent down to pick it up and investigate.
Michael slowly read over the paper he had placed together at the seam of the rip and his heart sank. "Oh no.. he's been evicted.. No wonder he isn't here." Michael placed a paw on the door handle and lowered his head. "I was too late..."
Click
"Wha?" The wolf's ear's percked up as the door eased open. It wasn't locked after all. He slowly stepped in, eyeing the inside and the mess left behind by Johnny. There were books and furniture stashed everywhere and unorganized. Dishes left on the tables, and an ashtray filled with cigarette butts and ash. But one thing caught his attention. There was a little square piece of paper on the coffee table in front of the couch. Michael recognized the back of it.
J&M
December 25th
"It's.." Michael turned it over and saw the photograph. It was worn and tattered, and underneath it were shards of glass and the frame it was in on the floor. It began to bring back memories, and he started to tear up. "God, I hope you're ok Johnny.." He wiped his eyes and turned to leave. There was just no point in staying because he knew the wolf wouldn't be back. Sticking the photo in his pocket and brushing his paws on his coat, he turned and began to walk to the door when he noticed something blue in the corner of his eye on the table.
"Matches?"
He eased a paw down and picked up the match pack, inspecting it and flipping it over to see the front. Which read.
"Shot's roadside bar and diner?... Where have I seen that before." Michael asked himself and began to rattle his mind for the answer.
Then Johnny's voice played in his head.
"I've been alright, it's a little rocky at times, But I'm still staying at the cabin, found a nice little place to hang out at..."
"The hang out, it's gotta be this bar!" Michael smiled happily and dashed off to his car.
"If there's anywhere Johnny would be, it's gotta be there."