Death from the Shadows - Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVEMuch like Abegail, Nyeusi did not get a lot of sleep. He would doze off every now and then though it was always broken up by dreams that would force him awake. In the times between his dozing off, many memories came to mind, memories he had long buried, or so he had thought. He knew one thing for sure though, after that evening of broken sleep and memories: Something was very wrong with him, something going wrong. This thought he pushed away with the others, hoping to keep it buried.He stands in front of the full-length mirror, looking himself over. He had to lift the mirror up almost to the ceiling to be able to see himself. These apartments it appears were never designed to house seven-foot tall Panthers. He looks over each scar that covers his chest and face, each one bringing back to mind the incident that caused them. Most of them were not caused by his job, oh no, they were caused long before his jobs even began. He traces one in particular that runs down his chest, before finally turning away from the mirror, and flipping it around so the back is facing forward. He walks over to his wardrobe to pull out his usual carry items, forgoing the vests for the day. He slips a black compression shirt over his muscled chest and then pulls his shoulder holster on, checking each gun as he does every day. He then grabs his trench coat, slipping that on, carefully buttoning it. Buttoning the jacket seems to be a bit more of a chore today than usual, but it has to just be due to lack of sleep. When he finally gets the last button done, he heads down the hallway and out the empty doorway. He has work to do today, and a quick stop by Kes' shop before that work begins. He walks down the corridor of the apartment and out into the cold air of another brisk autumn evening.**********"Hey Kes, you around?" Nyeusi calls, as he enters the small shop. The shop has never had a name, nor a real identity. Kes and his brother Dylan always seem to carry different things from week to week, though they always manage to carry Nyeusi's poisons of choice, which is appreciated to the panther. The weekly changes in stock seem to do with what those around are needing at the time, coupled with the lack of space offered by the little building the brothers rent out. While to many, not knowing what your local grocery store would have any given week would be odd, it's business as usual around here."Hey Nyeusi, of course, I am, just as I am every night of the week. Wouldn't want to not be here when you needed something," the collie says as he comes into view, with a broad grin on his muzzle. "Whatcha need tonight? Cigarettes? Booze? Something other than cigarettes or alcohol?""How about a mansion on some huge hill, can you get me that?" Nyeusi says with a grin, "Maybe a couple of French maids to keep the place cleaned up? Also, you act like I only buy booze and cigarettes here when you know damn well I buy plenty of other things from you. I just like to be stocked up in case I can't get here, so I buy the other stuff all at once.""Yes, I know you buy other things here, and you know I am teasing you," the collie says. He walks over to Nyeusi and playfully swats at his chest, "I can't joke around with you anymore, is that it?"Nyeusi carefully grabs the paw that is swatting at him, and
smirks, "Kes, if most anyone else did that, I would throw them across the room. You are lucky you are Kes," he says letting go of the paw, "Think you might need that. Also, what gives? No answer on my mansion? Come on Kes, don't you say you can get anything?""Not according to the poodle," Kes replies with a bit of a grumble, "and no, sadly I cannot get you a mansion. Besides, if I could get a mansion why would I get it for you? I would get it for Dylan and myself.""Oh god, the poodle was in again? Let me guess, everything was wrong, your store is horrible and she is never coming back again, right?" The dog in question is one of the most stuck up hybrids you will meet. You would think she was some famous movie star, with the way she acts."You pretty much nailed it, Nyeusi. This time it was her ice cream. I didn't have the one she wanted, and she went off on a tirade you would not believe. I do wish she would go to another store, preferably in another state...maybe another country," the collie says heading back behind the counter now. "She is my most annoying customer, by far."Nyeusi walks over to the counter, now laughing, "Yea, but you don't have to live across from her, I get that...distinct pleasure. She and her...whatever he is to her are always arguing, so if you think she is bad here, imagine that all the time.""Oh, so that is where you live. I don't think you ever mentioned you were in that building. Well, at least now I can sniff you out and stalk you," Kes says with a smile, "So, what will it be tonight? Or did you just stop by to harass me?""No, I didn't come by to harass you," Nyeusi says, mimicking Kes' slightly higher pitched voice. "I am looking for something for a messed up back. Back has been bothering me all night, probably something to do with falling asleep in my chair, and I don't have much in the house for that outside of booze. Also, a talk would be good as well, that is if you have time for it.""Something up with your back?" Kes asks head tilting to one side, "I don't think you have ever bought anything from me for pain. Though, you are probably right about sleeping in your chair causing it. As for the talk." Kes walks over to the door, and flips over a sign that says "Store Closed for 10 Minutes" and then walks back to the counter, "I have time." He then walks over to a shelf behind that is behind the counter, glancing over things for a moment, "Grab yourself a bottle of water, so you can take a couple of these now."Nyeusi has always loved that sign. No one quite gets the joke of it, which is why it has worked for so long now. He walks over to the coolers and grabs a small bottle of water. He walks back over to the counter where Kes has a bottle of Motrin already sitting out and open, with two tablets sitting on the upturned cap. "Just follow the directions on the bottle," Kes says, "and go easy on drinking and taking these. Not a good mix, not that you will heed that advice. Now, what is it you wanted to talk about?"Nyeusi picks up the two tablets, tossing them into the back of his muzzle and swallowing them down with the water. He sets the water down, capping it again. He then pulls the stool, that Kes had apparently brought out from behind the counter for him, up to the counter and sits down on it, "Jeez, you sit on these all day? How you manage to avoid back problems is beyond me." He pulls in a soft breath, rubbing his temples lightly, "Do you remember how you met me?"**********"How could I ever forget how I met you, Nyeusi? I literally tripped over you as I came into work." Kes smiles softly, remembering that night so many years ago, "Why do you ask this now? You aren't getting all sentimental on me are you? Though, I never did get an answer from you about why you were there to begin with.""I never got a response as to why you helped me out, so I think we are even on the why questions," Nyeusi says, taking another swig of water. "Do you remember that after we were deemed 'fit for society,' that they then carefully screened applicants to foster us, and those adoptive parents got some help to raise us?""Never really thought about that, to be honest. Dylan and I were placed with a good set of parents, and after that I didn't worry too much about anything else. That being said, I do recall there was some screening process, and some help to the parents, yes. Why Nyeusi? Why bring this up now? You never talk about the past, hell you never even mention our past."Nyeusi shrugs his shoulders at this question. "I don't honestly know, Kes, but it feels like I need to talk about this." Nyeusi looks down at the bottle he is holding, rolling it around in his hands for a moment. "Well, I was never deemed 'fit for society,' so the screening process wasn't as well executed for me as it was for you and Dylan. I ended up with an alcoholic ex-military guy...I'll be damned if I can recall what branch. He was in it for the money and that was that. He thought that physical punishment was the best punishment. The scars you saw on me came from him, not from fights on the street as I told you. As for why I was
outside for you to trip over...well..." Nyeusi sighs, looking up to Kes, "Kes, if I explain this to you, please promise not to judge. You don't know the whole set of events.""Nyeusi, I am not going to judge you. I helped you out, remember? Why would I now sit here and judge you for anything? We took you into our home, despite you saying you were fighting out on the streets, I think that should at least tell you that we are not concerned about the past.""Well, generally, you would reach eighteen, get your gold star from your parents, and you were provided some help finding a place to live. You and Dylan probably got that gold star, I never got it. When I was seventeen, my old man and I had a fight. The fight started as they always did, with him getting up in my face and calling me whatever he wanted to call me that particular day. That particular day, however...I snapped. I had had it with him and so I grabbed the closest thing to me, which was a steak knife, and stabbed him. Once that was done, I got out of there with nothing but what I had on.""You...stabbed your father?" Kes asks, sounding a bit shocked and a bit like he was trying to process that. "Was it really that bad? I assume it was, one does not just snap like that on a whim. Did you kill him, or did you just do it to get away?""I'm not sure what happened to him, Kes. I don't know what I hit when I stabbed him, nor did I even pause to check. I grabbed the knife, stabbed him and ran like hell. I didn't know what else to do to be honest." Nyeusi rubs his paws over his muzzle and takes another drink of water. "Well, when I ran, I was too young to have finished the program and had no help finding a place. I spent a few nights sleeping wherever I could find, and each night I got shooed closer and closer to here by the police. Finally, one night it started raining quite hard and I had run out of places to sleep. I sat down
under the shop's awning to get out of the rain and ended up falling asleep. That's why I was where I was, why you tripped over me, and why I looked the way I did.""And that, Nyeusi, is why Dylan and I helped you. You needed help, we were raised to help others and we decided we should live up to our parents, who helped us." Kes smiles lightly swatting at one of Nyeusi's ears, "Wasn't a bad thing. You turned out alright and you helped us out with the store. Now, no more of this sad talk, alright? It's unlike you, and really not that flattering." The collie laughs softly, sitting back on his stool, "Nyeusi, I don't care what you did before I met you, I don't need to know all the details. Everything happens for a reason, right? Though, I should charge you a fee for tripping over you since you messed up my ankle a bit with that stunt."Nyeusi snorts, shaking his head, "Messed up your ankle? You damn near kicked me in the head, in fact, you might have. You may have given me brain damage, so if anyone should be charging anyone, it should be me." Nyeusi grins, standing up from the stool he was sitting on, and moving it back to its spot behind the counter. "I never fully thanked you, Kes. Thank you, for everything. Oh, and if you ever tell anyone this, I will hunt you down.""You're welcome, Nyeusi. No, I will never tell anyone, don't want to tarnish your stoic reputation, now do we? Now, take your water and your pain meds and get out of here so I can open the shop up."Nyeusi seals the bottle of Motrin up, shoving it in his pocket, and caps his water bottle, throwing it in the opposite pocket, "What do I owe you Kes?""Nothing today, Nyeusi. It's a promotion we are having: Tell us a dark secret from your past, and you get two items free," the collie says, wagging his tail and giggling, "Just have a good night, and try sleeping in a bed. They tend to work better than a chair.""Oh, shut up, you stupid dog," Nyeusi says, grinning.