Raining Night

It was one rainy day in NYC, Henry had just finished closing up the safe and started putting on his jacket. Jared was already waiting for him at the door, holding the keys to the lock.

“Hurry up already, I am trying to get home.”

“Can you wait just a second?”

Henry already knew why Jared was in a hurry. He hasn’t stopped talking about this new video game getting released at midnight, apparently being under development hell for over 7 years, and said to be one the most innovative First Person Shooters to have ever released.

“Okay, I’ll give you one more minute.”

“That’s fine by me.”

Henry finished putting on his jacket and turned off the lights. He headed over to Jared and Jared handed him an umbrella.

The rain had been going on for almost an hour already and has gotten worse since then. Henry hoped it would end soon as he didn’t want to be stuck waiting for his bus to arrive.

The both walked out the glass front door and Henry opened his umbrella. Jared jumped up to grab the metal shutter and slammed to the floor. He took the lock and locked it up.

“That’s it for the night, ready to head out?”

“Why did you think I hurried you up?”

Henry opened his umbrella and Jared his own he pulled out his book bag. They stared walking towards the street corner.

“Man, I have been waiting all day to play this game! Have read some leaks stating there was going to be a time warping mechanic in the game. I wonder how that will play in multiplayer. I honest just hoping it’s not some COD clone or something.”

Henry was skeptical at best and he wasn’t really the type for those games. He understood their appeal but he stuck to platformers.

“It would be disappointing if it was a standard FPS. I mean, to me, most are all the same thing with different skins.”

But lately, he hasn’t really being into any of the games he used to enjoy. Maybe it was that he was burnt out or growing up, but he didn’t feel the same type of excitement of pleasure from the games he played.

There was a flash and loud roaring thunder after it. Henry already knew there were going to be delays, he was getting home late. After reaching the corner, the two of them said their goodbyes and parted ways.

“Welp, its a long walk to the bus stop. More time for myself I guess” Herny thought to himself. He checked his pockets for his phone and earbuds he always brought with him, bring up his phone and turning it on.

Well… Attempt to turn it on.

“What the?”

He held the power button. A quick flash of a low battery image.

“You got to be shitting me right? I thought I put it to charge at the store.”

Henry then remembered he let Jared charge his phone on his charger. He told him that after his phone charged, he should connect his phone. It seems Jared didn’t do that.

“Goddammit Jared. Well, I guess I can take in the sounds of my walk.”

Henry was just wanting to postpone the inevitable.

As Henry walked through the dark Queen streets, he could see people hiding from the rain. The ones mostly out at this point where people working late. Well, them and…

A man can be seen covered in a jacket. His on cardboard spread across the concrete sidewalk, placed at a doorway, making it a makeshift shelter from the elements.

The homeless.

Henry always felt bad for the homeless. He never understood the hatred of them. Weren’t they people? Why treat them as some stray dog? People always blaming them for their own downfall, how do they know that? There are other ways to become homeless, its not always what they deserved.

Henry quickly walked past them. He could never handle looking at them for too long.

Passing by shops decorated by graffiti, Henry though how it gave some color to the overwhelming darkness of the surrounding environment. So many been wild and unique. There many who are bad looking and signs of a more worrying presence, but it was something that came with the free form of the art.

Henry finally made it to his destination, the bus stop. Situated on a pedestrian island of a 5 lane stroad. On either side of the stroad were plain looking stores, surrounded by parking, with the typical fast food chains spread throughout it.

“Its always look the same