1 - Early Morning Walk

It’s an eerie feeling – being in the streets at night. But Jordan always enjoyed the silence of the city at sleep. Peaceful and calm – the streetlights giving rhythmic light to the squared patterns of the sidewalk blocks. Sometimes he wears his headphones and enjoys the sight of the city alone while listening to the music of the day.

Other days, like today, he walks along with the sounds of the city as his tunes. A distant siren, a racoon in a trash can up the alley, the whoosh of the cars on the highway overpass, the train rattling on its rails a few blocks away, a group of friends walking and talking on their way somewhere, a gentle passing song from the open apartment window of another nocturnal person.

The eastern horizon is starting to lighten up behind him as the world turns to bring the sun back to the sky.  Jordan turns down the alley shortcut to head back home. The shadows are starting to morph around him but one shadow on the ground ahead seems different. Actually, it’s two shadows. Two people… lying on the ground.

Jordan stops in his tracks. He’s encountered muggers before, but not often. And never lying in wait like this, sprawled out on the ground. After a minute, he cautiously moves forward.

“Hello? Are you alright?”

No movement, and he takes a few more steps. The light of the sunrise is brightening the alley slowly, the gray light becoming a glowing orange. The closest person is big, a man it seems.

“Dude, don’t try anything, but give me a sign if you’re alright,” Jordan warns as he approaches.

The light and the adrenaline give everything a monochromatic look. And Jordan can see everything in shades of orange and gray. As he reaches the man he can see a dark puddle underneath him. Blood. He looks over toward the other shadow, no puddle but the same stillness.

Hands shaking, Jordan gets his phone from his pocket. He dials 9-1-1. The seconds it takes for the operator to pick up are agonizing.

“9-1-1. What’s your emergency?”

Jordan tries to respond, but his voice isn’t working.

“Hello? Are you in a dangerous situation? If you can, please press a number on your phone twice to indicate you can hear me but can’t respond,” a calm and assertive voice instructed.

“I’m here,” Jordan replies. “I’m… I’m… There’s… There’s a…”

“Take a breath, sir. Can you explain to me what’s going on? In and out,” the calm voice breathes audibly in and out on the line. Jordan takes a shuddering breath in and shakily releases it.

“There’s a man here. On the ground. And another over there. They aren’t moving and I think they might be… they’re… they’re not moving…” he explains. As the breaths continue to come and the sun continues to rise, the color seems to be coming back into the world. And as the light improves, there’s something else.

“What is your location, sir? Can you tell me where you are?”

Jordan pauses again. “Uh… there’s something else.” Narrowing his eyes, looking toward the brick of the building. “I think there’s a third person, I didn’t see them before…”

“Sir, can you tell me your location?”

“I’m in the ally, off the corner of Wells and State,” Jordan takes a closer look at the new person against the wall, stepping closer. This third person’s face is still in shadow, another big guy. He leans closer, squinting his eyes only to step back quickly at what he sees. The man’s throat is ripped out.

Startled, stunned, and starting to breath rapidly, “His.. his… his throat is gone.”

Stumbling backward, Jordan trips over the second person on the ground. His phone scatters away from him on the pavement as he finds himself face to face with the body on the ground. The face is bloodied with three distinct gashes down one cheek.

As Jordan was frozen, wide-eyed looking at the face, the eyes opened.