This is the beginning of a true story that happened not long ago. We begin our tale with Peter. In this story Peter finds his way to heaven and becomes a Saint.
He was sick as fuck. It was a cold, wet, black night. The perfect night to get fucked up. He had just spent his last twenty on dope that was supposed to be fire. Where to go though? Good thing he knew about Paradise Alley. The one place in the city, the scum of society could go to get fucked, fucked up, commit a violent crime and die in peace. It was like a graveyard not even the pigs knew of it’s existence. Downtown already reeked of consumerism and death. So a few rotting whores stinking up that block nobody really noticed. The only crime scene to have taken place in Paradise Alley were the gulls pecking flesh straight off the bone while the doves cooing their approval because it’s a well known fact that wild birds despise humans. He hopped on the bus, his hands quivering with an innate excitement. He had done this bit before, it was only natural. It had been days since he had gotten off. Had anything remotely resembling a feeling of happiness. It was a short ride from the bus stop across from his dealers house. He jumped off at third, fidgeting, caressing halfway finger fucking the stash in his pocket.
Almost there, five more blocks. It was hella busy downtown, protesters waving green flags, fuck the war lighting up joints, people chanting, blue haired teenagers lost wedged up on blocks. Children playing with marbles while parents zoned out on technology.
He was shaking like mad, his shoes dirty as fuck. The only thought that crossed his mind was, Oh God, Oh God, please let me hit a vein. Let me fucking hit. He wondered if he looked as fucked as he felt. Finally he made it to the edge of Paradise Alley, the stench of rotting corpses overwhelmed his senses, cleared up the voices in his head.
As soon as he stepped into the alley, the outside world disappeared. It all came down to tunnel vision a purity of purpose a focus you find in very few places in life. God just let me hit. Peter Hugo was in hell, scared that this was the closest to heaven that he was ever going to get. He sat down on a toolbox next to a skull that he thought belonged to someone he used to know. He took off his jacket, pulled out his gear and tied off. He gave a not so silent hallelujah as the blood blossomed in the rig and as he felt the pins and needles spread from behind his eyes he heard at what he thought at first was kittens that someone had thrown in a dumpster. People did that from time to time especially at the dumpster behind the Korean restaurant.
Peter ignored the mewing at first, he just wanted to rest in the darkness. The sound came again, this time it was urgent. It was coming from over there, so he got up on his hands and knees, brushed the bit of dried blood off his pants and listened.
It sounded like a baby but what the fuck was a baby doing in Paradise Alley? Peter stood up, half nodded and went to investigate. In between two piles of filth lay a woman, she was clearly dead. She looked young, even in death she was beautiful. She was on her back, blood everywhere. On her naked torso looked like stab wounds and her throat slit. Peter’s heart stopped, he vomited and wiped his eyes. She couldn’t have been more than fifteen, a child. He looked around wildly searching for whatever had made that cry and as he looked to his right, he found the source. A dirty baby, a newborn flailing gurgling face down on top of a yellow suitcase. Peter ran with a quickness and tenderly picked the baby up. It was a little girl, pale, bruised, naked and frightened. Her eyes blackened, her hair non existent. Her fists clenching the air as if trying to claw her way out of this reality she had found herself in. Peter looked around and found not what he was looking for. He had no clue on what to do. He bent over with the screaming infant in the crook of his left arm and opened up the suitcase. It was full of money, what looked like millions. Stacked and bound in what looked like leather cord. Also, there were bones, it appeared to be human bones.