After Midnight

AFTER MIDNIGHT

Lord help me, I have no idea why I did this. I wouldn't insult you and even say I thought it was a good idea at the time. I know I'm going to Hell for it. It's unforgivable, and I swear I'll never do it again.

It was 2:35am. Rodney's had just closed and I'd punched out and hit the road. Last time I'd eaten anything was prob'ly around 8 or so, and I was starving. I pull over at the Seven-11 hoping to grab a Kahuna Dog or something, I don't know.

I'm walking into the door ya know, and I think a guy is coming out at the same time. Then I see he has like, a ski mask on, a balaclava, and steel in his hand. A glock. Brandishing it, pointing it at the ceiling. I instinctively duck, just like I'm already being shot at, but he must not have seen me. The old Arab guy at the counter on the other hand, I see him and freeze. He sees me, I see his mouth shaping a shout, his "Help!" I can barely hear through the glass storefront.

That must have upset one of the guys in there. Yeah, there was at least a second guy, covering the cashier, and he fires. The cashier goes down after the shot, and now the guy at the door comes outside after me. He doesn't know I'm a bouncer, or anyway he doesn't know I'm strappin' too. I open the door and reach under the seat and grab my piece, then sprint to the brick partition wall at the far side of the parking lot.

The robber was acting all commando. Like, he vaults over the brick wall, and not only does he have his piece, he has a frickin' Boo-ie knife, or Bowie knife, in his other hand. I duck and roll into some bushes and the mulch. It's real dark where I am and he just fires in my direction, like two shots. I draw a bead, fire twice. He goes down.

I wait a moment, still having him in my sights. He's about 30 feet away, still shaking or whatever. He's fading fast. It's quiet again. Nothing happening at the Seven-11. Maybe the other guy is still in there. No movement from the guy I took out, so I'm up on my feet, goin' over to him. I'm still aiming at him, but he's not moving. Nothing over the wall at the shop.

There's light comin' through the trees where he's lying. I still remember this, like it was yesterday. It's that white-fluorescent light comin' through the trees. The guy's layin' there, his piece is nowhere to be found, but then I see his knife.

I swear to Christ, I don't know what came over me. The knife is in my hand. I'm kneeling over him. Jesus, I jam the knife into his leg. He doesn't move, and blood starts coming out. His jeans are wet and slick with blood, soaked through, and I'm stabbing his leg a half-dozen more times.

Jesus God, I don't know what I was doing. I reach in and pull out something, a piece of him, and then it's in my mouth. I'm chewing and swallowing. What was wrong with me? Christ. I swear to God, I don't know. I swear I've never done it since. I took his body and buried it. Jesus Christ, please forgive me.