New York in November was always a mess. Cold wind biting through your jacket, leaves crunching underfoot like they were judging you, and everyone losing their minds over Thanksgiving.
It was that time of year when the whole city turned into one big last-minute shopping frenzy.
Turkeys flying off shelves, pumpkin pies everywhere, families arguing in grocery aisles over cranberry sauce.
And Andy Richards, 20 years old, just trying to grab some beer for a party he kinda promised I'd show up to.
It was around 5:40 PM when he ducked into this crappy corner bodega in Brooklyn. The place smelled like old coffee and cigarettes, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead.
Shelves packed with holiday crap, those cheap decorations nobody wants but buys anyway.
He grabbed a six-pack of whatever cheap lager was on sale, paid the grumpy cashier who barely looked up from his phone, and headed out.
Outside, the sky was already getting dark. Streetlights flickering on, crowds thinning but still hustling with bags full of groceries.
He checked my phone, "9:30 PM already? Shit.", he said, "The party started at 7, and I was supposed to bring drinks,dang they're gonna kill me." He continued.
The apartment was a few minutes walk, the subway would take forever with the holiday delays. So he walked.
But taking a walk in New York this time of night was a bad idea as Apple's new sock to put your phone in.
Streets get sketchy fast once the sun dips, alleys you avoid, corners where weirdos hang out.
Especially around holidays, people are desperate for cash or whatever.
Andy pulled his hood up, one hand in pockets, the other holding the booze, he was walking fast but not too fast.
"Don't look like a target." He muttered to himself.
That's when he bumped into Nene.She was coming out of some anime store, arms loaded with bags, probably new manga or figures, knowing her.
"Andy! Oh my god, perfect timing!" she squealed, her eyes lighting up behind those big glasses.
Nene was his co-worker at this dead-end office job, the one bright spot in his boring life, maybe.
Cute in that nerdy way, always rambling about whatever anime she was obsessed with.
"Hey, Nene," he muttered, giving her a half-smile. "Heading home?"
"Yeah, but this new season of that isekai show just dropped merch and...wait, have you seen the latest episode? The protagonist finally gets his revenge arc and it's so hype!"
She launched into a full breakdown as they started walking together. Something about overpowered MCs and harem drama.
Andy didn't really follow anime like she did, but he nodded along. Her voice was excited, hands gesturing wildly with her bags.
It was kinda cute, honestly. Made the cold walk less annoying.
They cut through some side streets to save time. The main roads were jammed with traffic, horns blaring, people yelling.
Better to weave through the quieter parts. But then they hit this alley. Narrow, dark, trash overflowing from dumpsters,classic shortcut that screamed "bad idea."
"This way's faster," Andy said, peering into the shadows, 'Looked empty enough.' He thought.
Nene stopped dead. "Are you crazy? No way, Andy! It's super sketchy. Remember that story last week about the mugging?"
Andy sighed, she had a point. "Fine, princess. Main road it is."
They turned back, looping around. But as they stepped onto the bigger street, this crackhead stumbled out from nowhere.
Skinny, twitchy, eyes wild, like a total crackhead. Clothes ragged, smelling like he hadn't showered in weeks.
And in his hand? A rusty knife, waving it around like he owned the block.
"Wallet! Phone! Now!" he slurred, lunging toward them.
Nene screamed, freezing up. Andy's heart pounded, adrenaline kicking in. Without thinking twice, he shoved Nene hard, pushing her out of the way behind me.
The knife came fast, pain exploded in his side, hot and sharp, like fire ripping through him.
The man stabbed him right under the ribs. He staggered back, hand clutching the wound, blood already soaking his shirt, warm and sticky.
The crackhead freaked, seeing the blood, and bolted into the darkness.
Nene rushed over, phone out, dialing 911 with shaking hands. "Andy! Oh god, Andy, hold on!"
He slumped against the wall, sliding down to the cold pavement. Sirens in the distance, but everything felt fuzzy, as a pool of blood formed under him.
He looked up at Nene's tear-streaked face and managed a weak grin. "Hey... guess I'm missing that party now."
"Don't joke! Ambulance is coming!" she sobbed, pressing her scarf against the stab wound. It hurt like hell, but the pain was going numb.
"Classic... dying like a hero in some dumb story," he coughed, tasting blood. "Truck-kun's late... so knife-kun showed up instead." He jokingly said.
"Andy, shut up! You're not dying!" She said, but he could feel it.
Cold creeping in, vision blurring. Last thoughts flashing, *my shitty life, the drawings hidden in my room, the drawings hidden in my room!!*
Those pervy sketches he did when bored, the ones no one could ever see.
"Nene... listen," he whispered, grabbing her hand. "When... when they tell you about my stuff... burn the drawings in my room. All of them. Don't let anyone see them.Promise me." He said, making it as dramatic as possible.
"What? Drawings? Andy.." she tried to say, but he cut her off.
"Promise me. The ones under the bed. In the sketchbook. Burn them. Don't look, just... burn."
She nodded frantically, crying harder. "Okay, I promise! Just hold on!"
But he couldn't, lights fading. Sirens closer, but too late. Everything went black...
*Oh, where am i??, is this the void??, was i that shitty in my old life? (Sighs), screw it, i really don't care anyway…..*
*it's not that bad…. It's actually kinda warm here…. Huh, I can't see, or move…. Okay this kinda sucks now…*
*i wonder how long i'll be here for…..wait, why do i feel like something else is here…. W-whats that…..hey something just touched me!*
*hey let go of me!!, stop pulling my head!!, shit i'm scared, i wanna scream but i can't.. No don't touch me!!!, Scream for help!, SCREAM!!!!!!*
"Waaahhh!!!! Waaahh!!." The sound of a new born baby is heard at the local clinic, the doctor hands it over to the mother.
"Congradulations Ma'am, its a healthy baby boy!! So what are you gonna name him?" The doctor asked.
"Andy, I'll name him Andy!!" The woman said, holding the child in her arms.