Shades

Shades

By Richard Ruth



                Shades held Reuben as he lay on the floor dying. The blood blooming freely from a stab wound in his breast. “Sharp blade,” Reuben coughed, smirking just a little.

         “You brought this on yourself my friend.” Shades sighed, his thick English accent giving the situation that much more flare. “What made you think this wouldn’t happen?”

         “I always thought you were such a pussy, heh,” Reuben laughed out a small flicker of blood and spit.

         “A pussy doesn’t bring a gun to a knife fight,” Shades tossed his nose at the revolver/god forsaken hand cannon on the coffee table. “I brought you down in less than three moves; you didn’t even get a shot off.”

         “Snuck up on me, ya sonnuva bitch!” Reuben chuckled, his face shriveling as he winced in pain.

         “Maybe it’s better this way then Pikes; you don’t want to die an old man do ya?”

         “Ugh, Shades, call me Reuben you ugly bastard,” Reuben groaned, his voice though dying, still full of much chagrin. “Pikes is dead, he’s been long dead, God, I’m getting so cold.” He began to shiver. The carpet looked like a pool of black in the dim light of Reuben’s apartment. The void itself seemed poised to swallow both champion and vanquished. Thin blades of light arced across a far wall filtering through the drawn shades of a window, somewhere outside both Shades and Reuben could hear children playing.

         “Damn shame to kill you in a place like this, kids outside with a jump rope,” replied Shades. “It shouldn’t be long now my old friend, you’re coming to the bridge, and soon you’ll beyond the breach.” Shades smiled sadly, looking down upon his compatriot.

         “Wear those soggy tears for me? HA!” Reuben laughed; his pain had all but parted from his dying body.

         “I’d pray to whatever Gods you might Pikes, I’d like to think you’ve gone to a better place.”

         “Jesus Shades,” Reuben replied, “we sure raised alotta hell didn’t we?” Darkness began to infringe upon his sight. Reuben blinked reflexively to fight it back. In an almost sobbing voice he began again. “How the hell did this happen Dom? Why did things get so fucked up?” Dominic “Shades” Manix removed the sunglasses from his brow. Looking down he set Reuben’s head on the floor ever so gently, rubbing his face softly with the palm of his gloved hands.

         “These are the risks of our profession Reuben,” Shades stated matter-of-factly, “you knew this long before we went private.” Still, he loved Reuben like a brother. “Are you ready?”

         Reuben blinked his eyes furiously, pursing his quivering lips together in one last act of defiance. “Do it,” he said stoically. Shades once again brandished his razor sharp blade toward his compatriot. In one swift, silent motion he took Reuben hard under the left arm. Reuben shivered ever so slightly and was still, the life finally gone from his body. Shades closed the open eyes of his best friend, and folded his arms over his chest. He rose, dusted himself off and checked himself over.

         “Not a single damn drop.” Shades smirked, knowing Reuben would be proud, and left the apartment.