I got robbed :(

Well... so much for the good vibes.

Last night, I got robbed. By a woman. And she didn't even use a weapon.

I feel so gullible and stupid.

She stole my boots.

I met her on the street as I was out getting dinner. She asked me for help, and she seemed pretty desperate and harmless, so I decided to help her. I should've known when she told me she dropped her car keys down in the sewer that I was being set up. She told me she was petrified of the dark, or else she'd go down there herself. She said I should probably leave my boots up top so that they didn't get ruined in the sewer. I didn't want to believe she was trying to scam me, bit I couldn't be sure. I protested a bit, then she gave me an old, beat-up watch she said belonged to her grandmother (something she probably found in the garbage somewhere).

Anyway, long story short, I left my expensive boots there with her and went down into the dark, smelly sewer, in my bare feet, looking for her "keys," which I found did not exist, when she slid the manhole cover back into place, leaving me trapped in the darkness.

I used my cell phone for light as I tried to move the cover, but it was no use. I wasn't strong enough (I have no idea how she moved it on her own... guessing she probably had an accomplice).

I was trapped. I tried to dial 911, but I didn't get a signal. So, I used my phone for light, carefully moving through the maze-like corridors in my bare feet, walking over rocks, trash, and... well, God-knows-what. I tried not to look down much and didn't really pick my feet up, just kind of sliding them through the muck.

I walked the tunnels for a half an hour before I found my way out, cursing the little bitch, thinking about what I was going to do to her should I see her again.

I walked back to Archer's hotel room, my feet sore and bruised, and took a long, hot shower. It felt good to clean all the dirt and grime off of me.

I got dressed and went out looking for the girl, but after a couple hours of searching, feeling defeated and tired, I decided to stop and have a drink. I stopped in a deserted little place (I believe it was called Lulu's?). Just me and the bartender, a guy named Tommy Furlough. He was very friendly (though he was a bartender, which I guess come with the territory), as well as very muscular and kind of cute, in a rough-around-the-edges kinda way. I told him about what happened and we had a beer together and just shared a bit of chit chat. He told me if he heard anything that he'd let me know. After a little while, a man came in, looking for someone. His name was Nick Matfield, a local cop.

He was looking for a guy named Shay-something-or-other, and I guess the guy stole something from him or something. Nick was really cute, and I could tell he kinda thought I was, too. We kinda flirted a little bit, back and forth. And I would've kept up our little game, but it was starting to get late and I was feeling a bit run down from the day, so I decided to head back to Archer's hotel room. Tommy said he actually lived at the same place and offered to walk me home. After the night I had, I accepted without hesitation. I really wanted to invite Nick to tag along, but I didn't want to hurt Tommy's feelings, either. He did make me feel better and was the one who asked to walk me home.

The streets were dead on the walk back; we didn't see a single person out. Tommy said he'd keep an eye out on my palace for me, make sure nobody came around. He took his shirt off (I didn't know why, but he is pretty built!) and he had a maze of scars all over his chest and arms. Something to ask him about later.

Really, I guess the night wasn't a total bust. Sure, I lost my boots, but I gained two new friends, one of them being a cop (and that might come in handy should I ever run into little miss thief again!).

Arrival

I arrived in Dead End City last night for the first time. It wasn't anything like what I'd heard about.

It was way worse.

I wanted to immediately climb back onto the bus and go wherever it took me, but I knew that wasn't an option. I couldn't...

It was very hot and very dark and everything was covered in what seemed like a layer of filth, and the smell made me want to throw up. I had little money, no place to go, I hadn't eaten in almost 10 hours, and I was exhausted.

I was completely alone, and that feeling only heightened as the bus pulled away. As its tail lights disappeared around the corner and into the night, I was finally taken in by the fear of my situation.

And the feeling intensified as I saw a tall, dark figure approach me out of the shadows.

For a second or two, I thought about just pulling my switchblade out and threatening him to leave me alone.

I'm sure glad I didn't.

His name is Archer (I didn't get his last name). He's new to the city, too (at least that's what he says). We talked for just a bit before he, out of the blue, offered to buy me dinner. I almost hugged him I was so hungry.

We first went to a pizza shop around the corner (Pizza Slut, I think it was called). I was so scared walking there with him, this new stranger who could've been a serial killer for all I knew. I felt a little bit better when we passed a group of police officers gathered around, chatting about tasers (I didn't even think there were police in Dead End!). Before we went inside Archer mentioned that he knew a much better restaurant just across the street, a sushi place. And they also served alcohol and I was damn sure in need of a drink.

I had two rolls of sushi, three glasses of sake, and finished off my meal with a beer. I was pretty tipsy, to say the least (it was the first time I'd had sushi and sake. They were pretty good).

Archer had suggested earlier that I could stay at his place (a motel room on the seedy side of town), after he found out that I had nowhere else to go. I turned him down at first (even though the thought of sleeping out in the streets terrified me), but after all the alcohol, my resistance had faded.

Despite his attire, he seemed pretty harmless. He told me that after college, he had to move from his parents' place, so he chose to come to Dead End because it looked alright. I made a joke and said that if he moved here because it looked alright, then I'd hate to see where it was that he came from. It made him chuckle.

He'd had a bit to drink too and was a little tipsy himself. And I think he may have some sort of foot fetish, because I saw him starring intently at my feet several times.

We got to his hotel room and settled in for the night. I'm kind of surprised we didn't end up having sex. Both of us were pretty buzzed and I always get turned on when I'm drunk. And he didn't even really hit on me (I slept in his bed and he slept on the floor), but I think he did end up helping me out of my clothes, as I woke up just wearing my underwear. I didn't ask, but I think he could be gay.

This place is far from a place I'll ever be able to call home, but after the first night, at least it's better than what I'd envisioned.