Dedicated to the creator of Jaws :D
Night 1
The lampposts flicker and burn, every 10 seconds they turn silently dim and their light looks like fatty yellow butter in deep puddles on the asphalt. Then they turn off for 30 seconds, burn back brightly for 10 seconds, deep intense white shallow light. From outside I don't know whether anyone can see me our not. See me sitting on the bed wrapped in two jackets hood pulled up track pants long socks thick blanket, because I'm right by the window I'm freezing my ass of but I don't really wanna move away. Burn burn flicker. Night 2
The tiny portable heater is on and burring on a chair at the foot of the bed; there are many people here lightning cigarettes standing near the heater staring out the window. The room becomes filled with smoke but nobody wants to or knows how to open the windows. Someone fiddles with it but gives up. Most people fade out of my room to go to different parts of the very large house. Some people stay and sleep on the floor; someone opens the door for a while and all the smoke blows away except for a small cloud that blows in an out of my vision. The lights are kept on.
Night 3
There is only one person here tonight my friend. He is my only friend staying in the house he keeps moving in and out of the room. He finds the remote for the dual air conditioner, it starts blowing hot air. The portable heater sits in the corner. He comes in with a mattress, then later pillows, then later sheets and later two large blankets. He moves around the room tense for lack of nicotine. I offer him something to smoke and he lits up leaning his head out the window blowing out ash; teeth clattering every time he takes the cigarette out of his mouth. He moves through 1 and a half packs at one go. He shuts the window whens hes done and hides the second half finished box under his pillow. He turns the lights off and gets under the blanket. I leave the curtain slightly open so I can still look outside while lying down. I don't fall asleep until the sun starts to come up.
Night 4
My friend is here still. We have a hot plate here and plugged into the wall. There are, as usual, no cars on the street; there are no cars on the nearby highway. When I was a kid I used to count the time interval between passing cars on the freeway. The maximum it could get to was 10 seconds. The dual conditioner is still on and we are still wrapped up in thick clothes and thick blankets. He eats 12 peanut butter sandwiches and smokes 2 packs head out the window. There is a couple on the far side of the room on a very small mattress one of them is talking while the other one listens.
Night 5
My friend isn't here; but there are so many people here now. Just like the first night. We are all staring out the window now not just me. The heater has been on and has been always on ever since. Nobody is smoking, sometimes people leave the room to go smoke in the hall. The couple are staring out the round glass window in their section of the room, they're kneeling on their mattress their hair is ruffled. There are no cars on the highway same as always. The lights keep burning and flickering and when they turn off everyone holds their breath a little longer till they burn back on again; except me. I keep breathing small shallow breaths the whole time street lamps on or off.
A car finally pulls up on the street; a very old car that we all share. My friend walks out and looks up at the window of the very large house. But he can't see us; everyone sighs relieved and some people pat each other on the back and laugh. Somebody pulls out booze from the inner coat of his jacket, every other guy follows suit. The all pull the cigarette out of their pockets and a girl in trench coat walks around lighting them all. The couple lean back down on the mattress the boy kisses the girl on the nose; I pull the curtains closed and brush my pillow. Everyone enjoys themselves; I can hear my friend in the kitchen gathering food and drinks too bring in. Somebody turns to me; someone who went out too; who we all waited for once before; he puts his hand on my shoulder and gives me a cigarette and a lighter. Everyone looks at me as a lit up. First one everyone asks. Yes, I reply. I inhale eyes closed and I don't choke any of it out. I take second and third blows.
My friend comes in and looks at me; he gives me a nod cause I'm next. I look at him: yeah I know. He comes down to sit beside me and we never look out the window again.
