"And we're here!" Gideon declared as he moved the wooden plank away from the giant hole of the abandoned building in a different alleyway. He turned back to me. "And please excuse the place. I know it's not like you imagined it to be."

He kneeled down and entered the hole. I kneeled down as well but took a look inside.

Whenever I took a look inside, I frowned at the place. Seeing how decayed the room is after Gideon lit a candle above the small table, the floor looked like the muddy ground. I placed my finger on it and it felt dry instead.

There were plants on some cracks on the walls. The table's height was halfway in the room, and only a candle and an empty basket stood there staring at me.

When I stared at the candle, I gave it a blank stare when I saw that it was probably shorter than ever before. I noticed right then and there that all of its wax was about to be gone soon.

Silence echoed in the room and I was surprised it didn't smell so bad. I couldn't even see blankets everywhere in there. Not even on the floor, making me frown even more.

What? No cushions. Don't tell me Gideon can't even get the cushions!

I looked up above me and I saw nothing but a crappy room around me. "So um, why do you live down here instead of inside?"

"The three people live there and they'll be arriving soon. They're very territorial like a pack of wolves. They won't let anybody besides themselves to live there, as they don't trust other homeless people there in their homes," Gideon responded. "So can you close the hole with the plank, please?"

"Oh, sure thing," I responded as I entered the hole and closed it with the plank behind me.

We had to sleep down here instead of a house due most abandoned houses were occupied by homeless people. Too bad for them their houses were about to be destroyed by the Basilian government any minute, so it was best for us to stay here for as much time as possible before that happens.

Plus, can you even believe that homeless people wouldn't even trust each other, nor share their homes with other homeless people? This place was indeed a total nightmare.

I wondered where we would move if that happened and how long we would stay here. No one knew, not even Gideon knew.

Oh, so this is also my punishment from God for not believin' in Him?! Is this what Hell actually looks like here?! Oh, kill me. Kill me now!

"So, Mike. What was your world like and how did you come here?" Gideon sat down on the floor and invited me to sit on it as well.

I explained everything to Gideon, except my life growing up there and my part time job. I didn't feel comfortable talking about that at all.

Gideon shook his head. "Interesting…very interesting…and how was your life like growing up?"

The moment I heard him asked me this question, I looked down below me and immediately turned my nervous face to Gideon. "Oh, uh, that? Let's not talk 'bout that, okay?"

Gideon raised his eyebrow at me. "Oh? And why not?"

"'Cause…I don't feel like talkin' 'bout it, okay? Please stop talkin' 'bout it," I begged while frowning at him.

"Well, there has to be a lot more reason than that."

I was gradually getting irritated by Gideon at this point. "Gideon, please stop talkin' 'bout it."

"Oh, c'mon now. Tell me."

"No, Gideon…Jus' no…"

"Tell me, tell me, tell me…"

Would this old man quit already?! Here I am tryin' to have a good evening, and he's out here tryin' to ruin it?! Like, seriously! What the hell?!

"Oh, c'mon, Mike. Please tell me. I'm begging you!" Gideon continued.

My fist was clenched and I looked down below me out of anger, breathing deeply a couple times while still listening to the old man still bugging me about it, wanting this discussion to freaking die already. "I had a bad life back in my old world, okay?! Is that what you want me to say, old man?!" I yelled so loudly that it alerted a couple people outside the hole.

"Hey, did you hear something?" A young man's voice echoed.

Ooops, guess I overdo it.

"Yeah, I heard that too," a young woman's voice echoed.

"Me three," another young man's voice vibrated. "But where the hell did that come from?"

"I don't know," a young man's voice reverberated, "But we're about to find out."

Gideon leaned forward. "Those are the three people that I spoke of," he whispered.

"Aaaahhh, I see…" I whispered back, turning to the plank and Gideon back and forth.

And by finding out, they meant standing there and listening to my voice again. They wanted to make sure they weren't hallucinated by my voice earlier. Gideon and I remained quiet for a while. Once that was over, a young man's voice said, "Alright, let's get going then. I'm starving."

"Yeah, me too!" A young woman and another young man's voice agreed as their footsteps entered the house, chatting with each other both outside and inside. Gideon and I could hear those people chatter on the inside.

We both sighed and I looked down at my hand, clenching it. Damn, I better get my anger under control.

I turned to Gideon and frowned at him. "Gideon…I'm-I'm…"

Gideon puts his hand up with his eyes closed at first. Then he reopened them and put his hand down. "Don't worry about it. I accept your apology as long as you accept mine. It was my fault I made you yell like that, and I apologize for that as well."

I smiled at Gideon. "Well, it's alright and I accept yours."

Gideon grinned back at me. "It settles then." Gideon and I chatted with one another in our low voices to prevent the people inside from hearing us, and I laid on the uncomfortable floor after Gideon blew the candle out. While I laid there, I stared at the plank while the guards' footsteps echoed outside from patrolling the area.

Okay, first thing in the mornin'. I gotta go steal some breakfast food, then go get some clothes for job searchin', 'cause I can't keep livin' like this forever. Hopefully I'll be hired tomorrow.

As soon as I went to sleep, I would be ready for the next day. I hoped the next day was better than today was, because that was what I would like for it to be.