I unlocked the door and stepped in.

What the fuck?

“God damn it! Who’s got the fucking dog!?!”

Fucking bastard. Where did this shit come from? It didn’t look like dog shit. 

I went up the short flight of stairs and knocked on the first door.

Do you have a dog?

No.

She didn’t speak English, but I could understand.

Anyone?

Don’t know.

Ok, I just stepped in shit.

Never make assumptions. 

I took my anger back to my apartment. I wasn’t an asshole, but could have been kinder. 

This was human shit and I knew it.

The mission was two blocks down the street.

Several times I had to walk around human beings yelling at full volume to a created enemy in the reflection of a window. Homelessness. No hope. Discarded. But how the fuck did they get in? I lived in the basement apartment. A helluva deal. The stairs at the front to the basement door reeked of piss. Always. But the door locked. And I’ve never seen a velociraptor. 

How I got to be in DC…

Hey, man, how’s it going? 

Not bad, just wanna get the hell outta here. 

How’s DC?

Great.

Yeah?

Could I crash on your couch and look for jobs?

Hell yeah!  Come on!

I was there the next week…and for the next three months…slanging books at Barnes & Noble Arlington, VA.