Red scooter, grey jacket, brown paper bag, round face, clear hazel eyes behind yellow tinted glasses. Strong voice, stubby, yellow tinted fingers engulf a black cellphone. Freshly shaven, rain soaked street scented. Seventeen years imprisoned, five years homeless, seven months couch surfing, eleven years clean, back on the streets. Bad back, bum knee, wrecked ankle. Watching.

Turquoise walls, laughing voices, radio calling the game. Environmentally friendly cleaning fluid redolent air cycling through ceiling vents. Footsteps, stale coffee. Cards shuffling, points challenged, pong ponk of small white balls on green tables with red paddles. Waiting.

Mist dripping trees, roots rising eternal through water slick rocks, fallen moss chunks mixed with bark, dead branches. Sleepless.

Black eyes, twitching nose, dark brown fur sleek against the cold. Running.

Cutting through the night, flash of headlights, illuminate defiance. Pale hackles rising, yellow eyes flicker, brown fur to flashing glare and back. One foot forward, hind condensed, powerful. Red lights fade across bloody brown fur caught in pale teeth. Satisfied.

Wet sidewalk, dry overhang, cardboard spread, stretched extension cord, warm electric blankets. Water gurgling through gridded drain, traffic lights ticking red, green, yellow. Repeating.

Voices, questions, demanding answers, movement. Insisting. Forcing.

Neon shining on yellow butts, empty streets. Solid grey tires zizzing over wet pavement. Windows reflect night lighting, hiding wares. Opera music screeching from tinny speakers. Black wrought iron barriers, shadow lit walkways, grey painted cinderblock walls, locked doors. Seeking.