The Prophet (Chapter2)

“tick tick BOOM, Im gonna … d.. . and my … homies.. wiki wiki.. Hey! ” Micah shuffled along mumbling the lyrics…from a hip hop song earbuds firmly wedged in his ears to block outside noise.. he occasionally nodded at passers by with a distinct gangsta chin lift. He sauntered into the t-shirt shop, punched the time card, and bounced onto the printing floor pumping his fist and mumbling half expletives from the song lyrics. He picked up a workorder and glanced over it still stumbling through the song… “

“HEY!”
Micah looked up startled. “eh, oh hey carlos..” as he pulled the earbuds out.
Carlos shook his head, “man thats what I don’t understand about you dude!”
“what!?” Micah looked at him quizzically…
“that song!…I mean I like it and all, but I mean… I thought you were… you know…
Micah rolled his eyes… “aww come on!!! its just a song dude!”
“Hey, I’m just sayin… it don’t make sense!” carlos continued- “you run around singing about bustin caps and slappin hoes… and then you are talking about your ‘biiiible stuuuuudies’” he ended- dramatically wagging his head for emphasis.
Micah looked at him angrily… “look its just a song… I… “
“Don’t bother man” Carlos said carelessly, “I’m just sayin it don’t make no sense… and thats why I don’t go to church!… I look at it this way… at least I… ” he thumped his chest “am being true to myself!”
“I like these songs because these guys are being authentic!” Micah argued “They are talkin about real life! and all the stuff they have to deal with!”
“Authentic? Man you christians are really screwed up aren’t you?!” Carlos shook his head… “Those songs are not for you! You are a halfbreed preppy, beach bum wannabee from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood!… you have no idea what these guys are even talking about in their songs!… all you know is what you see on the movies… its not like that man!… ” Carlos was getting worked up. “Authentic?.. what do you know about authentic?”
“I know tons!” Micah retorted ” I am authentic.. I know I do things that most christians wouldn’t do… I drop an F’bomb once in a while… you know… keepin it real… but I don’t pretend to be perfect… and THAT… makes ME authentic… ” Micah stopped… noticably pleased with himself.

Carlos stared at Micah in amazement… “Man you tick me off so much! the way you act so… so… I don’t know what you call it but MAN it TICKS me OFF!… Carlos looked down at the floor shaking his head, finding himself suddenly furious. He looked up “Forget you Man!” he jabbed his pointed finger in micah’s chest and pushed him back… then turned and stormed away to the back of the building.

Micah shook his head in amazement. “geez! wonder what got into him this morning!” he said looking back towards the store front… Olivia the new sales girl had just walked through the door to see what all the commotion was. He looked at her and shrugged casually…”who knows!” as he rolled his eyes, and turned back to the workorder on the clipboard.

Micah looked up from his work… he had seen Carlos around the print floor but had pretty much avoided him all day. He was still puzzled as to why Carlos had gotten so upset. As he clocked out he chanced a look back into the print floor and Carlos was walking toward him. Micah started to turn, but decided to exit quickly and wait to see how tomorrow felt before opening his mouth again.

Micah strolled across the street to his car. Carlos quickly punched his time card and started after him.
“Micah, hold up a sec… I need to…. ” WHAM!
Micah turned in dread hearing the sickening thud of a delivery truck hitting Carlos at a deadly speed. Everything seemed to move in slow motion; his feet felt like they were made of concrete, his face shook and contorted into a thousand emotional expressions none of which could express what his mind was screaming… NOT CARLOS! NOT HERE! NOT NOW! Micah clutched at his throat feeling like it was completely closed… he weakly croaked out “carlos….noo”
The truck skidded and veered slamming into a parked car on the side of the road… suddenly people were everywhere… cellphones out… blocking traffic… screaming… it was utter chaos.

A man ran over to Carlos to see if he could help him… as soon as he got close he stopped and dialed 911 “I am on the corner of 6th avenue and main… look you gotta come quick.. this guy is in bad shape and if you don’t get here soon… ” he choked back tears… and turned away.

Micah stumbled towards Carlos falling on his knees and grabbing his hand.. “Carlos… man you gonna be ok aright?” blood seemed to be everywhere, Micah struggled to focus on Carlos’ face as he reached blindly to feel for a pulse but his heart was racing so fast that he could not have felt a hammer pounding much less a weak pulse. Micah shuddered and sucked in air like a drowning man… “COME ON!” he shouted at Carlos… shaking him gently and sobbing…

The paramedics arrived and pulled Micah away. “He’s my friend… my friend… he sobbed weakly as they helped him to the curb. Micah sat in shock on the curb as the paramedics quickly worked to try to resuscitate Carlos. He was covered in Carlos’ blood… so thick he couldn’t stand it… he gagged at the slickness as he tried to wipe it off, this was too much blood… too much! The truck driver was now talking to the police about the accident… sooo many people were talking on cell phones and yelling and crying…. Olivia was right beside him crying… and the Truck driver!… he just kept saying… “Man he just jumped out in front of me… there was nothing I could do!”
“If he says that one more time…” Micah thought… as he stood up and turned towards the truck driver..
“I’m telling you … It was so fast!” The truck driver started again.. “It was like he just jumped out… ” that was as far as he got.
Whack! Micah’s fist slammed into the truck drivers chin. Somehow he had managed to dart between the two policemen and was fully committed to punishing the truck driver for his mistake. the policemen quickly pulled Micah off of the unconcious man. Suddenly Micah found himself with a knee in his back and handcuffs around his wrists… he struggled viciously, maddly against the restraint.. cursing his captors and sobbing in grief. Finally they managed to get him in the back of the squad car and turned to the now concious truck driver.

The police were now completely confused and trying to sort out things… from the squad car Micah could see Olivia pointing at him and the pool of blood on the street where Carlos had been… CARLOS! he slammed his head on the squad car window like a mad animal trying to escape a hopeless fate… the police once again rushed to the squad car to subdue him. As they opened the car door he lunged at them blindly, spilling out onto the pavement and smacking his head against the curb… a bright flash of light… then darkness. Mercifully, Micah was unconcious.