•Chapter One• I take in a deep breath of the misty evening air. This is the only place where I can relax my thoughts. Under this old tree on a hill is the only place where I can take refuge. Alone, of course. Nobody knows of this place. Only me and Tommy. No brothers. No gangs. Just me and Tommy. I realize its getting dark and I figure I should get home before things become too dangerous and my brothers begin to worry. I take a final drag on my cigarette and put it out on the ground and start my walk back home. I live with my 3 brothers, Danny, Ritchie and Keith. When we were little kids, our mother ran off with a drug dealer to live in Rio. Our father was a carpenter, and a heavy alcoholic. The times that he was sober, he was a good father and always dreamed of being a musician. One day, he had too much to drink while working and fell off of the roof of the house he was building. Danny has been taking care of us since. After making my way through the downtown neighborhood, I finally arrived to my front door and I could already tell, my brothers weren't alone. The Rolling Stones were being blasted from inside and the scent of cigarettes and hair gel filled the air. This means only one thing; Reggie is here. "Well, would you look who it is!" Reggie yelled as I walked in the door. "Its Charlie Horse!" "Dammit, Reggie, its just Charlie!" I shouted back. I closed the door behind me and walked into my seemingly-always-dirty home, turning down the music. Reggie sat on the kitchen table drinking a beer and eating a bag of roasted peanuts. Besides Reggie, brother Keith was the only one home. Danny is the oldest out of the four of us. Then Ritchie, Keith and lastly, me. Danny and Ritchie both work during the day while Keith stays home and I attend high school. "Charlie, Keith, when are your brothers home tonight?" Reggie asked. "They're home at nine." Keith answered. Keith sat on the living room couch smoking a cigarette and sifting through a pile of records. "What time is it now?" "8:47." Reggie replied. I looked through the fridge for something to eat. "Anyone eating this?" I asked holding up a bowl of egg salad. "Nope. Go ahead." Keith said. "Is it still good? I don't know how old that is. I stirred it around the bowl and sniffed it. "Seems fine to me. Either way, I'll find out the hard way." I said back. 90 rolled around and I was almost finished the egg salad. My brothers still weren't home. At about 9:15, the front door was busted open and my brothers rushed in with the rest of our group, dragging someone behind them. It was Tommy. Tommy's face was pale and covered in blood and cuts. He was unconcious, #lifelessly dangling in Ritchie's arms. "What the hell?" Reggie said, jumping down from the kitchen table. "Clean off the coffee table, get the First Aid Kit." Danny shouted. "Why?" Reggie asked. "Uptowners. Again." Danny answered.

Here's A #quote Your actions speak so much louder than your words that I can't hear what you're saying. -Unknown

The Man and His Bird A very old blind man walks through the busy city streets of Manhattan. He isn't native to the United States, for he was born and raised into a Jewish family in Poland. At 12 years old, he was already working to help support his family's income. It was also in his twelfth year of #life, the day his #life would never be the same. His country was invaded by the Nazi Army on September 1st, 1939. On September 3rd of 1939, the small town his family called home was destroyed, and his family seperated. His father shot, his sister taken away and his brother taken away with him. His mother was injured by an explosion, left to die on the street. The next 4 years of his #life would be spent in a Concentration Camp, where he lost his ability to see. He heard of places called Canada and USA. His dream was to live there and have a family in a country of peace. As he walks through the streets, he waves his cane in front of him, giving it thr odd guiding tap on the ground. He was on his way home, which was an apartment he rented in the South End. When he approached the front door of his building, he heard a tiny but desperate chirping sound. He slowly bent down to take another listen. The small chirp came again. The man put his hand on the ground and slid it around until he discovered the source of the chirping. He gently picked it up and felt it attempt to escape. The tiny bird was cold and wet, missing a foot and had a wing #lifelessly dangling off of its body. The old man could feel the bird's pain and fear. He carefully put it in his jacket pocket and zipped it up. He proceeded to enter his building. "What is that sound?" an angry voice asked. "You. Blind man, what is that dreadful chirp?" It was the landlord, a rude middle-aged woman with no regard for the feelings of others. "I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm not quite sure what it is that you're hearing." the old man replied. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. I can hear it in your jacket. Open it up, I want to see it." the landlord demanded. Hesitantly, the man showed the bird to the landlord. "My God, what is that thing?! Get it out! Now! Its disgusting, its hideous! I want you to remove that parasite from my building now, or you're never returning here again!" She stormed out of the hallway, leaving the man standing alone. He went into his apartment, the bird still in his hand. "Don't worry, my little friend," he said to the bird, " I'll take good care of you, I promise." And so he did. Over the next few months, he continued to care for the bird, feeding it and nursing it back to health. Finally, the day came for the bird to return outdoors. "So, my little friend. Its time for us to part ways. You're strong and healthy again. I can't see you, but I know you've always been a beautiful little bird. I'm sorry nobody else could tell, but now its time for you to share your beauty with the world." He opened his kitchen window and released the bird. "Goodbye, my friend. I'll never forget you."

What Is #life? Here we are on a rock in space, Living our lives together as a race. Whether you're family, friend, husband, or wife, But together we wonder, what is #life? #life is simple, yet also complex, Easy to think of, but can often perplex. We're all so different, yet we're all the same, And we tend to wonder how we came. Evolution, a God or maybe some greater force, No-one knows, but we're here of course. We're all so close yet so far away, We all love and hate, day by day. Our minds are beautiful and so full of thought, But some don't use it, so they let it rot. We all love, but some don't choose it, Many of us choose to abuse it. Those who abuse are what creates war, I can't help but wonder, "What is this for?" #life is not just a silly game, That is not why we came. #life is yours, so look and seize it, Though we may not say it, everyone believes it. With the power of your mind and the strength of your heart, We can live in harmony, so lets start.