Five

“Hey Billy, maybe we should stop in at the penitentiary so you can catch up with your old buddies?”  Rich cracked himself up as they drove past the grim looking town of Florence and the walls of the state prison.  He took his eyes off the road for an alarmingly long stretch of time, waiting for some kind of reaction.  Rich reached over into the passenger side of the jeep, grabbed his friend’s shoulder and shook it.  “Whaddaya say?”

            “Nothin’, I don’t say nothin’ about that shit.”  Billy stared out the window at the empty buildings crumbling into dust racing past them as they drove on. 

            “Armed robbery, dude.  Possession of Schedule 1 narcotics, dude.”  You were a menace!  Looking at you now, it’s hard to believe.”

            “Hard to believe what?” Billy said as he turned away from the highway.  "Don't ask about that kinda shit.  That's all it is, man.  Just stupid shit.”

            “Hey come on, bro.  I was only…”

            “No man, you weren’t.  Wanna know something?  Here’s a little bit of advice from your junkie, ex-convict friend before he fucking keels over and dies.  The world is full of two types of people, predators and prey.  Yeah, that’s it.  Just like in those fucking nature shows on T.V., predators and prey.”

            “What?  What the hell are you…”

            “Yeah man, and like, you’re looking all confused and thinking ‘what the fuck is he saying’ but deep down you know what I’m talking about and you’re afraid.”

            “Afraid?”

            “Hell yeah you’re afraid and you wanna know why?”  Billy grinned, giving Rich a close up view of his grayish, plaque encrusted teeth.  “You’re afraid because you don’t know which one you are, the predator or the prey.  HA!!”  Billy punched the roof of the Jeep in triumph.  Suddenly he snatched Rich’s travel pack of discs off the dashboard.  “You got any Black Sabbath in this thing?”

            “Hey Dave, did you hear this bullshit?  That’s gotta be the dope and pain meds talking.  Right Dave?”  When he got no response, Rich turned down the car stereo and glanced in the rearview mirror at the right rear passenger seat.  Dave was slumped in the seat, leaning against the safety belt.  He had a stringer of drool hanging from his mouth and he emitted a wheezy, rattling snore.

            “Oh shit, he didn’t… DAVE, ARE YOU OKAY?  WAKE UP, MAN!  ARE YOU OKAY?” Rich tried to steer and reach back to shake Dave at the same time, causing the Jeep to swerve back and forth on the road.

            “Quit fucking with his nod!” Billy reached out and punched Rich’s outstretched arm.  "He snorted Oxy back at the Circle K, don’t fuck with his nod, dude.”