Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2016 21:12:51 GMT -5
5 years before Outbreak Day......
Lane stood there with a 15 year old Julie. Lane was her brother by adoption, his parents adopted a newborn baby girl when he was 11. He helped his parents look after her and when he was in his 20's and his parents had died when Lane was only 22 it left him with an 11 year old responsibilty. Lane was loved his sister Julie. He had practically helped raise her from birth, she was like his sister, his kid, and his best friend all rolled into one. The only person left breathing on this life Lane gave two shits about. He had an incredible closeness with her even though there was a 16 year age gap between them. Julie was 15 Lane was 31. But still, she was all he had and he was all she needed. The two of them made a pretty nice life for themselves. Julie didn't know how Lane always seemed to have so much money, he didn't have a job. Instead Lane would pick her up from school and take her to the mall. Buy anything you want Jewls he would always say. Lane loved his sister more than life itself, but still he wasn't going to be around forever. He needed to teach her about life, about hussel, about never been taken for a sucker and always betting big on your bluffs, because your bluffs could make you or break you. Once again they were at the mall and Julie had just come out of a store holding a few bags. She ran up to her big brother Lane who was across the way in the food court getting them a few ice cream cones. Julie looked up to and respected Lane. She was the only person she looked up to, the only person she could look up to. It had to be Lane who else would it be? Lane pointed out the a man at the atm.
Lane: "Jewls.... Jewls, see that guy over there taking the money out? How much you think he's got in there?"
Julie: "I don't know Lane, he's probably got a lot."
Lane: "Tell me why though, we practiced this look at that man and tell me why you think he's got a lot of money."
Lane took a bite out of the strawberry icecream, not taking his eyes off the man while Julie; who was sitting beside him now studied the man and tried to tell everything she could about him. This was a game Lane had started playing with her called Sherlock Holmes'ing a mark. Or at least that's what he called it. He said that the great detective Sherlock Holmes from the novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyal could look at a man and tell you everything about that man's life just by looking at him. It was a skill he was slowly teaching his little sister julie.
Lane: "Well...... go on tell me what you can about the man if i feel like you did a good enough job i'll take you to the movies after how's that?"
Julie's face lit up with excitement before scrunging tightly and really concentraiting hard on the man at the atm. The man walked over to the food court while she studied him and took a seat by himself. He checked his watch and crossed his legs and seemed to be waiting.
Julie: "Well he's got on a cheap t-shirt and some old pants...."
Lane: "How can you tell they're old?"
Julie: "They're worn at the knees, and he's got on a pair of beat up old tennis shoes, his fingertips look like they have been chewed on........Oh he's got yellow teeth!"
Lane: "Good.... Good what else?"
Julie: "He's waiting for someone he keeps checking his watch...... and he looks irritated like he needs to relax or something he's all jumpy. He doesn't seem to sleep much i can tell from the bags under his eyes and he spends alot of time inside sitting on his but!"
Lane: "How can you tell?"
Julie: "Because he's deathly pale and reaaalllly fat! He doesn't look like he goes out to excersie much!"
Lane: "So what would you say this man is doing in the mall today?"
Julie: "He's scoring weed duh! He's cheap i can tell by the shirt shoes and jeans, he's not here for shopping he does that at thrift stores, he's waiting for someone, but you don't meet important people in the mall you meet shady people in the mall like your weed guy! I could tell he smoked from the yellow teeth and the fact that he stays glued to the couch! did i win? Do we get to go see a movie now?!"
Lane pointed at the man who stood up when a shady guy walked up they shook hands, the cheap man put some money in the shady man's hand and the shady man put weed in the cheap man's hand. Transaction complete. Shady guy slipped the money loosely into his backpocket. Lane smiled he was so proud of his sister. He stood up and started walking away towards the shady guy, julie followed him anxiously. Lane bumped into shady guy allowing his hand to reach into shady guy's back pocket and pull the moeny out in one fluid motion. Shady guy didn't realize a thing. Julie laughed and clapped impressed as Lane's started laughing. He was teaching his sister cons and secrets so she would never have to work a day in her life, she could live comfortably and never have a care in the world. The world was full of suckers you just had to know how to take them. Lane held $40 up for Julie to see. He handed her $20 for a job well done and showed the other $20 was going to pay for the movie tickets.
Lane: "So kiddo what movie you wanna see?"
Lane: "Jewls.... Jewls, see that guy over there taking the money out? How much you think he's got in there?"
Julie: "I don't know Lane, he's probably got a lot."
Lane: "Tell me why though, we practiced this look at that man and tell me why you think he's got a lot of money."
Lane took a bite out of the strawberry icecream, not taking his eyes off the man while Julie; who was sitting beside him now studied the man and tried to tell everything she could about him. This was a game Lane had started playing with her called Sherlock Holmes'ing a mark. Or at least that's what he called it. He said that the great detective Sherlock Holmes from the novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyal could look at a man and tell you everything about that man's life just by looking at him. It was a skill he was slowly teaching his little sister julie.
Lane: "Well...... go on tell me what you can about the man if i feel like you did a good enough job i'll take you to the movies after how's that?"
Julie's face lit up with excitement before scrunging tightly and really concentraiting hard on the man at the atm. The man walked over to the food court while she studied him and took a seat by himself. He checked his watch and crossed his legs and seemed to be waiting.
Julie: "Well he's got on a cheap t-shirt and some old pants...."
Lane: "How can you tell they're old?"
Julie: "They're worn at the knees, and he's got on a pair of beat up old tennis shoes, his fingertips look like they have been chewed on........Oh he's got yellow teeth!"
Lane: "Good.... Good what else?"
Julie: "He's waiting for someone he keeps checking his watch...... and he looks irritated like he needs to relax or something he's all jumpy. He doesn't seem to sleep much i can tell from the bags under his eyes and he spends alot of time inside sitting on his but!"
Lane: "How can you tell?"
Julie: "Because he's deathly pale and reaaalllly fat! He doesn't look like he goes out to excersie much!"
Lane: "So what would you say this man is doing in the mall today?"
Julie: "He's scoring weed duh! He's cheap i can tell by the shirt shoes and jeans, he's not here for shopping he does that at thrift stores, he's waiting for someone, but you don't meet important people in the mall you meet shady people in the mall like your weed guy! I could tell he smoked from the yellow teeth and the fact that he stays glued to the couch! did i win? Do we get to go see a movie now?!"
Lane pointed at the man who stood up when a shady guy walked up they shook hands, the cheap man put some money in the shady man's hand and the shady man put weed in the cheap man's hand. Transaction complete. Shady guy slipped the money loosely into his backpocket. Lane smiled he was so proud of his sister. He stood up and started walking away towards the shady guy, julie followed him anxiously. Lane bumped into shady guy allowing his hand to reach into shady guy's back pocket and pull the moeny out in one fluid motion. Shady guy didn't realize a thing. Julie laughed and clapped impressed as Lane's started laughing. He was teaching his sister cons and secrets so she would never have to work a day in her life, she could live comfortably and never have a care in the world. The world was full of suckers you just had to know how to take them. Lane held $40 up for Julie to see. He handed her $20 for a job well done and showed the other $20 was going to pay for the movie tickets.
Lane: "So kiddo what movie you wanna see?"