Penny Picker

WARNING! This story will contain... STRONG Language/MxM/s****l content/Yaoi/ Abuse and Mature content. ---- My eyes searched the cement sidewalk as the golden brown leaves trailed along beside me in the light fall breeze. Winter was coming soon and the season for penny picking was coming to an end. It had been a decade or two, since they'd discontinued the penny, but it had become a favorite pastime of mine to seek out and collect them when my father showed me one for the first time. Just something about them not being around anymore made a love for them spark inside me. So many times I've been found bumping into people surveying the sidewalks and streets for that little copper glint. A few times I'd caused an unprovoked fight with a disgruntled commuter and I was the perfect prey too. Shorter than most men at the age of twenty-five, with a small frame, plain face and clunky glasses to boot. People often made me their target for release in some way or another. "Ugh, you sound so whiny Avi." Another bad habit of mine, muttering my thoughts out loud. It did nothing to help the unprovoked battles I faced with angry commuters. Looking for these little copper gems was an odd but comforting thrill to me and when I found one, man. It's exhilarating! My heart raced, hands started to heat and my mind went into a dizzying daze at the thought of them. Every time I got to pick one up, it's like… like I found the lost treasure the world had been searching for. To me... that made the dangers of wandering the streets worth it. Every time I found one, I get to whisper that classic saying 'Find a penny pick it up and all day you'll have good luck.' I would be buzzing off that high, sometimes for weeks and it was a good thing too. Often I would go months without seeing that copper glint. One time I almost lost hope in the love for the pass time. I'd gone one year, seven months and nineteen days without finding a single penny. It was heartbreaking near the end, I hadn't thought it'd taken such a large part of my heart up, but it did. It made me think that not all the magic was lost in the world and treasures were still out there to be found. At home I had a system of twelve pennies being shown on display, a dozen little cradles holding the lost finds and at the end of the row of twelve, a large jar sat for the next penny to be bumped into. It all laid out behind my pillow's on the old wooden headboard that leveled off with my bed going back about seven inches or so to meet with the mirror that encased the back. The headboard itself went up quite high, laying on my back my fingertips could just graze the engraved lip of the overcast top. It felt like a little shrine for the cast off pennies, thinking about it made my heart flutter with excitement. "Watch where you're going four eyes." My thoughts cut short as I collided with an older blonde, maybe in her forties, the scowl she wore made it hard to tell. The choice in words even harder. "S-sorry." I tried to look as concerned as I could for the invasion of her personal b***h bubble, but my eyes quickly switched back to my favorite past time. Even being on my usual route I couldn't help but look over the same patches of cement and grass as I passed through. "Hey Avi! Still got that nose to the ground?" I stopped in my tracks at the sound of my name, it was Todd. One of the few to make something good of an accidental bump. "Oh, hey Todd…" I gave a little smile. "How've you been?" "Pretty well, just grabbing a few things from the store." He held up the bags in his hands, "You?" "I'm well, just heading home from work." I looked around hesitantly. I was becoming agitated wanting to go back to my favorite pastime. "Perfect timing then, hey? Let's walk together." Todd bumped into my shoulder in what I was sure, was a friendly gesture, but a ping of fear that I could miss a copper glint from the distracting company made my body vibrate with anxiety. I looked at the ground nervously, searching the familiar sidewalk and patch of grass next to it. "Ah… I just remembered I have to grab something at the bakery before I head home." I chanced looking up at Todd to see if he'd bought the lie. He just smiled sincerely and nodded his head. "Alright, next time then Avi. Take care." With that Todd turned and walked the familiar path to our apartment building. I sighed heavily as I watched him, turning to detour to the bakery just a few blocks away. It wasn't the first time the anxiety of walking in company and the fear of missing a copper penny would get the better of me. I hadn't realized how much the copper coin took me over, in not only my heart but my mind as well. I couldn't walk with friends and give them the undivided attention they deserved. I couldn't hold a conversation I'd be so focused on the ground and my eyes combing the area around me. On top of that I would walk like a snail as most of my friends would tell me. Making them frustrated and myself as well. In the end of it all. I couldn't break the obsession and I didn't plan to anytime soon. As I looked over the same cracked concrete and the same patches of grass. I had to take a moment to think about what I was really doing with my life. I had a decent job that paid the bills and gave me a little extra to save up and indulge, but I had become withdrawn and preferred to stay in until the urge to walk and hunt took over. In the end I was always alone. The sun started to dip into the horizon as I turtled my way to the bakery. It wasn't so bad, I'd get something sweet and to check on a path I hadn't in two days. "Win, win for me." I allowed myself a small smile as I said it aloud, but somehow the universe made me collided with another person. "Open your eyes dip-s**t!" It was a larger man this time and I couldn't suppress the scowl I had at the reaction, but I was quick to turn and continue my detour. "Ah, what a lovely place I live in." Sarcasm was thick in my low voice. My eyes fell back to the ground and just as my heart started to fall as well. It was picked right back up again with a small glint of a copper shine. I moved quickly to the hopeful gleam pushing the green blades aside to see if I'd found my treasure. My heart sank harder than before, it was the corner of a shiny copper sticker that'd been lost by some child. I was squatting in the grass beside the busy sidewalk and got a few odd stares as I picked myself up. I was only another block away from the bakery, now I was really craving my favorite double chocolate peanut butter cup cake. It would be something good to end the horrible day with. The bell rang above the door as I stepped inside the small bakery. Surprisingly enough it was quite full and busy. As I stood in line I could feel myself becoming anxious to get back outside and continue my hunt for the little bronze gems. "Focus, focus Avi." I was giving myself a mumbled pep talk as everyone shuffled through the line. I was going to get my cake and then I'd be off. I started to map out my path to get home. It would be a longer one this time. No direct route home. That glimmer got my hopes up and got my blood pumping to hunt just a little harder today. As popular as the bakery was, I was able to make it through to the front of the line in no time. It was Susan working the counter today. "Oh hey, what can I get for you today Avi?" She was chipper, quite uncommon for her near closing time. "Hey Susan. Can I get your Double chocolate Peanut butter cup Cake to go." I gave a half hearted smile. "Ha, wouldn't that be something if someone sat down with a whole cake to themselves!" She gave a good laugh, her shoulders shaking along with her. "Hmm, yeah…" I couldn't help but feel like she was poking fun at me somehow. It wasn't soon after we said our courteous goodbyes, I was walking out with a box full of my favorite cake. I started my long walk back home by going the opposite direction even further away at first. The sun almost disappearing now and night was setting in. Shops started their closing procedures and the city bustled to life as everyone tried to make it home as quickly as possible. It made me appreciate the slow pace I had going. I was able to enjoy the noise of the vibrant city. I had walked six additional blocks before turning a different direction, walking ten more blocks down the new path. It was much darker and the bustle of the late night commuters had slowed down to a small trickle. Avi… I jerked my head to the side as I stood waiting to cross. My eyes shifted from side to side to see who could've called my name. "... Hello?..." The night sky was becoming more apparent as the streetlights started to come to life. "I could've sworn someone was calling me…" I gave one more glance around before I turned back and focused on the illuminated orange hand. Avi… My heart skipped as I once more looked down the empty street. No one was there to call my name… yet I heard it… I took a step back. My eyes still looking for where the voice came from. "I-if you think this is going to scare me… you've got it all wrong!" I gripped the string that held the cake in my hand tighter. "This-this isn't funny you know!" I called out to an empty road. Something uneasy started to settle in my gut as I realized… no one was around. It was completely empty and only a second ago it was trickling with people. The crossing light started to flash the little white man, but I couldn't move my legs. Something inside of me was pulling me towards the unknown voice and as uneasy as I was feeling inside I couldn't help but want to go towards it. I took a step towards the voice. Avi… When my name was called that time it sounded almost like relief. I felt a surge of courage, like I had made the right choice. So I took another step, but no voice came. I was stricken with a surge of panic and my legs started off on their own journey. I must've walked another seven blocks before I heard them call again. Avi! I stopped in my tracks. I heard it clearly to the left side of me. My eyes hesitated to look over and see who'd been able to call me in such a way. I met angry blazing brown eyes, a bald head and a scowl that would scare the hair off the toughest of men. "What cha doin' round here little pea?" His voice was heavy with dark intentions. My heart started to race and a ball of fear started to form in my stomach. "I-I must've taken a wrong t-turn." As I tried to get away from the dangerous man, two more met me at the entrance of the alley blocking me in. My body was on autopilot as I turned to negotiate my way out of this. "L-look, I don't have much but you can have it all." My voice shook as I fumbled for my wallet and nearly dropped the cake I'd been clinging to. "You-you can e-even have the cake." I held it out in attempts to make it out alive. "Heh heh heh. Look here Arrow, we got a scared little bird willing to give us whatever we want. What should we request?" It was one of the men behind me talking now, but I was too scared to turn and look at him staying rooted where I stood. My eyes fixated on the looming man in front of me. Dark brown eyes watched me and the night began to engulf the alley around us. "I don' think we need ta' request a thin' if he said whatever we wants." His face became illuminated with a sinister smile. "But I don' like my fun bein' ruined by nosey fools. So les' make'em a quiet pea." My world was whirling, literally, as I started to spin down toward the ground. My glasses flying from my face and the gritty alley ground came barreling towards me. My face collided again with the firm rocky asphalt below me and everything became a fuzzy blur. I'd been punched and it wasn't a love tap. Next came a hard kick to my side and I let out a whimper of pain, my eyes became filled with watery tears. "P-pleea-" Another heavy foot made contact with my ribs. I wasn't sure how all this would end or if I'd even come out of this alive. I honestly never thought things like this really happened. I only ever worried about my little copper gems, my eyes squeezed tight and I braced myself for another hit. Avi open your eyes… It was the same voice again and although I had followed it here into this danger. I couldn't help but listen again in my last moments. I opened them and through blurred eyes… I could see the familiar glint of bronze. One of the men had taken hold of my legs as I laid still on the ground. In my last attempts of having some kind've happiness in my last moments. I reached out. My arm stretching as far as I could reach for that little glimmer. My fingers grazed it, pulling it a bit closer. Feeling the ridges of the familiar little coin and I reached again. Taking hold of it before being pulled further into the darkness of the alley. I could taste the blood within my mouth, but a smile peeled over my lips as the joy of finding a little treasure at a time like this took over. "F-find a penny… pick it up… and… and all day you'll have… good… luck…" I whispered to myself. I felt like I could die happy and it was the stupidest feeling ever. "The little s**t is still trying to talk his way out." I couldn't help but laugh and it got me another boot to the face. My legs were dropped. "Hey man, com'mon. Let's at least keep his cute face in tact." "He f*****g laughed at me." I stopped trying to figure out who was talking at this point and I kept clinging to the joy of finding my favorite coin. I needed something as my heart sank into the depths of despair. "Helloooo mother fuckaas!" It was a bright voice, not of one of the men beating me now and the reaction on the men confirmed it. "What the hell?" "f**k off you prick or we'll f**k you up too!" "Didn't your loose ass mother ever teach you to keep your hands to yourself?" My head became light and dizzy trying to keep up with what was going on. I felt myself slipping as I tried to cling to my treasure, but my body failed to comply and I was falling into the darkness. ------ It felt like only a second later my eyes tried to flutter open and I was met with bright copper eyes. Like the little gems I adored so much and they smiled at me lifting my heart. I must've been dreaming as I floated along and I was pulled back into the dark night as my body fell limp.