it was a strange town, with a strange, strange smell. a thick smell, that seemed to cover you like a film and filter into your lungs, clinging to your insides like a devil kicking your kidneys with golf shoes. my feet hurt. they hurt bad. i had double socked and still i could feel the bubbles forming on the souls. we had been down and out, out and about, down and around all over this damn island. all over this damn city. we were tired, they more than me, it was only my second day on the trip as mad delirium creeping up on me. they were already there, and wondering how they could keep sanity at times like this. they seemed reasonably put together enough, as i, well, now i felt myself coming apart slowly. i was weak, the good life and fine scotch had made me soft, the woman had made me comfortable. now my feet ached, i needed drink constantly or vicodin or ephedrine to keep me putting one foot in front of the other. the nights blending and days bleed into nights, the streets soon all looked the same and my feet were dragging behind me, and i was dragging long behind them, head bumping against cold asphalt. like driving down the street with a frozen turkey tied to your back bumper.
      the women here all looked the same. short and stocky. built strong. these women were of two types. the short, artistic, moccasin wearing type. or the tall, lanky, face covered in make-up type. it was caked on. i wondered where the variety here was with so many damn folks roaming around, and there wasn't any variety. you were either one or the either. and that's all i saw, duplicates of duplicates. a copy of a copy of a copy. each time, dwindling down more and more, become more and more diluted in their dreams, aspirations, and apologies.