After the hurricane swept the island, I set off in a leaking sailboat across the trashed sea and landed on a large island peopled by two warring factions. I and my faceless friends were drafted into a guerrilla troop and were deployed in the forest to ambush an unknown enemy.

I was ordered to scout out a mile from the ambush spot. I hid in a rumbling factory and spied the oncoming attack forces. They were not amateurs and spread out to search the factory for danger.

I noiselessly killed them one by one and then returned to the ambush location. I informed the officers on their strength. We had hidden three machine guns and a tank. These weapons combined with the element of surprise gave us a victory and after twenty seconds of slaughter our enemy surrendered, begging for mercy.

LATER

Andy was supposed to call me this afternoon, but he never called and after writing for two hours I headed uptown for holiday shopping. I stopped into the Cornelia Street Cafe and spoke with Grant and Cyrena. Alice and I haven’t had sex in months and I fucked the owner’s wife in the bathroom. I had cheated on Alice and she had betrayed her husband. Her old man had two girls on the side and Alice was in West Virginia with her father and mother. I bought beer and went to my place at 256 East 10th Street to drink with Willem, who had already starred in a movie, and Joe Han, a Hong Kong filmmaker. They discussed their futures. I said nothing and drank beer, because at this point in my life, I had no future.

Joe Han disappeared back to China. I search film credits for his name. I have never seen it.

Willem has become a giant of cinema.

I remain nothing even more now than ever. There’s no telling how much longer I have on the Earth. Two months. A year. Two years. Everything depends on getting a liver transplant. Friends ask if I am scared. Truthfully not at all. Not of pain. Not of death.

I’ve had a good life and I still have one.

Forever and a day.