The Haven (Open to all)

[Andrew Crest]

Andrew Crest walked out of the door to the small diner. He looked up at the stars in the sky as the wind whistled around him. No matter how long he’d lived in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1>New York</st1></st1:state>, Andrew still couldn’t get used to the smell. Even away from the city he could taste the smog in the air. There was just something crisp and fresh in the wind back home that didn’t exist anywhere else.
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Eh, it was probably just in his head, but at least it gave him something to think about. Why the boss had chosen to stick him out here was a mystery? Andrew cracked a grin as he pulled his hat down over his ears and began to walk along. Probably to keep him and Nicole away from each other. At least he still had a shift tonight.
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Not that he didn’t enjoy some time away from The Haven; he’d just rather that he didn’t spend the time alone. His eyes flicked across the street: kids out past curfew, the last of the grocery store wage-slaves leaving heading home, post office locked up tight, bank security guard walking up the steps for the graveyard shift.
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Still everyone seemed busy as heck here. Almost like no one just took the time to chill out, must be the east coast. Naw, probably just the New Yorkers and their rush our lives. Andrew shook his head; some people took life way too seriously.

…like he probably should be doing. Life as a mutant was becoming more dangerous in a world with growing prejudices. Andrew nodded a hello or g’night, which ever, to a passing couple; his eyes lingered for a moment. How would these people react, if they knew Andrew was one of the tabloid’s ‘freaks’?
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Whatever, at least he and Nicole had found a place that accepted them and Nicole after they’d hightailed it out of <st1><st1:state w:st="on">Wisconsin</st1:state></st1>. Hell, he even got his action fix out of it, the crew always had its ‘excurions’ from time to time, one of the reasons he was stuck out here. But the club was always the place to be.
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As he walked by the digital display out in front of the bank it switched to the time: 11:03 pm. The Haven was a unique club, out of the way, almost every one was welcome, the pay…….”OH, CRAP.*”
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A bunch of wierded-out face watched Andrew as took off sprinting towards where he parked the car. “Fuse is gonna kill me.” Too much thinking really was a downfall, the boss wouldn’t appreciate him being late for work. Especially on a Friday night.
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