Albino startles awake, dryly spluttering as he begs for air. He beats his clenched fist against his chest, gasping between the thumps in a desperate attempt to continuing existing. His vision begins to fade, flashing to the beat of his accelerating heartbeat. He jumps to his feet, throwing his weakening body in circles as he frenzies. 

   -THUD-

A sudden blow to the head knocks Albino to the floor, resetting his panic. He gasps for air, hastily searching for his sanity. A mysterious hand appears offering Albino's aged skeleton frame a bottle of water. Once capable of controlling his own breath, Albino tested his balance and rose to his feet. He looks at the bottle and hesitates before reluctantly accepting and starving himself of oxygen once more as he downs it entirely without pause. With every gulp offering him further comfort and clarity, his tongue musters strength.

"Thanks... Shame it's in that new plastic shite. I miss the 20s..." Albino turns his head and spits on the floor before being suddenly and violently thrown against the chair he'd just managed to escape.

"Listen here. You already owed us a lot of fucking money and I only kept you here living your irrelevant little life so you can pay up, so shut the fuck up and save that energy on finding us our money."

The mysterious hand had grown a large body and Albino had just woke up from the craziest dream - he'd been to the year 2023, not much had changed but America's run by a toddler. Now here he was, about to be torn to pieces by a fat guy who don't brush his teeth shouting about money. "What money, you crazy bastard?!" His mouth always moved quicker than his brain...

"Oh right - you probably don't recognise me because all you do is sleep. I'm Finger, head of your entourage and you're 100 days overdue!" The fat man wasn't happy. 

Albino was fucked. He looked around, surveying the area for an escape. 

"We're on a train, dickhead. Where you gonna go? What, you don't even remember WHERE you fell asleep last? What the fuck have you been eating, you gremlin?" Finger growled, growing impatient. "You've been waking and sleeping in a different spot erratically for months... What the fuck is up with you? You don't even remember anything?" Finger continued. Albino realised it was his turn to use words.

"Listen... Finger. That's a weird name, right? What year is this? I feel like I've been asleep for 30 years... Shit feels different. Finger is still a weird name, right? Maybe not. Anyway... Finger - I've got your money. You think I'd just hire you guys and go to sleep and not have your money? Come on, a man's got a reputation to uphold." Albino pauses, exhaling as the dry quench of thirst returns to scratch his throat.

"Alright. Well, next stop's South Philly - you better get out there and find it fast, 'cause if I have to take this to my boss, we're all gonna have real issues."

As the train pulls into the station, Finger grabs hold of Albino and throws him out of the door. Albino looks back at the train and notices everyone on the train staring at him through the windows. Stranger yet, they were all donning identical attire. Every single one of them - possibly hundreds of burly men, all wearing the same thing... Albino looked at Finger and shook his head in confusion. 

"That's the rest of your entourage." Finger smirks. "Yeah... All of this just for one man, huh? Ridiculous. But the customer's always right... Now find our money."

Still struggling to understand the depth of the pile of shit he'd buried himself in, he suddenly noticed his vision darkening. It was time for another nap.

***

Albino shivers himself awake some time later. It's dark, he's disorientated but quickly understands it's time to hurry to his feet or end up like that one, same piss-stained pile of rags who's been sat on Main St. of every major city in our great country for as long as any of our generations can seem to remember. When will society sort out that little shit bag? Tripping over him and his bland appearance must surely be scaring off at least some of our new arrivals? Albino pondered as he relieved his bladder on the desolate track. But seriously though... Where the fuck was he gonna find all that money?

He had no idea but he sure was going to spend the next few hours thinking about it obsessively... Yet quietly hoping the problem would resolve itself and just vanish. Maybe he even hoped he may trick himself into forgetting about it - he'd take anything in desperation. Alas, after an agonising mental war in which he controlled both sides and still somehow managed to lose - he accepted his fate. He smashed a few windows and took himself off for his usual sulky walk to clear his head. Likely leaving the usual trail of destruction in his path.

However, before he could even march 20 paces, he suddenly halts as he spots an old face from what felt like another lifetime... But it was here, in this lifetime - across the road, he could see it. Trippy. His body was just laying peacefully in a doorway. Asleep - he hoped. He couldn't remember the last time he was in Philadelphia... Streets littered with bodies - is that the norm now? Is this the end of the world? All those hours Albino spent meticulously preparing for the apocalypse... Here it was and he'd slept through the first half?! Typical fucking Albino. Panic sets in as he nears the body, immediately dropping to his knees and shaking it frantically. 

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! YOU'RE NOT SHAKING A MAN FROM HIS NAP IN THE STREET, SURELY?!" He burst into life!

"Holy shit, you crazy old fool... I thought you were dead. And who the fuck are you calling Shirley?!" Albino threw his arms in the air, demanding explanation. "Sisu, you silly bastard - get yourself out of the street. Where's Don Transistor? You're a state - he can't see you like this!"

"Gowdfaffa!!" Sisu blurted before hurling on Albino's shoes - a surprisingly remarkable way of hiding scuff marks, who knew? Maybe now DangerClose wouldn't notice the lazy hermit Albino had rapidly devolved into.

"Yeah... Well done, son. Get it all up." Albino cheekily flicks the tip of his foot in his old pal's direction along with his thought. "Was that 'Godfather' you just choked up on my shoes? He's finally sorted that ol' thieving bastard out, eh? How'd he get the Mayor on side?! Tell ya what... Get yourself up, where is he? Hold up, why are you even in this state? Talk to me, Sis." Albino chucks a fruity wink.

Sisu wipes his mouth as he tries his best to remain upright. "Three days..." He dry heaves. "Three fucking days... That old guy can still party. Really party! I dunno where he is. I lost him... A day ago... I think?"

Albino chuckles as he pats his friend on the shoulder, seemingly dislodging more puke as he chokes to contain it - not noticing Albino slyly lifting his car keys before rattling them in his face victoriously.

"Careful with all that thinking stuff! It's powerful shit..." Albino drags him to his feet. "Come on then, off we go."