" You can’t stay here."
By the way he reacted it was like my words had dropped and smacked this man on the back of the head. The length of his body leapt. It took a moment for his second response, a slow turning of his shoulders and head. He still lay on the sidewalk, but looked up at me as though I misunderstood the depth of his commitment to that stretch of the pavement.

My words weren’t as assertive the second time. With him looking at me like that, head still inclined against the ground, my voice cracked a little, “You can’t stay here.”

How did I get this crappy job? I’d heard a person’s nose and ears never stop growing. Personally, I could care less if this guy lied here until both his nose and ears grew into the cement itself. I’d seen the homeless shelters in this city. The more disturbed of the city’s nomads wouldn’t think twice to slip a blade between two ribs for an extra blanket. I swallowed conspicuously at the thought and noticed the man still looking at me. He still had not moved.