1. he'd never had real friends.
2. he watched a lot of TV.
3. he loved everything to be a video game.

Some how he'd been sucked in to Sal's world. He had a gas station. Or maybe it had been abandoned and he'd taken it over. He lived in the back of it. Usually, alone, some time with his whores, but usually, it was just him.

It was party like, actually. It was good in the beginning. The commadority with the usual suspects. None were perhaps as earthy as Sal, but he was their leader, and he had his own techniques of getting you to believe. Of course, Kale often wondered who was above Sal. There had to be some sort of higher power. Just where did Sal get his guns? His protection? Was it all some sort of government plot?

"You must stop asking so many questions, boy!" Sal had given him the evil eye when he brought up such nonsense. "You do as you're told, or you'll wish you had."

Kale thought now of Sal puffing on those cigars. He had no idea what they were laced with. Sometimes, Sal would give everyone a good puff on it. As if it was a state of peace or perhaps just the start of something.

Because it never failed. They always ended up talking to the mirror. Perhaps making promises that Kale had no idea how to keep. Was it the idea that somewhere you could be in another world if you didn't do what you were told? Or was that where you wanted to end up?

It was always a mystery to Kale.