I went to bed early last night. Around 2:30, I was jolted awake by what sounded like a gunshot. There was the commensurate screaming, and I had a nightmarish moment of is-it-real-or-just-a-dream disorientation. But I was awake, and there was still screaming outside the window. A man was yelling something at a woman and she was yelling back at him. I propped myself up on an elbow and looked out the window. A woman was slumped on the ground against a parked car and her friend was standing over her. They were both sobbing and screaming. Two men were approaching them, also yelling. A car was idling at the end of the street in front of the intersection. I gathered that the gunshot sound must have been a car door being slammed shut. The men were both wearing ties; the women were also well-dressed. One of the men was accusing one of the women of hitting him. My girlfriend fucking hit me, he kept saying. The other guy was screaming for them all to get back in the car before the police came; he said they�d get arrested if they stuck around. The men turned and walked back to the idling car, while the woman on the ground began screaming for them to wait; she said she couldn�t find her house keys. I wondered if I should call the police. The men got in the car and took off, leaving the women in the street. They got to their feet and began staggering towards Damen. What happened? they asked, between hysterical sobs. Where are we? they kept saying. I could still hear them down the street, several minutes later. Then a police car showed up, crawling backwards on Potomac, panning its search light. A man emerged from our building to describe what he had seen. I thought I'd be too spooked to go back to sleep, but it wasn't long before I was unconscious again.

In preparation for our show on Friday, I have band practice all week, except for tomorrow. I need to be at home tomorrow night, or at least somewhere safe, with as many people as possible, as if there�s going to be a nuclear strike or some kind of other catastrophe. I just don�t want to be caught off guard, in the event of the outcome we�re all dreading most.

November's here, and I changed the sheets on my bed to flannel last night, though I'm not sure it's cold enough to truly warrant it. It still feels like November, however. Strange, how setting the clocks back just one hour seems to make the whole day darker.

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