"Pieces of Ten" is a fictional story in the backdrop of an inner city warzone.
The culprits are all the usual suspects. Corruption abounds and a poignant but yet too vivid look of inner city reality is revealed. Juan, whose nickname is Houdini, struggles mightily but succumbs to his deepest fears after he is inexplicably beaten and robbed at an underground poker game. While trying to recover lost dignity he falls prey to the dark and unpredictable nuances inherent in all men and adopts a skewed sense of morality. We are all flawed, each of us an imperfect component of an organism that thrives on cruelty and satisfaction.
The tale chronicles the rise to prominence and the fall from grace of an immigrant family far from the shores of their native Cuba. Juan attempts to absolve himself of a grisly act but becomes mired deep in the abyss that is his alter ego Ike. While facing his inner demons he realizes that everything is preordained and much of what we do or accomplish is as much about being in the right place at the right time or choosing not to be there at all.
The road to redemption is littered with the lives of many and a specter past revisits by way of nightmares had Juan calms a mind in turmoil with paper and pen. Through his strife and altered state of consciousness he is comforted by his soul mate Serena. Serena is part of a lineage that has stood the test of time. She is a vessel filled with nectar that should be savored slowly because, though in moderation it may provide some levity, if consumed without prudence would ultimately intoxicate.