I had been on the housing list for about eight months before there was any sign that I might be getting a place to live. The couple I was staying with had moved to a smaller place and couldn't take me with them, so I was working my way through hotels for a couple of weeks at a time hoping at some point that I'd hear from the housing and be able to move into an apartment of my own.
Because this had been going on so long I was beginning to run out of money and the hotels I was choosing to live in had to get way cheaper as time went on. Finally I ended up in a crappy bedsit, in a tiny basement room with no windows. All it had was a single bed at one end and at the other end an oven, a small under the counter fridge and some cupboards to store food. At the part of the house I was in there was only one other room and a shared bathroom, but I could constantly hear loud music and shouting from the other guests.
On the first night around 1AM I got a loud knock on my door. I had been sleeping for maybe an hour and a half, so I got out of bed in the pitch black and switched on the light to find my boxer shorts. There was another loud impatient knock at the door.
I had spoken to a couple of other guests in the house. They had been nice but pretty loud and into drugs, drinking and parties. I had told them what room number I was in when they had asked, so I assumed this was them inviting me over for a drink. I would tell them I wasn't up for it and go back to bed.
Wearily, now wearing a pair of boxer shorts I'd left in the middle of the floor earlier that evening, I unlocked the door and pulled it open. I didn't recognise the two men on the other side. The one closest was a little taller than me (I'm 5"7) wearing black jeans and a black shirt. He had slightly tanned sin, dark hair and dark facial hair. The other was well built and dressed similarly, but didn't have any facial hair.
They said something in a foreign language. I was still sleepy so for a moment I looked at them blankly, then I apologised and told them I only spoke English. In a very forced, slow voice, he replied "We are your neighbours" and pointed towards the other flat across the hallway. He was smiling broadly, which made me uncomfortable and I noticed he was getting very close to the door.
"My name is Nick, it's nice to meet you." I said. It was then that in one quick movement he pushed at the door and almost knocking me over, forced his way in. Before I could speak his friend followed and closed the door behind him, locking it with the keys I had left inside.
I backed up and raised my hands in front of my face, thinking to block any punches they might have aimed at me, but instead he dived low and pulled at my boxer shorts, getting them half down my legs before I could stop him. The larger man then punched me in the face. it was a heavy blow and the pain exploded on my mouth, I was dazed for several seconds.
