TRAP HOUSE PART 1. GNARLIE CHARLIE

While I was in the Army I would consistently find and go to Metal Shows all across North Carolina. I would sometimes drive 5 hours just to go to a show and drive back directly after.

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I was at a show at a venue called Cup of Flow about an hours from Fort Bragg. I forget all of the bands that were playing, Lions For Lambs was the band I attended for.

Usually at these shows I would tend to slam dance. I guess I was at least somewhat okay at it because people attending and dancing would normally give some props for it afterwards kind of like the end of a fighting match or sports game. One of those people who liked it was my buddy “Gnarlie” Charlie. At this point I only saw him at some hardcore shows but had not actually spoken to him.

After the show, I was invited by the vocalist of the band Lions To Lambs to attend an after party. I gave Gnarlie a ride and picked up a case of beer. We ended up at a house that was inherited by the vocalist’s grandmother and partied it up.

I would continue to see Gnarlie at the metal and hardcore shows and we started to become closer friends.

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Eventually, I was invited to his “Crib” in Fayetteville. It was a Trap House in an apartment complex called Cambridge Arms.

I was asked if I could be security. Just hang-out and when someone knocks on the door to answer. I was also watching if a vehicle was about to come around into the parking lot. The only way to drive in you had to drive all the way around the building across one specific spot that was in my vision through the squinted blinds during the day or headlights or sound by night. Usually this was headlights since I was there mostly in the evening-early morning.

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I would also travel and be a safety net for entering other houses to do interactions with others. I remember a time where we went to a house and the guard was skeptical to let me in. My host that was bringing me to the occasion told him that I was his most trusted man and I was brought in immediately and sat down at a rectangular table with 2-3 others who sat smoking cigarettes and blunts while the interaction was in progress.

I did this for a while to feed my urge for adrenaline. At times my blood was pumping pretty heavily. But this is what I wanted.

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I saw many things inside of the Trap. it was also a place that I had to seek refuge when I needed it. I once went there when noone else was there for me after I had left Fayetteville. Gnarlie made sure that I had a spot to crash anytime I needed it. Even after I had moved in with my to be (3rd Wife) in Raleigh. We had a period that was very rocky and I had nowhere else at the time to go for the night. I drove to his house and he gave me something to “calm me down” which was a portion of a blunt passed back and forth between us and a girl that to that point I had never seen before.

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There was a portion of time where we chilled for a bit, spoke about old times. He told me about this new group he just joined and that he was the “Secretary” he was also infatuated with this girl that was texting him constantly. He told me he loved her.

I told him I needed to go and he did not want me to leave. He literally begged me to stay. But I had to go to this party. That was the last time I had spoken to him.

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I did notice while I was in his room that his blinds were wide open watching the street. I thought this of being a large hazard once I entered the room being the nature of the house, but I didn’t say anything.

I didn’t notice entirely at the time, nor was I thinking this. But he was scared to death and didn’t want me to leave. Recently he even had “Wanted Dead” tattooed on his face.

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01DEC2017

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About 2 weeks later Gnarlie was shot through his window in his bedroom.

I would return periodically to Fayetteville from Raleigh to find and talk to people in attempt to figure out who did it. I would spend days walking around and meeting and talking with people to hopefully get resolve.

It never went anywhere.

I was contacted by the group Gnarlie was affiliated with in attempt to recruit for his position in which I declined.

That type of lifestyle was no longer for me anymore I had transitioned out.