--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...called nine-one-one,\" Howie was…" description: "\"...called nine-one-one,\" Howie was saying, \"and then I heard something in the alleyway, so I went back there and\" --Howie coughed-- \"and valiantly atta..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/barry-lyga-3439_alleyways_called-nine-one-one-howie-was-saying-and_898539.jpg" --- # ...called nine-one-one," Howie was saying, "and then I… ![“...called nine-one-one," Howie was saying, "and then I heard something in the alleyway, so I went back there and" --Howie coughed-- "and valiantly attacked his knife with my guts, to no avail." "Did you get a good look at him? Could you describe him?" Howie smiled wanly. "Yeah. He was about yay…” quote by Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/barry-lyga-3439_alleyways_called-nine-one-one-howie-was-saying-and_898539.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/barry-lyga-3439_alleyways_called-nine-one-one-howie-was-saying-and_898539.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/barry-lyga-3439_alleyways_called-nine-one-one-howie-was-saying-and_898539.jpg) > “...called nine-one-one," Howie was saying, "and then I heard something in the alleyway, so I went back there and" --Howie coughed-- "and valiantly attacked his knife with my guts, to no avail." "Did you get a good look at him? Could you describe him?" Howie smiled wanly. "Yeah. He was about yay long" --he held up his hands, four inches apart-- "thin, made of steel. Pointy. Sharp.” [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A desperate, violent encounter is described with exaggerated, almost surreal details, highlighting fear and futility. **In simple terms:** A violent fight ends uselessly. Key Takeaway Accept limits of force. Themes conflict desperation surrealism Mood tense dark absurd Type narrative dramatic fictional When to use this quote - street fight - self‑defense - nighttime encounter Key Concepts Violence futility exaggeration Questions to Reflect On - What does the narrator’s tone reveal about his mindset? - How might this scene reflect broader themes of helplessness? A Different Perspective The description may glorify reckless aggression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alleyways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alleyways/) [Guts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guts/) [Yay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yay/) ## Related quotes > [Jared glared. Some people, Kami knew, had bedroom eyes. She was saddened to have to admit that Jared had filthy alleyway eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/jared-glared-some-people-kami-knew-had-bedroom-eyes-she-was-saddened/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [“I turned, hiking my coat up around my chin. Anyone who looked closely would be able to see that something wasn't right, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/i-turned-hiking-my-coat-up-around-my-chin-anyone-who-looked-closely/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/we-don-t-just-borrow-words-on-occasion-english-has-pursued-other/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [Something like the alleyway scene, where it's like a mini one-act play and you run the whole 18 pages of it, it's so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-o-brien/something-like-the-alleyway-scene-where-it-s-like-a-mini-one-act-play/) [Dylan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-o-brien/) > [There should be a word for that brief period just after waking when the mind is full of warm pink nothing. You lie there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-should-be-a-word-for-that-brief-period-just-after-waking-when/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I was in the black silence of a medieval street, and blindly I followed its sharp turns, comforted by the height of its narrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/i-was-in-the-black-silence-of-a-medieval-street-and-blindly-i/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [Streets teemed with hell's wretched souls. New dead with their gadgets and old dead from antiquity. Demons roamed the avenues and alleyways, tormenting hapless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-atchley-jr/streets-teemed-with-hell-s-wretched-souls-new-dead-with-their-gadgets/) Larry Atchley Jr > [Arnold was a dog's dog. Whenever he shuffled along walks and through alleyways, he always gave the impression of being on to something big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-grimes/arnold-was-a-dog-s-dog-whenever-he-shuffled-along-walks-and-through/) [Martha Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-grimes/) > [She reached up and lay her hand on my cheek. "You have the sweetest face," she said, looking at me dreamily. "It's like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/she-reached-up-and-lay-her-hand-on-my-cheek-you-have-the-sweetest/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It's nice to have one worry marched to the wings and forcefully thrown into the alleyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-payne/it-s-nice-to-have-one-worry-marched-to-the-wings-and-forcefully/) [Rob Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-payne/) > [I think people have the misconception that I hang out in alleyways with balls and chains, but I like to play classical music and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/i-think-people-have-the-misconception-that-i-hang-out-in-alleyways/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [Nature surrounds us, from parks and backyards to streets and alleyways. Next time you go out for a walk, tread gently and remember that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/nature-surrounds-us-from-parks-and-backyards-to-streets-and-alleyways/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [Gay men are guardians of the masculine impulse. To have anonymous sex in a dark alleyway is to pay homage to the dream of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/gay-men-are-guardians-of-the-masculine-impulse-to-have-anonymous-sex/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Our eyes meet. I hear a train horn, so faint it could be wind whistling through an alleyway. But I know it when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/our-eyes-meet-i-hear-a-train-horn-so-faint-it-could-be-wind-whistling/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## More by Barry Lyga > [“People can wonder and ponder and imagine all they want. But their curiosity does not entitle them to enter my world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/people-can-wonder-and-ponder-and-imagine-all-they-want-but-their/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“See, forgiveness doesn't happen all at once. It's not an event -- it's a process. Forgiveness happens while you're asleep, while you're dreaming, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/see-forgiveness-doesn-t-happen-all-at-once-it-s-not-an-event-it-s-a/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“Can they, like get fingerprints from her neck? Can they catch the guy that way?” “This guy isn’t an amateur. He probably used gloves.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/can-they-like-get-fingerprints-from-her-neck-can-they-catch-the-guy/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“Someone's on the rag," she chides, then grabs her crotch as if adjusting a cup. "And it's not me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/someone-s-on-the-rag-she-chides-then-grabs-her-crotch-as-if-adjusting/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“That last voice in his head. It hadn't been Billy's. It was his own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/that-last-voice-in-his-head-it-hadn-t-been-billy-s-it-was-his-own/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“Once he gets inside your head, you're dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/once-he-gets-inside-your-head-you-re-dead/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [Here’s the thing about baseball-it’s not the individual sport I thought it was. Turns out I was wrong about that. Yeah, the batter is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/here-s-the-thing-about-baseball-it-s-not-the-individual-sport-i/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [This is why I forgive, but I don't forget. When you forget someone, the forgiveness doesn't mean anything anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/this-is-why-i-forgive-but-i-don-t-forget-when-you-forget-someone-the/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [You don't swing at any pitch. You swing at the ones you can hit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/you-don-t-swing-at-any-pitch-you-swing-at-the-ones-you-can-hit/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“I'm such a sleep pussy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/i-m-such-a-sleep-pussy/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [Maybe Rachel was right all along. Maybe the past is past, history is history, and you just push it aside and look for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/maybe-rachel-was-right-all-along-maybe-the-past-is-past-history-is/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [Josh Mendel has a secret. Unfortunately, everyone knows what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/josh-mendel-has-a-secret-unfortunately-everyone-knows-what-it-is/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [Yes,” Howie said solemnly. “I can teach you how to be more ‘street’”. “For God’s sake…” “Or is it ‘urban’? I can’t remember. Anyway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/yes-howie-said-solemnly-i-can-teach-you-how-to-be-more-street-for-god/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [And my parents made me want i am. So what? We get stuff from our parents, but we also get stuff from the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/and-my-parents-made-me-want-i-am-so-what-we-get-stuff-from-our/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“And Jazz snapped. He didn't snap the way a normal person might snap. A normal person would fling his arms around and stomp his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/and-jazz-snapped-he-didn-t-snap-the-way-a-normal-person-might-snap-a/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) [Explore all 129 Barry Lyga quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) ## More Alleyways quotes > [Jared glared. Some people, Kami knew, had bedroom eyes. She was saddened to have to admit that Jared had filthy alleyway eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/jared-glared-some-people-kami-knew-had-bedroom-eyes-she-was-saddened/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [Gay men are guardians of the masculine impulse. To have anonymous sex in a dark alleyway is to pay homage to the dream of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/gay-men-are-guardians-of-the-masculine-impulse-to-have-anonymous-sex/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Nature surrounds us, from parks and backyards to streets and alleyways. Next time you go out for a walk, tread gently and remember that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/nature-surrounds-us-from-parks-and-backyards-to-streets-and-alleyways/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [I think people have the misconception that I hang out in alleyways with balls and chains, but I like to play classical music and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/i-think-people-have-the-misconception-that-i-hang-out-in-alleyways/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [It's nice to have one worry marched to the wings and forcefully thrown into the alleyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-payne/it-s-nice-to-have-one-worry-marched-to-the-wings-and-forcefully/) [Rob Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-payne/) > [She reached up and lay her hand on my cheek. "You have the sweetest face," she said, looking at me dreamily. "It's like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/she-reached-up-and-lay-her-hand-on-my-cheek-you-have-the-sweetest/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Arnold was a dog's dog. Whenever he shuffled along walks and through alleyways, he always gave the impression of being on to something big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-grimes/arnold-was-a-dog-s-dog-whenever-he-shuffled-along-walks-and-through/) [Martha Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-grimes/) > [Streets teemed with hell's wretched souls. New dead with their gadgets and old dead from antiquity. Demons roamed the avenues and alleyways, tormenting hapless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-atchley-jr/streets-teemed-with-hell-s-wretched-souls-new-dead-with-their-gadgets/) Larry Atchley Jr > [I was in the black silence of a medieval street, and blindly I followed its sharp turns, comforted by the height of its narrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/i-was-in-the-black-silence-of-a-medieval-street-and-blindly-i/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [There should be a word for that brief period just after waking when the mind is full of warm pink nothing. You lie there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-should-be-a-word-for-that-brief-period-just-after-waking-when/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Something like the alleyway scene, where it's like a mini one-act play and you run the whole 18 pages of it, it's so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-o-brien/something-like-the-alleyway-scene-where-it-s-like-a-mini-one-act-play/) [Dylan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-o-brien/) > [We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/we-don-t-just-borrow-words-on-occasion-english-has-pursued-other/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [“I turned, hiking my coat up around my chin. Anyone who looked closely would be able to see that something wasn't right, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/i-turned-hiking-my-coat-up-around-my-chin-anyone-who-looked-closely/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [Our eyes meet. I hear a train horn, so faint it could be wind whistling through an alleyway. But I know it when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/our-eyes-meet-i-hear-a-train-horn-so-faint-it-could-be-wind-whistling/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) [Browse all 15 Alleyways quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alleyways/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "...called nine-one-one,\" Howie was saying, \"and then I heard something in the alleyway, so I went back there and\" --Howie coughed-- \"and valiantly attacked his knife with my guts, to no avail.\" \"Did you get a good look at him? Could you describe him?\" Howie smiled wanly. \"Yeah. He was about yay long\" --he held up his hands, four inches apart-- \"thin, made of steel. Pointy. 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