The desert mouse sniffed the night air, rising up on two legs. There was a sense of danger in the air. The mouse returned to a crouching posture. The mouse stayed perfectly still. As if a single movement would give it away. This scenerio played out every night in one way or another.
Out of the darkness came a black booted foot and stepped on the mouse. Tonight was to be different. Tonight was a ghouls night out.
.......
Jeff pulled his old Nova up to the side of the gym where Curtis was standing, sweating in the sweltering heat. "Get in man."
"Dude, I told you man. I can't do this. What are you even doing here."
"Come on man. It's all set."
Curtis leaned into the car, feeling the afternoon heat upon the metal. His first instinct was to flinch, but he didn't want show Jeff an ounce of weakness. "Jeff man, you know I got this fight coming up. It's my career man."
"Yeah and that is 2 nights away. This is tonight man."
"You just don't get it. Tonight, tomorrow." He knew Jeff had a way of bleeding is way into his life and leaving his stain.
"Get in."
Curtis opened the door and got in. He knew by doing so he was leaving his life back where he stood on the sidewalk. He was leaving boxing and all the fundamentals that he knew that kept his life on the straight and narrow. He knew he would never be back. 'What God's name was he doing?' he thought as he closed the door on the good.
Jeff drove for miles and miles. The highway slipped away into the night and heat became cool desert wind. The sun smeared it's yellow and orange across the sky inviting the darkness to overcome it.
Not a word was spoken between them in those hours. Nothing needed to be said.
..........
Jessica took her money tray and pushed it into her register.
"Did you hear about Yucca Mountain Jess?"
She turned to face Michelle at her register.
"What?" She said as though coming to from a dream.
"Yucca Mountain? You know the nuclear waste dump place up in the mountain? You haven't watched the news?"
"No", she said furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.
"Yucca mountain is contaminating the ground water. They're shutting it down, but they think it's too late. They're saying not to drink the water. God, I can't believe it Jess. We're all probably going to be glowing."
Jessica just looked at her. While this was pretty big news, it didn't phase her in the least. She had more pressing matter to contend with right now. One of those being, living until tomorrow.
"What are we going to do?"
Kent came out from one of the aisles. "There's not much more about it on the news. In fact they stopped talking about it all together. Oh, hello Jessi."
"Hi Kent." 'What did his mother name him after a pack of cigarettes? Kent?' she thought to herself, but tried to brush the thought from her mind.
"Here's some water, on me", he said in a gracious tone.
"You think it matters. We've already been drinking the water. Showering in it", came the voice of Michele through a sob.
Jessica couldn't get her mind off Jeff. Even in the face of revelation such as this, her mind was catapulted back to him.
"Michele, it's kind of slow. Maybe you should take the rest of the day."
"You're kidding right. I'm not going anywhere. At least there's air conditioning in this hellhole."
Kent felt hurt. He always thought that Michele liked it there. He always tried to make the store a place where everyone felt comfortable.
Michele looked at Kent and collapsed on his chest. "I'm sorry. I just don't know what to do", came her words now drowned in deep sobs.
"It's ok Michele. We'll figure it out."
Jessica felt a tinge of jealousy. What did Michele now anyway. She didn't know about her and Kent. She felt the baby kick, hard.
Kent consoled her, "It'll all be ok. You'll see."
Just than the front doors of the store flung open. "Get on the ground", came the voice of the man behind the ski mask. A second man, a strong man wearing a ginny-T walked in behind him, gun held high and walked toward Kent and Michele.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Friday, November 9, 2007
Chapter 1 - Part 4
Hell is where you want to be
I feel the hell on you and me
I feel it every day
Hell is where you want to be
I feel the hell on you and me
It never goes away
- Ghouls Night Out - Misfits
Jessica awoke pouring with sweat as the phone rang. She could tell that it was him, Jeff. She didn't now how. She didn't have to check the caller ID. She didn't need to wait to hear his voice. She just knew. She jerked up from a laying position and than thought better of it. Her mind raced as dizziness from the sudden movement mixed with the fear that hit her like a wall. It was Jeff. She had to answer it. He knew she was there. He knew everything damn it.
Finally she got up off the bed and approached the phone. It must have rung 15 times by now. She put her hands near the phone and her hands hovered over it like it was made of hot coals. Hot coals she needed to grab, but knew was going to be the most painful thing she had ever grabbed before.
She took a deep breath and picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey baby."
"Jeff?"
"Yeah baby. I thought might be trying to dodge me. I was starting to get worried I must just have to come and.......Get you."
"No, No", she said trying to shake the sleepiness and fear from her voice. "I was in the bathroom."
"What? You run out of paper?"
"What?" she said confused. "No, No. I was in the shower and didn't hear the phone at first." Wow, in her confused state she was amazed she came up with such a plausible explanation. She went with it further. "I was waiting for your call, but it was so hot. I had to take a cool shower."
"Haha! I taught you that right baby", said. Again he took credit for something in her life.
"Yeah, Jeff." She changed tone and the fear welled up in her throat again. "This is the last one right?."
"What, Jeffy calls and now your all business? What kind of shit is that baby?"
"No, No" She seemed to say that a lot to Jeff. Always having to explain so he wouldn't snap. "I just need to know before I can...." She searched for a word, but before she could think of the word that had escaped into the hot desert heat.
"Yeah, it'll be the last one", he said in a voice that wasn't charachteristic of Jeff at all.
"OK", she pushed it out with an exhail of relief.
........................
The Man in white sat length wise across from the dark figure that sat at the other end. His tie white and his suit black, as though he were a mirror image of himself. The darkness hid most of his face, but he could see his lips. The bottom half of his face was illuminated by the one of the few rays of sunshine that penetrated the cabin.
"You do know why we have been brought together, at last", he said in a voice that seemed to creep across the table like a giant black widow.
"You know I do", he said with no hesitation from doubt.
He had had no doubt, ever.
"Than you know this is were it all begins." There was a slight lisp to his speech. he had always thought that he and the dark man would be perfect opposites, but even the darkness has it's mistakes. It's weaknesses.
This was the one thing that he had not thought, ever. He knew the pendulum may just swing in his favor more often than he might expect, or less. Either way, it was something he had not expected.
"So it all starts here. You have your...." and he stopped there almost as though he were trying to think of the most diabolical word he could come up with.
"Yes, it all starts here", he said trying to cut off his thought process.
"Experiment", he finished.
The man in white stood up and walk to the door. All the while thinking what a horrible choice of words. It was a mission of sorts. There was no experiment. He was going to win this.
The door shut silently, drowned out by the rustling of leaves. The vultures had all but disappeared. He need not look up to know. There shadows no longer darkened his path back to his car.
...................
Kent sat looking at his computer in the back room of the store. He was on a chat room and was talking to some guy the entricasies of 20 sided dice. Boring to most, but this guy really knew his D&D stuff. A little too much was his actual thought.
"Yeah, dude. I had to run to the bathroom", the response to his "Where did you go."
"Robert I got to sign off. Business."
"OK. Yeah me too. ltr."
"Kent, there's a guy up front. He's got a question", came the voice of Ron, today's courtesy guy. "I'll be there in a second." His thought's were more like, "Do I have to do everything."
Since taking over the store when his father had a stroke, he barely had time to tie his shoes. Early afternoon was the only down time he had these days. It was no wonder Jessica was so unhappy with their so called relationship, and relationship was bordering on too strong a word.
He had tried to avoided falling for her, but it was impossible. Those blue eyes, contrasted with her dark black hair just drove him crazy. Her cute up-turned nose and those damn cute little freckles that flowed over her cheeks sealed the deal. He had to have her. He also knew she was trouble. Christ, the first few days of knowing her, she had broken down in tears at least a dozen times. Once over the code of an eggplant. She was not stable, and he needed stability. His wife meant stability, but she was such a bore, and a consolation. If only he could take the best of both.
He stood up with that sobering thought and made for the front of the store. As he approached the front of the store he could see a rather sickly looking young man. He only thought sickly, because this guy couldn't be more than 20 and he looked white as a ghost.
"Can I help you, sir?"
"Sir, No man. It's Jeff", and put out his hand in the motioning for a shake.
"Hi Jeff", he said ignoring the hand.
Jeff pulled his hand back, but not in an uncomfortable way. He seemed to envelope the rejection into fluid motion, returning his hand to his pocket.
"This guy here says, that you can't cash this check." He pulled the crumpled check.
"Well he didn't have ID", came the warbely voice of Ron.
"Sorry, no ID. I can't cash it."
"Alright man. So how late you open tonight?"
It was than that the name Jeff tingled just the right place in his memory. Jessica had talked about a guy named Jeff. That was Texas though. It couldn't possibly be the same person he thought to himself.
"We are open until 10 tonight."
"Alright man, than see you little later. I forgot what I need at the hotel. Thanks" he said with a bit of laugh mixed into his voice as he turned toward the doors to exit.
......................
Friday, November 2, 2007
Chapter 1 - Part 3
Part 3
Curtis hit the heavy bag with all his might, and it felt as though he were being hit.
"What wrong with you today Curt? Your only three days away from the biggest fight of your career and you look like you are about to fall over",said his coach Tony with an air of disgust.
"I am about to fall over" Curtis replied, taking a seat on the bench and putting his head in his hands.
Tony tossed a towel over Curtis back begrudgingly. 'Boy' he thought "it was real mistake going out with Jeff last night' Curtis already felt that way every time he went out with Jeff.
"Alright, knock off for today, but I want you back in the gym tomorrow morning and....and No excuses. Chamberland ain't gonna have any excuses on Saturday. Stay away from the Jeff character too...he's nothing but trouble."
Curtis grabbed his gym bag and left without changing. Without even saying a word.
He knew more than anybody what a parasite that Jeff was, but he had a hard time saying no to pushy people and Jeff defined pushy.
........
Jeff awoke on the motel bed drenched in sweat. 'Damn the hotel for having air conditioning that worked about as regularly as he did' he thought, feeling disgusted with his own sweat.
The sweat rolled down his forehead as he sat staring up at the drop ceiling....Finding patterns in the dark notchs of each of the panels.
His chest ached terribly as breathed in and out on the bed. He had to cut down on his smoking. It was killing him and he could feel it take a little peace of him every single day.
He sat up and lit a cigarette taking a long deep puff that sent both pain and relief coarsing through his chest. He got up off the bed and wearily made his way to the coke machine just outside his motel room door.
His pulse thudded roefully in his skull as his eyes became awash with the noon day sun.
Just a little coke and some jack and he'd be back on track. He knew that wasn't true, but that is what he would have to tell himself to get through the next hour or so. In fact it was going to take a lot more than the hair of the dog to shake this hang over...He may need the entire coat of the dog before all was said and done, and then he might only back be to square one.
He took a sip of the jack and coke and held back a shudder of nausia...His mouth filling with warm salivia he took another drink and held on. His stomache was doing monkey flips as he sat hanging half way off the unmade bed.
Just than his stomache rejected the liqour as though it was a disease and he ran to the waste bucket just ten feet away. His head swam in an unforgivable sea whose waves only sought to punish him further.
This was not a good start to a day. No this was not a good start at all.
.........
Jessica opened the letter, her fingers trembled so much it made the letter almost unreadable.
'Hey baby,
I'll be in town soon. Maybe I can see you. You know I love you.
We need to discuss the situation before we can pull this off.
You'll know when I'm in town, so no need to try and find me, and baby, how's bout we leave the police out of it this time. You know what you need to do to make things right and it ain't got nothing to do with the fucking police.
Love you baby
Jeff
The letter fell from her hands as though she had lost all strength to hold onto it. In fact she did lose all strength. A sickening dread she thought she left behind in Texas returned like a thunderbolt. One more time and it would all be over. Just one more time.
She crossed her arms on the table, put her head down and began to weep.
.................
The man in white went to put his hand on the door knob of the cabin. He imagined turing the knob as though it were real, but before he could, a shadow caught the corner of his eye. He looked up into the cloudless sky to find a buzzard circling overhead. In a moment it was joined by another, and than another. Until the sky was filled with them.
He looked down again and turned the brass knob.
The interior of the cabin was dark and unforgiving to his sky gazing eyes. It took only a few moments and the darkness came into focus and he enter the small one room cabin.
He knew this place although he had never been, and he knew what lay inside. It was as if he knew everything that was going to happen in the next few moments, but had only to live it.
Everything in this life had lead to this moment as though it was written. Even as a young boy he knew there was a bigger picture and that there was going to be a time in his life when everything would have complete clarity and meaning.
He entered and sat at a big, smooth, wooden table. The table didn't seem to fit the rustic cabin. It was smooth, very smooth. Almost so smooth that it looked as though it was wet to the touch. He looked across the table and there sat another man. His face draped in the shadow of the cabin obscuring the features, but not the piercing gray eyes. The same piercing gray eyes that he had become accustomed to seeing staring back at him through the mirror. A man dressed completely in black.
It was then that the clarity of the moment hit him. There was a connection made in the darkness of that cabin that shed more light on the past 30 years of his life than any moment before it.
He knew at that moment that he was longer in control of his destiny or of anybody else, but instead was only in control of the pendulum when it swung his way.
Curtis hit the heavy bag with all his might, and it felt as though he were being hit.
"What wrong with you today Curt? Your only three days away from the biggest fight of your career and you look like you are about to fall over",said his coach Tony with an air of disgust.
"I am about to fall over" Curtis replied, taking a seat on the bench and putting his head in his hands.
Tony tossed a towel over Curtis back begrudgingly. 'Boy' he thought "it was real mistake going out with Jeff last night' Curtis already felt that way every time he went out with Jeff.
"Alright, knock off for today, but I want you back in the gym tomorrow morning and....and No excuses. Chamberland ain't gonna have any excuses on Saturday. Stay away from the Jeff character too...he's nothing but trouble."
Curtis grabbed his gym bag and left without changing. Without even saying a word.
He knew more than anybody what a parasite that Jeff was, but he had a hard time saying no to pushy people and Jeff defined pushy.
........
Jeff awoke on the motel bed drenched in sweat. 'Damn the hotel for having air conditioning that worked about as regularly as he did' he thought, feeling disgusted with his own sweat.
The sweat rolled down his forehead as he sat staring up at the drop ceiling....Finding patterns in the dark notchs of each of the panels.
His chest ached terribly as breathed in and out on the bed. He had to cut down on his smoking. It was killing him and he could feel it take a little peace of him every single day.
He sat up and lit a cigarette taking a long deep puff that sent both pain and relief coarsing through his chest. He got up off the bed and wearily made his way to the coke machine just outside his motel room door.
His pulse thudded roefully in his skull as his eyes became awash with the noon day sun.
Just a little coke and some jack and he'd be back on track. He knew that wasn't true, but that is what he would have to tell himself to get through the next hour or so. In fact it was going to take a lot more than the hair of the dog to shake this hang over...He may need the entire coat of the dog before all was said and done, and then he might only back be to square one.
He took a sip of the jack and coke and held back a shudder of nausia...His mouth filling with warm salivia he took another drink and held on. His stomache was doing monkey flips as he sat hanging half way off the unmade bed.
Just than his stomache rejected the liqour as though it was a disease and he ran to the waste bucket just ten feet away. His head swam in an unforgivable sea whose waves only sought to punish him further.
This was not a good start to a day. No this was not a good start at all.
.........
Jessica opened the letter, her fingers trembled so much it made the letter almost unreadable.
'Hey baby,
I'll be in town soon. Maybe I can see you. You know I love you.
We need to discuss the situation before we can pull this off.
You'll know when I'm in town, so no need to try and find me, and baby, how's bout we leave the police out of it this time. You know what you need to do to make things right and it ain't got nothing to do with the fucking police.
Love you baby
Jeff
The letter fell from her hands as though she had lost all strength to hold onto it. In fact she did lose all strength. A sickening dread she thought she left behind in Texas returned like a thunderbolt. One more time and it would all be over. Just one more time.
She crossed her arms on the table, put her head down and began to weep.
.................
The man in white went to put his hand on the door knob of the cabin. He imagined turing the knob as though it were real, but before he could, a shadow caught the corner of his eye. He looked up into the cloudless sky to find a buzzard circling overhead. In a moment it was joined by another, and than another. Until the sky was filled with them.
He looked down again and turned the brass knob.
The interior of the cabin was dark and unforgiving to his sky gazing eyes. It took only a few moments and the darkness came into focus and he enter the small one room cabin.
He knew this place although he had never been, and he knew what lay inside. It was as if he knew everything that was going to happen in the next few moments, but had only to live it.
Everything in this life had lead to this moment as though it was written. Even as a young boy he knew there was a bigger picture and that there was going to be a time in his life when everything would have complete clarity and meaning.
He entered and sat at a big, smooth, wooden table. The table didn't seem to fit the rustic cabin. It was smooth, very smooth. Almost so smooth that it looked as though it was wet to the touch. He looked across the table and there sat another man. His face draped in the shadow of the cabin obscuring the features, but not the piercing gray eyes. The same piercing gray eyes that he had become accustomed to seeing staring back at him through the mirror. A man dressed completely in black.
It was then that the clarity of the moment hit him. There was a connection made in the darkness of that cabin that shed more light on the past 30 years of his life than any moment before it.
He knew at that moment that he was longer in control of his destiny or of anybody else, but instead was only in control of the pendulum when it swung his way.
Chapter 1 - Part 2
Part 2
Robert sat moving the blinds, looking through the small opening. He would try and make the opening as small as possible in the hope that no one would notice. Always trying to avoid the prying eye which his paranoia made far too prevelant.
He pushed his gray rimmed, thick glasses farther up his nose and moved one of the dirty blinds.
There was nothing. She hadn't returned home from work yet.' Where could she be?' Robert wondered to himself. Was she still at work?
Robert got a sinking feeling in his stomach. May be, just maybe she was with a man. Maybe she was in his arms. Damn. Where is she? He looked again and caught a glimpse of her coming up the street. She was alone. The relief he felt washed over him like a cold spring rain.
He watch her walk up the street taking in every motion like he was taking a deep breath of oxygen. It all seemed like an eternity but in a moment it was over. She was out of view.
Robert waited everyday for her to pass and everyday he would watch and wish he had bravity to go outside and meet her. Everyday was the same. It got harder and harder and his fantasies got more and more elaborate.
Robert sat on the couch feeling disappointed in himself even more so than normal.
There was while when he would open the blinds and act like he had been there by accident. He look up and if their eyes met he would wave. But it was far beyond that now.
Robert took up his seat in front of the glowing computer screen.
"Robert where did you go?" The instant message comment read.
.........
He was moving so fast along the highway that even the signs seemed to be blurry. The car revved as change gears and rounded a really tight mountain curve.
The car he was driving was built for this kind of driving. He was in hurry and he hand picked this car just for this pupose.
He wore a cap to protect his hair from being blown around while driving the convertible. Despite the rush his appearance was one of complete tidiness.
The car rolled to a stop and he opened the door. His white suit shined in comparison to the murky, woodsy feel of his surrounding. He took off his cap and not a hair was out place. He adjusted his tie and made his way to the door of the small log cabin that stood 10 feet away.
..........
Jessica made her way up the block. She could see the shadow of the strange guy that seemed to be always watching her. Most nights this would bother her and she would feel a chill. Most nights she wanted to avoid coming this way at all. He had seemed like such a nice guy when she first met him. He was a bit of a geek and just the type of person you would assume knew a tremendous amount about computers. This was they guy that was suppose to be "tall dark and handsome", but not so oddly enough, turned out to be short, dumpy and a far cry from handsome.
She had passed the window and was already in here apartment when she finished this thought. She stood looking through her mail and discarded her keys onto the cluttered kitchen table, never looking up from the letter she held in her hands.
Robert sat moving the blinds, looking through the small opening. He would try and make the opening as small as possible in the hope that no one would notice. Always trying to avoid the prying eye which his paranoia made far too prevelant.
He pushed his gray rimmed, thick glasses farther up his nose and moved one of the dirty blinds.
There was nothing. She hadn't returned home from work yet.' Where could she be?' Robert wondered to himself. Was she still at work?
Robert got a sinking feeling in his stomach. May be, just maybe she was with a man. Maybe she was in his arms. Damn. Where is she? He looked again and caught a glimpse of her coming up the street. She was alone. The relief he felt washed over him like a cold spring rain.
He watch her walk up the street taking in every motion like he was taking a deep breath of oxygen. It all seemed like an eternity but in a moment it was over. She was out of view.
Robert waited everyday for her to pass and everyday he would watch and wish he had bravity to go outside and meet her. Everyday was the same. It got harder and harder and his fantasies got more and more elaborate.
Robert sat on the couch feeling disappointed in himself even more so than normal.
There was while when he would open the blinds and act like he had been there by accident. He look up and if their eyes met he would wave. But it was far beyond that now.
Robert took up his seat in front of the glowing computer screen.
"Robert where did you go?" The instant message comment read.
.........
He was moving so fast along the highway that even the signs seemed to be blurry. The car revved as change gears and rounded a really tight mountain curve.
The car he was driving was built for this kind of driving. He was in hurry and he hand picked this car just for this pupose.
He wore a cap to protect his hair from being blown around while driving the convertible. Despite the rush his appearance was one of complete tidiness.
The car rolled to a stop and he opened the door. His white suit shined in comparison to the murky, woodsy feel of his surrounding. He took off his cap and not a hair was out place. He adjusted his tie and made his way to the door of the small log cabin that stood 10 feet away.
..........
Jessica made her way up the block. She could see the shadow of the strange guy that seemed to be always watching her. Most nights this would bother her and she would feel a chill. Most nights she wanted to avoid coming this way at all. He had seemed like such a nice guy when she first met him. He was a bit of a geek and just the type of person you would assume knew a tremendous amount about computers. This was they guy that was suppose to be "tall dark and handsome", but not so oddly enough, turned out to be short, dumpy and a far cry from handsome.
She had passed the window and was already in here apartment when she finished this thought. She stood looking through her mail and discarded her keys onto the cluttered kitchen table, never looking up from the letter she held in her hands.
Chapter 1 - Part 1
Part 1
The desert mouse sniffed the night air, rising up on two legs. There was a sense of danger in the air. The mouse returned to a crouching posture. The mouse stayed perfectly still. As if a single movement would give it away.
A slight breeze blew across the desert. The clouds that had made there way in after sunset left the desert in complete and utter darkness. The mouse sat completely still and than moved suddenly. The mouse skittered across the desert floor and than came to a sudden stop. Sniffing again in the darkness the mouse again sat completely still.
Bam! A sidewinder hidden under the mouse suddenly sprung from below the desert sand and bit down, sending venom coursing through the veins of the desert mouse. A last squeek and it was over...and the desert was dark and quiet again.
.......
Jeff and Curtis sat in the delapidated old Chevy Nova, just off the desert highway. Jeff puffed on a cigarette, lighting the interior of the car.
"What do you think man?" Curtis said and turned towards Jeff as the embers of the cigarette died away and the car was engulfed in darkness.
"I don't know. What's really killing me is that I know that the guy has the it, and we are so close. So close." Jeff took a last puff and flicked the cigarette out the window.
"We were close", Cutis replied.
Jeff brushed his hair back in frustration and turned coming face to face with Curtis and raising is hand, pointing at Curtis. "We'll get there again man."
"Yeah we had it last night man and fucked it up."
"Don't Mess with me man. It's all about timing and the timing was all off. Trust me man. Last night might have seemed close, but we were as far away as far away can be."
Curtis backed up feeling Jeff's hot, angry, smoker breath. "Man. We had him right in our hands and we didn't pounce."
Jeff sat back on the bucket seat, putting his hands on the wheel. "A snake, hunting at night, has to chose his spots. He's got to conserve and let the prey come to him."
"But what if that time never comes?"
"It will come, it will come." Jeff started the car and the turned the lights on bring the desert to life. In the distance lightning lit the distant bluffs and rain began to fall.
"Smoke?" Jeff gestured towards Curtis with the pack.
"You know I don't smoke man. I'm trying to keep myself pure."
.............
Jessica stood next to her register, smoking. She wiped away her tears. It was a slow night at Bernies Market. This wasn't one of those super, super markets. This was just a small little market in the middle of nowhere.
Where was Kent? He need to count her drawer so she could leave. Tears fell on her cigarette causing it to break. Like she needs this tonight. Her tears became torrents and all of a sudden there almost nothing she could do to hold back her sobs.
Jessica had been rather emotional the last couple weeks. Odd, very odd of Jessica, who had always prided herself on being the pillar of strength. "Huh!", she thought to herself. Who was she kidding? She was always an emotional reck, but tears for her were rare.
"What's wrong?" She started at Kent's voice as it came from just over her shoulder.
"I think you know what is wrong." She patted out another cigarette against her palm and lite it shakily. She wiped away her tears, and put on a proud face. "I'm not playing this game with you now Kent. You know perfectly well." Tear began falling again much to her dismay. "Can you just count my drawer so I can leave already."
Kent's face remained undetered as she turned around. She handed him her cash drawer. Kent went about his counting, not looking up. "You're short."
"Jesus Christ! Like that's a fucking surprise."
"What is it? Tell me? What is it?" She said her voice shaking.
"Your short one hundred dollars."
"You've got to be kidding." She began counting the money herself. "That can't be right."
"I have to get it from somewhere."
Jessica grabbed her purse from the side of the register. "Take it out of my pay", she said heading towards the door, hoping to hold back the torrent of tears that was about to let loose.
The desert mouse sniffed the night air, rising up on two legs. There was a sense of danger in the air. The mouse returned to a crouching posture. The mouse stayed perfectly still. As if a single movement would give it away.
A slight breeze blew across the desert. The clouds that had made there way in after sunset left the desert in complete and utter darkness. The mouse sat completely still and than moved suddenly. The mouse skittered across the desert floor and than came to a sudden stop. Sniffing again in the darkness the mouse again sat completely still.
Bam! A sidewinder hidden under the mouse suddenly sprung from below the desert sand and bit down, sending venom coursing through the veins of the desert mouse. A last squeek and it was over...and the desert was dark and quiet again.
.......
Jeff and Curtis sat in the delapidated old Chevy Nova, just off the desert highway. Jeff puffed on a cigarette, lighting the interior of the car.
"What do you think man?" Curtis said and turned towards Jeff as the embers of the cigarette died away and the car was engulfed in darkness.
"I don't know. What's really killing me is that I know that the guy has the it, and we are so close. So close." Jeff took a last puff and flicked the cigarette out the window.
"We were close", Cutis replied.
Jeff brushed his hair back in frustration and turned coming face to face with Curtis and raising is hand, pointing at Curtis. "We'll get there again man."
"Yeah we had it last night man and fucked it up."
"Don't Mess with me man. It's all about timing and the timing was all off. Trust me man. Last night might have seemed close, but we were as far away as far away can be."
Curtis backed up feeling Jeff's hot, angry, smoker breath. "Man. We had him right in our hands and we didn't pounce."
Jeff sat back on the bucket seat, putting his hands on the wheel. "A snake, hunting at night, has to chose his spots. He's got to conserve and let the prey come to him."
"But what if that time never comes?"
"It will come, it will come." Jeff started the car and the turned the lights on bring the desert to life. In the distance lightning lit the distant bluffs and rain began to fall.
"Smoke?" Jeff gestured towards Curtis with the pack.
"You know I don't smoke man. I'm trying to keep myself pure."
.............
Jessica stood next to her register, smoking. She wiped away her tears. It was a slow night at Bernies Market. This wasn't one of those super, super markets. This was just a small little market in the middle of nowhere.
Where was Kent? He need to count her drawer so she could leave. Tears fell on her cigarette causing it to break. Like she needs this tonight. Her tears became torrents and all of a sudden there almost nothing she could do to hold back her sobs.
Jessica had been rather emotional the last couple weeks. Odd, very odd of Jessica, who had always prided herself on being the pillar of strength. "Huh!", she thought to herself. Who was she kidding? She was always an emotional reck, but tears for her were rare.
"What's wrong?" She started at Kent's voice as it came from just over her shoulder.
"I think you know what is wrong." She patted out another cigarette against her palm and lite it shakily. She wiped away her tears, and put on a proud face. "I'm not playing this game with you now Kent. You know perfectly well." Tear began falling again much to her dismay. "Can you just count my drawer so I can leave already."
Kent's face remained undetered as she turned around. She handed him her cash drawer. Kent went about his counting, not looking up. "You're short."
"Jesus Christ! Like that's a fucking surprise."
"What is it? Tell me? What is it?" She said her voice shaking.
"Your short one hundred dollars."
"You've got to be kidding." She began counting the money herself. "That can't be right."
"I have to get it from somewhere."
Jessica grabbed her purse from the side of the register. "Take it out of my pay", she said heading towards the door, hoping to hold back the torrent of tears that was about to let loose.
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