Then: a spasm. An involuntary constriction of muscle and sinew, tender skin and lungs swollen with tainted blood and sour airs, all suddenly erupting into violent protest at the new and unfamiliar sensation of trauma. He winced and shuddered, trying to steady himself against the pain, trying to force himself unaware of the new expanse of red, wondrous and rich spreading across his right side, growing strong and luminous like a new storm taking shape on the Atlantic — drawing deep from the infinite wells of salt and rage to find form, shape, substance.
He imagined Charlie would laugh at him. That was her response to everything he said: a laugh, like a harsh and broken cough. Everything a joke, played at his expense.
She would find this hysterical.
He shuddered again, involuntarily, and suddenly became aware that he was cold. Funny, in the midst of everything else, to become aware of something so small. To feel such chill in August. Fuck, he thought. This is not going well. Then he looked at the other man, lying there so awkwardly in that absurd suit, the expression of surprise and confusion on his face still vivid, the polished gleam of the fork curving gently from his temple. I'm guessing you'd agree.
He reached forward and wrapped his fingers around one of the candies. They lay across the man's chest like islands of cellophane on a sea of zoot. Fuck, he thought. A sea of zoot. I might as well be dead already. He unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth - it tasted of hot copper and peppermint - and then reached into his own pocket to pull out his phone. Flipped it open.
And discovered: no signal.
Charlie is a female....I love it!
Posted by: Jett | Monday, August 31, 2009 at 07:47 AM
What is awesome here?
a) a lady Charlie
b) a fork in the temple
c) candies sailing a sea of zoot
What is not awesome here?
a) nothin'
Posted by: Palinode | Monday, August 31, 2009 at 08:12 AM
Also, fork in head, which I was remiss in mentioning.
Posted by: Jett | Monday, August 31, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Oh. Hell. Yea.
Posted by: cIII | Monday, August 31, 2009 at 04:58 PM
and then she laid her pencil down at an altar to say thank you.
Posted by: ms picket to you | Monday, August 31, 2009 at 07:29 PM
Eating candy off a dead man, is that sanitary?
Posted by: Samantha | Wednesday, September 02, 2009 at 12:20 PM
As far as I know, eating a dead man is not sanitary.
Wait... that's not what you meant?
(Note to self: remember to explore cannibalism in next post. It's Samantha's idea!)
Posted by: TwoBusy | Wednesday, September 02, 2009 at 12:56 PM