Rush. Adrenaline. Running. Running. Running. Yelling. Smiling. Over fences. Jingle. Jingle. Weights. Green and gold weights. In my pocket. A jade dragonfly beside me. A bubbling giggling feeling. Like champagne. But thats later. Running now. A man in blue behind us. A fat man, a slow man. He cant catch me, he cant catch her. We're too fast for him, too fast. Nobody can catch us. Down back alleys. Hes further and further behind, fading away. Through an open door, out the back. Shes screaming for the joy of it, jade dragonfly bouncing around her neck. The blue man is just a memory now. Running for the joy of it. For the wind through our hair. All the way to whoever would buy. Whoever had cash. Always adrenaline. Always smiles. Always champagne. Running. Running. Her beautiful face. Kissing. Making love. Life. Love. Pure life. Over fences. Through open doors. Out windows. Down skylights. Through locks, without keys. Like ghosts. Running, running, running. No one can catch us. Too fast. A shot. Blood. Blood on her hands. An intense look. Not running for joy. Straining for freedom. Not smiling. Fear. Sweat. But still running running running. Another shot. boom boom boom. More blue men. More running. Out of breath. No more running. Boom boom boom. Blood on her hands. On her face. On the dragonfly. Red dragonfly. Blood. Bullet holes in her. A broken dragonfly. Screaming for pain. Screaming. Screaming. Boom boom boom. Death. Darkness. Alone. Running. Running. A gold watch, a heavy bag. A past. Running. Running. Her screaming face.
And with that, Aaron rolled out of bed with a start. Another morning. He groaned. Another day. Again to the coffeeshop. Same day as yesterday, but the blind man was missing. On the way back, he glanced in the pawnshops windows, and froze. There was the dragonfly, the jade necklace which had haunted his dreams. It was hanging on its own, separate from the million other necklaces. He had thought that he would never see it again. He shook his head. He wasn't. The real one was broken. This was just a look a like, made in the same factory. But still, he thought. What were the chances?
It was bitterly cold outside, so Aaron walked in. It was only fitting that he buy it, that he honor the past. The clerk approached him as soon as he entered. "Ready to get that golden watch back?" he said in a sleazy salesman voice.
"No," said Aaron. He never wanted to see that watch again. "I'm actually interested in buying something else. That jade dragonfly necklace."
"Very nice, very nice," said the clerk as he went to grab it, "High quality stuff. Beautiful to behold, and will last a lifetime."
"You have no idea," said Aaron to himself.
The clerk brought it to him. It was the very same as before, down to every detail. The pricetag read 150$. It was worth it. Then another idea crossed his mind.
"Nevermind," he told the clerk, as he handed the dragonfly back. "I've got better things to buy."
Aaron stode from the pawnshop. It would be much more fitting, much more suited to her memory, he thought, if I did it the old way. If I took it the way she would have wanted me too. One more time. For her sake. Shouldn't be too hard. Just sneak in one night, snatch it, and sprint home. Just like we used to do.
He walked through the rest of the day in a dream, dully punctuated by screaming sirens. He spent hours looking over the city from the roof of Jupiter, only to have to leave because of the fire alarm. On the way out, an hysterical elderly chinese lady almost plowed him over running to an elderly chinese man. She was screaming, "Lu! Lu!" It was late in the day, and Aaron didn't feel like sticking around Lu or his girlfriend. He went back to the church, and sat in his room, thinking. He needed someone to pick the locks. He had seen the blind man with a lockpicking kit in the coffeeshop before. He could hear Father McKenzie mutter to himself as he knotted his socks alone. At some point in the darkness, Aaron fell asleep. He dreamed of jade dragonflies.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
"Another day, another day," Aaron thought as he rolled off his rock hard mattress onto the dirty concrete floor. He was sleeping in the storage room. He groaned. The floor was cold. And the dusty air carried no hint of the smell of coffee. Aaron needed coffee. Badly. He used to wake up to the scent of coffee every morning. He used to have a mattress which sat on a bed frame, not the floor. He used to... well... there was no helping that now. This was what he had now, and it would have to do. He pulled himself off the floor. His body felt like a limp puppet. Coffee. Now.
He stumbled through the woods, cut through Lu's Garage, and finally ended up at the local coffee shop. Thank God. Not that Aaron bought into that type of thing. He didn't bother to knock the snow from his shoes before he trudged to the counter, as he had every morning for the past two weeks. Ordered a black coffee. Nothing special added, as bare bones as they had. It rang up to 2.05. Aaron handed over a twenty. The change came back. Aaron took it, and promptly dumped it in the Tips jar, all 17.95. The girl at the counter smiled at him. Aaron took his coffee and walked to a table in the corner. Sweet nectar of life. He began to glance around the coffeeshop. He recognized the regulars now. There was the blind dude with the dog, sitting by the window, humming some tune to himself. Regular old blind dude. Nothing new. There was the young hipster, skinny jeans and all, hunched over his mac laptop. Probably still working on his documentary about life in the slums. It was supposed to throw him into fame and fortune. People like that came a dime a dozen. There was the tired looking woman with badly applied makeup. Probably preparing to run a second shift at the Jag. Old news, old news. He had thought that the slums might be more interesting than this; he had thought his eyes would be opened. Ahhh well. At least there was coffee.
Now, as he had done every day of the week, Aaron wandered around town. He had long since found his favorite places, and he visited them, one by one. The well in the woods was first. It was peaceful, serene. Overgrown, broken. The snow slowly accumulated on the ground as he watched and listened to the world around him. And as he ignored it. He could still hear cars driving, horns honking. But they were more distant. In a nearby tree, AH and JD had carved their names within a heart shape, just like a million other couples on a million other trees. Aaron absently wondered if they were still together, still alive. Probably not, he decided. Maybe alive, but not together.
Next was the tunnel near the church. Aaron still wondered why the tunnel had been built. One day, he had even looked at the records of the neighborhood, to find a hint of a reason, but there was none. The old man sat by the wall. He looked cold. Dirty nails, dirty hair, dirty clothing. All shivering. After a while, Aaron left. Yesterday had looked the same.
Then Aaron visited the empty old playground, and the pawn shop. At the latter, a gold watch stared up at him, its flawless face declaring the time. Aaron turned in disgust. Not doing that again. Never. He stormed back to the church, grabbed some of his dirty clothing, and visited the laundry mat.
Later in the day, he visited Jupiter Apts. He walked through every hall on every floor, listening to the blaring televisions or fighting couples as he went. Nothing new though. He reached the roof at around 5:45. He stood gazing out over the city, the slum, the prison. He walked through the modest garden and the birds in their cages. Old, old, old. Aaron went down the stairs, taking two at a time. He felt like he should be in a rush to get somewhere, even though he had spent his entire day meandering around familiar places. The lights went out, accompanied by seveal screams and shouts. Someone was cussing at the blank television screen. Other rooms were strangely quiet. Aaron didn't stop to listen. Down, down, down. Until he reached the cold outside, with its snow and its grime. He was running now. Back to the church. Breathing hard, he reached his room with a feeling of anticipation. He hadn't even bothered to tell the priest hello. Aaron plopped down on his mattress, and proceeded to do... nothing. Again. A wave of disappointment drifted over him. He felt something crawl over his foot, but he didn't really care. It wouldn't be there tomorrow, and he guessed that that was what he was waiting for. Tomorrow.
He stumbled through the woods, cut through Lu's Garage, and finally ended up at the local coffee shop. Thank God. Not that Aaron bought into that type of thing. He didn't bother to knock the snow from his shoes before he trudged to the counter, as he had every morning for the past two weeks. Ordered a black coffee. Nothing special added, as bare bones as they had. It rang up to 2.05. Aaron handed over a twenty. The change came back. Aaron took it, and promptly dumped it in the Tips jar, all 17.95. The girl at the counter smiled at him. Aaron took his coffee and walked to a table in the corner. Sweet nectar of life. He began to glance around the coffeeshop. He recognized the regulars now. There was the blind dude with the dog, sitting by the window, humming some tune to himself. Regular old blind dude. Nothing new. There was the young hipster, skinny jeans and all, hunched over his mac laptop. Probably still working on his documentary about life in the slums. It was supposed to throw him into fame and fortune. People like that came a dime a dozen. There was the tired looking woman with badly applied makeup. Probably preparing to run a second shift at the Jag. Old news, old news. He had thought that the slums might be more interesting than this; he had thought his eyes would be opened. Ahhh well. At least there was coffee.
Now, as he had done every day of the week, Aaron wandered around town. He had long since found his favorite places, and he visited them, one by one. The well in the woods was first. It was peaceful, serene. Overgrown, broken. The snow slowly accumulated on the ground as he watched and listened to the world around him. And as he ignored it. He could still hear cars driving, horns honking. But they were more distant. In a nearby tree, AH and JD had carved their names within a heart shape, just like a million other couples on a million other trees. Aaron absently wondered if they were still together, still alive. Probably not, he decided. Maybe alive, but not together.
Next was the tunnel near the church. Aaron still wondered why the tunnel had been built. One day, he had even looked at the records of the neighborhood, to find a hint of a reason, but there was none. The old man sat by the wall. He looked cold. Dirty nails, dirty hair, dirty clothing. All shivering. After a while, Aaron left. Yesterday had looked the same.
Then Aaron visited the empty old playground, and the pawn shop. At the latter, a gold watch stared up at him, its flawless face declaring the time. Aaron turned in disgust. Not doing that again. Never. He stormed back to the church, grabbed some of his dirty clothing, and visited the laundry mat.
Later in the day, he visited Jupiter Apts. He walked through every hall on every floor, listening to the blaring televisions or fighting couples as he went. Nothing new though. He reached the roof at around 5:45. He stood gazing out over the city, the slum, the prison. He walked through the modest garden and the birds in their cages. Old, old, old. Aaron went down the stairs, taking two at a time. He felt like he should be in a rush to get somewhere, even though he had spent his entire day meandering around familiar places. The lights went out, accompanied by seveal screams and shouts. Someone was cussing at the blank television screen. Other rooms were strangely quiet. Aaron didn't stop to listen. Down, down, down. Until he reached the cold outside, with its snow and its grime. He was running now. Back to the church. Breathing hard, he reached his room with a feeling of anticipation. He hadn't even bothered to tell the priest hello. Aaron plopped down on his mattress, and proceeded to do... nothing. Again. A wave of disappointment drifted over him. He felt something crawl over his foot, but he didn't really care. It wouldn't be there tomorrow, and he guessed that that was what he was waiting for. Tomorrow.
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