Post by J.Hollick on Oct 16, 2013 11:45:11 GMT -9
Round and Hollow
As Elijah trudged up the sidewalk his socked feet stumbled blindly through the snow. It was only the beginning of winter and there would be many more hard weeks ahead. Elijah was currently heading towards his favourite intersection to begin a day of panhandling and general begging. With some luck he would able to afford to replace the boots he seemed to have lost before his toes were taken by frostbite. He knew, however, that his self-discipline was quickly fading as the nervous twitch and that familiar edgy feeling were already taking over. He needed a fix, desperately. He had no doubt in his mind that his last high is when and how he had managed to lose both his boots and his last bit of dope. He crossed his arms against the wind and ducked his head downwards, the wind whipping his scraggly grey hair and biting at his balding head. He focused his energies on the pressing urgency of obtaining a pair of boots and trying to forget the itch scratching at his brain.
A loud ‘thunk’ sounded just behind Elijah as he was nearing the corner of an apartment building and he paused in his shuffling and turned around. Sitting in the snow, one fallen on it’s side, was a pair of brand new winter boots. He glanced upwards at the wintery heavens and broke into a smile.
“Shoot.” Jane ran into the kitchen and pulled the pan from the stove. Smoke alarms were going off and she quickly opened all the windows, ignoring the cold. She gave an exasperated sigh as she began scraping the black mound into the garbage. On the counter beside the stove a cell phone sprang to life and began vibrating. She picked it up and looked at the screen. It was Carlos’s cell phone and it showed that he had received a message from Lindsay.
“Carlos.” She called, heading towards the bathroom where her boyfriend was just getting out of the shower, “You have a message from Lindsay.”
“Which one?” He called through the door as she heard him step from the tub.
“I think it’s ‘work Lindsay’.” Jane was already opening the message to read it to him when he called out, “Just leave it. I’m on holidays.” But Jane had already opened it. Her face first went white, then flushed a deep red as Carlos opened the door
“What?” He asked, slightly perplexed.
The image staring back was obviously taken by Lindsay, holding the cell phone above her head and pointing it down towards herself. It showed Lindsay with her wavy brown hair hanging loose around her shoulders, her puppy dog eyes staring deep into the lens and her small frame covered in a pink, lace brassiere and underwear. Shock and rage blew across Jane’s face. She whipped the phone at Carlos, smacking him in the chest, and headed for the living room. Carlos, in nothing but a white towel, picked up the phone and chased after her.
“Honey, calm down please,” He glanced at the phone and saw the image, “I have no idea why Lindsay sent this to me.”
It was too late. Things were flying towards Carlos’s head as Jane entered the kitchen. Pots and pans whizzed through the air as Jane bawled and raged uncontrollably and Carlos ducked and dodged while trying to maintain a firm hold on his towel.
When all the metal that was readily available in the kitchen was gone she moved on to the two suitcases that were sitting in the living room where they were packed for their romantic get away to a ski resort.
“How can I believe a word you say?”
“I would never cheat on you. I love you.”
“You cheated on your wife with me.” She challenged.
“That was three years ago.”
“If you did it once you can do it again.” By this time the clothes in Carlos’s suitcase that had been neatly folded were strewn across the living room. That’s when she picked up the brand new pair of winter boots. They flew towards Carlos’s head, tied together by the shoelaces, they spun and pulled haphazardly, spinning and weaving. Carlos ducked and they exited the window, falling twenty-one flights to the ground below.
Lindsay and Carmen wandered through the mall, chatting and window-shopping.
“Anything catching your eye?” Carmen asked.
“Not really. I just want tonight to be perfect. Tyson booked us reservations at this really fancy greek restaurant and then we’re staying the night at the Chateau de noir.
“So you guys are finally gonna do the dirty deed?”
“God I hope so. He’s being a gentleman but we’ve been dating for three months now.”
“I’m sure Saturday will be perfect.” Just then Carmen’s phone rang and she began searching through her giant black bag. She pulled out her cell phone, “It’s the school.” She said, reading the caller i.d and sounding concerned, “Hello?”
Her face turned a pale shade of grey as she listened to the news on the phone, “I have to go.” She said, hanging up the phone.
“What, but you promised to help me find something to wear.”
“I know, I know, but Alex just got arrested for drug possession.” And she was off, disappearing among the throng of holiday shoppers.
Lindsay continued on, slightly upset but finally stopping at a lingerie store. She tried on several different combinations before settling on a pink lace one. She entered the change rooms and, pretty sure she was going to purchase it, ignored the sign on the door that stated, “Please leave undergarments on.” She stripped down and tried it on. It fit perfectly. Lifting her phone up she snapped a quick photo and punched ‘C’ ‘A’ ‘R’ into the contact line on her phone and hit send.
The silver SUV pulled up to the curb.
“Good bye sweetie, have a good day at school.”
Blond haired Alex dodged the kiss of his mother was attempting and jumped out of the vehicle.
“Bye mom.” He shouted, slamming the door and meeting his friends Ben and James on the front porch of Ben’s house. The SUV pulled away and disappeared around the corner.
“You guys wanna see something awesome?” Ben asked now that they were free from the watchful eyes of parents.
“Is he dead?” James asked.
In front of them, near the dumpster in the alley and lying on the snowy ground was an old man, his face obscured by the hood he had pulled over his eyes. Just then the old man shifted and snorted in his fitful sleep as if in answer to their question. The boys all gasped.
“Go on. Take them.” James said to Ben.
“No way. Go ahead Alex, show us you’re not chicken.” Alex felt he had little choice. Slowly he crept forward. Very carefully he slid one boot off, then the other. The old man let out another snort. The boys all jumped again but their mission was successful and they took off running down the alley towards school.
The boys are late, their escapades in the alley took longer then they predicted. As they trod down the empty hallways, Alex swinging his trophies back and forth, they head towards their lockers. There are footsteps and then two figures come around the corner. Police officers appear and the boys panic and come to a standstill. One of the officers is holding the leash of a German Shepherd.
“What do we do?” Alex asked, frightened.
“Dude, you’re locker. Put the boots in.”
Alex takes the two more steps to his locker and quickly rotates the combo lock. He throws the boots into the locker and the boys run for class.
Sitting in one of the boots, nestled between the liner and the exterior shell is a small baggy. Elijah’s last fix.
As Elijah trudged up the sidewalk his socked feet stumbled blindly through the snow. It was only the beginning of winter and there would be many more hard weeks ahead. Elijah was currently heading towards his favourite intersection to begin a day of panhandling and general begging. With some luck he would able to afford to replace the boots he seemed to have lost before his toes were taken by frostbite. He knew, however, that his self-discipline was quickly fading as the nervous twitch and that familiar edgy feeling were already taking over. He needed a fix, desperately. He had no doubt in his mind that his last high is when and how he had managed to lose both his boots and his last bit of dope. He crossed his arms against the wind and ducked his head downwards, the wind whipping his scraggly grey hair and biting at his balding head. He focused his energies on the pressing urgency of obtaining a pair of boots and trying to forget the itch scratching at his brain.
A loud ‘thunk’ sounded just behind Elijah as he was nearing the corner of an apartment building and he paused in his shuffling and turned around. Sitting in the snow, one fallen on it’s side, was a pair of brand new winter boots. He glanced upwards at the wintery heavens and broke into a smile.
“Shoot.” Jane ran into the kitchen and pulled the pan from the stove. Smoke alarms were going off and she quickly opened all the windows, ignoring the cold. She gave an exasperated sigh as she began scraping the black mound into the garbage. On the counter beside the stove a cell phone sprang to life and began vibrating. She picked it up and looked at the screen. It was Carlos’s cell phone and it showed that he had received a message from Lindsay.
“Carlos.” She called, heading towards the bathroom where her boyfriend was just getting out of the shower, “You have a message from Lindsay.”
“Which one?” He called through the door as she heard him step from the tub.
“I think it’s ‘work Lindsay’.” Jane was already opening the message to read it to him when he called out, “Just leave it. I’m on holidays.” But Jane had already opened it. Her face first went white, then flushed a deep red as Carlos opened the door
“What?” He asked, slightly perplexed.
The image staring back was obviously taken by Lindsay, holding the cell phone above her head and pointing it down towards herself. It showed Lindsay with her wavy brown hair hanging loose around her shoulders, her puppy dog eyes staring deep into the lens and her small frame covered in a pink, lace brassiere and underwear. Shock and rage blew across Jane’s face. She whipped the phone at Carlos, smacking him in the chest, and headed for the living room. Carlos, in nothing but a white towel, picked up the phone and chased after her.
“Honey, calm down please,” He glanced at the phone and saw the image, “I have no idea why Lindsay sent this to me.”
It was too late. Things were flying towards Carlos’s head as Jane entered the kitchen. Pots and pans whizzed through the air as Jane bawled and raged uncontrollably and Carlos ducked and dodged while trying to maintain a firm hold on his towel.
When all the metal that was readily available in the kitchen was gone she moved on to the two suitcases that were sitting in the living room where they were packed for their romantic get away to a ski resort.
“How can I believe a word you say?”
“I would never cheat on you. I love you.”
“You cheated on your wife with me.” She challenged.
“That was three years ago.”
“If you did it once you can do it again.” By this time the clothes in Carlos’s suitcase that had been neatly folded were strewn across the living room. That’s when she picked up the brand new pair of winter boots. They flew towards Carlos’s head, tied together by the shoelaces, they spun and pulled haphazardly, spinning and weaving. Carlos ducked and they exited the window, falling twenty-one flights to the ground below.
Lindsay and Carmen wandered through the mall, chatting and window-shopping.
“Anything catching your eye?” Carmen asked.
“Not really. I just want tonight to be perfect. Tyson booked us reservations at this really fancy greek restaurant and then we’re staying the night at the Chateau de noir.
“So you guys are finally gonna do the dirty deed?”
“God I hope so. He’s being a gentleman but we’ve been dating for three months now.”
“I’m sure Saturday will be perfect.” Just then Carmen’s phone rang and she began searching through her giant black bag. She pulled out her cell phone, “It’s the school.” She said, reading the caller i.d and sounding concerned, “Hello?”
Her face turned a pale shade of grey as she listened to the news on the phone, “I have to go.” She said, hanging up the phone.
“What, but you promised to help me find something to wear.”
“I know, I know, but Alex just got arrested for drug possession.” And she was off, disappearing among the throng of holiday shoppers.
Lindsay continued on, slightly upset but finally stopping at a lingerie store. She tried on several different combinations before settling on a pink lace one. She entered the change rooms and, pretty sure she was going to purchase it, ignored the sign on the door that stated, “Please leave undergarments on.” She stripped down and tried it on. It fit perfectly. Lifting her phone up she snapped a quick photo and punched ‘C’ ‘A’ ‘R’ into the contact line on her phone and hit send.
The silver SUV pulled up to the curb.
“Good bye sweetie, have a good day at school.”
Blond haired Alex dodged the kiss of his mother was attempting and jumped out of the vehicle.
“Bye mom.” He shouted, slamming the door and meeting his friends Ben and James on the front porch of Ben’s house. The SUV pulled away and disappeared around the corner.
“You guys wanna see something awesome?” Ben asked now that they were free from the watchful eyes of parents.
“Is he dead?” James asked.
In front of them, near the dumpster in the alley and lying on the snowy ground was an old man, his face obscured by the hood he had pulled over his eyes. Just then the old man shifted and snorted in his fitful sleep as if in answer to their question. The boys all gasped.
“Go on. Take them.” James said to Ben.
“No way. Go ahead Alex, show us you’re not chicken.” Alex felt he had little choice. Slowly he crept forward. Very carefully he slid one boot off, then the other. The old man let out another snort. The boys all jumped again but their mission was successful and they took off running down the alley towards school.
The boys are late, their escapades in the alley took longer then they predicted. As they trod down the empty hallways, Alex swinging his trophies back and forth, they head towards their lockers. There are footsteps and then two figures come around the corner. Police officers appear and the boys panic and come to a standstill. One of the officers is holding the leash of a German Shepherd.
“What do we do?” Alex asked, frightened.
“Dude, you’re locker. Put the boots in.”
Alex takes the two more steps to his locker and quickly rotates the combo lock. He throws the boots into the locker and the boys run for class.
Sitting in one of the boots, nestled between the liner and the exterior shell is a small baggy. Elijah’s last fix.
