Four Panel Story #4 - The Guys in the Back
"Circle around the block, Al" the guy in the back said. He always ordered him around. Drive here. Park there. Dig this. Bury that. Light these patchooli scented candles. Rinse that stain out. All day long. Endless. Al wanted a cigarette but figured that the boss's boss had warned him enough about "vile habits."
Al went around the block of dull row houses and parked exactly where here started. Now the guy in the back was going to say, shut off the motor. A second later, from behind him came the sound of the guy in back rasping out, "Shut off the motor." So predictable. "The lights sill on in the house." Why would the guy in the back have to say that? Was Al blind? Was he an idiot? Was he the kind of driver who needed redundant exposition from his superiors?
It wasn's always this way. There was someone before this guy in back. There was an earlier guy in back who was so much better. He was funny. You never knew what he was going to say. Sometimes he spoke in a deep scary voice just for fun. He never smelled of mind controlling scent. Al was happy to go and toss apartments and break knees with that guy in the back.
But then one day he was gone. Al got behind the wheel and then looked behind to say something funny and this guy was there. This new guy in the back. He was long faced and serious. He chewed a lot of Juicy Fruit. He never knew what happened to the other one. He didn't say good bye. Did he move? Did Al say something? Al never got a chanced to say he was sorry if he did.
Al saw the lights in the cased apartment go out and waited five, ten, fifteen, and go. "Okay," the guy in the back said on cue, "The lights are out." Here he goes, Al thought, now he is going to say they are going to wait thirty minutes before they make their move. "We'll wait a half hour, then..." This guy in the back never finished his thoughts. He trailed off, trying to sound menacing.
Al did not look forward to waiting for that long with this guy. How could he get rid of this guy? How could he get a new guy in the back? Anyone would be better than this dreary fella. Al looked to the seat next to him and saw the tire iron sitting there. Who knows, Al thought, maybe I do have an idea. Thirty minutes are sure a long time to not do nothing after all.
Al went around the block of dull row houses and parked exactly where here started. Now the guy in the back was going to say, shut off the motor. A second later, from behind him came the sound of the guy in back rasping out, "Shut off the motor." So predictable. "The lights sill on in the house." Why would the guy in the back have to say that? Was Al blind? Was he an idiot? Was he the kind of driver who needed redundant exposition from his superiors?
It wasn's always this way. There was someone before this guy in back. There was an earlier guy in back who was so much better. He was funny. You never knew what he was going to say. Sometimes he spoke in a deep scary voice just for fun. He never smelled of mind controlling scent. Al was happy to go and toss apartments and break knees with that guy in the back.
But then one day he was gone. Al got behind the wheel and then looked behind to say something funny and this guy was there. This new guy in the back. He was long faced and serious. He chewed a lot of Juicy Fruit. He never knew what happened to the other one. He didn't say good bye. Did he move? Did Al say something? Al never got a chanced to say he was sorry if he did.
Al saw the lights in the cased apartment go out and waited five, ten, fifteen, and go. "Okay," the guy in the back said on cue, "The lights are out." Here he goes, Al thought, now he is going to say they are going to wait thirty minutes before they make their move. "We'll wait a half hour, then..." This guy in the back never finished his thoughts. He trailed off, trying to sound menacing.
Al did not look forward to waiting for that long with this guy. How could he get rid of this guy? How could he get a new guy in the back? Anyone would be better than this dreary fella. Al looked to the seat next to him and saw the tire iron sitting there. Who knows, Al thought, maybe I do have an idea. Thirty minutes are sure a long time to not do nothing after all.