first chapter to my novel for Nanowhatever
Following Strangers
Ch.1
I broke the bank and took in a show the night he became critical. It was a great movie about a kid grown up and a man who had never gone beyond his childhood. I stayed to watch the credits and listen to the music after everyone else had left. After the clamor of people leaving and before the cinema sweepers came in I felt in balance. Things were going right for once. I went for fast food after that and charged it to his credit card. McDonalds excepts visa. The food was perfect and my whole mouth was alive with the taste of processed chicken and spicy barbecue sauce, twenty pieces. The high school kid behind the counter had a tough time smiling at me when I picked up the order. It must have been the bloody shirt.
As I sat drowning my meat in barbecue I realized something was wrong. I was still here. I grabbed the keys to his truck and waved at the cashier as I left, he looked a little queasy. The parking lot was littered with lids and napkins a tall black guy leaned into the shadows of late evening hands shoved deep into his black pants pockets with his regulation shirt hanging out untucked. Maybe I’d be like him in a few days. The truck beeped when I pressed the button.
At his house I packed. I packed the food first. When I got to my clothes I realized I needed some new things. All I had was what he gave me; I’d burn those. At eight most everything was closed but then I remembered the commercial on TV the one with the bouncing dot. It seemed so cheerful and he had never taken me there, all the better.
Driving without a license was not new to me I liked to smile and wave at the cops as I passed. It gave me power a perverse sense of humor. I was looking out at them through my glass walls I had no barriers for him but to them I was too far to touch. I parked perfectly in a far parking space and walked to the front doors weaving through traffic with a skip. I was greeted with a smile and a good afternoon from a white haired greeter at the door. She was rather plump but looked nice like some old lady who might call me sweetie or little miss. I had changed my shirt.
I didn’t know what size I was. It had been a while since I had been shopping. I turned out to be a six and bought three pair one with roses sown along one leg another that sparkled in the light and still one more that looked practical. The shirts were fairly orderly aside from the clearance rack that was a tangle of colors bright thrown in with neutral shocking the senses and dulling the wits with phrases like ‘Jail Bait’ and ‘Milkshake’. I steered clear of the mess and bought all five of my shirts full price.
Underwear was interesting. I went for the packs and found most of them ripped open and fallen like animal droppings to the floor. Some humans needed to be house trained. The mess reminded me how much he liked order and wanted a clean house at pain for me. I ripped open a bag and pulled one over my jeans. Hmmm a size smaller would do. I dropped it to the ground, just another addition to a backed up sump pump. I grabbed a pack of bikini briefs and threw them in my buggy, one I had found along the way, everything in it I had dumped out on the floor.
Feeling suddenly greedy I grabbed a few CD’s only about ten and pulled down almost a full rack of books; I’d need entertainment on the way out.
The cashier lady gave me an odd look as I pulled up with my buggy and I dumped half the candy counter on her register. Her cheek was distended with gum and her eyes were unkind as they roved over me. I had no glass and I began to feel uncomfortable. Do your job bitch. She popped her gum and dragged my new clothes across the lit counter each beeping a price sharply some taking a few more passes then the others. I wanted her hands off them and my teeth ground together each time she popped a bubble. Her fingers were off them when I paid with his credit card. A receipt rolled out and I held it in front of her.
“Gum, now” I left no room for protest.
She spit it into the paper eyes fixed on mine. I took the paper between my fingers and squeezed it till it oozed out. I stuck it to the center of her lit counter the portion of the surface that read prices and smiled sweetly.
“Do remember that chewing gum is very bad for your teeth and otherwise lethal when it annoys me.” I’d always wanted to say something like that but to someone else. I left purchases swinging off my arms and her smoldering eyes following me but what did I care I was leaving. My day was going well.
I didn’t leave till the next day. I forgot to refrigerate the food and it went bad overnight. I had breakfast, a stomach of warm cream of wheat; I felt all warm and gooey on the inside. I left the door unlocked and a bonfire lit in the living room, my clothes and some pictures. I’d cut the power, no fire alarms. The truck eased out of the driveway and I headed south.
(yeah weird i know... i always write crap like this. don't be fooled it will get all paranormalish)
Ch.1
I broke the bank and took in a show the night he became critical. It was a great movie about a kid grown up and a man who had never gone beyond his childhood. I stayed to watch the credits and listen to the music after everyone else had left. After the clamor of people leaving and before the cinema sweepers came in I felt in balance. Things were going right for once. I went for fast food after that and charged it to his credit card. McDonalds excepts visa. The food was perfect and my whole mouth was alive with the taste of processed chicken and spicy barbecue sauce, twenty pieces. The high school kid behind the counter had a tough time smiling at me when I picked up the order. It must have been the bloody shirt.
As I sat drowning my meat in barbecue I realized something was wrong. I was still here. I grabbed the keys to his truck and waved at the cashier as I left, he looked a little queasy. The parking lot was littered with lids and napkins a tall black guy leaned into the shadows of late evening hands shoved deep into his black pants pockets with his regulation shirt hanging out untucked. Maybe I’d be like him in a few days. The truck beeped when I pressed the button.
At his house I packed. I packed the food first. When I got to my clothes I realized I needed some new things. All I had was what he gave me; I’d burn those. At eight most everything was closed but then I remembered the commercial on TV the one with the bouncing dot. It seemed so cheerful and he had never taken me there, all the better.
Driving without a license was not new to me I liked to smile and wave at the cops as I passed. It gave me power a perverse sense of humor. I was looking out at them through my glass walls I had no barriers for him but to them I was too far to touch. I parked perfectly in a far parking space and walked to the front doors weaving through traffic with a skip. I was greeted with a smile and a good afternoon from a white haired greeter at the door. She was rather plump but looked nice like some old lady who might call me sweetie or little miss. I had changed my shirt.
I didn’t know what size I was. It had been a while since I had been shopping. I turned out to be a six and bought three pair one with roses sown along one leg another that sparkled in the light and still one more that looked practical. The shirts were fairly orderly aside from the clearance rack that was a tangle of colors bright thrown in with neutral shocking the senses and dulling the wits with phrases like ‘Jail Bait’ and ‘Milkshake’. I steered clear of the mess and bought all five of my shirts full price.
Underwear was interesting. I went for the packs and found most of them ripped open and fallen like animal droppings to the floor. Some humans needed to be house trained. The mess reminded me how much he liked order and wanted a clean house at pain for me. I ripped open a bag and pulled one over my jeans. Hmmm a size smaller would do. I dropped it to the ground, just another addition to a backed up sump pump. I grabbed a pack of bikini briefs and threw them in my buggy, one I had found along the way, everything in it I had dumped out on the floor.
Feeling suddenly greedy I grabbed a few CD’s only about ten and pulled down almost a full rack of books; I’d need entertainment on the way out.
The cashier lady gave me an odd look as I pulled up with my buggy and I dumped half the candy counter on her register. Her cheek was distended with gum and her eyes were unkind as they roved over me. I had no glass and I began to feel uncomfortable. Do your job bitch. She popped her gum and dragged my new clothes across the lit counter each beeping a price sharply some taking a few more passes then the others. I wanted her hands off them and my teeth ground together each time she popped a bubble. Her fingers were off them when I paid with his credit card. A receipt rolled out and I held it in front of her.
“Gum, now” I left no room for protest.
She spit it into the paper eyes fixed on mine. I took the paper between my fingers and squeezed it till it oozed out. I stuck it to the center of her lit counter the portion of the surface that read prices and smiled sweetly.
“Do remember that chewing gum is very bad for your teeth and otherwise lethal when it annoys me.” I’d always wanted to say something like that but to someone else. I left purchases swinging off my arms and her smoldering eyes following me but what did I care I was leaving. My day was going well.
I didn’t leave till the next day. I forgot to refrigerate the food and it went bad overnight. I had breakfast, a stomach of warm cream of wheat; I felt all warm and gooey on the inside. I left the door unlocked and a bonfire lit in the living room, my clothes and some pictures. I’d cut the power, no fire alarms. The truck eased out of the driveway and I headed south.
(yeah weird i know... i always write crap like this. don't be fooled it will get all paranormalish)