LJ Idol 11 Week 3
He didn’t remember how or when it all started, just that it had been his for a long, long time. He wasn’t sure if he even had a memory of when it wasn’t a part of him. The wooden handle had become worn, his hand and fingers almost imprinted on it. The forged steel head gleamed. It always did on account of all the cleaning he had to do to it.
His vaguest memories were of small components. He figured they were the earliest. His first clear memory was of Tommy Wilkins. Tommy really shouldn’t have stolen his bike and made fun of him in front of all the kids at school. It’s too bad what happened to his dog.
He clearly remembered the idiot in the car who cut him off on the highway. He followed him for hours before that jerk stopped enough for him to get out of the car and pay him back. He never did find out that guy’s name. Names weren’t important anyway.
Maddie Perez was the one who really got everything going. He still didn’t know why. Not fully. She hadn’t really done anything to set him off, but the urge was so strong. The curls of hair that framed her round face, and that skirt with the tiny flowers…he just couldn’t resist. The sound, the crack and sucking in the void it created, now that was what it was all about. It was good, but he knew he could do better. With enough practice it could be perfection. Eventually, the spatter became important. The patterns, the backdrop. His canvas. His art. His contribution. His signature.
He moved from city to city. Construction jobs were always plenty. He tried the newer, all steel models on different sites he worked but always, always went back to his. There was just something about the old craftsmanship and the comfort of it in his hand. He was careful not to create too often. He didn’t want to stifle the creativity, or decrease the need, the anticipation. Women were easier, but men were stupid too. He didn’t keep count, but he had moved to almost 20 cities in the last 8 years. He couldn't stop now and they would never catch him. He was too smart, and he never let his hammer go.