Brik-A-Brak

Three shadows hovered in the moonlight in the alleyway next to Bonn's Bagel Factory.

The red and blue police lights were causing a disorienting display that seemed to bring much undue attention to a sensitive situation. In tragedy, things should be kept quiet and respectful. But in reality, we turn tragedy into spectacle and nothing good can come from that. The media was on the scene in seconds and the area seemed flooded with curious yet apathetic onlookers.

The excess flapping yellow CAUTION tape tied around the telephone pole, drew lines on the black concrete as if writing this case in invisible ink.

The two policemen looked at the victim. The body was contorted--a cracked shell of who she used to be. Her hair was silky black and her eyes were wide open. Apart from the greyish-blue her skin had become, she was quite attractive. There wasn't as much blood as expected. All internal. Like many of life's pains, but for her, it served fatal.

Officer Lee sighed and walked over to the car to check on the status of the much-needed ambulance. His partner, Officer Nip, couldn't peel his eyes off of the thing before him. He'd never seen anything like it before. It would seem at first as if this were an open and shut suicide case: female, mid-twenties, jumped from the roof of the bagel factory. But something looked off about it all.

Officer Lee walked up to Officer Nip. "Hey, Charlie, Jon is going to be here in a few to take her in. He's not doing too bad nowadays. But damn, how can you ever get used to doing autopsies. All that blood...fluids...dead skin...yuck. I just don't get it." Ambulance sirens wailed in the distance.

Charlie Nip nodded and was still left speechless. A boiling feeling of dread seemed to bubble in the pit of his stomach. "Fuck..." He ran over to the trashcans in the alley and vomited his dinner away.

The three shadows from the alleyway made a flighty exit, confident their goal had been reached.

**************
"I don't understand. I saw her yesterday for lunch. She was fine." Froggie gave a nervous chuckle and held onto the phone tight until his knuckles turned white.

"Mmm-hmm. Alright. I'll be right down. Thank you." He hung up and looked over at the two pairs of eyes baring down on him.

Kuno and Bo-Bo sat on the couch. Bo-Bo got up and crossed his arms across his chest. "Well, what did they say?"

"They want me down at the station to identify her body. Her parents are away somewhere in the Caribbean and can't get in contact with them. Shit. I don't think I can go through with this."

Kuno peeled his 6-foot frame from where he sat and put his hands on Froggie's shoulders. "Come on, bitch, you can get through this. You knew this is what would happen. Just make like the pussy-bitch you are and go cry for your dead girlfriend. They won't bat an eye at you."

The three pulled in front of the police station. Froggie sat in the back, head down.

Bo-Bo shook Froggie's shoulder, "Come on, identify the bitch, and get the hell outta there. We're gonna go grab some breakfast sandwiches. You want Canadian bacon or sausage? Don't do anything stupid. Fuck off, call us when you're done. "

Froggie climbed out of the backseat and watched as his two best friends drove away.

*******************

In a way, our minds try to deceive us by twisting our conscience out of blame. As if we were slathered in olive oil, not allowing anything to stick to us....but it still leaves you standing there, a gross oily mess.

Lara stood in front of her manager at the Gump's Corner Store. She smacked her gum annoyingly and just waited...waited for the firing to begin.

"......we pride ourselves for integrity and conviction. If our employees aren't loyal, how do you expect our customers to be?...."

Lara apathetically nodded. Just fire, me! Fire me, goddamit!

".........and we here at Gump's try to gather a good group of workers that embody our spirit and enthusiasm for our products..."

Her eyes were literally going to fall out of their sockets if her manager didn't hurry up. Yes, I drank the bottle of chocolate milk without paying for it! Fire me!, she thought.

".......Look Lara, you're one of our better employees so you've put me in a very compromising position. I've thought this thing up and down....

Lara's mind wandered. She wondered if her manager knew his nose hairs had become so overgrown it looked like birds had started a nest in his nostrils.

A middle aged woman walked in the store (Lara liked to guess what they'd buy before they came to the counter) She thought...umm...pack a gum, liter of Diet Coke and a pack of condoms. Lara watched as the woman went to refill her birth control prescription and bought a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Damn, so close.

Lara wondered what Froggie and the other guys were doing...maybe watching a flick or eating chili fries.

"........And the holidays are coming up so we're going to need the help. And then Jeremy said he was going to have to transfer from full-time to part-time...."

She couldn't take it any longer. "Look, Bert, I quit. Thanks." Lara grabbed a bottle of chocolate milk without paying for it and walked out the store, never looking back.

To be continued......