I got a lot more attention for the bit of story that I published, than all of my blog post combined and that got me to thinking. Maybe I should blog a few drafts to see what happens. So, readers. The story I post here is a draft I just created. This has not been edited besides the normal writing rules I can’t help but follow. Enjoy.
Tiny favors
” The trees never look so green.” Mrs. Logan said to the cashier. She placed her items on the counter slowly, taking her time to inspect each one like someone else put them in her basket. Nick tried to be patient but the mundane conversation that Mrs. Logan was gearing up to bore the checkout girl with, was not going to help his struggle. He took a quick look behind him and saw that the line was starting to grow.
” Did you hear Cheryl Bradley just bought a new car? How she can afford one when we are going through a recession is beyond me.” She continued gossiping, oblivious to the line she created. Nick prayed to the heavens for a savior. But he’d cut Mrs. Logan’s lawn for over five years and knew for a fact that once Mrs. Logan got started, nothing stopped her. He looked to the registers on each side and those lines didn’t look too promising.
This was supposed to be for speedy checkout, but the pudgy little grey haired woman had a mouth that ran a marathon daily and never met a person she couldn’t bore. ” Oh, just push past her. Look she still has dog food and some other items she hasn’t put on the counter yet. Just pop on by, drop the exact change on the counter and be done with it. ” Nick wanted to, it would teach the gossiping old hag a thing or two about respect, but he couldn’t do that to Mrs. Logan. She always found a job for him when he needed some spare cash. She goes to church with his mom. Now there’s a conversation for his mom to have during Bible study.
” I’m in no rush. There’s no reason to be rude.” Nick said, turning to the person behind him. But there was no one there. Nick looked to the other lines and could see that the people that were behind him had all chose a different line.
‘ Who the hell?’ Nick thought turning back to Mrs. Logan, who was almost finished with her shopping and gossiping.
‘ How’d she get through those so fast?’ Nick placed a hand to his forehead, hoping that would explain the loss of time he was experiencing or the voice for that matter.
” Well there is no need to think about the voice, just look over here.” Nick followed the sound of the voice and saw the strangest thing. Standing on his shoulder was a small man that looked a little like his cousin Rudy. He wore red golf pants, a yellow turtleneck and green bowling shoes. He had a weird white hat on his head, that had a tiny red puffball at the top. Nick wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the outfit, hell at least the belly that’s barely held in check by that sweater, but there was a bigger problem at hand. If he is seeing little weirdly dressed men, then he must have some form of brain damage.
‘ Oh that’s just great, of all the illusions to have, I get my brain dead cousin as a companion.’ Nick thinks.
” You got more than just me to worry about buddy. Oh and for your information, I’m not an illusion.” The Rudy thing said. It jumped off of Nicks shoulder and landed on the counter. When the plump little monsters belly hit the counter it farted so loud that the counter girl and Mrs. Logan gave Nick a disgusted look.
” Oh, you do it too.” Nick said, waving his hand behind him. He smiled, just to add effect, then moved to put his items on the counter to block the mini-rudy.
‘ So what are my main worries? If having a small version of my pathetic cousin following me around isn’t terrible, you tell me what is? ‘ Nick said. Mrs. Logan was finally done and the checkout girl started scanning his items.
‘ How come she can’t see you but they both heard you? ‘ He asked, watching the checkout girl as the Rudi-thing slid past the sensor. He didn’t beep, thank god. That would have been a wonderful thing for the girl to figure out.
” Find everything ok, sir?” The girl asked.
” More than I expected.” Nick wanted to say, instead he said yes he did and paid for his items.
” Well, that lady there Mrs. Logan, you called her. Well she is about to get hit by a automobile as she leaves the parking lot. The damage from the impact with kill her.” ” I gu..” “Your friend Robert is about to shoot his girlfriend Natalie because he caught her cheating with your brother.” “But…” ” And Theresa Shelton is about to call you with news of her pregnancy with your baby. Oh that call will be followed by a call from her father saying welcome to the family, he of course will be calling you from the gun range.”
Nick almost fell on his face from the news he’d just heard. He didn’t know who he should call first, well Theresa was definitely a call he has to block, but what is he going to do about Robert, Natalie or poor old Mrs….
The sound of screeching tires, followed by the cold twang of colliding steel,cut short all other thoughts Nick was having. He dropped the grocery bags and followed the other shoppers that ran toward the sound.
The scene was terrible. Mrs. Logan, who somehow forgot to put on her seatbelt, was the first body Nick saw when he could see the scene completely. Her body lay sprawled on the sidewalk, with one of her legs twisted towards her face. The only part of her car that Nick could see was the busted windshield, the rest was tangled with the two other cars involved in the accident.
Nick could see more of the scene, but he didn’t feel like looking. He turned away from the scene and started walking to his car. ‘Gotta call my brother, Sean. Tell him to get off Natalie and run.’ Nick thought as he picked up his bags. He unlocked his door and reached for his cell phone, that he always kept on the charger.
He dialed the number and listened to the ring. When the call was answered.
” Hello, Sean, are you with Nat?”
WISE Words 