It's a Drug Pt.1

"Click!"
That unfavorable noise meant the chain was locked. I sat down on the ground with my legs spread open feeling the warmth on my bottom that could have tricked you into thinking you'd soiled yourself. I sighed. I began to rub my belly then looked up to Barry squinting against the sun without wondering what he was going to say. I knew the routine when coming to the mall, Treater's Mall, that is.


"I'll be back in a little less than an hour," he exclaimed.
My eyes shifted to a chubby gray eyed baby staring at me. He had to be 3 or 4 years of age and was trailing behind his mother with a leash attached to his upper torso. His eyes made me feel as if i were walking into the future because they were so metallic and clean. Dry, meaty fingers were waved into my face.
"Tasha to earth." My eye shape expanded for a quick dart of my pupils to Barry. His facial expression showed a tried out skeptical look. He laughed as if he were trying to stop himself from coughing aloud, shook his head and walked into the mall.

"In an hour," he called without looking back and flicking his middle finger in the air at me. I kissed my hand and touched where i felt a hard kick in the bottom left corner of my stomach. I was going to pop any day.

My eyes were always closed and my hand relaxed on the spherical ball of love whenever we came to the mall. I hated watching people watch me. I would always hear footsteps tapping the ground at an average pace then slow down and get louder. I knew they were trying to comprehend the metal chain around my neck connected to the flag pole.
"Excuse me, mam."

My eyes shot wide open and i jumped. My vision was blurred and my mouth tasted dry. It was dark outside and I couldn't recall ever going to sleep. The full moon was defined, the night air was harsh and the crickets chirped. My heart exploded. Barry had definitely been gone longer than an hour.
"Why are you chained to a flag pole?"

I looked around to see where he could possibly be. The parking lot was swiped clean and there was no other human in sight besides_,"Lady, the mall is closed, you need to leave. Do you need a ride or any kind of help? You don't need to be left alone in the condition you're in."
I looked into the face of a lady with motherly concerns. She had to be close to my own mother's age. She had the lining of a fancy tributary on the edges of her eyes. Soft and reliable eyes was what i saw. Her nose bridge was so thin it was impossible to believe air was making its way through. Her lips had crumbs of dry skin and propped up on it was a strand of blonde hair running up to a head of roots that had to have about ten strands of hair per root because the volume of her hair was amazing.

"Just get me out of this chain and I'll take it from there."

The lady nodded her head and began digging through her purse for something to break the lock. A sudden dead look phased her. I saw her eyes pointed toward the doors of the mall. I felt like i had a adam's apple so I swallowed hard. I turned around to see the outline of a man with Barry's physique. He walked like the cool cat of high school toward us.
"Tasha, who's your friend?"
I heard a snap of horror. He'd opened his pocket knife. He tapped it against the beer bottle four times and took a drink. The beer knocked against the glass inside.
"SHE'S just a lady just greeting m-m-me politely."
"You were cheating on me, weren't you," he said through clenched teeth.
I looked to see the lady inching back slowly away looking at me and him.
"It's Barry," she whispered.