For a "photo" short story contest. |
The light flooded in without warning through the half drawn blinds of my trailer, startling me slightly. The last of the whiskey poured down the side of the knee-high fridge missing the glass by a good two inches. "Goddammit." Wearily, I dropped the empty bottle to the floor, watching it roll slowly towards the make-up table, coming to rest against the chair with my name on the back. It seemed to take an eternity to get there, the label appearing and reappearing with each revolution. I smiled to myself, realizing that I wasn't just stinking drunk anymore-the pills were making their way through my blood stream. The world was slowing down. I flopped into the easy chair by the window and drew the blinds, the night becoming day instantly. The brilliant light came from the building across the street. Filming had begun for the day, but they would not need me for another two hours. The Police had cordoned off the area for the duration of the shoot, the usual crowd of wannabees and hanger-ons lined up behind them trying to get a glimpse of one of their heroes. Amazing. Five o'clock in the morning. Didn't these people have a life? One pointed out my trailer to a friend while he snapped a picture. Great shot. Take the photo of your wife and two kids out of the frame on your mantel and put that in. "Rex Farr's Trailer". Jackass. I reached for the cord to lower the blinds, but my arm felt like it was pinned to the chair, refusing to respond. I tried again; this time it rose for an instant, hovering an inch or two above the armrest before dropping. I gave up, my energy spent, and returned my gaze to the street. There were maybe eight cops in a row, men and women, tall and short, white and black. One yawned, two others laughed at something another said, a joke maybe. A tall, heavyset woman stood alone. She stared off into the distance past my trailer, lost in her thoughts, steel blue eyes set in a kindly, plump face. But still, somehow, sad and resigned. The lights from the building behind her began to fade and shrink, the morning becoming my evening. The woman turned and looked towards me, but the darkness inside the trailer concealed my features. I smiled. I hoped she would be the one to find me. |