Month / October 2019

by BiSKITs & Gravy

FE/26 – Part V

by S.L. Jordan

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Quiet as a mouse, I made my way around the counter. Slowly, I pushed the door open -pausing when it creaked- and crept into the back hallway. It was scarcely lit and the beating of my heart drummed loudly in my ears drowning out the buzz of the overhead lights. I tried controlling my breath, long slow inhales and exhales, like my instructor taught us. I needed to be in control. 

“My body is a weapon, and I yield it with precision and control”

Sliding one foot in front of the other I continued down the hallway, it showed evidence of a struggle; scuff marks and broken drywall. A smear of bright red blood leading the way. It was still wet to the touch and the metallic scent sent me into a haze. Not now, I thought. I couldn’t lose focus, anxiety caused the acid to swirl in the pit of my stomach. I channeled that energy outward. I slid my hand into the brass knuckles I kept in my sweatpants and followed the trail until I came upon the back door, Sunmil’s office I assumed.

Now, I could hear muffled sounds coming from the office. There was a sliver of light that spilled into the hallway. Shadows could be seen moving around in the room. 

“That is all the money we have in the safe” Sunny said, his voice filled with fear. There were two other men in the room with him, their gruff voices barking orders and threats. From a crack in the door, I spotted his family -wife and three boys- crouched in the corner held at gunpoint, while the other assailant forced Sumnil to give up the safe. Sunny’s face was badly bruised. The blood in my veins roared ferociously at the quiver in his voice and I kicked in the door taking the captors by surprise. Knocking the gun from his hand with a flying roundhouse kick, I crouched down and sweep him with a muay thai low kick. He went down and clipped his head on the corner of the desk, blood began pooling from his wound filling the room with a pungent metallic scent. Iron – I could taste it on my tongue – it fueled me on.  

I was so damned amazed with myself, but I didn’t have time to throw a parade before his partner in crime began throwing bottles at me. Adrenaline and anger propelled me forward. I was sick of people taking advantage of innocent people. I was sick of no justice. In between the rage, flying fists, and colliding bodies flashes of my mother lying on that living room floor struggling to take her last breath ran through my mind. My fists continued to pummel him as a warm mist sprayed across my face. 

He was unresponsive by the time Sunny could pull me away. My ragged breath filled the room. I couldn’t face Sunny and his family. No one had ever seen that side of me outside of the studio – hell I had never seen that side of me. His boys stared in awe as silent tears ran down their cheeks when their mother ran to me and wrapped me in the tightest hug. It was then I noticed I had taken some pretty solid rib shots. I winced. She spoke into my chest, a voice tinged with tears, “thank you” she whispered before returning to console her boys. 

Sunny grabbed my hand. The one with the brass knuckles still slick with blood. He just held it, gave me a squeeze.

“Leave before I call the cops” he said, and turned to his family to say “a masked person came in to save us.” They nodded in agreement.  

Yeah, that might be a good idea I thought. Walking back down the hallway and into the store I grabbed my Johnny Walker and took a swig with shaky hands. The rum raisin aroma filling my nostrils I felt every muscle in my body relax. Surprisingly, the heat of the drink felt cool as it made its way down. 

I strolled leisurely back to my apartment, the light of the moon guiding my way. The crisp night air mixed with the pepper sips of scotch had me on a high I never felt before. For the first time in years, I felt safe.  I could get used to this feeling. 

The End ….

or is it?

by BiSKITs & Gravy

Junior

By Tony W.

The morning sun shone through the kitchen window lighting the bright orange floral tablecloth that covered the kitchen table as I placed the last knife in the block. The vinyl floor had been scrubbed, but still looked just as dingy as it did before I started. The enamel sink was empty of dishes and had been scrubbed so that it shown. The entire house had been swept and dusted. Clothes and linens washed and ironed. The linen closet, hall and bedroom closets along with drawers all organized neatly. I’d even cleaned and disinfected the washing machine. Everything in its place with a place for everything. It was time to prepare myself for work. Taking a quick shower in the recently bleached tub to wash away the smell of cleaning products from head to toe. A freshly pressed skirt and blouse along with a five-minute face and I was ready to go. Taking a final look at my lovely little house I walked out the back door to my car and went to work.

After a long day made even longer by lack of sleep and traffic, I arrived at my cottage ready for dinner and a little TV. It was only when I opened the fridge that I realized I’d forgotten to pull out the steak I’d planned to grill. A moments contemplation, a few scrolls on an app and dinner was ordered. This was a better plan. Before I forgot yet again, I decided to head to the garage freezer for that steak. I almost fell in trying to recover the small package displaced by Junior’s big ass. That man was always an inconvenience.

by BiSKITs & Gravy

Prompt: Shadow Person

By: IO

Desiree stilled her body, became dead weight as her mother dragged her to her room. 

“Little girl, it is time for bed. All you’re doing it making me angry and getting yourself a grounding,” her mother huffed out the words and she hoisted her ten-year-old daughter up by the arms. 

“Grounded?” Desiree was on her feet at that word, but still refused to move. 

“Grounded. No more ice cream for dessert. No more dessert.”

“Ever?” 

Mother sighed, but kept a firm grip on her daughter’s arms. “Ever.”

Desiree wasn’t certain she’d survive the night, but if she did, she wanted to have something to look forward to on the other side. She stepped towards her mother and walked towards her room. As she approached the door of the dark room, she paused.

The past few nights, Desiree had seen a shadow of a human lurking behind her bedroom door. It appeared as her parents closed it for the night, and each night it moved closer and closer to the end of her bed.

Last night it stood a foot away, while Desiree lay paralyzed, just staring at it, waiting for the shape and mass of it to make sense. She was certain tonight, it would reach her, touch her. She kept it a secret from her moms. Thinking of the shadow person in the daytime made her tongue feel heavy. The words to describe the terror she felt, unable to move or scream while a vaguely shaped absence of light approached her, refused to emerge from her mouth. Even as she crawled into bed, checking behind the door before she moved slowly across the room, she could not tell her mother she thought she might die that night. 

“You all good?” Mother asked. She tucked the covers up to Desiree’s chin, over her little shoulders. 

NO, Desiree thought. “Yeah,” she said instead.

“Yeah?”

“Yes,” Desiree corrected. 

Mother smiled and left the room. She flipped the lights off, pulled the door shut behind her. Desiree stared at the space behind the door as it was slowly revealed. 

Empty. No shadows. 

She kept staring, waiting for her reality to change until her lids were too heavy to keep open. 

Beneath her, a human-shaped shadow reached a hand over the edge of the bed, untucked the covers, and grasped her ankle.

by BiSKITs & Gravy

The Walk

By K. Osorio-Teamer

I was stuck outside on a busy street, people walking past me, in and out of doors around me. I wasn’t sure where I was supposed to go. I knew it was a hotel, but I didn’t know which door it was. I kept walking back and forth looking through windows, trying to find the right building to walk into. But… I had just walked out. I had just stepped foot onto this street, it had to be one of these doors. I kept walking back and forth along the short stretch of sidewalk. With every turn, a person would join me on my search. Searching for themselves. The crowd grew thicker, our feet creating a rhythm as they hit the pavement. More wanderers joined us, making our steps shorter and shorter. People started speaking to me in aggressively friendly growls. They said things like “I have a good heart” and “I’m a good person.” 

Then they would spot their victim. 

I hadn’t realized how cold I was until a woman near the front tackled a man from behind. She clawed at his face, her growls almost as loud as his screams. The people walked around them, somehow not taking notice of the scene below. She hurriedly took the heavy coat off his motionless body. I was getting closer to her and wanted to stop, but the force behind me was stronger and pushed me forward. I walked past her as she slipped on the blood stained coat delicately. She started walking and slipped back into our rhythm, the crowd adjusted for her once again. Inches from me, she smiled at me sweetly and sped up her pace. She was in a hurry to get to the front. 

The night grew colder. Even with all the happy, loving people around. They kept lying and then attacking each other. Sometimes to steal food or clothes, but sometimes for no apparent reason at all. Each time, no one acknowledged it. I kept looking through doors, wishing I could find mine so I could get away from these viciously sweet people. I noticed others entering the crowd, facing us as we passed. They offered food, money, and clothes. An offering for peace. We didn’t accept. We continued on our search, while beating, walking over, and fearing each other. All with a smile on our face. 

THE END