Hangover

Posted on July 01, 2024

Based on the following prompt:

Create a sense of place and mystery. In the middle of the road there is a wedding veil box with a lobster in it. How did it get there? Does someone enter the scene to find it? Is it alive? Where is this road? What time of day or night is it? Season? Locale? Bring in all the flavors and answer all the above in a brief scene or story.

Hangover

Ugh, I always feel like shit after a night of heavy gluing. Let's see, another alley? At least this one doesn't reek of piss. Splitting headache though; gotta find Jimmy -- I just need a little bit to rally. I recognize this street, shouldn't be too far.

I know I've got to stop using it, I can't keep waking up in alleyways. But its not my fault -- have to remember that -- its an addiction. My therapost told me its not unusual for boxes in my situation. She's seen it a lot recently. Twenty years. Twenty years I worked for the USPS, and then they go ahead and implement a flat-rate policy. Bottom blows out and that's it -- no more job, a glue addiction from all the repairs, and a small disability check that doesn't cover shit. Not my fault. Have to remember that.

Fuck, is this thing inside me moving? Okay, okay, if it's another rat it would have chewed its way out by now. Find Jimmy. Jimmy will be able to help.

My real issue is DS Smith. Who's he to make me look like a villain in front of my girl? I wasn't going to hurt her; she knows I would never hurt her. Hell, I wasn't even trying to scare her. It was like a play. I was playing the villain, yeah the box-cutter was real, but that's just because I didn't have a prop one. A one-man play. DS Smith -- that double-corrugated bastard -- he pushes in to play the hero. Who does that? Who interrupts a play and interjects themselves? But I improvised -- that's what a good actor does -- and instead of getting laid I get kicked out.

She says they're not fucking, that he's just a friend. I was never going to hurt her; she knows I would never hurt her. His bottom isn't blowing out any time soon. Double-corrugated bastard can get any girl he wants, why does he want my girl?

Shit, steps. Forgot about the steps. Okay, just need to be careful here. One, two, three, not too shabby. Oh fuck, shit, ow. That could have gone better. Well looks like whatever was inside me fell out the top. Let's see what it is.

Oh, a lobster.

Fuck. I was supposed to deliver that. DS Smith knew I'd fuck this up -- he knew it and he set this all up to convince her I'm no good. What an asshole.