Tom Flanders World

She stood beneath the neon clock waiting for him. I knew it was a him. It’s always a him and that’s where they always wait.

Judging from her amazing looks I imagined that he would be her equal. She was elegant and angular. Maybe he would be the same. Or maybe he would be round in contrast. Kind of like me, but dressed better.

I never found out. He never came. At twenty past the hour she gave up and left. It wasn’t till she was gone that I thought maybe she was waiting for me. I need better clothes.

Raul unfurled an official-use-only gray and green Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office body bag. He filled it with pine needles, a few twigs and threw it in the river. The swift water carried it downstream and into the path of the flashlight. Much yelling followed.

Raul turned to Carl, “Run. Now.”

Carl’s confusion deadened his reaction. He truly expected to be inside that bag by now.

“It’s up to you,” Raul said as he started down the path downstream. “You’ve got about twenty minutes head start.”

Carl grinned and ran upstream to the highway. The sun would be up soon.