Comes Around (4)
By Hades502
- 463 reads
Thirteen years later
Jack pulled up to the bus stop in a vehicle that looked much older than its years, a heavy layer of grease seemed permanently stained on what seemed to have once been a white van. “Hey, sorry bro, not picking you up in style, but I just grabbed this one from the company.”
Aaron merely nodded before opening the passenger door and getting inside.
“Don’t you have any shit? Damn, almost fifteen years in that place and you don’t even have a small bag?”
“Travelling light. I don’t have far to go.” Aaron closed the door and that was when he noticed the large monkey wrench near his feet in the service van.
“We got a couple hours drive,” said Jack as he put the vehicle back into drive and headed toward the exit of the parking lot.
They both stayed silent for several minutes before Jack spoke up again: “So, did you get ass-fucked in there?”
After a long pause, Aaron finally said, “A lot of shit happened this last decade and a half.”
“You got butt-fucked, you got butt-fucked, you got but fucked,” Jack taunted.
Aaron glared at him for a moment, but said nothing.
Jack giggled to himself for a period of time before probing again with a further question: “So, where you staying tonight?”
“Not one-hundred percent sure, but I have a rough idea.”
“Yeah, man, sorry you can’t stay with me. The wife won’t have it. Chicks are such bitches about shit. She says she doesn’t want a convicted rapist staying around our kid. She won’t listen when I tell her that you aren’t a rapist.”
“I am a rapist. Maybe I’m something much worse now.”
“Nah, you just fucked up. Didn’t do it the way I told you too. You could never follow directions real well, dumbass.”
Aaron didn’t make eye contact and merely grunted.
“Fuck, it sucks being married. They just nag and shit. She says her allowance ain’t enough, just wastes money on stupid shit, won’t let me stay out all night. It’s like living with your parents forever. You’re very lucky that you aren’t married.”
“Yeah, I feel like a very lucky man.”
“Hey dude, I am sorry that my old man wouldn’t hire you. He just doesn’t want a convict working for us. He’ll be retiring soon, though, and I might be able to get you something. Still…that’s a few years off. You know that he made me get married? He said he didn’t think I was VP material without a wife and kids. What the fuck sense does that even make? Stupid old man. That’s the only reason I got fucking hitched. That shit ain’t fair.”
“Yeah, you’ve had it real rough.”
“Hey dude, that bitch that claimed you raped her, she fucking kicked the bucket a few years back. Fucking ODed, deader than shit. Was a week before anyone found her body. What’s funny, is that no one claimed the body and the state took care of it. No funeral, no nothing. It was like she never existed. I bet you’re happy to hear about that, huh?”
“Nope. That’s actually sad.”
“You’re not happy? In some sort of revenge-type way?”
“I didn’t hold a grudge against her, or the bouncer, or the cops, or the prosecutor, or the judge. Maybe I did at first, but I met someone who influenced me into letting that go. Why live with that shit? It eats you up, it poisons you from the inside. Make peace with your past, and move forward. You sleep better at night.”
“Wow, ain’t that some zen shit. You become a hippie inside?”
“Far from it.”
“So, you’re getting out early, huh?”
“Barely.”
“You didn’t make parole a few times?”
“Some stuff happened, so no good behavior. Other stuff happened and they suspected I was involved. Not strong enough evidence for new charges, but strong enough to deny parole.”
“Hey, Rob said that you lost all your teeth, how’d that happen?”
“Call it an insurrection, a coup de tat, a shifting in management. My man lost, but he didn’t lose without me defending him. He lost his life, but we didn’t lose for long. We set shit straight again.”
“Yeah, I heard there was a riot there. That shit’s crazy. Rob didn’t tell me you were involved in that.”
“I didn’t tell him, so he didn’t know. He doesn’t ask such invasive questions.”
“Why do your teeth look so good?”
“Dentures. One thing about being property of the state…decent dental plan.”
“Hey man, since you don’t seem to care, I totally fucked that Satin girl that had you sent upstate.”
Aaron showed some slight emotion for the first time on the short journey. “How did that happen?”
“Those bitches will do anything for nose candy. You know I ended up seeing Elaine for awhile right?”
“Elaine?”
“Yeah, you know, Alexis. Her real name is Elaine. It didn’t work out long term, but we had some fun. They were buddies. We were hanging out one night, I had some coke, and well…she wanted some, and I told her what she had to do to get some. It was an awesome threesome.”
“So, you fucked the girl that I got into trouble for raping?”
“Yeah dude, sorry. Shit, just because you were all sorts of fucked, that shouldn’t prevent me from getting laid, right?”
“I thought you didn’t like the dark meat.”
“She was pretty fucking hot, so I made an exception. You were right, that chick was beautiful—you know, before she died and shit.”
“Did she say anything about me?”
“Nah, I didn’t ask. I’m not sure she even knew that we were friends.”
“So, you convinced her to having sex with you for some cocaine, but it didn’t even occur to you to ask her to drop any charges against me? To recant? To try to do anything at all?”
“Yeah, sorry man, I didn’t want to get involved in that shit. Well…also…it didn’t really occur to me.”
“Of course.”
“Yeah, shit, sorry., Maybe I could have done more.”
“Shit’s what it is now.”
“So you are heading back to town right?”
“Yep.”
“Going to your sister’s?”
“No. Jack, my sister moved out of town before I went inside.”
“Oh…yeah. So, where are you going to stay?”
“I’ve got an idea, but I need to work on it a little bit.”
“I need to know where I’m dropping you off.”
“Just head back. I’ll let you know.”
“So you’re all weird and shit now? Fucking strong, silent type. Not in a good mood anymore? What the fuck happened to you? You’re not the same person.”
“A lot of shit happened to me.”
“Yeah, you got butt-fucked and turned into a fag! Are you a fag now?”
“That’s hard to say. I’m not sure. I use sex for others, but I really no longer need it, want it, have any desires at all. On one level, you can say that I’m a bit broken, or at a bare minimum, my sex drive is broken. However, I see quite clearly now. My morality might be a bit in the grey these days, but my sense of purpose? It’s absolute.
“Yes, I am a different person now.”
“Whatever, weird fagly fuck. I need to know where you are going.”
“Fine, I was going to tell you later, but I suppose I can tell you now. I’m going back inside.”
“That’s fucking dumb. Why would you do that? You’re free now.”
“None of us are free. It’s a lie that we tell ourselves. I’m not just talking about government. They make laws, preventing us from doing things, taking away freedom with each new one passed. Zoning laws allow you to do nearly nothing with property that you own. It’s all bullshit, but it’s more than that. We are all dependent on others. Do you grow your own food?”
“Fuck no.”
“Then you’re not free. You rely on others for almost every single—“
“Whatever, how do you plan on getting back inside? Committing a crime?”
“Yep.”
“What crime?”
“It’s funny you should ask. Remember how I told you that I had no ill will for those that sent me inside?”
“Yeah, so?”
“Well, there was one person that I could never bring myself to forgive. One person who I believe was not like the others. One person, above all, who was guilty of putting me there.” Aaron picked up the wrench. It was strong, sturdy, nice, and felt good to grip, like it belonged in his hand.
It seemed to finally dawn on Jack who the person was that Aaron was referring to. He slammed on the brakes and began pulling over to the shoulder of the road. “Whoah, man, no!”
Aaron smiled, the most emotion that he had shown since getting in the van. He looked around the cab. There was plenty of room to get a solid swing with a wrench.
“Hey man, there are people around,” said Jack, finally bringing the vehicle to a stop on the side of the road.
“Yeah, I need witnesses. I want to go back inside. I have a life there, a future.”
“Hey man, that shit’s your fault. I never told you to stick it in her ass.”
“I used to think that way, before Satin, before my life changed. Everything is always someone else’s fault.” Aaron brought the wrench back behind his head, ready to bring it back down. “Any last words? I bet Satin didn’t get any last words. Grizzly never got any either. It’s a courtesy that I’m extending to you.”
“I came to pick you up,” Jack seemed to plead.
“Yep, and you haven’t spoken to me in fifteen years, since you gave me the wonderful advice that sent me there.”
“Fuck you!” Jack yelled as he surprisingly quickly pushed open the door and tried to fling himself out of the van. He might have made it, but he forgot one thing.
Jack had not unlatched his seatbelt. The force with which he attempted to leave seemed to have suddenly stunned him when his body connected with the seatbelt that was initially somewhat loose. His face seemed to lose all color in the split second before the wrench came down, as he realized his mistake.
Aaron aimed for the mouth on the first swing, for the teeth. There was a satisfying crunch when the first blow landed. By the final blow, there wasn’t much solid material left in Jack’s skull, so it was much less crunchy.
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Comments
Eesh brutal ending. Great
Eesh brutal ending. Great dialogue and I like the way you built the rationale. Good work!
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