Tuesday, January 18, 2011

4.5 Heartbreak H.O.T.L.


Passed the police station, passed the courthouse, passed the prison; Atom ran like his life depended on it (and who’s to say it didn’t?), his gangly legs like swinging sevens, his white ankles flashing above his dusty new shoes.
Ahead in the afternoon haze appeared an old stone church with an inordinately tall steeple and a flashing blue neon sign above the doors. As he drew closer Atom was able to distinguish the word ‘SANCTUARY’ in that curly script particular to the neon art.
Inside a pious man whistled a tuneless hymn.
“Welcome my son”
“You’re my dad?” Atom didn’t believe it for a second.
“What brings you into the House Of The Lord young man?”
“I’m trying to find out if anyone has left me some sort of message,” said Atom after scratching his head vigorously, “surely there must be some instructions, some sort of goby[5]
“The Lord has a message for everyone my s… young man,” the pious man cleared his throat catarrhously; “We have but to listen for us to hear it.”
Atom listened while the pious man watched him listen.
God said nothing.
“I can’t hear anything” said Atom.
“I con tear knee thing” echoed the church.
“Perhaps there is something stopping God’s voice reaching your ears; some guilt?”
“Whatchu mean?” said Atom, quietly, the PO-Box burning against his breast.
“Would you care to make your confession through me? I am god’s representative on earth.” The pious man puffed out his chest in an attempt to portray his importance, an act made difficult by the fact that he did not wear a tie.
The PO-Box made a pinging feeling against Atom’s breast.
“Excuse me” he said to the pious man (who proceeded to whistle a different tuneless hymn).
Atom turned away, withdrew the PO-Box from his pocket and opened it to reveal the following message:

IN MY CAPACITY AS YOUR LAWYER/NANNY/BODYGUARD AND GENERAL DOGSBODY (YUCK) IT IS MY DUTY TO ADVISE YOU NOT TO SAY ANYTHING INCRIMINATING. THE LAW DECREES THAT IGNORANCE IS NOT A VALID DEFENCE AGAINST STUPIDITY. TRUST NOBODY; EXPECT THE WORST ~ C

“I…” Atom turned back, keeping the PO-Box behind his back, “I need to go.”
“Where to?” asked the pious man, “What are you hiding in your hands?”
“Nothing” Atom said idly, showed him his hands (one at a time, keeping the PO-Box hidden in the hand not being shown)
“The devil finds hands for idol work” said the pious man.
“Okay” said atom as he headed out the door.

As Cajones watched from the monitor in the woods he was taken (as he often was) by how easily this particular species is confused by simple stories of good and evil, black and white; cat and dog.

[5]Editor’s Observation: Whether by some genetic osmosis or by pure coincidence, Atom appears to have repeated one of those popular micro-phrases employed by the Meetingspeak people. The Meetingspeakers have it as one of their many strange beliefs that a piece of paper used on a previous job may be reused on the current job by merely changing the headers and footers so that the resultant piece of new paper carries the title of the current job. The act of doing so is termed “a goby” (go-by) and is believed to save everyone the hassle of rethinking a job that has already been completed successfully.




4 comments:

Harlequin said...

well, that was a close one!!
i loved the little note from the big C. and the idol hands..... nice touch.

Garth said...

Harlequin: thanks for continuing to read this twisty tail.

JeffScape said...

See? He should've kept the tie! Cheshire would know what to do.

At the least, he could've strangled the pious man with it.

Garth said...

Jeff: the tie is history, let it go :)

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