JUGGLING KEYS

The juggling and jingly of keys, tis the siren song of the prison guard as he makes his way out of his agreed-upon confines, out of his confines to indulge in his gluttonous delights. Stepping one foot in front of the other, making his way to his local greengrocers, he spotted something rather odd and out of place; a tipi, situated down a narrow dimly lit alleyway. Being the nosey authoritative type, he took it upon himself to investigate that which caught his attention. Swinging his keys in a tornado-like fashion, he stepped into the alley, closer and closer to the tipi, stepping further and further away from the path outside. Fully immersed within the dimly lit space of the alleyway walls, he noticed it wasn’t a tipi at all, but a giant slice of pizza, lying humbly yet earnestly up against the back of the alleyway wall. With his right eyebrow raised to attention and his left eye squeezed with confusion, his belly uninvitedly started to rumble. It rumbled so ferociously it was as if he the guard no longer existed. With the dropping of his keys, his arms now stretched forward, he edged closer to that which awaited him. In a moment of self-preserving reflection, he stopped, the arms dropped to their sides, his throat airing a mouse-like whimper; he stood there, gazing. Small droplets of water began to appear on his temple and from the corners of his glassy wide eyes; his belly once again began to rumble, his arms once again began to raise themselves forward. With tears now gushing from the corners of his eyes, and his tongue stretched out as if hooked on a fishing line, he stepped closer. “Trust me!” the air echoed, “Trust me...” his tongue stretched mouth echoed back. “I’m worthless?” poured out his tongue stretched mouth; “I’M WORTHLESS!?” his tongue stretched mouth began to scream! TEARS NOW STREAMING DOWN HIS FACE! BELLY RUMBLING SO LOUD, HIS SCREAMS NO LONGER AUDIBLE! HANDS CLAWING AND GRASPING AT HIS HAIR AS IF A PUPPETEER WAS CONTROLLING HIM FROM ABOVE!

“Mister!?” An innocent, concerned voice wafted out of nowhere. The guard looking down, saw a small boy tugging at his trouser leg. “You okay, mister? You look a bit ill.” The guard, seemingly perplexed answered, “I’m fine, on your way.” With the boy skipping away, the guard staring vacantly around his surroundings, he nervously noticed the dimly lit alleyway. At that moment a pleasant and friendly whistle grabbed his attention, it was the greengrocer waving him over from the doorway of his shop. The guard quickly and gladly shuffled himself away from the proximity of the alleyway. “Howdy do?” spoke the friendly grocer. “The usual assortment of goodies for you today?” He asked with cheerful delight, as suited his friendly domineer. “Please.” said the guard as they both entered the shop. “Not much on the shelves today,” said the guard to the grocer; the grocer now solemn, his chin tilted down to his polka dot orange bow tie. “Unfortunately so,” he said to the guard; “I’m selling the shop so I am, there's not much trade now all those big wig shops have entered the town, I stopped stocking the shelves as I’ll be handing the keys over to the new owner this weekend; tis a shame, but the farmer and I have coalesced, and have a new venture up our sleeves, so no reason to feel completely glum, onwards and upwards I say!” Pleased, but somewhat melancholy at the grocer's plight, the guard couldn’t help but wonder, so asked; “Who’s taking over the shop then?” The grocer serenely replied, “Some out of towner, never seen his face before, turning the ole place into a pizza shop so I’m told.” A deathly silence overtook the mood of the shop. The grocer now staring at the guard in timid wonderment said nervously, “Well, here’s your goodies, friend, best be on your way, plenty of things for me to be getting on with, the weekend hastily approaching and all.” The guard, his face and eyes sunken, unmoving, stared coldly at the grocer. “Well, oh, I forgot, look at the time, I made arrangements to see the farmer so I did, I must be off, no charge for the goodies, a farewell gift, take care, be well, see you around,” said the grocer, now slowly stretching out his shivering shaky arm, the guard's goodies rustling intensely in the bag held by the grocers shivering shaky hand. The guard calmly outstretched an arm, took the bag from the grocer, his eyes large, lifeless, cold. The bag of goodies all of a sudden dropped to the floor! As if mimicking the bag, the grocer dropped unconsciously to his knees, paralysed, shaking, with unimaginable fear, his quivering hands started pulling autonomously, mercifully, at the bottom of the guard's trousers. The guard, indifferent, staring blankly into nothingness, noises growing louder from inside his belly; tilted his head down with a broad fanglike smile, registered only the frantic flaying of his trousers, his mind silent, silent as a distant star.