Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Mindlessness

"The reason, the reason, the reason"  he said as he danced across the floor spilling coffee and cigarette ash.
The table covered with pages and spilled jelly beans.
He smiled, his lips pale around the filer of his rapidly disappearing cigarette. His left hand drawing circles in the air as he continued.  "The reason we continue to play the game is the same reason as before. for the fame for the nights and the days of laying awake and having that naked body beside us in bed. The reason will never change." He squinted as he pointed his finger at the orange cat "will always stay the same. Grief and murderous intentions of our own black little hearts." He moved across the room pacing left to right then back again, the phone grabbing his attention.  It was Bill. He listened without hearing nodding to the receiver.  "Yes come over. Allan's here" he turned to look at the closed bathroom door.  "Bring a bottle of tequila" he hung up and turned back to the cat who was now licking up the spilled coffee from the corner of the counter.
"It's the same my friend as it was when we were younger men. When our brothers were the ink spillers and blowing up the stage. The reason will always stay the same." He fished out a fresh cigarette from his breast pocket as he continued to pour another cup of coffee this time with cream. Shooing the cat off the table he put the cup down in front of the empty chair for Allen then bent his neck to light the cigarette.  The pure white stem becoming grey ash in two quick draws of breath.

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By Ardeth Blood  a scene from one of my short stories