NASA Image of the Day

Monday, January 16, 2012

Part 21: Looking back

....the cat padded around the corner, stopped, and sat down, staring after the hooker. No free meal.





Suddenly, it shook itself, its fur fanning out around it like a shock of sable elegance, the thick added layer like a Viking armour against the cold of the dilapidated wash of evening sky. It licked its paw where it had smashed against the side of the dumpster, trying to escape.





Padding over to the curb, it peered, interestedly, at the open grate of a sewer. Suddenly watchful, it lowered its haunches into a sitting position.....and waited.

Part 20:Exchange of Views

The motorcycle rumbled to an abrupt stop as the light flashed red in warning.





Alert to the deserted, unkempt silence filled only by blowing trash and the moan of wind whipping around the chipped corners, the rider lifted his head, shifting the backpack awkwardly. An object rolled out into the street, unnoticed, falling from the hole in the backpack with a plop, onto the surface of the cracked asphalt. It bounced a few times, before rolling into the gutter beside the curb. The rider, ramming the gear impatiently, as the engine stalled, gunned off into the distance.





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The woman thought nothing of it, as she bent to pick up the object in the gutter, unwrapping the small tube with unexpected delight, like a small child at Christmas. Pulling off the tube cover, she rolled up the stick carefully, standing on the sidewalk, and swiped at her mouth with the back of her other hand, before cleaning off a smeared window front with the elbow of her coat, as she applied the splash of colour to her lips.





The gash of bright purple startled her, as she stared at herself in the window. The face looked frozen, ghost-like, like a corpse. She looked at the side of the tube.





"Do me", she read out loud. She frowned, shoving the tube into her purse, pulled down her very tight, very short, polyester leopard skin skirt further over her hips, gave a small shiver, and ignored it, fluffing her hair out defiantly, like a boxer, throwing out her chin, and laying a languid hand on her hip, before resuming her stroll. There was no one in sight.





"Yah, right. Fifty short and I get a new lipstick. Must have me an angel...." The hooker rolled her eyes, walking forward. She did not see the shadow behind her, lurking closer.





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