Klempner

My resources: The clothes I’m wearing. A notebook and the stub of a pencil: A book on herbal toxins. A small supply of sweet water. An infinite supply, for any practical purpose, of foul water, slime and garbage. And of course, one small potato.

I’d like to give in to despair. There’s something alluring about despair, something seductive. Perhaps I should simply not play Juliana’s game; let her kill me.

But if I’m dead…

Mitch…

My beautiful green-eyed Mitch.

So alive. So energetic.

So full of courage.

So vital.

Vitale

Stay alive...

So, eat the fucking potato…

I prise it out from its bed of sludge and slime with a slight sucking sound. It’s small; perhaps half the size of my fist. On the other hand, adhered muck aside, it seems sound; firm, mid-brown, no sprouts or green parts. I have a vague idea that I’ve read that green potatoes are unsafe to eat.

Hauling myself up from my concrete seat, lifting my chain in one hand, with the other, I hold my meal under the water inlet, thumbing away the dirt under the clean water.

Time to live…

And I bite in.

*****

With no warning, the light blinks on and without meaning to, I groan, hiding my eyes behind my hands.

Click of heels on concrete, then Juliana emerges from the darkness. “Good afternoon, Larry. How are you? I do hope you’ve

over her shoulders, with deep red lipstick. The dress is long and clingy, with a low cut neckline; designed to show off a figure which I

little smile, then sits, on her fold-up chair, hands neatly folded. She could be in school, waiting for a favourite teacher to begin the lesson. Or perhaps in the audience at some small town hall, for a talk on jam-making or how to grow dahlias. At least she could if

are we going to talk about

struggle upright. I’m fucked if I’m going to let her look down at me while we talk. She watches me, a touch of wariness in her eyes. Momentarily, her gaze drops to her

I fold my arms, lean back

good to get off

like to talk about? I’m guessing you have a selection of choice topics.” I pace a

little

Fake…

Extensions?

of it, Larry. You must look after yourself. Exercise. You won’t do well down here if you don’t move about more than

Two days?

there

I pause…

Seriously?

“How about a cup?”

weapon or a tool? Finchby and Baxter were stupid, letting your little bitch daughter get hold of a glass bottle. I'm not making that mistake.

difficult to get a

to do with your time? Lick it off the wall

by your concern for my

and you’ve lost. You’re mine now

me, the police.

dead in his hotel suite after the explosion. And I made sure the police found some clues about you being near my apartment. With the number of bodies

My chest tightens…

“What clues?”

you were involved with the gangs. But I think it's more likely they'll say you got

way, Larry, they’re not looking for you. You’re dead. Or the man they think you

explosion just so you could plant a corpse

away. “Couldn't have people wondering where you are, could I? That would spoil our

“Juliana…”

“Sola!” she snaps.

of people caught in that explosion. All

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