"Old Habits"

Old Habits die hard.

“Old Habits”

By John Smith

 

1.

            Raymond Golden looked in the mirror at the beard that had grown on his face ever since he was sentenced. It was long and black and was held together by rubber bands as it hung down from his face. His greasy and long black hair hung down just passed his shoulders. Raymond listened as he heard footsteps behind him and they rapidly approached his cell.

            “Raymond, you’ve been granted parole!” An officer named Richard Stevens (the prisoners called him the “Dick” of the jail) said as he slid opens the cell door to let Raymond out. Raymond smiled and grabbed a cardboard box that contained many crime novels by Richard Stark and Donald E. Westlake and tucked it under his left arm and walked out of the cell door. He began to walk out the door when Officer Stevens stepped in front of him and pulled out his nightstick. He tapped the nightstick on Ray’s chest. Ray tried to walk around him but officer Stevens blocked again.

            “You know, if I had it my way, your a*s would never be getting out of here! You’re a sick no good b*****d who killed a woman! That make you a murderer in my opinion.” Officer Stevens said. Ray rolled his eyes.

            “The judge said that I have been rehabilitated.” Ray told him.

            “Rehabilitated my a*s! Cold blooded killers cannot be rehabilitated.” Officer Stevens shouted. “Rehabilitated is just a bullshit word! Plain and simple!” Officer Dick continued while putting air quotes around rehabilitated. Raymond rolled his eyes again and turned to his side and passed Officer Stevens and walked out of the cell.

            “See you later Officer Dickey!” Raymond said as he walked through the double doors of the cellblock and out the front door of the jail.

 

2.

            “Home sweet home.” Raymond mumbled as he looked around and Bottom of the Barrel, a trailer park. He walked over to the trailer on the far end of the trailer park and walked up the stairs to the front porch. He closed his eye for a moment and took in a deep breath.

            ‘What if I’m not welcomed back with open arms?’ He thought to himself. He slowly turned the doorknob and walked inside the trailer.

            “Honey I’m home!” Raymond with a huge smile on his face.

            “Daddy!” A little boy the age of seven shouted out as he ran over to Raymond. Raymond knelt down and the little boy wrapped his arms around his neck.

            “Hey sport, what’s up?” Raymond asked as he held his son. His son, Bobby, pulled away and looked him in the eye and then looked up at his mother, Wanda.

            “Is he staying the night here tonight?” Bobby asked his mother. Wanda shrugged her shoulders.

            “I don’t know. Why don’t you go to your room Bobby? Give me a minute alone with your father. You can see him later.” Wanda said. Bobby obeyed and happily ran to the other side of the trailer where his room was.

            “Did you miss me?” Raymond asked her. She slapped him on the face and then stepped away from him.

            “What the hell is you doing here Ray?” Wanda asked him. “I thought that I made it very clear that I don’t want you around anymore!” She continued.

            “Come on! I’ve come here to make it up to you! I’ve come back to be the father and husband I should have been!” Ray explained. Wanda crossed her arms and turned her back to Ray. He walked up behind her and placed his hands around her waist and gently began to kiss her neck. She rolled her eyes at first before finally turning around. She placed her hands on her on Ray’s chest and pushed him away.

            “Fine. You can stay here. But no more of this gambling! No more guns! No more at all! You get off your a*s and get a goddamn job or you can get your a*s out of here!” Wanda said with a stern voice. She turned her back to him again and walked into the kitchen to begin supper.

 

3.

            Raymond walked through the kitchen and into the back room where he used to have his office set up. He walked in the doorway and flipped on the light switch. Nothing was touched.

            ‘I guess she always knew I would come back!’ Raymond thought to himself. Ray walked into the office and the computer chair that was facing the outside of a window of the trailer turned around.

            “Hello Ray!” A man said with a smirk on his face.

            “Frankie? What the hell are you doing here?” Ray asked him. Frankie smiled and stood from the chair.

            “I heard you were getting out today and I just couldn’t wait to meet my golden collector!” Frankie said.

            “How the hell did you get in here Frankie?”

            “I came in through the window. I knew your damn wife wouldn’t let me in.” He explained. Raymond rolled his eyes and sighed. “So, are you ready to come back to work? I got a few people who need to pay up. I really need to sick my special enforcer on them!” Frankie said as he placed his right hand on Raymond’s shoulder.

            “I ain’t collecting no more money for you Frankie! I’m done!” Raymond said as he opened up the window and motioned for Frankie to leave.

            “What?” Frankie asked with disbelief.

            “You heard me. The last time I collected money for you, the damn guy attacked me and I shot him. They got me on a goddamn manslaughter charge Frankie! And you just left me there to take the fall.” Raymond shouted at Frankie as he walked over to him aggressively. “I’m not working for you anymore! I have a kid. I have a wife! I’m not going to f**k this up again!” Raymond vowed. “I’m collecting no more money for you Frankie! If finished with that! And quite frankly, I’m finished with you! Now get your no good sorry a*s out of here!” Raymond said as he pointed to the window. Frankie didn’t move.

            “What if I don’t?” Frankie asked. Raymond smiled and reached into the back of his pants and pulled out a magnum.

            “I think you know what!”

            “You don’t have the guts! Soot me Ray! Do it!” Ray placed the gun back down in the back of his pants. Frankie smiled. He walked over to the window and then looked back at Raymond.

            “I knew it! Don’t think this is over! Not by a long shot! You’ll come back to work one way or another!” He concludes as he jumped out of the window.

            “Crazy little f**k!” Raymond said as he closed the window and placed the handgun in the top drawer of his desk.

 

4.

            Raymond walked out of the office and back into the kitchen. He gave Wanda a kiss on the cheek and a hug and then sat down at the head of the table.

            “Bobby dinner is ready!” Wanda shouted. Bobby ran out of his room and into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Wanda got the instant masked potatoes and corn off of the stove and sat them in the center of the table. She sat down and smiled over at Ray. Raymond smiled back until he heard a loud bang blood splattered on his face. Wanda’s head now had a huge hole oozing gallons of blood in it. Her face fell down on the table. She was dead. He heard another loud bang and more blood splattered on his face. Bobby now also had a huge hole in the fore head and blood ran down his face. Booby fell off of his chair onto the floor beside Ray. He was dead too.

 

5.

            “No!” Raymond shouted out as he held his son and tears began to roll down his face. He glanced out the window and saw a black figure that looked like a man in a ski mask. The man once again pointed the rifle in this time pointing it at Raymond. Raymond hit the floor and heard another loud bang. He looked back up and the man was gone.

            “The son of a b***h must have run around the side of the trailer. He stood up and darted out of the kitchen over to the front door and ran out of it. As he stood on the front porch, glanced over at a shovel that was laying up against the trailer to his right. He grabbed it and ran off of the porch.

            It began to poor down the rain as lightening flashed across the black sky. Raymond ran to the end of the trailer and waited for the dark man to reach him. As the dark man came across the corner, Raymond held the shovel up and bashed him in the face. The man fell the ground knocking the rifle from his hand.

            “You killed my wife! You killed my kid! Who the f**k are you?” Raymond shouted as he hit the man across the torso with the shovel. Raymond placed the end of the shovel on the man’s throat and placed his foot on the base of it. He pushed the shovel through his throat decapitating him. Blood began to gush from his headless body while his head tumbled down to his side. Raymond walked over to the head took the ski mask off. The face of the man was chillingly familiar. It was his brother, Sammy who also worked for Frankie.

            Raymond turned around only to see Frankie holding a gun to his face. Frankie cocked the magnum and smiled at Raymond.

            “I bet you thought it was me Ray-Ray didn’t you?” Frankie said with a sick smile on his face as he pulled the trigger.

Copyright 2014 by John Smith

Courtesy of The True Crime Press

A division of TTP Entertainment

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Reviews

[Paul]

Dude, in my opinion, you're a Jew the Barbarian type. You do tell a great story. Your writing is ship-shape, and you show care and concern in your writing. Way cool!

[Ma'at]

this was really disturbing. i liked that. you're a very good storyteller.

[Jack Buckner]

Thank you so much for reading!

[Stephanie M]

That was quite an intense story. I liked the twist at the end; I thought Frankie was the killer.

[A. Amos]

John you are great story teler, this was a pure thriller! Enjoyable read...

[Sami Khalil]

Thrilling and chilling. I felt the struggle of this man, husband and father to be a better dad but then I felt it was too late. There are others who have not finished their business with him. Bravo................

[Jack Buckner]

Thank you Sami!

-CW

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome...:).........................