Never Pick Up Glass Barehanded!

MORNING

The last survivor of the ill-fated hiking trip emerged onto the wet highway just before dawn.  Her eyes still locked in terror's grip as she limped out onto the asphalt.  Cars and trucks were pushed out of her way by alarmed drivers but no one stopped.  She shuffled against traffic with her arms raised, waving but the vehicles sounded their horns and made a part around her.  In the short distance she could see a small town.  She limped in its direction as commuters ignored her and her torn clothes as best they could.

LAST EVENING

Tall cedar trees framed a magnificent sunset-sky.  Smoke from the fire twisted up and swirled into the high branches along with dancing sparks.  The twinkle of an evening star punctuated the beauty of the moment.  High in the tree, birds nests created dark vorteces among the thin branches.  The sky would soon darken and make them invisible until morning.  From lower branches, thin ropes hung like nooses with bulky, dark figures suspended at the ends.  They swayed gently and creaked as the light forest breeze affected them.

Two bodies lay on the ground near the fire and a tall man in a thick, canvas coat stood above them with an ax in his gloved hand.  In the near woods he heard approaching footsteps and the high voices of two drunk women stomping and gossiping, unaware, unprepared, vulnerable.  

He gripped his ax in both hands and stepped quietly behind a large cedar tree, in wait.

MORNING

She made her way slowly to the town, calling out horsely to anyone she passed, but they all gave out gasps and paced hurriedly away from her, chattering to one another.  The hard yellow light of the gas station drew her.  The sky was still more night than day and the station stood as an oasis in the gloom.  With one leg dragging, she shuffled toward it.

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

The gas station attendant was mopping the white linoleum floor and cursing to himself about the irresponsible nature of some people.  The thick, grey braids of the mop shoved glass and milk around the floor inefficiently and all his attention was focused downward.  No peripheral vision to witness the slow advance of the slouched figure approaching.

The mop absorbed most of the liquid and clerk crouched low and reached, bare handed to pick up the glass just as the jangle of the door in front of him misguided his hand and he gripped too hard, cutting deep into his thumb and forefinger.  His focus was now on the blood but also the door and he looked up at the darkened figure of the woman entering.  In panic he reached up to stop the door from opening and made a bloody hand print upon it.  The door pushed back as the figure fought to get in.  he shuffled backward and made to get up but his balance was lost as he slipped in the milk and his other hand came down to stoop his fall.  Shards of broken glass sliced into his hand and wrist, deeply!  Blood began to flow heavy over the floor and he struggled hard, but in vain, as he kept falling back onto the floor, receiving more gashes as he flailed.

Racks of convenience store products tipped, fell and released their contents all about him!  All packaged in smeared plastic that could easily be rinsed and restocked by the morning shift.

She approached, her head cocked to the side in some kind of morbid curiosity.  Lying on his side, bleeding, he raised his hands defensively and so much of his blood ran down his arm and splashed great drops onto his face, into his eyes and the world was red and confused and terrible!

"Please!" he throated tonelessly.  His life was pushing its way out of his body!

"Please!" and his hands waved aimlessly, searching for something, anything to grip!  Time and again they found the glass door and painted it with erratic red arcs.

The clerk died there quietly in a pool of his own blood.  Thick glass shards embedded in his soft flesh.  Ninety-nine cent products were cast around him like a bargain shroud.  The insectile buzzing of fluorescent lights and the jingle of the door were the only sound as the disheveled figure shuffled away from the scene.