Coming Back at Ya

In anticipation of finishing school in 10 weeks and the end of my school blog I have decided to bring this one out of the dust. I have pulled a selection from my National Novel Writing Month piece to share with you . over the coming weeks I will put more of the story up.

Cross County Take Out

Pat Sajak shifted the cards in his hands as he smiled for the audience. “Let’s get to know our contestants a little better shall we. In the lead is Joan Morris with $5,600. Joan is a school teacher from Norman Wisconsin and mother of 2. Next to her is Bob Barrow, bob is an accountant from Houston Texas and is holding second place with $800. And finely we have James Lee; James is a deputy inspector with the Cross County Florida Sheriffs department and holds a master’s degree in classic literature from the University of Florida, where he taught for many years. James has 0 dollars and it’s his spin so why don’t you go ahead and give the wheel a spin James.”

James Lee swallowed hard and reached down to grab the wheel of fortune. His sweaty hand gripped the wheel, pulled back and let it fly. The wheel began its circular journey and the indicators in front of each player made their familiar plunking noise. After what seemed an eternity the wheel came to a rest with one final plunk. Bankrupt again.

Pat Sajak let out a little whine at the sight of it. “That’s 6 bankrupts in a row James; I think that’s a new record for us here. Well Joan it’s your turn to spin.” As Joan gave the wheel a spin James looked across to the half solved puzzle on the board. The letters and spacing made no sense to him, even if he had gotten a chance to pick a letter he was not sure he could have. Fear welled up inside of him, the kind of fear he had not known for a long time. A glance a Vanna White only made things worse, she was looking disapprovingly at James shaking here head. Her eyes seemed to say “I expected more from you.”

James Lee woke up in a panic, tossing blankets off of him and jumping to his feet. Nothing was moving in his bedroom, he was all alone and with a glance at his clock realized he was going to be late for work. After a shave and shower he had almost shaken off the remaining remnants of his dream, and by the time he finished dressing for work he was sure that he would not think about it again for the rest of the day. As he left his home he grabbed the pizza box off his table and shook it, two more pieces would be breakfast on his drive to work. He locked the door behind him, emptied the box of its contents and tossed it on top of his trashcan with the six others, all from Primo’s Pronto Pizza, and all had held large pepperoni and green pepper.

It was September, and overcast. Humidity was like a pelage on the land and it made everything warm and sticky, but when the wind blew it was cold. James wore a tan shirt black tie and brown sports coat. His 9 mm. was tucked up against his hip and his badge was in his breast pocket, at lest he thought it was, when he patted the spot to make sure he felt nothing. Quickly he padded all of his pockets before he found it in his left outside jacket pocket.

James got in his tan 2002 Jeep Liberty and tossed a slice on the passenger piece as he put the other in his mouth. A look in the review mirror told him that he had forgotten to put any gel in his short brown hair, the humidity would wreck havoc on it all day.