Abandoned Sand Castles (5/8)
Lady of the Lillies
The jail is practically sanitary compared to the ones that Michael has been
stuck in over the past years. Roswell County Jail only has that faint odor
of urine, cheap cigarettes and even cheaper beer that dominates all places
like this.
How Michael can live like this, I don't understand. The Michael that I knew
once said he could never stay in one place very long. That Michael has been
dead for years. I don't understand how people can live in this life. But
I've never had my limits tested.
With a sad smile, I recognize the man at the front desk. "Kyle? Kyle
Valenti?"
He jerks his head up from the computer screen and a smile of mixed emotions
crosses his pudgy face. "Max Evans? Isabel." He stands as doughnut crumbs
fall to the floor. He looks guiltily at the grease he wipes from his hands
to his dark pants. Then extends one hand to Isabel who shakes it simply out
of necessity. "Glad to see you. It's been a while. Maria, back again. Always
a pleasure." A rattling comes from the holding cells. Kyle nervously fingers
his gun holster "I don't even know why you bother."
Pursing her lips, Maria pounds on the counter. "We want to see Michael."
A betrayal of his old self, Kyle exerts sympathy towards us. Almost
compassion. Although an improvement on the old model, this Kyle Valenti,
Version 2.0 begins to make me uncomfortable. He seems... subdued, tired of
the life that is slowly tightening its grip. In a way, I miss the fire that
was Kyle Valenti.
"Are you sure?" he asks. "He worse then before."
"That's fine." Maria grimly pushes her way to the back of the jail from
where the hollering is coming from. "I've seen him much worse."
We pass into the holding cells as Kyle hovers on the other side. "Just
holler when your done."
"Michael?" Maria extends her fingers through the bars to the huddled,
shivering, dirty mass in the corner. "We're here to get you out."
He shakes me from a dream, violently. Michael with his hypnotic, angry,
bloodshot eyes. With shaking hands. With an obscure anchor that holds him
but makes his let go of everything else. With a soul that should have been
taking from this world long ago. I wish that he had died seven years ago.
Because what he has become does not deserve to live.
I can't bare to see him but I can't turn away. Purgatory.
"Michael?" Maria mummers. Trying to tame to beast. "We have to get you out
of here. It's killing you to be in here."
Jerky motions, brings Michael to the bars where his face crashes into
Maria's with harsh words. "Who says I want to live?"
Inside, Maria shudders, but her stone face will allow her nothing. It's a
little game they play. She points at me. "You deal with him. I'm in the
lobby."
Mine are not the only eyes following her out the door. Our eyes meet and the
laughter is bitter and sharp. Happiness is as alien to us as ourselves.
"You have the money?" Michael looks greedily at our bulging pockets and
purse.
"Yes. It's for bail only." I watch for the reaction I expected. Anger and
then resignation.
"Sure." Michael turns his back to us. I realize only as we leave, that he is
watching his hands.
"Six hundred in cash?" Kyle handles the money with an impartial ease.
Although, in a place like this he probably doesn't see large sums of cash
like this. More like petty crime worth about as much as my phone bill.
"There's not an ATM in the whole town." Isabel who has been silent the whole
ordeal lowers her eyes to the ground after watching with unease as Kyle
undoes the handcuffs around Michael's wrists.
"Small town." Kyle shrugs and gets a look in his eye. The look of power that
I used to fear so often walking the hallways. "It was nice doing business
with you. But for now, see you latter." He looks directly at Michael. "I
know I'll be seeing you lately."
Maria lays a gentle hand on Michael's shoulder. He looks at it questionably
for a moment, shakes his head and follows us to the car.
Like an attentive snake watching the mouse run into the whole on the wall,
Kyle smiles.
Lady of the Lillies
The jail is practically sanitary compared to the ones that Michael has been
stuck in over the past years. Roswell County Jail only has that faint odor
of urine, cheap cigarettes and even cheaper beer that dominates all places
like this.
How Michael can live like this, I don't understand. The Michael that I knew
once said he could never stay in one place very long. That Michael has been
dead for years. I don't understand how people can live in this life. But
I've never had my limits tested.
With a sad smile, I recognize the man at the front desk. "Kyle? Kyle
Valenti?"
He jerks his head up from the computer screen and a smile of mixed emotions
crosses his pudgy face. "Max Evans? Isabel." He stands as doughnut crumbs
fall to the floor. He looks guiltily at the grease he wipes from his hands
to his dark pants. Then extends one hand to Isabel who shakes it simply out
of necessity. "Glad to see you. It's been a while. Maria, back again. Always
a pleasure." A rattling comes from the holding cells. Kyle nervously fingers
his gun holster "I don't even know why you bother."
Pursing her lips, Maria pounds on the counter. "We want to see Michael."
A betrayal of his old self, Kyle exerts sympathy towards us. Almost
compassion. Although an improvement on the old model, this Kyle Valenti,
Version 2.0 begins to make me uncomfortable. He seems... subdued, tired of
the life that is slowly tightening its grip. In a way, I miss the fire that
was Kyle Valenti.
"Are you sure?" he asks. "He worse then before."
"That's fine." Maria grimly pushes her way to the back of the jail from
where the hollering is coming from. "I've seen him much worse."
We pass into the holding cells as Kyle hovers on the other side. "Just
holler when your done."
"Michael?" Maria extends her fingers through the bars to the huddled,
shivering, dirty mass in the corner. "We're here to get you out."
He shakes me from a dream, violently. Michael with his hypnotic, angry,
bloodshot eyes. With shaking hands. With an obscure anchor that holds him
but makes his let go of everything else. With a soul that should have been
taking from this world long ago. I wish that he had died seven years ago.
Because what he has become does not deserve to live.
I can't bare to see him but I can't turn away. Purgatory.
"Michael?" Maria mummers. Trying to tame to beast. "We have to get you out
of here. It's killing you to be in here."
Jerky motions, brings Michael to the bars where his face crashes into
Maria's with harsh words. "Who says I want to live?"
Inside, Maria shudders, but her stone face will allow her nothing. It's a
little game they play. She points at me. "You deal with him. I'm in the
lobby."
Mine are not the only eyes following her out the door. Our eyes meet and the
laughter is bitter and sharp. Happiness is as alien to us as ourselves.
"You have the money?" Michael looks greedily at our bulging pockets and
purse.
"Yes. It's for bail only." I watch for the reaction I expected. Anger and
then resignation.
"Sure." Michael turns his back to us. I realize only as we leave, that he is
watching his hands.
"Six hundred in cash?" Kyle handles the money with an impartial ease.
Although, in a place like this he probably doesn't see large sums of cash
like this. More like petty crime worth about as much as my phone bill.
"There's not an ATM in the whole town." Isabel who has been silent the whole
ordeal lowers her eyes to the ground after watching with unease as Kyle
undoes the handcuffs around Michael's wrists.
"Small town." Kyle shrugs and gets a look in his eye. The look of power that
I used to fear so often walking the hallways. "It was nice doing business
with you. But for now, see you latter." He looks directly at Michael. "I
know I'll be seeing you lately."
Maria lays a gentle hand on Michael's shoulder. He looks at it questionably
for a moment, shakes his head and follows us to the car.
Like an attentive snake watching the mouse run into the whole on the wall,
Kyle smiles.