The Hidden Compartment

The pale drunk man got down from his bright red truck. Boxes were stowed in the back filled with Styrofoam and picture frames. The Styrofoam shaped as two thumbs stuck together, the picture frames with shiny rims and photos of one bizarre girl. Underneath lay a hidden compartment not even a detective would have noticed. The shade of color was EXACTLY the same as the inside of the box. The only way to open the hidden compartment was either rip through three inches of paper...or just pulling on the tiny latch that you couldn't see with the naked eye in the dark.

"Hurry up you 'Hic' fools! Before the officials come apprehend us on their theory of us conspiring! My God! Just because the country is having an anarchy doesn't mean you have time to laze 'Hic' around!" The man had said screaming it loud enough for the whole border of Mexico to hear. He staggered and pointed to the men carrying the boxes to another motor vehicle. One man-who didn't have the time to tie his shoe-slipped and slid across the concrete floor scraping his knee. The box spun counter-clockwise and eventually hit a tree as it spread the contents around. Suddenly white powder poured onto the street from the secret compartment. Many grams of smuggled in powder could only mean one thing...drugs. Of course the men had no idea what they were really smuggling. After the spill all the men picked up their last boxes and dumped them onto the cold night street. The man who had scraped his knee got up (limping) and lit a match. They all stomped away home as the fire burned profusely, and the pale man...had collapsed.

Chlorine Ruins Everything

One time I was gonna change at the public pool to go swimming and I saw the cleaner guy puttin in five handfuls of chlorine. No foolin. He practically just dumped four dump trucks of it in. The whole place was empty as hell except for the chlorine guy who looked lonely as hell. I kinda felt bad for him but I didn’t feel like talking to him so I just started looking around the place. The guy’s footprints showed a lot ‘cause of the water around the pool, I almost damned slipped on the puddle that guy left behind. His clothes were so tight he looked like he fell into the goddam water when he was supposed to be cleaning it. That killed me. You never know if a little kid starts running inside all excited and all and scrapes his knee from his fall. He’d just slip and roll on the floor and no one would help him up. The poor kid, he’d just wait there in the chlorine filled puddle with no help.

Just like the kid that was singing “If a body catch a body coming through the rye.” He was alone but on the floor, I bet you if a movie star came in he wouldn’t help the kid up. Movie stars are always phonies that look good during shows and all but are cowards when they’re not getting paid. The only living thing that would help a kid out is another kid. People would be overjoyed if some kid was running and tripped over a rock down the curb.

Anyway so I’m just walking around and then comes this phony-looking guy with his little kid. The kid’s crying with his dad yanking him around like he was a piece of string that’s caught on the door. And the kid’s screaming for his mom. The poor kid looked like he was about to kill himself when he was trying to get away from his dad and all. I was just about to tell the kid his mom was coming but then she actually did come into the building. Boy was she good-looking. She was so good-looking she was a babe that settled for some phony bastard. She was wearing one of those mini-dresses that look so damn good on her. I knew she was already taken but I didn’t care. The kid and his bastard went inside the changing room tugging and kicking.

“Wanna come have a drink? On me.” I asked her all collected and all. I knew I shouldn’t have but I did anyway. She was too damn good-looking to pass up.

“Sorry, but I have a husband.” She said all nice and all. Damn, she was so goddamed good-looking!

“Then what about the women powder room? Nobody goes there anymore! C’mon, I bet your one of those beautiful girls that would care to have some fun.” I said all suave as hell. She didn’t say anything after that. She sighed and tried to get out of my idea and told me to stop yelling. But I was so damn convincing she didn’t have a choice. We played around in the room and all, until her husband started calling her name with his phony voice. Then she left and I was alone again. “Forget it, that lady has a crumby moron for a husband.” I got out of the room and started thinking about the kid. What happened when he got into the pool. The pool was like made of chlorine, I bet his eyes stung like hell right after he left the pool. I thought if the goddamed chlorine company made a damn load of money from just selling chlorine.

I changed and everything, then jumped into the pool. My eyes started to burn, but I didn't really care. I was a damn good swimmer so I spent my time floating on the surface of the pool. I started to think about the lady again and how crumby and horrible-looking her husband was. Sure she was a fine lady, but her husband was the worst kind of guy I've ever seen. He wore this polo shirt with stains all over the shoulders and back. Then he was wearing this black and white pants that looked like he just escaped from jail. He looked like a convict but when I thought about it he had a lot of hair gel. His hair looked droopy and tired...so did his face.

I bet since he was so droopy and tired he could've fell into the pool with his son. I mean if you saw him you would think he'd fall there on the spot. This guy was a nut, he was grabbing his son's shirt like hell. Telling him to get a move on and stuff. I could imagine myself going up to this crazy bastard and punch the guts out of his stomach, and he'd get down and start wheezing for air or whatever. Then I'd pull his arm off his son and go take the kid for ice cream or something with his mom. I'd practically kick and roll the guy over on my way out. Then I'd walk with them to the shop and pay for the kid's ice cream. And while the kid was in the bathroom I'd start hitting it off with his mom.

Anyways so I was swimming in the pool of chlorine and then I nearly drowned, I really mean it. The fat guy jumped into the pool and choked me with water. The goddam fat man almost drowned himself! I saw five billion people trying to take him out of the water, but they all kept falling into the water. Even with all the people there wasn't nearly enough people to carry him out. Then after they had to call all the emergency people the guy was wheezing and coughing out handfuls of chlorine. I almost died and they worry about some fat guy coughing!

"These bastards are goddam nuts! I'm outta here!" And I left to go find a bar that would actually serve me some real alcohol.

Just Walk Away

The rain poured roughly and hard. The continuous splashes depressed my spirit. Yes, I'm really an avid drinker when I'm in a bar called The Lavender Room looking out the window. I was about to order another scotch when some random guy changed my order...to a coke. A COKE! He ordered a scotch for himself! His red hunting hat shaded his despicable face.

"What did you do?" I said in a brusque way. He turned my way, clad in soaking clothes, he lifted his hunting hat a tad bit. "You! How are you?"

"Good. Could be better...do I know you?" He said in a concise way. Wondering where I met him? Stalking some kids on their way for ice cream. The whole time he walked behind them...with a suitcase. I gingerly approached him. Asking who he was and why he was stalking the kids. He looked like a very scary, suspicious guy.

"Oh, I'm protecting them from phonies." "Damn. What's he talking about?" He asked who I was but I didn't tell him. I surmised if I did, he would stalk me next. At least he thinks he's protecting another generation. His face haunted my memory until now.

Anyways he started rambling on and on about how he was so courageous. And how he could make new friends with his "affable" manner. I could only entreat him to stop his interminable speech about how bartenders never mind their own business. Then he started continuing on about actors, pianists, perverts, and phonies. From all his talking I could derive he was an irascible kind of guy. He finally told me his name. Holden, who drinks uncontrollably, continued on and on. His words seemed to reverberate in my mind...I couldn't stand it anymore!

"Hey, Holden, I know you've had a rough day. And I'd really love to listen, but I gotta go. I know a lovely, handsome boy like you will work it out. Bye!" I walked as quickly as I could to get away from that hell hole.

Just talking to him made me feel an excruciating pounding in my mind. I had to make an endeavor to get out of there. I would rather succumb to watching a baby show with my sister, than listen to his tirade about schools.

It was a spontaneous exit I made. I had actually planned to stay for a while but now I feel like listening to a toilet paper holder pivot. I think I've gone on talking long enough with that recluse. Without him the rest of my life will be serene. I have an inkling I'll never see him again, but I'll be conscientious just in case.

He was...

The guy who was annoying,

audacious,

the guy that I used to depict

so clearly.

Now is fading away.

I had an inkling that I liked him,

but now I rebuke him.

He was rude,

and a slovenly little kid.

He was a

lacking, lackadaisical lackey,

whenever I think about

that menace to society.

I bet he pilfered from everyone,

time, love, friendship.

Great, I lost a whole year of life,

definitely not conscientious.

As I embarked on a journey called

"Surviving School,"

a profuse number of times,

I tried to help him

stuck on his notebook.

Trying to create a serene environment,

so that he wouldn't be distracted.

He rankled me each day,

"retard" "stupid" "ugly"

"go to 'em stupid"

Self-absorbed,

never self-conscious,

always attempted to be prudent.

And always failing.

I can't recall if the teacher

ever confiscated anything.

I didn't meet his father

but I assumed he wasn't a

mutiny like his son.

He was the heart of evil.

See Ya, Wouldn't Wanna Be Ya

See ya suckers,

Gotta stay in this crappy

thing they call a school.

I get to leave

this retarded dorm...

in fact the whole school.

Not surprising though or

the first time either.

I bet people in

shows like The OC

don't have weird dorms.

Actually they don't even

live in the dorms.

Ackley kid (my roommate) is staying,

with his mossy and

horrible teeth.

"I wasn't too crazy

about the guy"

Old Spencer wanted a goodbye,

his bathrobe strung my eyes.

Put some clothes on man,

you're burning my eyes

with a ratty bathrobe

and a cough medicine stench.

The rustle of papers

falling from his grasp, onto the floor.

This is the fourth

school I flunked,

but I don't care.

See ya suckers!

Remember Me?

Sophie Kinsella overflows emotion in Remember Me? This is the story of a young woman who has had the worst day of her life. She’s outside of a bar, her boyfriend stood her up while she’s waiting for her ride, and everyone has gotten a bonus at work. (To show the financial year was better than expected.) However she didn’t get the bonus due to lack of qualification…missing one week of work. Everything has gone downhill until it gets even worse. As she hails a taxi and tries to get its attention from other customers; she slips on her cheap boots down stairs. The next thing she knows she’s in a hospital bed…three years into the future! From the old crappy life to the glamorous life of being skinny, rich, and having a wonderful husband…but is it really the dream life?

Remember Me? is a story with drama and comedy that will get you hooked in. Alexis (Lexi, the protagonist) has a bumpy life ahead of her after skipping three years of her 20’s (no one wants to miss those years) and can’t remember a thing in between. She’s now skinny, rich, with a great husband…and a secret affair? Last thing she remembers was being called “Snaggle-Tooth” and having the worst job in history. But when she wakes up, not only is she stuck with the life “Lexi” created, she’s nicknamed “The Cobra” for being snappy and a “bitch-boss-from-hell” from her friends…or should I say old friends. In three short years, her life has completely changed, she owns a gorgeous car, she lives in a huge house and it should be a perfect life. Her husband is perfect but doesn’t consider her feelings; on the other hand Jon (she was having an affair with) cares for her, but refuses to continue until they have something to link them together…a memory. This book is something you will NOT want to put down until you’ve finished, I’m not saying its short (389 pages) but it’s packed with juicy conflicts and emotional scenes that’ll kick the night raw.

My Brother

is a sheep, a boxer dog,
a lion in a jungle.
The dragon in the cave,
the phoenix in the sky,
the monkey in the trees.

He’s the quarterback of the football game,
the star of the show,
the host of the game,
and the con-artist at the gas station.

He’s the con-artist,
and yet he blurts opinions out
bluntly.

He believes in having fun,
loitering around the mall, doing nothing
at home, but he still finds the stairs
ascending to the sky.

Small words can turn into
funky colors of all shapes,
simple pencils and pens can turn
sharp and bouncy.

He taught me to keep going,
to keep treading in water,
to listen to his suggestions,
to watch him be a narcissist.

Because of him I lock
the emotions deep,
turn them into writing and there
I long for when I can tell you
lots.