Economy Corner
The sweet smell of a fresh spring rain hung thick in the air. It was the fragrance of cleanliness that always follows the rain. The one that always washes off the ugly grime of the world. But as Lee looked out his window, he saw the same broken down world that had existed before the rain.
No, the rain hadn't changed a thing at all, just dampened it a little. What it did do was turn the dust into a dark brown mud that clinged to the streets and buildings worse than the dirt had.
Down the street, beating its wings against the damp air, a pigeon fluttered to the top of the sign on the corner that read "Economy Corner."
Lee pulled a match across the window sill, a small flame chased it across the tarnished wood. He cupped his hands around the match and the cigarette in his mouth, puffing white clouds of smoke. As he inhaled a breath of smoke, Lee looked back over the corner. "What a hellhole", he whispered to himself. In the yard across the street, junk was piled here and there, parts of bikes, old tires and the remains of a rusted truck up on blocks.
He turned around to face the bed. Lying there in a peaceful slumber was Katie, the only thing in the corner that made life worth living. Her long blonde hair framed her young, delicate face, giving the effect of a halo. Lee loved her more than anything, and he would do what it would take to get them both out of the corner.
He stubbed out his cigarette on the wooden window frame. A church steeple rose up over the tops of the trees, catching Lee's attention for a moment. Grabbing his coat, Lee quietly exited the room.
Lee had just settled on the front stoop, when a beaten up car pulled up and stopped. He walked over to the car, and handed the driver three little bottles. He waited, the driver gave nothing in return.
"Where's the cash?", he demanded.
"Well, we've kinda got this problem, see.", the driver said, slowly pulling out a pistol from his coat, and bringing it down on Lee.
A small orange flame leaped from the barrel of the pistol. Lee bent over in pain, and fell to the ground as the bullet ripped into his belly. The men in the car squealed off. He felt the wind explode on his face as the car rushed by.
Lee lay on the ground looking upward. "I'm finally gettin' out of here", he thought, "not exactly the way I planned, but I'm leaving this hellhole!" A small grin came to his face.
He watched the clouds move in to block the evening sky from view. A sharp pain surged through his body, causing him to grimace and let out a groan. In his mind, Katie's image burned bright. Thinking of her sweet, childlike innocence brought tears to his eyes. Somewhere in the distance, he heard thunder. Little drops of rain fell on his face. He could hear sirens somewhere, getting louder and louder. Then, without warning, the downpour began.
END
