Duncan
Tracy Seeger
Duncan stood hunched, a knife in his hand. A hosepipe was coiled at his feet. He lifted the severed piece. It was of a length that would stretch comfortably from the exhaust pipe to the interior of his car. He put the hosepipe down for a minute, and pulled a piece of paper from the pocket of his grubby, slightly too large jeans. He looked at it for a long time, seemingly lost in thought. With a small start he looked up again, and seemed dazed, as if he wasn't sure where he was. Then a small smile curved his chewed lips, and he picked up the hosepipe again.
He slid one end smoothly into the exhaust pipe, then, with the exaggerated care of a child, he walked backwards to the passenger door. The window was open a crack, and Duncan squeezed the other end of the pipe through the gap, his tongue poking out slightly as he did so. He stood back and examined his work, a childish grin lighting up his slightly odd features. Duncan looked at the car again, at the girl slumped awkwardly in the passenger seat.
"So pretty," he mumbled. "Should have said 'yes'."
He walked around the car, popped open the driver's door and slid into the seat next to Jenny, his girlfriend of two months. Only twenty minutes ago he had asked Jenny to marry him. He was deeply in love with her, and couldn't bear the thought of never seeing her again. In his damaged mind he was sure she felt the same way, so he had decided they were to go to Heaven together, where they could live happily. Duncan put the piece of paper he had taken from his pocket on the dashboard. Quietly he stroked Jenny's golden hair, gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, then started the engine, sat back, and closed his eyes.
"You'll make a lovely angel," he whispered.
Copyright © 2009 Tracy Seeger. All rights reserved.