Thursday, June 16, 2011

PoV: Alicia


Alicia Tennpenny had been pacing back in forth in the living room of the house she shared with her husband Lucius.  It had been almost an hour since that cryptic call about not being able to bring home a movie.
Why the hell won’t he pick back up his phone?
Lightning bolts of anxiety seared into her gut, twisting her insides and causing a riptide of emotion to wash over her.  She placed her hand on her stomach to try to hold the pain inside.
Then she thought of Genesis.
I can’t deal with this. It’s hard enough making it through a day without any drama.
She went to the hallway closet, moved some bed sheets to the side and revealed a bottle of MacCutcheon Scotch.
Alicia had always enjoyed drinking socially, but it wasn’t until the miscarriage that she started abusing it.  Lucius and her got in a big fight not long ago about her drinking.  He called her a drunk and a lush.
Well he’s not here to tell me right now.  He calls me with a cryptic message about not being able to get a movie and he loves me. 

Now he won’t pick up the phone?

I don’t care right now, Lucius. I’m going to do what I want! You always say I do it my way anyways.

DO YOU HEAR MELUKE TENNPENNY??”
Before she could pour the drink, there was a knock on the door.
Lucius?

She swings the door open and it takes a few seconds for her to recognize her visitor.
Nathan Logan?
“Nathan?”
What’s he doing in a suit?
“Hey Alicia..”
Why is he here?  Is he still a cop?
“Is this about Lucius??”
It has to be about him, why else would he be here??
“Yeah it is..”
Before Alicia could ask what is going on, Nathan’s phone rang.  He held a finger up to apologize and stepped back.
She watched Nathan with intensity.  He had to have answers.
“Are you sure??” Nathan questioned the caller.
“Yeah, I just got here.  I haven’t told her anything yet.”
Tell me what??

“Okay, I’ll bring her down.”
Tell me what??

Nathan hung up the phone and turned back towards Alicia.
“Tell me what, Nathan??”
“There’s been an accident at the school.  Luke was involved.”
Alicia’s head started to spin.  Her knees became weak.  Her body started a revolution against her will.  She wanted to remain standing, to find out what happened, is Lucius okay?
But she just went to black instead.
*******************************************************************
She didn’t know how long she was out or whose couch she was lying on.
I’m in an office?
She noticed a clean desk and unpacked boxes.  Then she noticed the name plate on the door.
Detective Nathan Logan?

He made detective?

Alicia peered through the blinds at the hustle and bustle happening outside. A vagrant was being turned away at the front desk. She saw men who probably commit a felony every morning just by waking up being escorted past the office.
She let go of the blinds as Nathan came back in his office.
“Nathan, what’s going on? Where’s Lucius?”
“I need you to come with me, Alicia.  I need you to help me identify Luke.”
Identify Lucius? What was he talking about? What evil trick was he playing?
“I’m not going anywhere Nathan, until you tell me what happened to Lucius?”
Nathan signed and stepped closer to Alicia.
“There was a shooting at the school.  Luke was shot stopping the shooter.”
He was shot??
“He didn’t make it.”
No No No No No No No!!
First Genesis.. Now Lucius

“He died a hero.  Who knows how many more people would have been hurt or killed if Luke didn’t do what he did.”
Denial set in.
“This doesn’t make sense.  He called me from his phone.  He said he wasn’t going to be able to…”
She trailed off.
“Let’s go downstairs.”
Alicia followed in a George Romero Living Dead Zombie like trance.
They reach the morgue.
Nathan identifies himself to the staff and he walks them to a cot.
The mortician reads off the toe tag.
“Tennpenny, Lucius.  This is him.”
Alicia takes a breath.
“I’m sorry, but we need this Alicia.”
Go ahead already.
What else do I have to lose?

Nathan keeps his eyes on Alicia to make sure she doesn’t pass out as he removes the sheet from the body’s face.
Alicia opens her eyes and looks to the face of her husband.
Wait a minute.

“This isn’t Lucius??”
“Just take a minute with it Alicia. I know it’s difficult.”
“No Nathan. You’ve known Lucius as long as I have.  That is not him!!”
Nathan looks down at the body.
“Crap!!”
Nathan drops the sheet, grabs his phone and runs off.
“Art, it’s Nate.. There’s been a mix up!! Where’s the shooter?!?”
Alicia looks down at the corpse and shivers go through her body.
What a creepy smile.



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