he grimacedremembering the Ice smeared with blood dragged was no different at the rink than
it had been on the frozen lake
sunset
the blood in the sunsets hue had a exotic
translucent quality REDacrylic
almost asif the same brush
was used
it wasnt sable stiffer less hair count
figureskaters collided after long
lazy stretching glides then sudden spirals
he
heard the girls seemed unaware of each other somewhere up in their headssomewhere in flights of interior music
it made him think of runners highswhich he didnt suffered he disliked running unless he was chasing a ball or a woman he got high swimming long distance the rhythm the breaths flyingflying
in waterunder water
a skaters throat was slashedshe knew
she was in trouble she crawleddragged
herself through her blood
he didnt see her
they rushed her away
he heard the siren
he saw the blood
he didnt think anyone could
survive losing that much blood or so it seemed
he didnt take his skates slung
over his shoulder off
he was visiting
he left the next day and didnt hear
he heard the gunshotthe whine of
the bullet over his head
the deer were coming out of the trees
into the harvested cornfields to browse corn rows there left unpicked
he thought it was cheating
the farmers in the bar gave him reasons
he called them excuses You’re not from around here are you, boy?
he thought if he were boys the
farmers wouldnt talk that way
a boy might be able to hand a couple
their ass
boys might be able to hand them
all their ass
it was early yet
dusk
he wasnt boys yet
No Im not from around here Although I can suppose its easierless work to
bushwhack an animal
the bullet whined over his head
behind him he heard the
thump the cry the hooves pound the snow their brittle sound on ice
it wasnt a killing shot
a light snow beganthe wind out of
the west it smelled like a heavier snow was coming
he went out on the ice
he saw the blood
the bloodsmear
he didnt think an animal
could survive after losing that much blood aggravated acrylicRED
sunsetting
ahead the iceshelf gave way to blackwater
he didnt see the deer
1355, Sunday,
23 12. 18
2250, Sunday,
14 6. 20
