Hey Bil ly the door sighedsqueaked closing behind him

                                                       he tippedhalfturned his head gave the voice an ear hairs on his back of his neck rose

taking a leak he thought about Hey Bil ly if he truly heard right his senses were playful not beyond enabling hinting something that in fact was not presence  he tried to convince himself it was only a noise sound  not Hey Bil Ly   someones name

he flushed the urinal tucked his tshirtbuttoned his jeans up over it cinched his belt soaped washed his hands took a haphazardgander in the mirror he didnt look disturbedwasnt letting it get up on him then he turned took two brown paper towels from the dispenser and dried his hands 

                                                        since Trump virus he kept the towels in hand to pull on the metal handle and open the doorheld it with his foot as he tossed them into the trash

stepping into the abbreviated hallway at the back of the store Womens room left Produce right he listen to the door as it closed behind him

                       nothing nothing    nothing  Hey Bil ly 

Billy

the market wasnt old

old buildings have their ghosts like churches and cathedrals police cells and prisons motels and hotels

                                                                                                              he was familiar with them  found them at the foot of his bed or leaning over him  hovering over him  found them outdoors  that was rare   but he met them there too

Who was Billy

he approached the store manager Lance who manned the Customer Service kiosk up front since going therebetter than fifteen years ago Lance had managed it

they exchanged pleasantries

                               Lance seemed relieved he didnt have a receipt in hand to get an item free and be reimbursed the money he spent on it

This may seem odd but do you recall any Billys who worked for you to the best of your memory

Billy who?

Billy just Billy   Yaknow like Hey Bil ly  he tried to get the cadence  tone   right

Hey Billy?  You just whisper?what . are you talking about?

I was in the bathroom was there ever an incident in the bathroom where a Billy was hurt or foundmebbe in the stall  drugs

Whenabout?

I have no idea

I’ve had police remove individuals . homeless people . over the years but names . . no . names would be inconsequential to me.

       They were only . . . a problem.

Why?

  Why  Always a good question

Somebody blackpen graffiti in there again?

No  no not that Just a perception  a sudden whiteness creased himcrossed his brain out through his eyes

                                                                                                                    Ever a kid taken in the store  Kidnapped

Hell no!not on my watch.

Sorry Im sorry I didnt mean anything by that

Not on my watch. Lance repeated  then seemingly as if mesmerised

                                                                         Not my watch. 

Your watch

Not mine. Happened while I worked here, not management, green grocer, meat department, swept floors . . . a kid, don’t remember her name, mother freaked, had the store locked up, found her in bathroom dressed up like a little boy . . the woman chopped off her hair, it laid scattered across the stall floor.

                                                                      It was queer, so fucking queer people were so disturbed, police removed her, the assailant, they had to protect her from the people in the store.

                                                                                                     Was really ugly . . terrifying.        Terrifying.  I wasn’t twenty freaked me out . . what the hell was with people?

Lance wasnt talking to him

    Why did you ask?

I heard a voice in the bathroom

You heard a voice?

  Yes

      Frankly I prefer seeing  Hearing is more distressful

You heard a voice? his eyes had bugged a bit

I heard a voice

                        Yahwhell thank you Lance  for putting up with me I apologise if I riled up an uncomfortable memory  I had to ask it wasnt a choice

You’re creeping me out.

Creeping Good word for it 

                              Might thank your lucky stars ya havent my perceptions huh  Those I have an don have A precious little game we playLater  Lance

Lance watched him leave the store

                                    creeped he saw the storefrontthat storefront  before the remodel

approximately 1300,  Saturday,  23  4. 22

1106,  Sunday,  24  4. 22