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
