Short story published in decomP. |
Tie shoes. Adjust belted jeans on hips. Smooth hair back in mirror. Realize smoothing hair is impossible, give up task. Grab preprepared Bloomingdale’s Big Brown Bag. Open HQ door. Exit HQ. Lock HQ door. Check lock exactly three times, not more. Proceed down stairway. Remember: do not run.
Five floors down. Counts as exercise, even though descending. Pass vestibule mailboxes that are death to look into. Be kind to anyone present: fellow tenants, mailman, dude who fixes things. Mrs. Bowles is there looking disappointed at envelopes.
