Sam & Alice

Note: I wrote this probably 6-8 months ago with a vague vision of where it might go. I justf left it as it appears below because I could feel flaws in my plot and idea. Thought I'd post it since I am a little stuck on what's next with the CD project. Enjoy.

Sam & Alice

Sam intertwined his fingers, which were cemented with dirt in the dry cracks, above the red-and-white checkered metal plate with a small pile of scrambled eggs with specks of brown interrupting the gold. Next to the eggs was a piece of wheat bread toasted nearly black. He had not got a hang of toasting bread on the oven burner yet. The fingernail on his thumb was a brilliant purple and throbbed anytime he bumped it. Alice had grown fond the last day or two of swatting at it and watching him fight back the pain. This whole ordeal had made Alice terribly sick.

“Our father, who art in heaven,” Sam began.

“Why the hell are you doing that?” Alice’s voice cackled.

“Please don’t interrupt me.”

Alice pushed her chair away from the table, the rubber stoppers at the bottom of the legs thudded against the linoleum.

“Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come…”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

“Alice.”

Standing, Alice picked up her plate of untouched food and flung it across the kitchen, hitting the bare wall on the opposite side and leaving a wide gouge in the blue paint. The plate crashed to the floor, eggs scattered in all directions. The toast landed as hard as the plate and seemed equally unharmed.

“I can’t stand this any more,” Alice said rubbing at the thickly wrapped gauze on her right wrist. He didn’t think she had any more tears inside her, but one found its way out of her bloodshot right eye and streaked down her dirty, pale face.

“I know. It won’t be long.”

“Hmmm.” She turned away, looking out the square window above the sink. Alice had a constant shake these days, a fidget that never stopped. Where was the strong woman he loved, Sam wondered?

Alice fumbled with the wood drawer next to the sink, the metal contents inside rattled. Opening the drawer was a fight due to the humidity swelling everything. She swore words that a month ago he would have thought she didn’t know. Finally it opened, and she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

“Please don’t smoke in here.”

Alice gave a throaty sound before walking out of the kitchen. Sam waited before starting again.

“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that too.” Alice mumbled from the front door. Her voice didn’t even sound the same anymore. All the joy, all the spring of it was replaced with a cold, raspy edge that bordered between cruel and desperate.

He heard Alice open the door allowing the sound of rain splattering on the porch to come in. It had been raining too long for him to tell if it had picked up or slowed down.