Crunchybird is the creative trailer park of Gregory A. Perez, a writer, musician, artist, photographer, and designer living in and working in Seattle, WA. Hey.
“Crank it.”
Biggie was in the deck, cranked up as far as the tiny stock speakers in my shitty Saturn could handle. Travis messed with the tiny EQ notches on the face of the cheap stereo. I'd just installed it last week, but didn't have enough cash for new speakers.
“Yo you gotta hear Biggie UP,” Travis moaned. We were driving home together from college, back to Florida from South Carolina. We didn't really know each other.
Not before the crash, anyway.
Elle sank into the sofa.
“I'm losing confidence,” Elle mumbled.
“What makes you think you're losing confidence?” Ben asked, leaning forward in his chair behind her head.
“God. I don't know. Maybe I'm not.”
Read More“No.”
“Why?”
“Just. No.”
“Why?”
“Why what? Why no?”
“Yes.”
“Why not?”
"The one time I try to do the right thing and it falls apart,” Mel whispered.
“It’s not falling apart, kid. That’s strong,” Ted whispered back.
Mel started crying. She cradled her shins and pulled her knees to her chest.
Ted wanted to touch her. But the glass was thick and in the way.
“If you have it, I’ll let you go.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll let you go.”
Edward fell to his death. Free.
“Where are you right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re here, but not really.”
“I’m here. Really.”
“No you’re not. You’re staring off again. It’s like you’re watching a movie of something else.”
“Sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Pull up.”
“You left before I could.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me.
“I was already gone,” I said. “Leaving was a formality.”
She was silent for longer than I could stand. My words echoed off the silence hovering between us across the ether.
“Where are you now?” she finally said.
“Not sure,” I said. It was true. I knew I was on the side of the road somewhere between Tacoma and Portland, though there were plenty of places in between where I could be. From my perspective I was at the end of the road.
“Put Ed back on the phone,” she said.
I looked up from the gravel, straining my eyes and neck to signal him. Ed shifted his foot from my between my shoulder blades.
“She wants you.”