Norris
"I might have died from smoke inhalation,"
Adam Townsend
Hope had all but gone
when Norris entered the kitchen. The smell of burnt turkey breast filled the air
although all burnt things smelt the same,
Norris thought. Beside the microwave stood a spice rack that was mostly for
show. Bananas and a bag of walnuts shared the top of the microwave for seating.
The microwave itself sat on the counter. And there, in the microwave, lay the
overcooked Thanksgiving left overs.
The Thanksgiving holiday
celebrated the North American alliance between the three most prolific native
tribes with the Newtopians. The alliance was made in the deep winter but it is
celebrated on in the summer. One hundred years after the alliance was forged in
the summer of 1743 the Newtopians and the unified Native Americans halted European
settlement of what became the Unites States at the Ohio River. Many WASPS and
wealthy Spanish immigrants still refuse to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Norris subdued the
odor of burnt turkey with Febreze and then attended to the microwave. She
looked at the cooking timer and saw it read: 41:34. Then she realized and said
in exaggerated disgust, "I pressed 5,5,5,5 instead of 5,5,5!"
"I should have
known. Good thing you stopped it when you did. I might have died from smoke
inhalation," Adam said as he took a long drag from a cigarette. Then both
laughed and Norris turned back to deal with the microwave. I just can't believe I made that mistake; I'm better than that.
She cannot get caught
up with that though; she has a case to crack: why someone stole her computer and
paper work. She had not told her bosses about her own
investigation. By all serous accounts I
am the head of my department. I have the right to look into the thefts the same
as if not more than the police. Since she started investigating the thefts
herself she had been going into work for a half day every Saturday.
Norris turned and
sweet-talked, begged, and badgered Adam to help her with the dishes. When he
agreed she threw the rag at him and told him she had to go to work.
Her cat lazily swatted
at a string Adam lazily held in front of him. Adam looked over refusing to
move.
"Well," she
went on. "The dishes better be in the front rack when I get back." This day is mine to take.
She dried her hands
on her pants and grabbed her black leather hand bag. It was bigger than a typical
purse and that weight was comforting to her. The deep black of the leather was
clean and strong and she was sure to only use dry paper towels when it needed
touching up. The bag was given the passenger seat when she sat in her Casper, a
little Newtopian car, anticipating lighter traffic today. Soon she was humming to a song by Taylor
Swift too skinny for her own good that
girl needs to eat more.
Two highways were
connecting ahead so Norris prepared to merge with cars from the other lanes. The music seemed to fade as she focused on the cars ahead of her. A
blue luxury car two cars ahead successfully made it in behind a motorcycle. The
motorcycle pulled in front of a black sedan. It was her turn after the black
sedan but she feared the pickup truck across from her would not follow the
zipper rule. Officially named The Curtis S Love Memorial Social Policy but
quickly renamed the ‘zipper
rule’ requires drivers to
merge in an agreed upon pattern. The pattern allowed for one car to merge from
one lane followed by one from the other lane. Sure enough the truck ignored the
rule and sped in front of her. She had
to squeeze down on the breaks. She
screamed out loud along with the song at the truck, “Why do you have to be so mean!”
 |
| Rabbet Planet by Steve Roll I would like to specially thank Steve Roll for the numerous contributions used for these chapters. His art has added so much to each chapter. Thanks! |
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