Clueless

 

She was talking to the business owner when the old man walked in.

The old man listened for a moment, then just started talking at them.

They both smiled, waiting for him to stop so she could continue.

But he didn’t.

Minutes passed, but the old man never even paused.

The business owner was clearly annoyed, but he knew the old man would (eventually) make a purchase, so he shrugged apologetically to her as she paid and left.

Getting into her car, she saw the old man’s wife sitting in their truck, a look of blessed relief on her face.

Progress

The small sleepy town had gone generations with everyone knowing everyone else. Truth was, everyone was related to everyone else.

They were proud of their gas station where all the old men met for coffee, post office, grocery store, video store, daycare, dentist (who was the brother of the banker), and of course, their churches. Three Baptist and a Methodist- something for everyone.

But then, the second gas station came in, with the Sonic attached, followed swiftly by the Dollar General. It was only a matter of time.

Pearls were clutched and vapors engaged when Cottonmouth Liquors opened its door. 

Star

 

She swore she saw him in the stars, a bright light moving hither and yon. It made her feel less lonely, and she went to sleep knowing he was there, watching over her.

And then, he wasn’t there anymore.

She tried not to take it personally, but she was hurt by this random abandonment, and one night, she fell asleep with tears in her eyes.

When she woke a few hours later, the sky was still empty.

She looked into the mirror on the wall, and instead of her reflection, there was an entire galaxy, swirling in front of her.

Air BnB

 

The Air BnB was a split concept, with bedrooms and a bath on either side.

On one side, they looked at each other and said, “Nope.” It was just…a feeling, so they put their stuff on the other side.

There was whispering in the kitchen. From the empty side of the house came the sound of the shower, the TV, and footsteps.

In the guest book, one of the first comments was, “You need to get an electrician- the lights keep flickering,” and many similar entries.

But they were tired, so they told the ghost to quit, and it did.

Fixer Upper

It was a “fixer-upper”.

The small projects had turned into a major renovations once they got started, and it just got worse from there.

Before long, drywall was being torn out, floors were being torn up, and framing was being replaced.

The house with “good bones” turned out to have osteoporosis.

There was mold. There was dry rot. There were termites.

In short order, it was uninhabitable, and its owners had to live elsewhere…temporarily.

The weeks turned into months and then years.

The final repair bill was sent to the estate of the now-deceased owners.

The house had outlived them. 

State Line

 

She took the smaller roads home, knowing there would be no huge sign designating where one state ended and another began.

Out here, food and drink spots were local places instead of the chain restaurants of the suburbs and larger towns.

Except the Dollar Generals. Those damn things are everywhere.

“I should be pretty near the state line” thinking to check her navigation app when she stopped.

At the next 4-way stop, she looked around. On the southwest corner was the Bear Bar and on the northeast corner was the Packer Inn.

She laughed out loud. “Found the state line.”

Loyalty

 

He was an attractive dog, as dogs go, with a short red coat and the sleek build of a greyhound.

The clerk said he’d been hanging around the gas station for a few weeks, but they’d been directed not to feed him anything.

People would see him as they gassed up their cars or trucks, and some would try to tempt him into their vehicles with gas station hot dogs and the promise of a life of luxury.

He ignored them all and waited patiently for that same clerk who surreptitiously snuck out the back door with food and water.