The Widower The Orphan The Matriarch

The sun was beginning to depart behind the summer horizon leaving behind a scorching haze that sat above the asphalt. A sun that would be far gone by the time Maddix Chapman arrived home after another thirteen hour “day”......

I turned the window and radio down and pulled a cigarette out of my smokers jacket. The familiar taste of the cigarette against my lips made the hairs on my neck stand up in anticipation for that first drag. My hands fumbled for the lighter as I tried to focus on the traffic ahead. I inhaled finally and allowed the bitter and calming smoke to consume my stress. A guilty and somewhat illegal pleasure of mine I thought as I glanced around making sure there weren’t any prying eyes trying to catch a glimpse of what I was doing.

As the traffic started and ended I pulled the pack out.

“Damn, only six more.”

“I’ll have to call Mark before I get home”

My mind drifted with every hit of nicotine that entered my lungs. My wife appeared in my thoughts many times as I remembered her alluring scent that always seemed to draw me in no matter what kind of day or mood I had or felt. Her mere presence would make the world along with my demons melt away. I took another drag and a sense of guilt began to sprout in the back of my conscience. The cigarette suddenly didn’t taste as good as I thought. I remembered the day she decided to quit like it was yesterday yet it had been nearly a year now since her last.

“And here you sit in traffic, smoking like it was legal and ok.” I thought to myself.

A bustle of activity surrounded the call center. Men and women of all walks came and went. A sea of people walking in every direction but seemingly organized in what appeared to be chaos. The chatter of footsteps and voices echoed throughout the building as people participated in the madness.

I pulled into the parking block and punched in my identification number. The computer rolled the paper and fired it off into the system. “APPROVED” it read as a receipt landed in the return slot. I cranked the latch and grabbed my receipt. My Sedan disappeared into the pavement and the light and sign changed. “No Vacancy”.

I pushed my way through and looked around for the familiar green hue of a vacancy light. The hue captured my eye and called to me like a siren calls a weary sailor. Every step closer seemed to throw me deeper into the shadows. I wondered what Mark did with his day when he wasn’t pushing around illegal and banned substances. The very act of smoking was dangerous for the fact that it left so much evidence behind. I bumped my way closer and closer until finally, I was standing before the pod. I let it scan my wrist and the glass slid open, a cool mist escaped from inside, as I stepped into the tomb. The glass closed behind me and it felt as if the world had pushed the mute button. The silence was deafening. The only noises that would interrupt it would be the sounds of my voice and the cranking of the machine and tubes as they worked diligently to accomplish the task at hand. “APPROVED” the machine said and the familiar chime of a call filled the pod.

“Hello?” Mark said

“Hey...Its Maddix”

“Are you calling to check on an order?”

“No actually, I wanted to place one”

“Same as last time then?”

“Yeah, the usual”

“Well the usual isn’t going to be the usual price Maddix, shits getting harder to process these days with the Watchers cracking down in the city”

“Just last week some associates were “unglued” by the bastards. Anyway just have double the usual rates and we should be fine, otherwise, find someone else willing to risk their lives for your afflictions.”

“That’s alright, I’ll bring double, just have it ready at the usual spot”.

“.....”

The line died and Maddix closed the call. He sighed letting out a breath of relief. The act had finally come to a close and all that was left was for him to go home.

He scanned his ID number and checked his call box. Nothing.

“Strange.” he thought.

She hadn’t left a voice message all day. His message pod had never rang once throughout the shift. He fought through the crowds again and made it out the call center and into the parking lot. He placed his receipt into the send slot. “APPROVED” the machine read. His car appeared from underneath shortly thereafter and Maddix got in and drove away.