Buzzsaw

Chapter One

       Lindsay had two cracked mirrors as he barreled down his parents' shady street.  He sighed, and his body shook as his mother's house faded behind him.  He reached into his glove box and grabbed a cigarette.  He stopped at a light and lit up, catching 'Killer Queen' blasting out from the car in front of him.  He struggled to find the corresponding radio station as the light changed. He found it and cranked the volume just as Brian May's solo began.  He exhaled hard and turned right, heading towards the highway.

       He drove towards the sunset for about half a mile.  It sank like a flaming buzzsaw into balsa wood.  Grasping under the dashboard, he went with his knee and finally produced a small brown blunt.  He paused to turn up “Starship Trooper” before lighting.  He exhaled and began to see smokestacks ahead when something dark and feathery suddenly smashed into his windshield.  The glass spiderwebbed, and he could not see in front of him.  He put his foot on the brake and tried to pull it to the right.  When he turned to look over his shoulder, he scraped the hog leg against the ceiling.  Embers rained and car horns blared as he pulled to the shoulder and put the car in park.  After checking himself for injuries, he stepped out of his car and walked to the front, astounded to see a disemboweled mess of blood, guts, and feathers strewn across his hood and windshield.  

       "Wh-SERIOUSLY?!" He stumbled back, and a passing semi nearly took him out, its horn blaring.

       "How-" He stood there, stunned, on the side of the highway for a good minute or two before attempting to remove the carcass from his vehicle.  After a good five minutes of pointless tugging at feathers and attempts to de-contaminate the death site with old Gatorade he found in his back seat, he noticed he was at a park.  He entered and followed the signs towards the bathroom.

       It was a humid day, and his sweat felt endless and syrupy.  He groaned at the sign on the bathroom that read "Out of Service" and headed back towards his car.  He began to give up hope as he came across the skate park.  He remembered how he used to fall off of skateboards too and wondered if he could find some kinship with these fellow masochists.  He approached stealthily, so as not to raise suspicion. 

* * *

      

       J'aarron sat awkwardly on the wooden park bench.  His skateboard was on the ground in front of him, cracked in two.  He watched a group of teenagers converse in front of him.  He could not hear much but would pick up small snippets between gusts of wind.  Thinking he heard the word 'Galactica', he addressed the air in front of him as an old friend, saying, "Oh yeah, that was a great episode!  You guys should come by, and we could watch it!"  The group of teens remained apathetic to Ja'aron's slow advances.  He decided to creep a little closer to them and approached a nearby water fountain.  He took a drink and could hear them a little clearer then. 

       The one with the backwards Raiders hat had a 40 oz. of Big Bear and a gold tooth.  He spoke loudly and was the leader.

       "Man," he said, a slimy grin spreading across his face," Did I tell you guys I made out with Shawna the other night?  Check me!" he said, extending two fingers.  The crowd began to laugh.

       "Ah man," said a redhead with a cigarette, "Can't believe you kissed a girl...That's gay!"  More laughter roared.

       "Gotta love the Simpsons, man," said a little grinning dope with a yellow mop of hair.

"Nah," said Raiders Hat, "My parents never let me watch that shit...Bart Simpson was a bad influence!" The crowd roared once more as he took a big swig of his forty, "...and look how I turned out!  Great!"

       J'aarron knew this was his in.  All of his blood gathered in his face, and his stomach retreated to his feet.  He jerked his head up from the water fountain suddenly and interjected, "Yeah, my mom never let me watch ALF ‘cause he ate cats!"

       The group fell silent, sending chilling stares towards J'aaron.  He stopped drinking and stood up straight, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"..It's just funny," he mumbled to the cement, "cause they're much more dog people...um...instead."

       Raiders hat paused for a moment and turned slowly, addressing the entire skate park but speaking quietly, saying, "ALF never ate a cat on that show, man.  Sure, he lusted after that shit, but the censors would never let an alien eat a cat on Prime Time TV, homes!  Shit was left to allusion.  Your Moms shoulda known't that shit."

       "Wait, how could she-" he started, but was interrupted by the blonde and the redhead approaching him. 

       "Who the fuck is this, anyway?" the blonde one spat in his face while the redhead showed his teeth, saying, "Looks like he lost his way."

       "Don't worry, man, we'll show you out!" Said the blonde one, shoving him to the ground and giving him a kick to the ribs.  Laughter hung in the air as J'aaron writhed on the cement in pain. 

       Raiders Hat liked it the most, with his hands on his knees in between laughs, gasping, "Hey, give him a couple more just for trying!"

       As the blonde one lifted his leg to deliver another kick, he was grabbed and flung forward, sending him face-first into the ground.  The redhead threw a punch but was dealt with by half of J'aaron's broken skateboard to his face.  J'aaron could only make out that the figure wore a jean jacket and sunglasses.  He walked towards Raiders Hat, who turned instantly and ran the other way.

 

       The guy in the jean jacket extended his hand down to J'aaron, smiling, showing his yellow teeth, and saying, "Hey there, little buddy, name's Lindsay.  I'm not really from around here.  I've got a gig in about half an hour, and I've got like...crow carcass all over my windshield, can you help me?"

       J'aaron took his hand and stood up, dusting himself off.

       "Thanks.  Crow?  Yeah, sure thing," he said.  They set off towards the highway.