Ali:  found dead in the alley behind Three Deuces Bar & Grill
Beth:  screams hysterically beside Ali's dead body
Crazy Ed:  mumbles to himself at the bar about crazy shit
Dmitri:  flips burgers on the grill, wonders what all the screaming is about
Ellen:  puckers her lips in the restroom mirror as she freshens up
Francine:  pulls out of the parking lot in a black Audi
Georgia:  glancing around at all the men in the bar, wishes she had a fresh drink
Henry:  curses when he accidentally knocks in the eight ball
Irv:  picks up the phone behind the bar and dials 911
Junior:  slides another rack of glassware into the dishwasher
Kent:  looks at his watch and wonders where Beth disappeared to
Lauren:  gives Crazy Ed a dirty look and finishes her drink
Miranda:  digs around in her purse looking for breath mints
Nadia:  tied to a telephone pole, strains at her leash and barks
Officer Smith:  answers affirmatively into his radio and makes a sudden U-turn
Percy:  throwing up in the men's room, makes a mess on the floor
Quentin:  steps out the alley door to see what's going on
Rosemary:  walks into the ladies room and smiles at Ellen
Susan:  sits down at Kent's table and says "remember me?"
Theodore:  wishes Irv would get his shit together and pour him another scotch
Ugly Bill:  alone at his usual table, is too drunk to care about anything
Vickie:  walks into the bar and say's "Hey Irv, the cops are here, what's going on?"
Wistful girl:  perched on a stool near the pool table, hopes that Henry will talk to her
Xena, Warrior Princess:  makes a wry comment from the tv screen above the bar
Yackity Jack:  wishes Francine would come back, wonders what pissed her off
Zelda:  runs in through the alley door and shouts "Ali's been fucking shot!"

05/21/2007

Author's Note: published in Pralaton Literary Review

Posted on 05/21/2007
Copyright © 2025 Jim Benz