The years had not been kind to the man, who was sitting behind the wheel of his Buick at a red light. The engine purring as the Pistons fired off, and pushed the burnt up fuel vapors out of the exhaust. White knuckles began to bleed as steel, bony digits gripped the ridges of the wheel in a viceral to death hold.
The flesh on his hands was so dried out, it almost felt as though they were beginning to rot, to decay and wither away. So that the world and any one who dated look at him would see the rot, the filth upon his form. The sins of his past weighed more than he could have possibly known they would during the golden years of his youth. Or more of what he liked to call, the haze of stupidity.
Laughter burst through the atmosphere, it tore him back into this reality. Yanking his mind away from the red stains that laced the muscle and sinew of his mitts. Glancing to the left he saw a young couple and they were magnificent, so glorious as they basked in the brilliance that warmth of the Florida sun offered their already tanned complexions. She was young and he wasn't much older. But the way they stared at each other. It was enough to make him envious of them even if but for a second. He felt his heart beat again....
Returning his gaze toward the road, his eyes lingered in the rear view mirror for maybe just a second or two longer than he had initially intended to. Within those hazel gems that seemed to sink into his skull slightly he recognized what he seen. Others may not recognize it, but he did. It was the look of a shattered man, the look of a man who was clinging to anything that he could find. To have a reason to carry on, to move forward. To wash away the guilt, his heart was torn asunder..
(....Three short months previously)
"It smell's so wonderful in here..." He remembered speaking as he came through the kitchen door and was staring at this stunning woman wearing just a.pair of blue jeans and a white v cut shirt. Red locks of hair dangling just barely lower than the lobes of her ears. Glancing over her shoulder. She left her back to him, but let him get the slightest glance into her sapphire eyes.
The back of his throat clenched as he felt his heart try to leap from the bottom of his stomach, out of his mouth and land in his hands, while he slowly marched toward her. His breathing was clearly labored and he couldn't stop staring at this stick of dynamite of a woman.
She was everything that a man could desire, she was intelligent, she was funny, she could cook when she felt like it. She was hard working and sincere, her body was simply to die for, and her lips were so full. "Well bubsy, you gonna bring your skinny bootahy over here and give your gal some suga or what?" She had a southern accent that was as thick a Louisiana swamp and she was almost just as mysterious.
It was this enigmatic force that she had used to lure him into this snare. This strangle hold that she held upon his heart. Without much of a thought, by pure instinct alone he glided across the floor to her almost as if he didn't have to move his legs at all, it was as if he was a piece of scrap iron and she was the magnet.
"What'cha cooking?" His voice was deep and scratchy, and he had a bit of five o clock shadow tracing the outline of his dominant jawline, he had a sight over bit and his nose was a tad bit pointy. He had begun to lose his hair in his early thirties and by now he was completely bald.
'I was figurin' on something your momma taught me when we were visitin' he we last time bubsy.." tilting his head to the side so he could stare In to her hypnotizing eyes, the words seeped out of his lips before he even knew what he had said. She had always had this kind of effect on him, he didn't know why and maybe deep inside he didn't want to know. To Bubsy o' hare, coming home in one piece to this delicious woman every night was a little slice of heaven that he had always felt was to good to be true.
Smooch!
Soft, warm and wet lips touched down on his lips. As she broke the kiss away, she stared into his eyes. 'you ok?' he let out a deep breath and placed his right hand on her cheek. "Today was totally shitty babe..." His voice trailed off as he tried to look away. But he only found his jaw being caressed by her soft, gentle touch.
"You know what Dr.Julian said bubs...talk to me.." and so, bubs began to spill his guts to her.
(Meanwhile...back to the reality of today.)
The sounds of screaming horns filled his ears. Squealing tires next to him cut loose and yanked the sports car off through the green light like a bat out of hell. Escaping the flames that threatened to consume it's soul and burn him forever more. "HEY BUDDY THE GAS PEDDLES THE LONG SKINNY ONE!" Looking in his rearview mirror he noticed the angry line of cars behind him.
Something about the purple sports car remained in his mind, that and the dreadfully in love couple. He had a odd feeling, something terrible was brewing. He had a knack for these kinds of things. He had always been able to feel it, almost as if it was a distortion in the force. Off to work he went, thinking of Jessica and those amazing years that they had spent together. "Today's going to be a good day..." He lied to himself.