Image: Unsplash, downloaded (https://unsplash.com/photos/a-gas-station-at-night-GKT3z_civjo) 4. 2. 2024.
Menace
It’s his first job on the graveyard shift.
In the great mile-long warehouse in New Jersey, vacuuming.
Towering piles of huge paper rolls stacked all around.
Little rooms to hide in, in the piles of paper.
He takes breaks in there.
He hides in there, every night.
The corrugated roof. The steel trusses.
The gasoline powered vacuum cleaner putters to silence.
Need to go get gas for the vacuum cleaner.
Drive to a station on Rte 130 at two a.m. He gets the gas, he pays, the attendant goes in the office and closes the door.
Two men shuffle out of the darkness surrounding him.
Scrawny scraggly looking dirty men with half-closed eyes.
You must know a lot about cars, says the tall one.
Our van is acting up—want to come look at it? says the other one.
No—
Maybe you’ve got a few dollars for gas—it might just be out of gas—want to take a look?
No—
Yeah maybe you’ve got a few dollars? Come on to the van. Look it over—
He’s at the door to the gas station office. He looks over. The van’s off at the edge, in the shadows. The van’s got Florida plates—he’s in New Jersey. The van is dented and filthy. It’s two a.m. A moonless night.
Come on help us get it started—
Yeah—me and my buddy—come on help us get it started—
No. I don’t have time. I got to leave.
Why what’s the matter. You don’t want to help us out—
Yeah what’s the matter—
We’re working men just like you—
Yes like you—
Their voices turn surly and slow.
I don’t have time, he says. I need to leave.
He hurries to his car. He drives away. In his rear view mirror he sees one of the men head into the gas station office. The other one just glares at him driving away.
Thank God he doesn’t work in the gas station office.
He drives back to work. It’s his first job.
In the great mile-long warehouse in New Jersey, vacuuming.
Towering piles of huge paper rolls stacked all around.
Little rooms to hide in, in the piles of paper.
He takes breaks in there.
He hides in there, every night.
Until daybreak comes.
About the Author: Jim Meirose's work has been widely published. His novels include "Sunday Dinner with Father Dwyer" (Optional Books), "Understanding Franklin Thompson"(JEF), "Le Overgivers au Club de la Résurrection"(Mannequin Haus), "No and Maybe - Maybe and No"(Pski's Porch), "Audio Bookies" (LJMcD Communications), "Et Tu" (C22 press), "The Private Adventures of Fresh Detective Gerdulon" and "The Box" (Alien Buddha Press), and "Hands Up Shoot Me" (Equus Press). Info: www.jimmeirose.com @jwmeirose
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