I got no hat to shade my head

and a tow-sack left to fill

There’s a man in shades a-watchin’ me

and forty years to kill

The cotton boles have bled me

til my fingers cannot bend

and that tow-sack never fills

so them fingers cannot mend

I got a mind to make a break

I got a mind to run

but that man in shades a-watchin’ me

is cradlin’ a gun.

The delta ain’t no place for me

there ain’t a hill in sight

nor tree, nor friend, nor happy end

just forty years or life.

So spend your nights at home, boys

keep your woman in your bed

Cause if you stay, then she won’t stray

and you won’t shoot her dead.

Forty years in Parchman left

for shooting down my wife

jealousy and whiskey’s earned me

forty years or life.

So this is it?

You're leaving,

with only excuses

and apologies

as goodbye.

You're the one giving up,

so why do I feel like the bad guy?

I'll never understand why people hate the bad guy. They act like we do these crazy things, but when they look at it, they only see something funny. Once, I created your stereotypical doomsday device. You know, something to teach them all a lesson. Well, just like they all do, my doomsday-inator failed. You, Perry the Platypus, knocked it ot of the sky. Anyway, they thought that was sooooo funny. They laughed and laughed. Well, I'll make them understand. They'll see. They'll all see. With my new understand-the-bad-guy-inator, they'll—oh, are you kidding? Really? Perry the Platypus, I just want understanding.

The clock is so loud. Has it always been this loud?

Tick. Tick.

I asked her a question. Why didn't she answer?

Tick. Tick.

She should have answered.

Tick. Tick.

She should-

Tick. Tick.

She should pay for that.

Tick. Tick.

She will pay.

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.

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.

.

.

.

Bang!

“His testing or your desire? Let’s talk about this, because it’s important to know the difference. God doesn’t test anyone.

You’re here because of your own desires. You kept an extra copy of my apartment key. You sneaked in while I was sleeping..You crawled into my bed.

I know that you’re religious and like to go to church and whatever, but you came to me. I did not force you here. ‘...everyone who sins is a slave to sin…’ Right? Isn’t that a scripture that you showed me once, back in the beginning when you first moved in?

Clearly you’re a slave to your own desires. Why else would you be here without my invitation? I asked you to move out because you were hyper-religeous. I didn’t appreciate you trying to shove the bible down my throat. At first, I was more than willing to listen. Generally speaking, I am open-minded, but you were overbearing.

Now you’re back. I don’t get it. What’s your game?

Anyway, just so that we’re clear, the apartment next door is used as an office, so there won’t be anyone along until Monday. That gives us three days. Oh, and the family at the other side of the hall is away on vacation. They asked me to feed their cat, Misty, for the next week and a half.

Tears? Mmm, salty. In about half an hour more I’ll be back. The sleeping medication should kick in and I, we can start having fun.

Let’s loosen the strap around your mouth. I’ll pull the ball out and give you a chance to speak. If you yell, I’ll insert this 12 inch vibrator so deep inside of you, it will have to be surgically removed. You brought this on yourself. By the way, how are you liking the nipple clamps? Here we go!”

“No, please…”

The boy in the cupboard stands in the ashes.

Down his face melts the tears.

Eyes like a tiger.

Defensive.

Broken.

Hurt.

Darts that pierce the everlasting soul.

Now what does he hold?

Drip…drop red and brash.

Drip…drop carved and gnashed.

Withered lay two.

Before them he stands.

A cruel smile, a timid shake.

Creep he does ever closer.

Skilled with the blade, driven by pure ecstasy.

Why?

He asks.

Unfolded before dawn does the scene.

Bloodied cries.

Red room lies.

Of the corpses he talks.

Damned, dirtied, stuck.

Unworldly am I.

Purged be you.

A blissful ending.

He smiles.

For me not you…

The first time i went to the local mall after moving to the biggest city in Kenya. Kaiden was chatting with his friends and suddenly all eyes were on me. I was the new girl in the estate. After a successful interview, i got the job in Nairobi which was a new town for me. I knew very few people and making friends found a number in my to do list.

I met him severally at the mall but ignored the woman intution of a bad guy syndrome in him. Yes, i went for several dates and enjoyed his company. Kaiden has perfected the art of coniving and i became part of his statistics. We fell in love but it dawned on me that i was alone in the relationship.

The days went by and closer we became. Kaiden treated me like a queen i was. I knew i made it as my tradition dictated that a woman needed to be with a man for her to earn some respect. He took me out to places i had never been too and silly me, i thought that indeed i had found love. As we entered the second year, i became blind to his actions.

The punching bag i was, did not question any fault or wrongdoing lest i get another blow. We moved in together with Kaiden and things got worse, he would bring women to the house, reciepts from hotels where he changed women like clothes and only supernatural power protected us from contracting serious STIs. I bore the pain for a little longer and it became worse each day with a new twist to it. The art of gaslighting was real and isuffered alot that y self esteem was thrown to the dogs. i felt useless, unwanted, insane and with no confidence to speak in any forum and even in a group of three.

One evening as i nursed my burnt leg caused by him pouring hot milk on me, my phone rang and here she was, a lady with a tired and scratchy voice. Nelima, she called, i responded and inquired who it was. Kaiden had left his second wife in the village, she was heavily pregnant with no means of attending prenatals leave alone preparing for the birth of a child. We had a home in the village and the entire family hid it from me that as soon as i left for Nairobi, Akinyi would come back from wherever she had been commanded to dissapear to. This act was to avoid meeting me and destroying Kaiden's new found marriage. I knew of the second wife that evening, the same way she had found out of a first wife who was rescued by her kin.

The family considered me as their cash cow hence frustrating Akinyi who was made to take a loan from the Arab world where she used to work and come back to Kenya to live happily ever after. Poor girl could not go back as she was was to repay the loan advance to her by her employer's bank. The money was not invested in any project, she had no job and has not been remitting any instalments.Her life was in shambles. Kaiden continues to perfect his act of gaslighting to poor beautiful and innocent souls who may not suspect.

The pain that has been caused to me is unexplainable with my beauty fading away. Wait, i need a come back.

#comeback #short story #bad guy #poetry #opinon #fiction # nofiction

"Why?" She stares at me with her gypsy brown eyes.

Why? Such a complicated question.

I watched them from a distance. I was not thinking anything in particular, but I could feel my face heat up. I pulled my mask off. My heart started pounding and my mind started racing. Can I do this? No, don't think like that. You've got to..... But why? Don't you have enough? Never.

I replaced my mask and drove out of the ally and started to follow their car. The summer night air was thick and heavy. I rolled up my window and turned the air conditioner up. The cold knob felt soothing against my sweaty fingertips.

Left, right, straight, stop, go. Breath in, Breath out.

They halted in front of a house. A nice house, blue trim, white paint, porch swing, a blue door. I parked on the corner of the street, Fools Gold Drive, weird name. I heard a car door close.

There he was, walking down the sidewalk toward me. I drummed my fingertips against the leather steering wheel. Don't show weakness, be brave, this is what you have to do, hide-

"You have what I need?" He whispered leaning against my car.

"It depends, do you have what I want?" I said softly.

He handed me an small box. I calmly opened the top and fingered the antique jewelry inside.

"Now, what I was supposed to give you?" I said, mocking him.

"The money." He hissed at me, turning to look me in the eye.

"Oh, yes, that." I pulled a pistol out of the middle of my consol, "I decided that I could use that for more profitable purposes." The cold metal froze my clammy hands. Don't shake, don't back down.

He pulled out his own gun, "We robbed the shop for you, man, you owe us."

"I never own anybody anything." I growled. I stepped out of the car. He backed off.

"You accepted this job, you are going to finish it."

"What are you talking about?"

I heard the noise of faint sirens. "This case won't be closed until the police catch the thieves. That would be you."

He lunged at me, but I was ready. I knocked his gun out of his hand and kneed him in the stomach. "You should be more prepared next time." I said through my teeth.

Then I looked up. She stood there in knee high black boots, jean shorts, and a black leather jacket. Frozen right outside of the car door, she just stared at me.

"James?" She mouthed the only name She knew me by.

Don't feel, don't react, hide, run.

"Sorry, darling, gotta run!" I shouted. I aimed my gun and shot a hole in the back tires of their car.

I jumped into my car and sped off into the night.

"Because I had to." I say, giving the simplest answer.

"And I thought I loved you." She whispers, her face inexpressive, "But you were just fools gold."

The police man replaces the cuffs on her fair wrists and leads her back to her cell, leaving me more stone cold than ever.

"Yes! I get to be the Bad Guy this time and I get to Kill who ever I want to.

Guess what? There is nothing you can do about it. Absolutely Nothing! (I'm Laughing very loudly) I know you can hear me. You can hear me in your minds. No! One can stop me but me but me. (I'm laughing very loudly again) Can you hear it! I say. Can you hear it! I'm having way too much fun. To stop my killing spree. So, I will Kill all of you! I'm talking to you! Everyone of you. I'm talking to the ones who are reading my words right now.(My sinister laugh is unstoppable) Look! Look! Behind you. I'm about to KILL YOU!"