books and bodies

The tension in the air is causing molecular vibrations that shimmy everyone's masks down under their fucking noses. Patrons are even more pissed than usual that the library isn’t open for rummaging, as if the pandemic has been cancelled until the election is over.

"Well, WHEN WILL THINGS BE BACK TO NORMAL?"

"I don't know, maybe when the case numbers start going down?" 

"STORES are open!"

"Stores don't share stuff people have been reading on the toilet?" Also, there are bouncers at the doors of every store, and restaurants have blocked the entrances with tables and registers, so it's not exactly a picture of normalcy out there.

I can find you a book to hide in for a while, though. And you don't even have to pull up your mask; I know how to throw a frisbee.

- - -

Driving through town, another homeless man was dead on the sidewalk outside the hardware store. Passersby were nudging him with their toes. Traffic slowed as an ambulance and a police car pulled up. Three EMTs and a police officer got out, walked around the body solemnly, and knelt down to check for a pulse. Suddenly the dead man's arm came up and started slapping them in the face like a garden hose. 

 

It was beautiful. Sorry for laughing so much as I drove by, first responders.