"Milk? Or sugar?" she asked.
He shook his head. He templed his fingers in thought and said nothing for several moments.
Coral felt her tension begin to rise again.
"Will I ever see my mom again?" she asked, plaintively.
He laughed. "Please," he said. "No death flags!" (4/4) #wss366
The routine provided a sense of normalcy and the smell of the tea was relaxing. For the first time since discovering that her mom was missing, her heart wasn't racing with panic.
Jimmy finally came into the dining room. He seated himself while she poured the tea. (3/4) #wss366
While she waited, she got down the teapot and measured out some tea leaves into it. Then she got down two of the china tea cups and carried them to the table. When the kettle began to whistle, she poured the water into the teapot and carried it too out the table. (2/4) #wss366
Jimmy explored the rest of the house. He thoroughly studied every room, looking for any additional clues. Coral trailed after him for a while.
Eventually she grew bored and went into the kitchen. She filled the kettle, lit a burner on the stove, and set the water to boil. (1/4) #wss366
Today's @wss366.bsky.social #wss366 prompt was late because when the script ran at 5am, Bluesky wasn't responding. But it's posted now.
Inside, there was no bar of soap, but rather a small electronic device.
"It's a camera," he said, pointing at the lens.
"In her bathroom?" Coral said, scandalized.
"It was pointed toward the open door into her bedroom. They probably wanted to monitor her daily routine." (3/3) #wss366
He proceeded to carefully check her bed, laundry hamper, and her bathroom. He studied all of the bottles and cosmetics on her #sink. Coral watched in silence.
"What's this?" Jimmy said. He pointed at a stack of packages of bar soap. He retrieved the one from the bottom and opened it. (2/3) #wss366
Coral opened her mouth to speak when Jimmy cut her off.
"Let's go check your place first, and then sit down to talk."
She led him silently to their house. He studied everything as they walked across the yard and then entered. She let him to Joyce's bedroom. (1/3) #wss366
If you thought it was only the online experience being enshittified, think again. Corporations are doing it for physical products as well: to extract value from brands, which is why everything is getting worse. www.worseonpurpose.com/p/your-backp...
"Whoever snatched your mom," he said. "They were professionals. Probably state actors. They watched from here for several days until they decided to take her."
"Who would want to do that?"
Jimmy stopped and looked at Coral. "How much do you know about your mom?" (3/3) #wss366
Coral felt it too. "What?"
"C'mere," Jimmy said. They walked to another room and he felt a side table in there. "See?"
"What!?"
"They cleaned everything they touched. They touched that table, but not this one."
"Who?" (2/3) #wss366
As they stepped in, Jimmy scowled. He moved the door back and forth and then inspected the hinges.
"It's just been oiled," he said, pointing.
He walked into the dining room that had windows oriented toward Joyce's house. He ran his finger along the table.
"Feel this!" he said. (1/3) #wss366
He pointed at the dark house next to it. The curtains were drawn. The grass was unkempt. "Who lives there?"
"Nobody, right now," Coral said. "The old lady passed away and it's in probate."
"Who's been making trash?" Jimmy said, pointing at the trash barrel out front. "Her #ghost?" (4/4) #wss366
They walked around the corner and he looked down the street. As they walked, he studied the houses, yards, and parked vehicles.
"It's that one, right kid?" Jimmy said, pointing at a pink raised ranch.
"Yeah. That's our house." (3/4) #wss366
"Let's walk from here," he said, climbing out of the drop.
He slid a case out from under the seat of the truck, unlocked it, and pulled out a big, ugly automatic. He chambered a round, checked the safety, and slipped it into the waistband of his pants. (2/4) #wss366
After the ferry docked, Jimmy drove his truck onto the barrier island, the turned right and headed down the central highway.
"It's on the left up ahead, right?"
"Right," Coral said. "I mean left. Right."
Jimmy chuckled. He turned into the subdivision, then parked two streets away. (1/4) #wss366
"But she wasn't there in the morning. No note, no nothing. Which is not like her. When she still wasn't home when I got back from University, I came to look for you."
Jimmy nodded & thought for a moment, then asked, "Did she take her car?"
Coral shook her head.
"No. She was just gone." (2/2) #wss366
Coral took a sip of her cola and said nothing.
Jimmy leaned over the rail for a few moments and silently shook with emotion, then he mastered himself and straightened up.
"What can you tell me?" he asked.
"She was there when I went to bed last night," Coral said. (1/2) #wss366
"Is Joyce still seeing that guy?" Jimmy asked.
"Which one?" Coral replied. "She's had like three boyfriends in the past year."
"I mean that…" Jimmy #spat in the water. "That scumbag."
"She really knows how to pick them."
Jimmy sighed. "That's probably why she liked me." (2/2) #wss366
Jimmy led Coral to the refreshment counter on the ferry.
"What do you want?" he asked her.
"A cola," she said.
"A beer for me," he said to the clerk.
They carried their drinks to the bow. There was a little chop in the middle of the sound and they stood braced against the rail. (1/2) #wss366
Coral felt the deep thrum of the propellers as the ferry headed across the sound.
Jimmy let his breath out. Then he slid out of the truck and walked around to her side of the truck.
"C'mon, kid," he said. "We've got twenty minutes. Let's go get us a drink." (4/4) #wss366
"It'll be backed up," he said, weaving in and out of traffic. "If we punch it, we can make the ferry."
Ten minutes later, he drove up just as the gate started to come down. He paid the #fare, pulled forward, and parked. He turned off the motor just as the horn of the ferry sounded. (3/4) #wss366
He repeatedly moved his foot between the accelerator and brake.
Coral closed her eyes as he ran a red light.
He suddenly spun the wheel to the right and floored it. The huge engine roared as the truck leapt forward.
"Isn't the bridge that way?" she asked. (2/4) #wss366
Jimmy started up the big truck and then pulled sharply into traffic. Coral grabbed the armrest to keep from being thrown across the seat.
Jimmy drove aggressively, changing lanes fast and cutting off other cars.
"Joyce still lives on the island, right?" he said.
Coral nodded. (1/4) #wss366
He opened the passenger door and held it for her. When she struggled to climb in, he picked her up and set her on the bench seat, closed the door, and walked around to the driver's side.
"Buckle up," he said. (2/2) #wss366
Coral followed Jimmy out of the bar into still tropical air. It had rained and the sidewalks were wet. She hurried to keep up with his long strides as he led her down the street. They arrived at a black pickup truck that was painted with flowers: stylized daisies and dandelions. (1/2) #wss366
Jimmy moved briskly through the crowd. His imposing size caused people to move involuntarily. Those that didn't move, got pushed aside. A glance at his expression was enough to warn people not to respond. Coral stayed close behind, moving in his shadow, and followed him out. (2/2) #wss366
Jimmy led Coral back out through the bar. A #blues trio on stage pumped out deafening beats. Coral could feel the bass thumping in her belly. People packed the floor of the bar. (1/2) #wss366
When Trump says "A whole civilization will die tonight," you understand that he's talking about OUR civilization, as we enter barbarism. #uspol