The Marionette

  The cell phone rang in her purse behind the counter. Sandra rushes to pick it up. The cell phone says Irving P.D.

  “Hello?”

   “Mrs. Jessica Sweetwater please.”

  The voice spoke in monotone manner. When she was about to speak the cook entered and started yelling.

  “I said no personal calls on the clock Sandra”

  “Shut the fuck up, it’s the police.”

  She picked the phone back up and placed it on to her ear. She was starting to get nervous.

  “This is Jessica. How may I help?”

  “Hello, My name is Detective Parker from the Irving police department. I have some bad news about a Mr. Phil Connors. I need you to come to the station so I can tell you more about it.”

  “Is there something wrong sir?”

  The phone became silent. She thought have became reality. She starts to shed tears. He nose clogs up. She sees Mildred come to see what the matter was. With in that time the voice reappeared.

  “We will discuss this when you get here Mrs. Sweetwater”

  “Thank you”

  The phone clicked and she placed it down. That time Mildred approaches her.

  ”You need something suga. Are you okay?”

  She didn’t say a word. She grabs her purse and rushes out the door. The door slams back and she disappears from view. The two looked at each and proceeded back to the normal duties.

  Jessica walks to her car. He hands reaching in her pockets, searching for her keys. Her car was a nineteen eighty–four ford escort. The car had sunspots on its baby blue exterior. The tires where mismatched and one was even a doughnut. She opens the door and proceeds to go in. The door started to squeak as she closes the door. She inserts the key and fires it up.

   The car hesitated but, then fires up. Black smoke arises from the tail pipe and sounds of gunshots feel the air. The engine fluctuates as the 

Spark plugs begin to misfire. She puts it in drive and the car goes. The engine sputters then dies.

  Jessica so overwhelmed the lays her head on the steering wheel and starts to cry. He head hits the horn and the sound lingered in the parking lot.

  A few seconds later a knock on the window awoke her from her despair. She turns to look and it was Mildred. She rolls down the window and wipes the tears and saliva from her face.

  “You look like hell Jessi,” Mildred said as she opens the door, “come one let me help you out of the car.”

  She looks at Mildred, half blinded by the running mascara that formed streams around her face. She opens the door and climbs out of the car. She looks at the aging woman and rushes to her arm. The tears poured and not the loud sound of crying begins.

  “Now, now my dear Milly is hear for you child.”

  Jessica withdraws herself from Mildred’s embrace. She grabs a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her face. Her frown lifted a little and sniffs as she wipes her nose.

  “You stay there love, I will get my car and I will take you to the police station.”

  She nods in acceptance as she sits on the hood of her car and grabs a cigarette from her pouch. She lit the cigarette and sat there in mourning. She sees Mildred walk to the café’s door and disappears in the crowd. She looks around and notices a smell. She gets up and checks for anything that might have spilled out.   

   

  She walks around the car and notices a puddle of fluid streaming from her car. The blackness of the parking lot made the liquid hard to identify. She bends over and starts to examine. She places her two left fingers and smears the fluid on to them and with a scooping motion places it to her nostrils. Gas, she thought as the smell burned her nose hairs.

  “Must have hit something one the way darling. You know you should be careful.”

  Without warning the voice startles her and she thrust up to see Mildred smiling right at her holding her purse over her shoulder and keys in the other.

  Her smile looked empty and devious as her eyes glared straight at Jessica. Uncomfortably she came closer and touched her in the shoulder and starts to lead her to her vehicle. Jessica looks around and sees someone staring out of the window. She looks away then focuses back there and the person is gone.

  A chill brushes over her as she walks to the car. The boney fingers felt like sticks as Mildred politely leads her to the car. She hears a beep and sees a light flash from the vehicle.

  The car was a 2003 Buick Century. The color of cream smeared all over the car and the white leather seats danced into her eyesight. She walks closer nearly blinded by the chrome that glared from the rims.

  Mildred quickly opens the passenger door and ushered Jessica inside. Jessica puts on the seat belt as Mildred closes the door. The slam startled the poor lady nerves. She sees Mildred walk to the other side and put her self on the car. He weight shifted the shocks and forced them to scream as the compressed. She turns the car on and it purrs. If the car never moved, you would think it was not even on.  

  She adjusts the mirror and looks at Jessica with a smile. Her expression gave a weird feeling in the back of Jessica’s mind. She grabs the gear and places it in drive. The car moves forward and they head to the police station.