outside into the rain. “Get them back to work right fucking now, I’ll take care of this frontier man.” Fred ran out to the men and began to yell at them as he was often yelled at by Arch. A vicious cycle stopping at its origin, the rage of Mr. Grimes. Arch walked out in the rain. What was left of the hair on his head was matted down with the torrential rains, making him look even balder. He looked over at Fred’s old truck and saw a hiking boot sticking out of the bed. “Hey! Wake up! Time to work, asshole!” wondering how anyone could sleep in this rain. He realized immediately the leg had no owner in close proximity. He grabbed the hiking boot with leg in tow and dragged it across the muddy roads used by the heavy equipment. The sound of the wood chipper was getting louder now, and the crews all stopped in horror as they witnessed what the boss was carrying. Arch tossed the leg into the chipper. He turned around, “back to work!”
XIII
Marie looked in her rearview mirror back towards the work site, then onto the road. The windshield wipers rhythmically moved back and forth. The rain came down in sheets and she was soaked to the bone. The heat was blasting on high, and with it came the sleepiness from a long day out in the bush. She came from Denver and was here for an investigation. The city was more her style. The comforts of a Starbucks up the street and her little corner government office overlooking the front-range. As she was daydreaming of an iced mocha latte from her favorite little café, she noticed a small and seemingly abandoned gas station just outside of the wilderness area. The fuel gauge was pinging towards E. She pulled in, turned the jeep off, and sat there with her head back on the seat. Her eyes briefly closed, and she eventually pulled herself out and stepped into the store. The majority of the shelves were empty, with a homely attendant intently staring at her. She was a beautiful woman and the likes of her didn’t enter places like this regularly. The man at the cash register had an old John Deere trucker hat and disheveled hair on his head and face. In his mouth was a large amount of tobacco, which he spit into a cup that he promptly returned to its place next to the Slim Jims on the counter.
“Miss,” the attendant said emotionless as he tipped his hat.
“Hello.” Marie replied in the most polite manor while avoiding eye contact as much as manners would allow. She was no stranger to strange men being as beautiful as she was, living in a big city. She decided to make this a quick stop. Caffeine and food were the top priorities. She hadn’t eaten since the drive from Billings. On the bare counters were some warm glass bottles of Coke and some cans of Vienna sausages. Oh goody, she thought to herself, with the image of the iced cold latte with condensation dripping down the side still fresh in her mind. She grabbed the Coke and eyed a Snickers bar on the way to the cashier. Setting the items down on the counter, she noticed the spittoon not inches from her Snickers. In the back of her throat she felt a little movement but she managed to keep it in.
“That’ll be all, miss?” said the attendant in a very peculiar manner. Like there was a joke that only he knew.
“Yep, that’s all.” She smiled and glanced at her vehicle out front. “Wait. Need ten dollars for pump one.”
“Ten dollars pump one, you got it.”
He went to grab the Snickers but grabbed the spittoon instead. The sound of the saliva dropping into the cup seemed to echo through the entire building and he looked into her eyes throughout the process. She had a look of disgust, and begged in her mind for him to just ring it up so she could head back to her hotel. He finally rang up the items and $1.50 later she was out the door after one last look back at the attendant who did not take his eyes off of her for one second. Marie got into her jeep and took a long swig of the Coke and tore the wrapper off of the candy
XIII
Marie looked in her rearview mirror back towards the work site, then onto the road. The windshield wipers rhythmically moved back and forth. The rain came down in sheets and she was soaked to the bone. The heat was blasting on high, and with it came the sleepiness from a long day out in the bush. She came from Denver and was here for an investigation. The city was more her style. The comforts of a Starbucks up the street and her little corner government office overlooking the front-range. As she was daydreaming of an iced mocha latte from her favorite little café, she noticed a small and seemingly abandoned gas station just outside of the wilderness area. The fuel gauge was pinging towards E. She pulled in, turned the jeep off, and sat there with her head back on the seat. Her eyes briefly closed, and she eventually pulled herself out and stepped into the store. The majority of the shelves were empty, with a homely attendant intently staring at her. She was a beautiful woman and the likes of her didn’t enter places like this regularly. The man at the cash register had an old John Deere trucker hat and disheveled hair on his head and face. In his mouth was a large amount of tobacco, which he spit into a cup that he promptly returned to its place next to the Slim Jims on the counter.
“Miss,” the attendant said emotionless as he tipped his hat.
“Hello.” Marie replied in the most polite manor while avoiding eye contact as much as manners would allow. She was no stranger to strange men being as beautiful as she was, living in a big city. She decided to make this a quick stop. Caffeine and food were the top priorities. She hadn’t eaten since the drive from Billings. On the bare counters were some warm glass bottles of Coke and some cans of Vienna sausages. Oh goody, she thought to herself, with the image of the iced cold latte with condensation dripping down the side still fresh in her mind. She grabbed the Coke and eyed a Snickers bar on the way to the cashier. Setting the items down on the counter, she noticed the spittoon not inches from her Snickers. In the back of her throat she felt a little movement but she managed to keep it in.
“That’ll be all, miss?” said the attendant in a very peculiar manner. Like there was a joke that only he knew.
“Yep, that’s all.” She smiled and glanced at her vehicle out front. “Wait. Need ten dollars for pump one.”
“Ten dollars pump one, you got it.”
He went to grab the Snickers but grabbed the spittoon instead. The sound of the saliva dropping into the cup seemed to echo through the entire building and he looked into her eyes throughout the process. She had a look of disgust, and begged in her mind for him to just ring it up so she could head back to her hotel. He finally rang up the items and $1.50 later she was out the door after one last look back at the attendant who did not take his eyes off of her for one second. Marie got into her jeep and took a long swig of the Coke and tore the wrapper off of the candy
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