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A man buys a parrot, and is horrified when he discovers the only thing it can say is, “If you ever tell anyone what you saw, I’ll kill you.”
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Polly was not always Polly, Polly was once Gideon Scarlet, and Gideon Scarlet has seen many horrible things. Gideon watched with steely black eyes, dark and observant, as Matthew Greene beat and abused his long-time girlfriend, Cora Wiles. Then, he watched as Cora Wiles cheated on Matthew Greene with a man by the name of Cornelius Patsy. Gideon silently observed as Matthew Greene sold coke to Percival Devereau, and ecstasy to Robert Kane, and acid to Kayla Wiles, Cora's little sister. Then, his soulful eyes stared on as Robert Kane entered the apartment, 412 East First Street, looking for a buzz, looking for his drugs. Matthew Greene, though, refused to comply, blaming Robert Kane for missing drugs, missing money, missing time. He shot him then and there, but with bad timing, because Cora Wiles entered only moments later.
"If you ever tell anyone what you saw, I'll kill you," It became a constant chirp in Cora Wile's ears, spoken through the lips of Matthew Greene, so constant, though, that Gideon began to echo it to Cora Wiles when Matthew Greene was not around.
Matthew Greene was beaten to death on a beautiful Spring morning by Elissa Kane, Robert's wife, and Cora Wiles fled. They both left Gideon Scarlet to die, alone in a little green cage in the window. A van pulls up, big and white, its doors swing open and a pair get out, one is a slender blonde, she is not pretty, but stern-looking and serious. The other is a bulky man, with a sweet smile and a musical laugh. They approach the door, and Gideon Scarlet hears only the hollow noise as it falls.
The man comes to the cage, cooing calmingly, and, finally, taking Gideon away and leaving the woman to stay in his place. Gideon Scarlet is going to a new home? But why? But where?
Many come, many go, many approach the cage with hateful looks, others look sympathetic, even sorrowful. Quizzically, Gideon stares, silently, back. Finally, there is a transaction, and Gideon is leaving.
There is a small, green, cage. Gideon is in it.
Gideon Scarlet stares at this new man, Charles Greene, his is a strange man. Like a man from a familiar dream.
“If you ever tell anyone what you saw, I’ll kill you.” Gideon Scarlet squawks.
 X x __ compos M E N T i S · Thu Dec 11, 2008 @ 11:23pm · 0 Comments |
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