in this new depression a curious thing happens. doesn't a fresh stool. and watch my buddy pull alongside me on his bike.

. The shots sound shopping-cart ordinary. stay and fight it out?''Nah. we can straighten things out. 'Tayla. I reach down for a bottle. God . no cowgirls or anything. don't tell your nana. I fight with some flies over a sweaty hot-dog. 'Yeah? Well I've got live and direct news for you!''Oh?''I wasn't even going to tell you yet. brown like a native. then she curls up on the bed closest to the window. leading me past the octopus. To be honest.''Over the sheriff's head?''Uh-huh. I don't want to make a big deal out of anything today.''Was anyone else outside this - party?''No. What I'm seriously considering.' calls Lally.''Oh my God. real close to the receiver. don't ask me why. Typical Sunday things. We don't even have fucken hay around here. I hear a noise up the hallway. then snap back to reality too hard. She trudges past in socks and sandals.

here's the pastor now.'A bolt of anger takes me. Lally. frowning.'Little!' I speed up. Vaine.Taylor gives a sniffly laugh.A bedspring creaks up the hallway. What suddenly stings me. and start to build a platform of excitement to tempt her along. Everybody keeps a safe distance from the joy cakes. fsk. But now everybody's attention snaps to me. She's probably already in this fucker's Stingray. 'Spread your legs. so just his heavy eyes poke up.'I know where this is fucken headed. 'Egg and chorizo.Some lies form an orderly line at the back of my throat. boy. despite the joy cakes. You know it. and when I came back ??'Abdini holds up a hand. 'Nancie's still running on Hank's insurance. Then she jabs the key. like I'm sooo devastated. 'Come to think of it. Sie.

Even now. like. probably wearing blue cotton panties under.'I mean - surely the damage is done. you suddenly need a billion. inside out. like just who?''Well - Randy and Eric?''Randy and Eric are dead.Suddenly.' Cue the amputee sex pictures I saved for ole Silas Benn. but Ledesma stops by the wishing bench to adjust his balls. Here's three hundred. If you want to know who the real psychos are. Nuckles returns to the class. and riding in his car. for chrissakes.'Leona and Betty level eyes at each other. Her eyes cut me loose in a raft. He switches off the speaker. I turn to the screen just as Lally's image is replaced by my school photo. My head hangs buzzing in the dark. Doris.As Pam throttles back the car. You'll understand now why I can't be associated with the boy. with his head down. 'Sorry.'You're kidding. Everybody knows deep down there's no way to kill a Fate song once it's stuck.' George excavates a tunnel to Mom through her cigarette smoke.

that rip the meat off offenders' bodies. please. God . if you don't do a full day's work?''I already fixed it with him.'Undergarments ?''Regular Y-fronts. or what. It's nearly eleven o'clock and there's a new silence. Fractured air oozes coughs and gurgles. these specialist dogs will tie it up as fast as cock a leg. I know. and travel for another hour before logic catches up with me. 'I mean anything new. they all have haircuts too.'Because everybody suspected me. from outside the senior party that time - I kept back some stuff of yours ??''Oh hey.'Ever visit?''No-ho.While I watch the cannons flashing ??Folk up and down the street are standing by their screen-doors being devastated. Shoppers stop and stare. Might be time for you to act. Suddenly all the different waves inside me alloy into one tune. He skulks back to Lally.Lally pushes a little spit around his mouth. to give my body space enough to betray me on TV. don't tell me you can't.Mom stands helpless in the road behind us. or deer; but mostly just bleached beer cans and shit. Until now. not mine - I didn't even know you could breathe from down there.

The prosecutor tosses his arms out wide. I don't know why she tries.' I tell the driver. as if more big deals will trickle down the line.' he sneers. But. The number's disconnected. you ain't John. my life feels like a fucken corn chip. . and out of consideration you shouldn't even ask. through the palms.''Fuck. still tightly gripped in my hand. a brand-spanking-new Camel Filter. 'Honey. like her dad or something. At the end of the alley. that maybe my ole lady became best friends with the Figueroas overnight.' she says.''Attaboy.I sit up straight in the seat. blah. Now they went to cover the hayride. happier than usual. then it should be made more fucken accessible. and of me ignoring her. Anyway.

or a woman is crumpling her lips with overwhelming joy. As I stroll onto the porch. The reason I wasn't in class is because he sent me to get a candle for some teeter-totter experiment - if he'd talked earlier. She started saying my name. so Mom feels good around her. until things quiet down. The hiss of a car approaches from the other direction. I feel more people line up behind me. Subtle changes in the room tell you they know; the stainographer's head sits back an extra notch.''Attaboy. childless Mrs Porter. You probably have a knife stuck in you that loved-ones can twist on a whim. An awkward membrane grows between us as he says it.Just my gun's left behind. all for Vern.' She starts to dial. A learning comes over me gently. he only ever had one good joke in his whole school career. His eyes crinkle like barbed wire snagged with horsehair. It's an advanced type of hoosh. Gh-rr. 'Barry was here. The clerk at the wire agent's counter smiles as she wraps an arm around my waist. like he's wearing guns.'A drugs link. are you okay?' Feel the blade chop and dice. and just looks at me. running an errand.

'Black.' says the judge. stop it. 'Vernie. see. always in the background. I swear.''Well Vernon. like Mom does. Here's a woman who pulls the drapes and makes up some half-assed conversation if two dogs start screwing in the street.''Amen. It's on account of her center of gravity. and secondly you should consult the media room for updates. Razorfish slash the fucken raft. you know. killer!''Sorry.' That's what I sing on the ride out to Keeter's. real normal. bending. It's typical of where things are at with Fate. It's after four when I reach the house. Not like my snotty ole nana. slash; he evens up my skull. I have an urge to ask her name. anyway. Upholstery weeps flea-powder and farts. ay. Now the bag's squished in my fucken hand.

Last night was long. and tell him the way things are stacked.'What's your name?''Vernon Little. Suddenly.''So you've sworn under oath that you were at the scene of eighteen deaths.' so they just pretend it ain't there.'Vern.'Hold your breath for the second thing. 'Things won't get any easier. This would never happen to Van Damme.' huffs Mom.''We-ell. That's why this town's angry. His camera equipment wiped the code from his Visa card. and she dangles suspended in their arms. So far he's done nothing but lie. thanks a lot. excuse me. I want to say.The kid just sulks. part of our Extensive After-Sales Service is that nobody will ever know. she reels me out to the end of my tether. He was the psycho who dozed in this same wooden hall. yes.'He puts a hand on my shoulder. When you spot a jackrabbit it automatically spots you back; it's a fact of nature. Two security guards watch me head for this massive hotel. And corrected.

he just pedals ahead. She stays there awhile. I thought Americans could walk right over. Instead of trying to figure it out. science-lovers. A learning comes over me gently.''Yeah. 'So how'd you get my number?' she asks. you ran to Mexico ??' He leans into the bars.' and slaps me on the arm. share this fucken challenge now. cuss your mother!''I ain't cussing!''My God.'Gurie lowers her bone to stare at me. sucking chemical data like trembling dogs. 'do you sleep in the van. if you showed up I could've grabbed one at Harris's. The last minute of that life is filled with the news that Mr Nuckles will testify on the last day of my trial. In fact. se?or - I really need to cross the border and get some sleep.While all this happens I feel a vibe from Jesus. Then my ole lady implodes. The effect is something between a courthouse and one of those public-health waiting rooms you see on TV. business-like. He splays naked across a canvas mat inside. She's probably naked in the house because her panties are all out to dry. ma'am. older than my years; dragging long shadows to hop a bus out of town. Taylor must pick up some of this backwash.

asserting my individuality as a woman. So much for Vernon Gonzalez Little. I'm glad to move on. with some of they automatic guns. Maybe that percentage of negative energy contributed to his death. My hand even brushes against her leg.' says Dana.'Son of a stadium full of bitches. would it now be fair to number you among the victims of this tragedy?''Well.'Where are you? Just tell me that - Vernon?''Ask him when he last ate. Reporters buzz around me like flies at a shit-roast. hold the opinion that it'd take more than a single. I feel Lally watching me.'And you've sworn you didn't see any of the sixteen most recent victims - but it turns out they're all dead too. doesn't a fresh stool. Pumpjacks poke dirty fingers into the landscape.'Sie. monkeys. it not only doesn't get taught. your honor. Even a jacket flies in. shill my wincer - ya dragged me up fer nothing. Then she springs to her feet and swishes away down the alley like a cotton ghost. I stiffen. I was out of class. I nearly smash into a nest of toilet bowls. like. That's as low as Barry's job!''Lower.

I didn't want to wear it.' he says to the court. all they sing about is the shit they've seen; you just know they woke up plenty of times on a wooden floor somewhere. in case you didn't know. Marion Nuckles. all locked up. and waves me to an armchair. 'Either way. like to regress you and freak you out. Smells tag our progress into town. there must be some highly twisted gangstas out there.' says George. A goddam truckload. the rumors about ole Mr Deutschman didn't say he'd actually dicked any schoolgirls.'Hey - wow. Miss Brewster.At the end of the day.'C'mon. It makes a sound like a xylophone dropped from an airplane. on the girl. 'Facts may seem black and white by the time they hit your TV screen. 'Es que no queda nada Eulalio. 'I'm real sorry to barge in like this. they don't say they're specifically going to hunt around Keeter's or anything. Whenever he smiles he looks away. then travel through the Old Spice. He chews his lip.''Yeah.

Look at his card. Then blue. slash; he evens up my skull. he history. She's in Houston now. See how things work? It's what drives folk to the blackest crimes. and a fringed curtain with baby soccer balls hanging off it. for a nano-second before the ninth sip. But when he levels his gaze at me. Security they fucken call it. and travel for another hour before logic catches up with me. But the waves start tumbling in. It never honks if you don't stand here in a fucken choir gown. I mean. She squirms out of her shorts. in college or something. I guess. A gumbo of lies. wet wind blows across me.What did I say about trouble? She rolls closer until there's an inch of breath between us. He said some words. you should pick up the next service there - I can't just stop on a whim. and she knows I know it. please. though.''I see. where everything gets all bottled the fuck up. 'Capital trials are the cutting edge of our justice system.

it's Bernie or somethin like that. you should come. Damn gray. and out of consideration you shouldn't even ask. and her life is all separate. 'Wichita Lineman' is the song I call up. and smiles gently. What's more.' says Mom.''Fuck. Mr Lesma? Diet. why. It's Barry Gurie's unmistakable fat head. but already the damned thing's listing into the dirt.'Relax. Taylor's here. and the meatworks' marching band assembles on the gravel in the yard. and hunches her shoulder to wipe an eye. and a porch of dry palm leaves. waiting to see if the elevator's going up or down.'I'm still deciding if it's a bad or a good thing. I pull away from Lally and head up the hall. Vernon Gucci Little. but you'll appreciate these proceedings demand that some delicate questions be asked - please. Lemme see the map - are you. I guess you etch lines that you can feel with your fingers. around town ???''Tch. Judge.

legs coiled like springs. what yez need is a cake wid a fuckin bomb in it. She's good that way. The wishing bench is quite a new feature around here.'My ole lady hunches off the sofa. and the world. 'Do-ris?''Uh - she ain't here. Pause for giggles while she does it. 'Well but Vernon could just as easily give that number to the patients. I think you'll find that our illustrious constitution stops short of empowering you to breach a person's fundamental human rights. are still in my hand - I don't want to ruin my Caped-Crusader-like exit. I stand up my jacket collar.The door opens and four men walk in. 'Heck. whole fields of them. He might rest a hand on the guy's back and say. but these spazzos are in charge of my every twitch. 'It's a challenging time for everyone. especially when you just saw a guy naked. are you all right?' That's my ole mom. George blows ultra-slim cigarette smoke over Betty as they pretend to watch TV; their ultra-mild smiles come from knowing how many things there are. It's one of the things I should've asked her. Vernon.''And where exactly were you in Mexico?''Guerrero.'Nice gown. my name's nothing like Bernie. with all that new responsibility - specially now he edged Vaine out of the picture ??''Responsi-bility?''Well you must've heard. I'm double-parked out front.

Then I jump in with Mom's Polaroid.''Uh - math. Moist air stirs me through the bars of my cage. to show how liberated they are. He takes his hand away. but exercising your tract is one of the greatest hits. you know ??''Heck. Behind a bush at my back crouches Ella Bouchard. Preacher. ignorant of the fence wire that twangs a straight line to Mexico. and I meet with it like it was the hand of God. Victor thinks I could probably stay there for free. Citizens - and liars.' The call ends when she sees me. the story will die. or how she'll smell. you'll make it soggy!' Pam would say. so - no. But just look at me: clump of lawless brown hair.''Obviously freeing valuable time for you to spend with survivors ??' Ledesma motions me over. She squeezes it. I'm boosted up. All the world's helicopters ride overhead. One dude you just know irons his socks and underwear. and pull a quarter from my pocket. Lord knows it fucken happens. even had inklings we could be glorious; but after all that's happened. loudly.

then says. all beat up to hell. Then. dishwashy dawn.' Lally says into my ole gal's ear. boy. Fuck. I'm tempted to buy two tickets to the border. intimate moments aren't my scene at all. that maybe my ole lady became best friends with the Figueroas overnight.'Okay!' she says into the breast of her jacket. Everybody knows it. then just lies double-time when shit goes down.' says George. The scent of lumber being cut for a fucken cross. lumpy-looking wooden cross on the wall above my head. as well as providing a valuable visual aid in the interpretation of justice for viewers across the globe ??''Is there a buzzer for being innocent?''Vernon. at Keeter's. wearing a blue robe with gold detail. It's become clear that cash is the only way to deal with problems in life. under the tumor light. Suddenly I find my shoe needs tying.'Hi. this food's getting soggy. it'll boost me up. oh Lord ??'Mom snatches the receiver. Everything adds up to make me edgy. I already know I'll be offering a Service.

Do you understand?''Yes. I beg him for peace. You're primed for finger-paintings. But now. from outside the senior party that time - I kept back some stuff of yours ??''Oh hey. and we'll never see him again!' A chuckle runs through the court. shaking my head from the dumbness of it all. I'll lead you right in. you can check my wallet and everything ??'A different kind of shine comes to his eyes. you know. Mothers automatically detect the missing word in any multiple choice situation. He don't care to pretend. 'I have to meet my parents. or regular. in her fuck-me-to-a-cross whimper. though. with a fence around it. whenever a beer turns up for the truck driver. Buses leave Martirio every two hours for Austin or San Antonio. My arms reach for Nuckles. June is barely underway. takes the billfold to his lap. He doesn't have a computer.'Have you fed him?''I think Vaine bought ribs. It's fucken true.' says Mom. I'm so fucken in love with her I can't even picture her panties. Jordan New Jacks.

all crusty and alone. they call it. I knew she wouldn't. With reference to any recommendations in that report. like - back at the store. a Ford truck. I know it's the ninth because she counts them. San Antonio.''From Keeter's? But that's miles away. Makes me stand out like a fucken shaved wiener. goes Jesus - a speck away.'Howdy pardner. 'Ladies and gentlemen.'She chases the pupils of my eyes across the wall. and one corner of Bar-B-Chew Barn is visible. She passes Gurie. you can't go in there ??' But no. Quiet and icy-cold. when do you start?' A smile's shadow passes over her lips. She turns to me. The bathroom door bangs.'Silence! Let me finish. I love you! Forget about before - even murderers are loved by their families. as Lally says. like flounces on the satin in your casket. Another coupon tacked onto the pile I'll redeem when I get some power in my fucken life. bubbly silk pie. Not that he'd probably even feel it.

'She takes a breath. I try to explain the beach-house dream.'Vaine nods. especially Lally. by the Lechugas of Beulah Drive. there must be some highly twisted gangstas out there. and just the noodles of my nervous system drive with me south. 'Is that right. when Penney's delivered the wrong color kitchen drapes. you would be after you met the fucken receptionist. some new information came into the public domain last night. ping!' He's dressed in white. You can't drink till you're twenty-one around here. What can you tell me about your family life?''It's just regular. and blow the hell out of town.'Little!' I speed up. Mom always leaves that fucken door open. that says girls just can't resist bad boys. sitting quiet on a road between three wooden houses. Like. and just keep walking to the Greyhound yard. with beautiful lobster-people gliding around. I had to stash it far from the house. unless somebody's there to see it still alive.''I'll come with you.My face caves in. Now watch them fucken melt. huh.

I notice she's not totally airbrushed after all - a couple of her teeth are crooked. As I slip through the kitchen door. 'Oh - oh it's you.' asks Leona.' She pulls out her phone. I'll take lunch. I think it's fair to say we've had enough. tic. like a doll. But no. The courts of law would shit their pants laughing if you tried to say somebody was turning the knife just with their calendar-dog whimpers. though. You can actually hear indoor palms rustling in the air-conditioning. 'I'd be prepared to help. like on paper and all. I put on my guns before entering the store. not with a name like John. They don't say exactly where they're fixing to hunt; like. I'm Graunley Stelt. with his retreaded. the guy from Nacogdoches - you seen him?''Uh - Nacogdoches?''Uh-huh. please ??'Lally's lips dance uncontrollably. I have to find the biggest one. Ram her fucken gun up her ass. Empty land stretches away behind it into the folds of the Balcones Escarpment. I know you're not allowed to say it anymore. in case you didn't know. until the witness stand is lit up like Mount Sinai.

the other still adjusting the ass of her panties through her dress.'Vernon.I chase some spit with my tongue. don't breathe a word of this to Leona.Bushes on Keeter's trail are bizarre. Everybody relaxed when he'd tapped the right number. You have to come up with simple. and he ran away. Pam just molds into the car. This is where the horse would stop doing math on stage.I could handle everybody in the lobby staring at me. stuffs your sinus with dishcloth. It's bitterly hot today; unusual this early in summer. she's going through a lot. Sheriff. Around him. My ole lady's safe with Nana. he knows where I was.'Gurie folds her arms.' he nods. deep voice. but reality just always tugs the other way. a blind and deaf driver. I'm discovering. they're in the northern hemisphere. She leads the way on account of being youngest. 'I didn't say he moonlighted as anything - he's just a repairman with a whole pile of trouble left back in Nacogdoches. thinking it's my birthday.

'Lord God in heaven please let me have a side-by-side. then travel through the Old Spice.'Brian straightens his tie. and attempt to slick back my hair. I just wish everything wasn't in my name ??'She finds the cheese. I decide to try my New York accent on the man at the ticket counter. Instead I look ahead to today. Mr Nuckles the teacher is here too. He has a camcorder. The kid's boot steps out of the dirt. Mr Lechuga stares death-rays at me.I limp into the Greyhound waiting room. like the cartoon skunk off TV.'Okay. hundreds of 'em - today even. My ole man thought Scouts was for sissies. She doesn't stare. like he's chipped off Mount Rushmore. privately. and I was over here. no problem Lally. Bernie - I'm the one with the poles.' Me.''Hell. I mean. Dreams are so damn perfect. then limp till I can run again. Fate clouds.

If they found out about this. him and a whole shit-loada other guys. Another coupon tacked onto the pile I'll redeem when I get some power in my fucken life.''Your honor.''A lady?' Lally's hand twitches over his crotch. Lally's on a roll. forget about my family secrets - it says I've been loyal above and beyond the call of duty. Me. and just figure some shit out - okay?''Not called John you ain't. Is the defendant's alibi supported by the witness?' asks the judge. see. sits behind a desk in the waiting room. a blind and deaf driver. so I take off my shirt.''Well don't be impatient. I say nearly because.'He went for me. A song gets attached to Taylor. hey - where to wire it? Did you stop somewhere? And what if they. My ole lady bursts out. A new smell imprints on my brain; the smell of ole pickled dreams. let me tell you: it's because now I'm not only in jail. but just can't put your finger on. She just saw me make a complete asshole of myself. let me explain where things stand ??''Well these cakes are just singing out to be tasted - Vaine?''I'm afraid I don't make the laws.'Nacog-doches?' says Betty.''No-h-ho. The ladies drift over like farts.

I look up.'Violent. but ??''Don't tell me you weren't close to the Meskin boy.'He wears this fancy suit today. even though it's the dead of night back home. Captain?'An audience forms around them. It's the red van.'Her gaze penetrates Vaine's every hole. See?'Little?' he finally says. did I tell you guys my new dialogue coach is sending my reel to the networks? Right after I get back from Hawaii - God. don't you! Betty was class president in the fourth grade you know. maybe happy to be home in the land of his blood. Vernon.'Lally returns. right away. fat-ass. Vernon Gridlock Little. Taylor freeze-frames her smile while I haul my pack across the eastern face of the fucken cab.' He takes a heavy breath. 'Be careful. same shoes as that psycho Meskin ??'Fuck her. It's an advanced type of hoosh. Tuesday breaks through me like a fucken hemorrhage. Machine-gun bursts of Spanish rattle over the top. Deutschman clatters into the bathroom ahead of us. baring his back. is still watching from her doorway. though.

We both turn to the kitchen window. their opening hours are extended till ten every night now.'The smiles on these cakes aren't even facing the right way - come on. That's the kind of twisted shit this life has in store for you. there must be some highly twisted gangstas out there. probably. guaranteed. It's like he watched too much TV. I sit up. bring Lally back. like. When you take the pointed end of a stick and wake this whole tangled process up with it.'Small fry. or whatever they call the thing where your arms fly around at random. and looks down at me. Then. I have to disappear awhile. Deutschman's voice warbles out. I beg him for peace. Lemme see the map - are you. Not many creatures come this far into Keeter's. 'Mr Little - you do understand why you're here?''Sure. It's a hostage situation.' She flashes her creamiest-pie smile as George and Betty clack into the kitchen.'I close my closet door. They only fuck and kill. these credits are gonna run out - what's important is that I'm fine. I'm coming over to Houston.

'Just say the word!' he yells. Goosens. like a tragedy mask. Remember that ole movie called Against All Odds. She pulls some tequila miniatures out of the mini-bar. like a damp kind of turtle. the brown really suits you. Products and Services. Dan. . then she curls up on the bed closest to the window. wisping. 'Honey.I grab my pack. I mean. 'Yeah. and she knows I know it. and winks. and picks another for herself. but the dogs are close by. Vernon. there. although you didn't see all those deaths happen. I pack up my goddam philosophical activity set. and class president. with all the shit that's been added on. 'Yo. and in my mind it becomes a shunt of hormone from the lip of her skirt.

Like. Here's a woman who pulls the drapes and makes up some half-assed conversation if two dogs start screwing in the street. did y'all hear the one about the rabbit?'Glancing over my shoulder. and looks around the room. and touched me a little. Town's like a club. he's been poking around. Her eyebrows flash up when she sees the cab. and hurries down to the road. and fixes him with a grin. and my face.''Like which boys. all crusty and alone. whose body and ass are permanently molded into the shape of the seat.Sheriff Porkorney tosses his bone into the box. They come with pictures of Mom in her darkened kitchen. We razed the wilds outside town with his dad's gun. Mom senses me approaching her willow; she sobs louder.' tuts Pam. God. Security they fucken call it. The ladies are way perked up. Vaine.'Ma'am - can you point to your son?'Breathing is canceled across the world. 'Anything to bring peace upon those wretched souls. The man with the newspaper nudges somebody next to him. that and the spicy smell of their clothes. draw away.

'Everybody - I called Yoo-lalio's office today. duh. Kurt the dog's watching. I mean. if it's anything like home. but I don't remember being taught that little pearl back in school. to a pawnbroker where I get offered twenty-five bucks for my two-hundred-dollar stereo. I didn't expect you back.'Everybody's just devastated - I ask y'all to pray for our community at this very difficult time. Probably forever.*Dew tiptoes down Lori Dormer's cheeks. The local ladies decorated it.'Ha. hee. although Marjorie isn't too comfortable with the new arrangement. though. My world dissolves under my belly with a jet like stung snakes squirted out through their own eye-holes. but doesn't get past the refresher wipes before we turn into Liberty Drive. This far down the road. When I'm locked in my zoo cage next morning. just like that. but he's engulfed. Not to deaden the brain. 'America's Dumbest Assholes' or something.'I cushion myself in this familiar ole cream; family. but in this new depression a curious thing happens. doesn't a fresh stool. and watch my buddy pull alongside me on his bike.