BOOM Read online

  Jeffrey took out the small white handkerchief he kept in his pocket. He wiped his hand off, staining the bright white material with crimson streaks. He threw the hanky to the ground and when it landed he said:

  “Boom.”

  He got in the car and drove from the lot. He stopped at the same gas station from the day before and used the bathroom to wash his hands. His appetite had left him with the nastiness of the trick.

  Jeffrey stared into the dirty mirror. The eyes were still very alive. And now his head was burning, his skin felt like it was on fire. He leaned against the cracked sink and breathed deeply. Soon the sensation passed. He slammed the bathroom door closed behind him and got back into his car.

  It was cleaning day at work. Every Thursday, the storeroom was cleaned from top to bottom. All the electronics and appliances were wiped down and the floors vacuumed. It was a one man job and that one man was Jeffrey.

  “Sorry chum,” Darryl said the first time he told Jeffrey he had to clean. “You are the low man on the ladder.”

  Jeffrey did not mind the cleaning. It kept him from having to talk to anyone else (Griffin) and gave him an excuse to stray near the receptionist area where Allison was. It was hard to make any sales though. Most customers thought he was the janitor and never asked him for any kind of assistance. Darryl was always watching the salespeople like a hawk and was always getting on Jeffrey to increase his sales on Thursday. He would also turn around and tell Jeffrey that he had missed several spots of dust on top of the televisions and that he needed to also wipe down each individual knob on the stereo systems.

  “Cleanliness is next to Godliness, Walls.” Darryl would walk around pointing out the various places that Jeffrey had missed with the duster. They always seemed to be places no customer in their right mind would seek out.

  He was dusting the washer and dryer displays, stealing glances at Allison as she answered the phone and filled paperwork. Every now and then she would look over at him and smile. He nodded and kept cleaning. He felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Griffin.

  “Yo Walls, how’s it hanging?” Griffin was all smiles this morning. He had secured Salesperson of the Month for the seventh time in a row. Jeffrey looked over the taller man. Griffin had his dark hair slicked back with mousse and his goatee sheened with wax.

  Griffin smiled a million dollar smile. “You have fun taking my girl to lunch?”

  Jeffrey continued dusting the top of the dryer he was working on. “It wasn’t anything serious.”

  “Oh, I know. I mean, nothing against you pal, but she’s way out of your league. Just look at those tits. They’re beautiful.” Griffin winked at Jeffrey. “Believe me I know.”

  Jeffrey stopped dusting and watched as Griffin walked over to Allison. She was on the phone and Griffin lightly slapped her on the rear. She turned and playfully slapped his hand away. She looked over at Jeffrey, slightly embarrassed. Jeffrey wanted to throw up.

  A second tap landed on his shoulder. He turned around and faced Darryl.

  “Why don’t you come back to the office, Walls? Donovan wants to talk to you.” Jeffrey threw the dust rag into the wastebasket and started walking back to Donovan’s office. He turned just in time to see Darryl wiping a finger over where Jeffrey had just dusted, look at it, and shake his head in disappointment before following his salesman to the back.

  Donovan was signing paychecks when Jeffrey entered. Darryl closed the door and took his seat behind Jeffrey. Jeffrey sat down and looked at Donovan.

  “How is everything this morning, Walls?” Donovan looked up from the checks. Even though it was cool in the office, there was sweat already collecting on his brow.

  “Fine. I’m having a good day so far.”

  “I’m glad you are because I’m not.” Donovan eased back into his chair. His bulk rode hard on the worn leather and he placed his hands behind his head. “I’m here signing checks this morning. And I’m sure you know, giving away your money can put someone in a really sour mood.”

  Jeffrey did not respond.

  “Darryl says you haven’t even tried to sell anything this morning.” Donovan was frowning at Jeffrey now. “He says the store has been pretty full this morning. Griffin has already moved over $500 in stock. Even what’s her face has sold something. What’s going on?”

  Jeffrey frowned back. “It’s cleaning day. I have to clean the store and dust all the shelves. I get…” Jeffrey stopped.

  “Go on, what is it?”

  “Well, if it’s not done right, I usually get reprimanded.” He looked at Darryl out of the corner of his eye.

  Darryl piped in. “Jeffrey’s right. I expect a clean store every week. But I don’t see why he cannot complete sales at the same time.” Donovan nodded and smiled and Jeffrey watched as some unknown understanding passed between the two men.

  “Well, Darryl’s quite right. The store needs to be spic and span. And we need you to sell.” Donovan leaned forward. He grabbed an envelope and tossed it in to Jeffrey’s lap. “That’s this week’s paycheck. If you ask me, it’s pretty skimpy. You don’t want skimpy pay checks do you? Right?”

  Jeffrey shifted in his chair and Donovan continued.

  “Remember what we talked about yesterday, Walls? About the jungle? And what kind of animal you are going to be? I know you thought about it. Well, I want to know. I want to know what kind of animal you are.”

  Jeffrey began to knot the envelope he was holding with his hands. His brow furrowed ever so slightly. The other two men did not notice.

  “Griffin’s a tiger. I’m a lion. Darryl’s the wise old bear. Hell, we even got a sexy little pussycat out there.” Darryl snickered at this. “So what is my salesman, Walls, going to be?”

  Jeffrey was worrying the envelope between his hands. The paper began to tear and rip.

  “Well, I’m waiting. This is Go time, Walls.”

  Jeffrey still did not answer.

  “Donovan is talking to you,” Darryl said. “This is your time to finally show us what you got.”

  “C’mon, boy. Show me some moxie here.” Donovan was waiting.

  The envelope ripped in two and fell to the floor.

  “Boom.”

  Jeffrey sat staring at the floor.

  “Boom? What the hell’s a boom?” Donovan looked confused. He glanced at Darryl, who only shrugged his shoulders back. Darryl rose from his seat and came to stand next to Jeffrey.

  “Well, Boss,” Darryl turned to Donovan, “I guess this is that college education coming out. Everything has to have some utter deep meaning to it. Maybe he can explain exactly what “Boom” means.” Darryl looked down at Jeffrey.

  Jeffrey looked up at Darryl.

  “Why don’t you ever shut the fuck up?”

  The silence was overwhelming. Both managers only stared at Jeffrey, their mouths slightly agape.

  “What did you just say?” Darryl asked.

  “I said,” Jeffrey continued, his voice rising strong and loud, “why don’t you ever shut the fuck up, monkeyboy?”

  Darryl stood up. “Now wait a minute, son, I can’t just….”

  Jeffrey continued. “Monkeyboy. Yeah, that makes more sense. Not a bear. No, bears are respected and actually somewhat liked. Monkeys, though, who the hell likes a monkey? All they do is throw shit and beat off all day. Yeah, that’s better. You should be a monkey.” He looked up at Darryl. “Then you can spew shit all day long.”

  “You are out of line, Walls! This is a huge write-up coming!” Donovan’s face was turning red as he spat the words out.

  Jeffrey settled back in his chair. He turned to Donovan.

  “And lion? Really isn’t that stretching it a bit, Boss? I mean lions are proud and majestic. You don’t quite measure up if you ask me. You’re more of an ass if you think about it. Kind of good for nothing, lying around taking big dumps. Like you do on your lunch break when you head back to the john with the newest Hustler. Everyone knows you’re shitting and masturbating at the same time.”
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  Jeffrey leaned forward. “Why are you masturbating every day, Boss? Things not working out with the missus. I guess not. Probably why Darryl is over at your house on his lunch break fucking your wife all the time.”

  Darryl turned beet red. He glanced nervously at Donovan, and began licking his lips.

  “Now wait a minute…” Darryl was easing away from Donovan and reaching for Jeffrey.

  “If you touch me, I’m going to break your face.” Darryl froze.

  “Get out.” Donovan squeezed the words from his mouth. “Get out of here, you little smart ass. Before I call the cops.”

  “Get the fuck out of here!!!! Now!!!” Donovan rose from his chair, screaming.

  Jeffrey got up and turned to the door. He looked back at his former bosses.

  “Happily. But first I want to thank you. You’re right. Everyone should cater after some sort of animal, that primal instinct that lies buried deep inside ourselves. But I don’t know. I think I feel a bit different today. Not really animal-like.”

  “Today I feel like a hunter.”

  “Have a nice day, assholes.”

  Jeffrey slammed the door behind him.

  When he walked out into the showroom, everyone was staring at him. All the other employees, customers, even the delivery person who re-filled the drink machine had paused in what he was doing. All had heard the commotion coming from Donovan’s office.

  Jeffrey nodded at the spectators and headed for the entrance. Allison was looking at him with concern. Griffin ran up to him, all smiles.

  “Holy shit, Walls, what did you….” Jeffrey punched Griffin in the face. His fist connected straight with the middle of Griffin’s skull and the taller man hit the floor like a sack of potatoes. Blood was squirting from Griffin’s nose, which was now broken and smashed like a pancake.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Griffin was gasping through watery eyes.

  Jeffrey raised his foot and kicked Griffin between the legs. Twice. Griffin began to yowl with pain, holding his balls while trying to stop the blood from flowing down his face. Jeffrey stepped over the prone man and walked up to Allison.

  “You deserve better. He’s trash, a complete fuck-up. He doesn’t know how to treat you right. You are the sweetest person I have ever met.” Jeffrey turned and headed for the door. “You need to wake up and drop his dumb ass.”

  He was out the door before she could respond.

  VII.

  His hunger from earlier that morning now returned with a vengeance. He pulled the car into a small diner and picked a table far back in the corner. Jeffrey wondered if Hi-Tech would call the police. Then he found that he really didn’t care if they did or not.

  When the waitress came to take his order, he picked out three different entrees and four kinds of dessert. As he plowed into the food, he felt like he would never get full, would never be able to stem the tide of energy that had erupted from his stomach and head.

  Boom indeed.

  He ordered a milkshake and downed it with a large cheeseburger. Steak and eggs disappeared along with a Ceasar salad and meatloaf. He finished his lunch with a glass of sweet tea.

  Sitting at the table, waiting for the waitress to bring back his change, Jeffrey looked out at where his car was parked.

  My car. What did they keep saying? It’s a really nice car, Jeffrey.

  “A really nice car,” he said out loud to himself.

  Jeffrey got in his really nice car and drove home.

  They were waiting for him when he pulled into his parking spot. Ulee was already clapping Pierce on the back, both of them wearing innocent smiles. Jeffrey turned the car off and sat looking at the duo through the windshield. UIee took a few steps forward and lightly knocked on the hood.

  “C’mon. Don’t be mad. It was just a joke. A little gift from my girlfriend.” Ulee was standing in front of the car, his hands held up in front of him. Pierce was snickering and lighting a cigarette.

  Jeffrey got out of the car. Ulee began to walk towards him.

  “Hey Walls. It’s okay. That’s nice car you got….” That was as far as he got. Jeffrey hit Ulee in the throat. Ulee immediately began to choke and cough. Jeffrey grabbed him behind the head with both hands and thrust a knee up into Ulee’s chin. The man’s head snapped back violently and Ulee bounced off the side of the car.

  Pierce’s mouth hung open, his cigarette dropping to the ground in front of him.

  “Hey. Hey Walls…” Pierce stumbled towards Jeffrey.

  Jeffrey snatched the side of Pierce’s face and pulled. Every piercing on the right side of the punk’s face came away with a nasty wet rip. Pierce screamed bloody murder and fell to the ground, grabbing at his face. Jeffrey kicked him in the stomach and turned his attention back towards Ulee.

  Ulee was trying to backpedal away. Jeffrey grabbed him by the hair and pulled him to his feet. He guided Ulee to the front of the Altima.

  “You like the car, Ulee?” Jeffrey hissed. “You like it so much I’m going to give it to you. Here you go.” He slammed Ulee face first onto the hood. Ulee’s head bounced up and Jeffrey slammed it back down again. Over and over he drove Ulee’s head onto the metal exterior. A large dent began to form on top of the hood.

  One last time Jeffrey slammed Ulee’s head against the car. Ulee was bleeding from his nose and forehead. His eyes were turning glassy and began to roll back into his head. Jeffrey released him and the thug hit the ground.

  Jeffrey leaned down and whispered into the beaten man’s ear. “You like my car so much, I’m going to feed it to you.”

  Jeffrey walked to the driver’s side of the car. He lashed out with his foot and kicked the side mirror off the door. The mirror fell to the parking lot with a clatter. He reached over and snatched it up.

  Ulee’s eyes were beginning to clear as Jeffrey leaned over him. He pulled open Ulee’s mouth and began to stuff the mirror between his jaws. Blood spurted as Ulee’s lips were cut open with broken glass. Jeffrey pushed down harder and now he could hear teeth and plastic cracking apart.

  Ulee began to make a strangled gurgling sound. He began to gag and choke on mirror and skin. Pierce sat up on one knee and watched in horror at what was unfolding before him.

  As he shoved the mirror down Ulee’s throat, Jeffrey turned to Pierce and smiled. “Every time I see Ulee, I’m going to feed him another piece of my car. And every time I see you, I’m just going to beat the living shit out of you.” Pierce nodded emphatically.

  “Please, you’re going to kill him. Please. We’ll never bother you again.” Jeffrey gave the mirror one final shove. Blood shot out of Ulee’s nose. He knelt beside Pierce. The side of the young man’s face was a series of small bleeding holes. He reached up to one of the remaining ear pieces and yanked it out. Pierce screamed again and began to cry.

  “You better not. You better never ever fuck with me again.”

  Jeffrey stared into the mirror. His face was new. Maybe it was the blood flecked across his cheeks and forehead, but the face looking back at him was of someone else. A new Jeffrey. A reborn Jeffrey. His hands were covered in blood as was the whole front of his shirt. He quickly stripped and turned the shower to scalding. The day rinsed itself away down the drain.

  He exited the shower feeling refreshed. He quickly toweled off. Walking naked to the living room, he glanced out the window to where his car was parked. There was no sign of his victims from earlier. The broken mirror lay on the asphalt and there was a huge head-sized dent in the hood of the vehicle.

  He looked around the room and immediately wanted to leave the apartment. He was wide awake; his skin and head thrumming with electricity.

  Go out. Go out and explore your new world. He dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt and headed out the door.

  He took the parkway to downtown, looking for a place to have a drink. The sun was easing slowly down below the horizon. Jeffrey had all the windows down and was blasting the radio as high as it would go. He didn’t recognize the music. So
mething by Korn or Tool or some other band. All that mattered was it was loud and rocking and mirrored his energy buzz. He took exit 32 onto Glass Road and merged into traffic.

  A few blocks passed and then blue lights flashed in the rearview mirror. Jeffrey glanced up and watched as the police car sidled in behind the Altima and pulled up on the rear bumper. Took them long enough, he thought. He figured Griffin called them. Ulee and Pierce weren’t the policeman kind of person. Maybe it was Donovan. Does it fucking matter?

  He pulled into the parking lot of a small dry cleaners and waited for the officer to approach. The police car parked behind the Altima and the office sauntered up to the driver’s side. Jeffrey turned the radio down halfway.

  “How are you today, sir?” Jeffrey looked at his reflection, the new different Jeffrey reflection, in the officer’s dark sunglasses.

  “Do you know why I stopped you, young man?”

  Because I beat the shit out of three people today. And I threatened to beat the shit out of my boss too.

  Jeffrey glanced at the passing traffic. ”No clue, officer.”

  “Were you aware that your driver’s side mirror was missing?” The policeman pointed at the dangling wires and snapped plastic that recently held the mirror. It was less than ten inches from Jeffrey’s face.

  “Nope. I was not aware of that.” He looked up at the officer, gauging him.

  “State law requires that all motor vehicles must have a working driver’s side mirror. Where is yours?”

  Jeffrey yawned.

  “Can I see your driver’s license and registration please, young man?” Jeffrey brought out both and passed them to the officer. He watched in the rearview as the law strutted back to his cruiser. He turned the radio back up. Metallica. Old school Metallica. Nice.

  The officer returned and handed the documents back over. “You need to get the mirror fixed ASAP.”