Wednesday, December 14, 2016

#5 - La Pietá

“What do I feed it?” Banks asked Elliot through the phone; holding up the tiny sleeping dragon closer to her face to closer examine it.
“Lizard food?” He suggested
“Does it really count as a lizard?” She asked putting the dragon whose total length was about three and a half inches. Banks hadn’t been quite sure what to expect when the little box showed up on her door step with little air holes burned through the top of the box. The note that had come with it read This is as big as it’s gonna get.
“Sure it does why not?” and she didn’t see why not. The little dragon was just like a lizard with it’s own tiny wings to match it’s red body. “Have you decided what you’re calling it?” Elliot asked “This could be the closest you ever come to a child.” Snickers could be heard from Elliot’s side of the phone.
“Shut it El.” Banks said setting the dragon down into it’s new makeshift home. “What about Bill.”
“Bill?”
“Yeah, you know like the 5th Dimension; Wedding Bell Blues.” After she said that, she could practically hear Elliot roll his eyes over the phone.
“The one time you don’t go straight to an artist, it had to be that song.” Elliot said sighing. Banks laughed in return.
Next door She could hear the jingling of keys and the lock twisting to 307.
“El, I gotta go.”
“Goodbye crazy child.”
“Loveyoubye.” She blurred together and hung up before Elliot could respond. Banks grabbed the neon pink socks, the other thing left on doorstep earlier that day by Michael Hay, the famous pianist living next door to her, and threw open her own apartment door to see a more shaken up version of Michael (if that was even possible) than before.
Banks leaned against the doorframe to her apartment, looking at disheveled Michael.
“Hay, keep the socks.” She said tossing the socks at him. The bright pink wool socks hit him on the shoulder, and fell limply to the dull gray floor of the apartment building hallway.
“I don’t want them.” Hay snapped back.
“Well that’s too damn bad isn’t it?” Banks shot back. “Sometimes we all just need to look on the bright side.” Michael stared blankly at her. “Keep the socks Michael.” Banks was about to go back into 308 when Michael spoke up.
“How do you know my name?” He asked.
“When you make friends with the maintenance man, you start to learn who people are real quick.” Banks responded and gently closed her door.




About an hour later Banks picked went out to find dragon-- er lizard food. After passing a few Mariah Carey’s singing All I Want for Christmas is You very off key, a flaming wreath or two, and a couple Samuel L. Jackson’s. She found the lizard food at Green Greenhouse, and as she was walking out she noticed a building that she’d never noticed before. On a huge wooden sign that was spattered with paint were carefully written words in elegant writing that said Paintball. Banks opened the door and walked in.
“I’m sure Bill will be fine for a little while longer.” Banks reasoned as the little silver bell jingled with the door opening.

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