by A. D. Spicer
Grabbing a lighter from off the table, I place the cigarette to my mouth and light it up. Walking back out to my car again, opening the driver’s door and sitting down in the driver’s seat, I pick up the paperwork from the passenger seat. Just as I pick it up, a photo of my grandfather sitting down at his kitchen table negotiating to himself whether it was a good idea for a photo to be taken of him, falls out from the paperwork.
Picking up the photo, I ponder on it for a while, looking down with emptiness as I place the photo on top of the centre console and whisper to myself, “I’m doing this for you, Pa.” Bringing my arms above my head, I stretch them out and take a big yawn, then hop back out of my car, closing the door to head back into the warehouse.
Awaiting me is my mobile, having some charge to it now. I approach the table and take a seat on the chair. Picking up the phone, I hold down the power key to turn it on. Glancing down at my phone waiting for it to turn on, I start touching the screen in anticipation of it finally loading.
Turning on, I swipe across to the window that requires my password to unlock the phone. I punch in my password as it opens to the home screen. Reception slowly starts picking up as a bunch of text messages flow through and my phone goes berserk. My call log has over fifty missed calls, and the messages seem endless.
Just as I try to open my messages, the phone freezes for a second to load it all. As I go to touch on the first message from an unknown number, a call starts coming through, at first it is an unknown ID calling, then seconds later the caller ID turns into ‘Lucas brah’, Amanda’s ex-boyfriend.
I take a breath, and hum as I contemplate whether to answer it. Looking around, I thought, to hell with it, as I answer the call:
Me: “Hello?”
Lucas: “Hey man! Haven’t spoken in a while! How have you been?”
Me: “Good man, been busy!”
Lucas: “Oh, okay, uh, you wanna catch up soon? There’s a lot we need to talk about man.”
Me: “Look, I’ve got to go, I’ve got a lot to do.”
Lucas: “Okay man, let’s catch up soon aye?”
Me: “Sure. Talk soon. Bye.”
Hanging up the phone, I throw it onto the table as I start talking to myself, “Why the fuck did I answer the phone? Why did I find the phone? What made me want to turn it on?” I whisper to myself, getting up out of frustration, making my way over to my ‘in the making project’.
Stopping right beside the project, I look around a bit stunned, before turning around and pacing back to the table. Taking a seat, I pick up my phone, unlocking it to open Facebook as I haven’t deleted the app, I had only de-activated my account.
The Facebook app opens as I type in my log in, then signs in. By doing this, I understand that I am re-activating my account. Though something is wandering around in my mind, my own suspicion gets me as my Facebook app loads to my account, and immediately I go to the search bar to start typing a name in.
I start typing: ‘Brittney heal.’ Searching the name in hope that my spelling is right, but the profile photos aren’t matching what I remember. Scrolling down, I see one that looks like what I’m looking for, so I click on it. The page loads, but the lady in the photo doesn’t match what she could or should look like comparing it to my memory of her.
Scrolling back to the top search bar to type in ‘Brittney’. Taking a pause to try and remember her surname. “Uhh!” I say ideally, as my thumbs type in ‘Tealey’. A couple of different surnames pop up with it as I scroll through—bingo, a lady that looks just like her: she is slim, gorgeous with beautiful long brunette hair, looks about 5ʹ6ʺ in a nice purple dress. Her last name is ‘Tealsey’. Grabbing a pen, I jot down her last name on a piece of paper and click on the name which takes me to her profile.
Clicking on her profile picture, I swipe left to browse through to see if it’s her. Confirming it is her after a few swipes to the left of Brittney’s profile photos, I go into ‘about’ to see where she is living now, her profile says ‘Sydney’.
Getting out of ‘about,’ I go back to her main page and scroll down through her ‘recent posts.’ Coming across a photo of her and some of her friends; I recognise three other people which I could never forget the names of; Jasmine Dezikie—dirty blonde curly hair, in a black dress with her hair tied back. She has a little bit of a chubby face, but a nice sleek body to her; Michelle Lefringe, she’s very sophisticated and is dressed quite sophisticated too, she also has dirty blonde straight hair, wearing it down. She’s about 5’9" and is obsessed with platform shoes. Then there’s Jacob King, Jasmine’s ‘perfect partner’, holding her around the waist in the photo with that smug look on his face. He’s about 5’8" and always dresses in nice casual clothes.
Looking at the status she has put up of where they were, it says, ‘Chilling with my BEAUTIFUL friends down at The Star-Marquee Sydney, our normal Saturday night hang out!’ I hum to myself as I smile at the phone and I write the rest of the names down on the same piece of paper, along with the name of the club in hope that I may eventually catch up with some old friends one day.
Quickly exiting from the Facebook app, I open the web browser on my phone to type in a place where they deliver building supplies, one of which is associated with my work. Pressing the number on the page I loaded, I press the call icon, to initiate the call, bringing the phone to my right ear, I listen for the sound of it ringing. A guy answers with the business name, as I speak, “Hi this is David, I’m from architectural building strategies, I have a request to order in 3000 bricks. The delivery address is 10956, Hampton road, Hampton NSW. Can this request be filled by tomorrow?” I ask professionally. Tying it all up as the man on the other line agrees for the delivery to take place tomorrow in the afternoon, the 12/06/2018, at about 4:30 pm, Tuesday.
The day comes to an end as I fall asleep on the chair. A few hours go by each time where a sudden noise woke me up out of my sleep, then I’d just pass back out again.
Morning comes around as I awaken with its bright morning sunlight. Getting up out of the chair, I head outside and grab out my last cigarette. Placing it into my mouth, I notice just that. Hopping into my car and starting it, I reverse out of the drive way and make my way down to the nearest service station to grab something to drink and a little snack as I also grab a packet of the cheapest twenty pack of cigarettes.
Jumping back into my car and lighting up another cigarette, I make my way back to the warehouse. A little while goes by as I pull into the corrugated driveway and make my way down. Pulling the car up at the front, I hop out and waltz my way back into the warehouse, heading towards the basement door. I wreathe it open and run down the stairs to check on Jackson, just to make sure he is still alive and suffering. Giving him a few slaps across the face to waken him up, I place a half-eaten sandwich in front of him as I give off a hum. Jackson looks up at me and spits on the ground. Smiling, I turn around and head back up the stairs.
Walking over to my project, I continue that for about half of the remaining day which brings me to completing it. Not long after I grab the measuring tape, I head over to the power board and flick on the lights. Having fascination with how it all flicks on, I wait there and listen for the clank, clank, clank until all the lights came on, before I make my way to the other end of the warehouse.
A few minutes pass as I walk to the end of the warehouse with my measuring tape in hand and chalk in my pocket. I make it to the far-left hand side end of the warehouse where I begin chalking up a decent five by four metre layout of where I am going to lay the bricks to make an indoor, let’s say, kennel.
After drawing it all up and the lines for where I want to put the kennels, I head back to my car to drive down to the closest Bunnings. Time passes by as I reach Bunnings in Lithgow NSW. Walking in, I have a little browse at the tools section and grab a cordless Makita drill and a drill bit kit. After purchasing it at the counter, I walk on down to the gardening and outdoor living part, grabbing a trolley to load up a fair few bits of fixed cagi
ng wire and quite a few bags of cement. Seeing a worker walking past me, I pull her aside, “Excuse me,” I ask politely as I look down at the workers shirt, “Kelly?” calling her by her name on her shirt. I continue, “Would I be able to have this delivered to 10956, Hampton road, Hampton NSW today?”
Kelly smiles with delight and replies, “Sure thing! We can do that for you,” she says with great customer service, “Just give me one moment.” she ends the conversation as she walks off to another worker.
She and another worker, ‘Mark’, approach me, “We sure can deliver this to that address, I’ll just get you to come with me and we will sort it all out for you,” He says promisingly. Following him to the counter to purchase the items and organise a delivery he says, “We can send someone over there in about half an hour, we’ll just get you to pay for it here, and the delivery should be expected half an hour afterwards,” he said delightfully, answering all the questions in my head.
So, I pull out my wallet and get out my card as he sets up the transaction. I place my card into the EFTPOS machine and pay for it. And boy, do I pay for it! Almost two thousand, one hundred dollars later! After which I set sail from the store, hop back into my car to head back to the warehouse.
Parking my car at the front, I walk back in and place the drill on the table as I hear beep, beep as a truck revs its way down the driveway.
Surprised by the timing, I walk out and it’s the delivery guy with the cage wire fencing. Greeting the fella, I shake his hand as he got me to follow him to the back of the truck. Opening the back doors, he hops in and starts passing the fencing out to me. Placing it on the ground and doing the same thing over again until all of it is out of the truck.
Whilst that is taking place, we have a good chat about how each other’s days are going. “So, how busy do you usually get throughout the day with deliveries?” I ask inquisitively.
“Some days are worse than others, though today hasn’t been too full on!” the delivery driver replies a tad defensively.
Jumping out of the back of the truck, he wishes me a good day, as do I to him. Jumping into the driver’s seat, he slams his door shut and takes off like a high scorer. Smirking, I turn to the fencing and start picking each piece up and lumping it back into the warehouse.
Picking up the last one and taking it in, I decide to use a free parcel trolley, well one of many that my grandfather had accumulated for some reason, to load the fencing onto it and take it to the back of the warehouse where my lovely chalk design is.
Just as I make my way back from dropping it off, I hear another horn coming down the driveway beep, beep. Hurrying a little, I rush outside and it is the truck with the bricks; he is a little early, by about half an hour or so, but the earlier the better I say.
After speaking with the driver, I guide him to where I want the bricks dropped. Getting him to reverse the truck down the side of the warehouse to the loading door, I then instruct him to tilt the tray back and just drop the load next to but not in the way of the loading door, rather on the side closest to the front of the warehouse.
After dropping it all off, no talk, not even small talk, just ‘good day’ and ‘goodbye’, I grab a wheel burrow that I notice is left just on the outside of the loading doors. Grabbing that, I load it up with some bricks and make my way back and forwards to the place of where I want them.
A few trips later, I have quite a few bricks and have mixed up a fair bit of cement; not too much though because I don’t want it to set on me. Deciding to begin laying them, one by one, making up about four and a half rows of bricks laid high. I head back and get some more wheel burrow loads of bricks; about an hour later, I have another pile of bricks and do the same thing all over again. This went on for quite a few hours, as you could imagine.
A little late into the night, it is about ten o’clock, the walls are up, and I feel like I need a drink and a good conversation. With a little turn of the table, I hurry down to check up on Jackson, then out to my car to drive off to Sydney.
A little while passes of heavy metal music, and a warming hour and a half drive. Speed isn’t an obvious thought in my mind.
Reaching Sydney, I drive into a paid car park and park my car just around the corner from ‘The Star’. Walking up, I reach the club and enter it. It seems rather quiet, but then again it is a Tuesday night, not a Saturday night. Approaching the bar, the bar tender says, “If you want a drink make it quick, because tonight we cannot serve drinks after 12 am,” he says, demanding his request.
“Okay,” I reply respectfully.
A lady bartender approaches me and asks, “Hi, how may I help you today?” She’s a pretty thing, about 5’8", long light brunette hair, gorgeous slim face, with her chest lifted up and her breast half hanging out dangling in my face.
“I would like a schooner of Tooheys, new please,” I ask, overreacting with excitement.
“Okay, comin’ right up,” she says with an inviting tone to her voice.
Placing the beer down on the bar, thanking her, I take a few big gulps, and away it goes. Calling out again for a second then a third and a fourth, just so I could get a good look at this chick’s face and body as she approaches me, then a good look behind as she walks away.
Getting a little carried away, I start whistling and talking away to myself in a slurry voice, mumbling who knows what. The lady comes to sit with me as she finishes her shift and starts conversing;
“So, where are you from Mr?” she asks.
“I’m from… umm… up that way… somewhere…?” raising my index finger, “Hold on.” as I turn to face the table, “Hold on. I’m from Lithgow area…” I say in a slurry drunk voice.
“Aww, so what are you doing down here?” she asks insightfully.
“I’m exploring things down here, and hopefully I can meet a girl and love her,” I splurge out, still drunk.
“You’re just too cute!” she says, like she has an interest in me.
“Hey! If you ain’t got nothin’ on tonight, do you want to join me in my room?” I word vomit out, giving off a lonely gesture.
“Why not! I’m always up for a bit of fun!” she says with a little excitement.
Catching my breath as I look her up and down, I smile and rush down the rest of my beer before I stand to my feet and take her hand. Walking out with this pretty lady I ask, “I forgot to ask, what’s your name, beautiful?”
Blushing before me, she says, “My name is Gloria, and what’s your name, handsome?” she says with that beautiful voice of hers.
My heart sinks, but with pleasure. “Uh, my name is David,” I chuckle out nervously.
She replies, “I like that name!” as she leans in and kisses me on the cheek.
A lengthy walk, as I didn’t quite know the city all that well. We end up out the front of ‘Four Seasons Hotel.’ Looking at it I ask Gloria, “Have you stayed here before?”
She says, “I have once, with one of my ex dates! It’s actually quite beautiful, is this where you’re staying tonight?” she asks with a little shock on her face.
“Yeah, why not? If it’s as good as you say!” I loudly voice happily.
“Sweet,” she says startled with excitement.
Walking into the hotel we approach the desk and ask if we can get a room. “Hi, what rooms do you have available?” I ask trying to put the sober front on.
Giving me a list of rooms, she says, “If this is your first stay, I’d suggest you go for the deluxe full harbour room for $325.”
Looking at the lady with a smile, “Awesome!” I say with enthusiasm, “I’ll take that one!”
Gloria looks at me, “Are you sure?” she says with re-assurance.
“Yes! Anything for this beautiful lady beside me.”
Closing the transaction and collecting the key, we head up the elevator to our floor and into the room. Plonking myself onto the king bed, Gloria places her bag down as I get back up and take off my shirt. I feel a gentle warm hand placing itself on my body, I remo
ve the rest of my shirt as she pulls me in closer to her, I go in to give her a kiss as she wraps her arms around me and pulls me in to kiss me back.
Pulling me in too close, she felt a little something. Stepping back, she giggles a little, “He-he,” clenching her top teeth to her bottom lip. “Hmm,” she says sexually excited as she starts to take off her heels, then her shirt. I then unbutton my jeans and pull them off as she takes off her bra and pushes me onto the bed. You can only imagine what happened next.
Chapter Twelve
A Devil’s Deal
Last night was a blast! The excitement went all night! With Gloria finally asleep, I decide to make a quick escape through the door, down the elevator and to my car; starting it up, I head back to Lithgow.
A few hours pass as I reach the warehouse finally. Pulling up in front of the warehouse, I park the car and sit there for a little while just contemplating to myself, Should I have or shouldn’t I have’ given Gloria my number? With good thinking, I’m sort of glad I didn’t give my number to her as I’d have another bother to put up with. And I don’t really want to incite her on what is going on here. I don’t think it would be her cup of tea.
Moving on, I hop out of the car and walk to the warehouse door, placing my key in the lock, turning it to unlock the door, I barge it open and walk in. Making my way to the table to place my belongings I am carrying down on it.
A few days go by of me placing the fencing inside of the walls and creating a cage door on the inside of the wall, then creating a steel door for the outside. Besides that, I began creating a few other little quick, put together like a fixed placed chair with arm braces filled with nails, so once the victim sits on the chair and the cuff braces fold over, the nails puncture through their arms keeping them there. Then they will have a limited amount of time to rip one of their arms out to grab the key on the necklace that will be place around their neck and unlock themselves before the trap goes off.