Where Trash Belongs
Kaity held Billy's mangled and filthy form by the collar as she walked over to the trash can. The poor boy was beaten within an inch of his life. As the kitchen whizzed by he muttered a feeble “help...”, but neither his sister or mother heard it. Kaity pressed her foot down on the pedal at the base of the garbage can and the lip flipped over.
As she held the ruined doll over the trash she caught another whiff of it and stuck her tongue out. “Yuck!” She dropped Billy and he fell into the pile of refuse below with a hard clunk. The barely-conscious boy looked up through the can's opening at his sister above, tears welling in his swollen and bruised eyes. She was wiping her hands and not even looking at him. Before he could mutter another plea for help she stepped away, and the garbage lid slammed shut and plunged him into darkness.
Kaitlin turned around and saw her mom looking around and under the table. “You okay?” she asked.
“My slipper...” Patricia responded, still crouched below the table, “I have no idea what I did with it!”
Kaitlin grabbed her and phone and started heading for the kitchen's exit. “With how bad your feet stink it probably ran away,” she laughed as she walked out of the room.
“Hey!” Patricia laughed. But it was odd. Did one of the kids play a prank on her when she wasn't looking? She shrugged it off and kicked off the other slipper, enduring the cold floor on her bare feet as she cleaned the table.
Billy squinted as light flooded his world. His mom towered above, and for a hopeful moment he let himself believe she was here to save him. He tried to muster up the strength to reach out to her. Patricia's emotionless expression was replaced with a plate of half-eaten food. The screeching sound of a fork filled Billy's ears as she scraped the leftover breakfast into the can, covering him in refuse. Then the lid slammed back down once again, and everything began to quake and shudder.
Patricia sighed as she lifted up the garbage bag out of the can and tied it up. It was supposed to be Billy's turn to take out the trash, but he took off. She walked into the foyer and left the bag by the door so she wouldn't forget it on the way out to work. It was, after all, garbage day.
As she held the ruined doll over the trash she caught another whiff of it and stuck her tongue out. “Yuck!” She dropped Billy and he fell into the pile of refuse below with a hard clunk. The barely-conscious boy looked up through the can's opening at his sister above, tears welling in his swollen and bruised eyes. She was wiping her hands and not even looking at him. Before he could mutter another plea for help she stepped away, and the garbage lid slammed shut and plunged him into darkness.
Kaitlin turned around and saw her mom looking around and under the table. “You okay?” she asked.
“My slipper...” Patricia responded, still crouched below the table, “I have no idea what I did with it!”
Kaitlin grabbed her and phone and started heading for the kitchen's exit. “With how bad your feet stink it probably ran away,” she laughed as she walked out of the room.
“Hey!” Patricia laughed. But it was odd. Did one of the kids play a prank on her when she wasn't looking? She shrugged it off and kicked off the other slipper, enduring the cold floor on her bare feet as she cleaned the table.
Billy squinted as light flooded his world. His mom towered above, and for a hopeful moment he let himself believe she was here to save him. He tried to muster up the strength to reach out to her. Patricia's emotionless expression was replaced with a plate of half-eaten food. The screeching sound of a fork filled Billy's ears as she scraped the leftover breakfast into the can, covering him in refuse. Then the lid slammed back down once again, and everything began to quake and shudder.
Patricia sighed as she lifted up the garbage bag out of the can and tied it up. It was supposed to be Billy's turn to take out the trash, but he took off. She walked into the foyer and left the bag by the door so she wouldn't forget it on the way out to work. It was, after all, garbage day.
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June 10, 2023
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