Panicking Billy struggled in the dark trying to find a way out of the pit he was in. It didn’t help that every move he made caused waves of pain in any number of parts of his body forcing him to slow his movements. Even breathing the pungent air was an agony with a sharp pain at the lower part of his abdomen upon every inhale.
The pain actually saved Billy from succumbing to despair by slowing him down. The world was absent of all light, the thick black plastic obscuring any light source leaving Billy effectively blind. Unable to see Billy had to navigate through touch alone. His attempts to stand and walk were met with failure as the surface was devoid of any rhyme or reason. There was no consistency. One step was solid the other would let Billy sink his leg into something fowl all the way up to his crotch. It was at moments like these that Billy had the most problems because he would need to pull himself free of whatever awful he was in which made any number of his injuries scream in pain anew. It was made even harder because Billy’s left arm hurt like hell and he could only lift it up a fraction…he couldn’t raise it even straight out…it just didn’t respond.
The pain in Billy’s chest forced him to take small breaths which also helped because the smell of the garbage he was wallowing in was so strong in the confined space that it might suffocate him had he tried to fill his lungs. Suffocate! Billy realized he was in a sealed plastic bag…there was no new air coming in here…he could die at any moment. Billy wasn’t even thinking that it was trash day or that the motion earlier was his mother tying the trash-bag up. Those thoughts were too advanced at this stage for Billy who was now in a one step survival mode.
Scrambling over the smelly, smooth, rough and often jagged refuse Billy looked for the side of the back. It wasn’t far but because of the complete darkness and the difficulty moving Billy went in circles or in less then a straight line making what should have been a few seconds take minutes. Eventually Billy did reach out and touch smooth rubbery plastic.
Feeling a waive of relief Billy tried to tare at it to make a hole he might escape through. That quickly turned out not to be possible. The plastic was too tough and Billy’s nails were not sharp nor did he have the strength to forcefully push his narrow hand through the plastic. Billy realized this after what seemed like hours of pushing and piking at the surface. I need…I need something to cut this, Billy realized. But what and where? Billy didn’t want to leave his spot because he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to find it again. He was running out of time; was the air becoming thinner…was it harder to breath?
Just when Billy was ready to go look for something he heard THUMPING coming from the beyond. He heard his sister’s voice, Britany. Falling up against the wall Billy called out, “HELP! I’M IN HERE!” Billy tried to yell but his cries sounded weak even to his ears. He jus couldn’t get enough air to scream. The thumping came close but then went by. Billy was alone again.
Falling to his knees Billy cried. How had this gone so wrong?
More thumps were heard an indeterminate amount of time later. Billy pushed and pounded on the bag trying to make someone notice it. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. The sound of something large moving and then the ground fell out beneath Billy as everything fell to the side and Billy along with it. Distantly at the same time there was a “BYE!” and the sound of a large CATHUNK!
Billy was submerged under what to him was tons of garbage. It was so much that he couldn’t lift it off; he was trapped. Billy realized he was literally buried alive in filth. His face was pushed up against the side of the bag. He had some wiggle room but it was no good. Billy could feel against the surface and it was solid on the other side where it used to be pliant. Did the bag fall over? It had to have. Now Billy was on the bottom and that must be the floor on the other side. Billy knew he was going to die then. There was no way he could get through the plastic if the floor was right beneath him…there was no give for him to exploit.
As Billy slumped ready to die his working arm touched something that had a bit more sturdiness to it than other materials around him. Out of desperation with just a wee bit of hope Billy felt around the object…was, was this a board? No, more like a plank. Billy ran his hand long the smooth semi flat surface. On one side there were bumpy ridges. Billy couldn’t figure out what it was but in a desperate act he tried to see if he could maneuver the object. That didn’t work… it was partially covered and it was too long, maybe a few feet long, to move in the confined space. Billy only had a small bit of mobility given the among of crud around him. Any shift could send it all falling down to snuff him out.
The object was already facing more or less down. Figuring if he couldn’t lift the item out maybe he could push it in? With his good arm Billy tried picking himself up and putting what little weight he had to push the object down towards the edge of the bag. Maybe if it moved again he could push through…maybe.
Nothing happened for a long while. There was more THMPS and the CATHUNK but no more shifting like had happened before. Billy drifted, his mind becoming hazy. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. Suddenly the work inverted again and Billy was being lifted up along with all the garbage. Billy still hadn’t let go of the object, whatever it was, and he pushed down. Garbage fell on to him filling the little space hi had so that he couldn’t’ even move. Billy was desperate. He pushed down as best as he could. Everything was in motion…Billy wasn’t sure if he was moving or was it the bag? Then Billy was falling.
Patricia heard the girls leave for work and school respectively. She had to drop Erica off at day care but before that she was going to dump the trash bag in the bin s on the curb. Now fully dressed in a blouse, skirt and respectable pumps Patricia picked up the trash bag and started to haul it outside. She tried to hold it away form her not wanting to stain her blouse incase there was any residue on the outside of the bag. Patricia made it six steps outside when the wort thing the world happened. The bottom of the trash bag ripped and fluid and leftover food half rotted started to fall out and splashed Patricia on her skirt and shoes and…and the smell.
Immediately Patricia set he bag down on the walk way and stepped back. She had to slip off her shoes which were now covered in awful. In agitation Patricia ran back inside to grab another bag to try and salvage what could be done. This was not her morning.
The pain actually saved Billy from succumbing to despair by slowing him down. The world was absent of all light, the thick black plastic obscuring any light source leaving Billy effectively blind. Unable to see Billy had to navigate through touch alone. His attempts to stand and walk were met with failure as the surface was devoid of any rhyme or reason. There was no consistency. One step was solid the other would let Billy sink his leg into something fowl all the way up to his crotch. It was at moments like these that Billy had the most problems because he would need to pull himself free of whatever awful he was in which made any number of his injuries scream in pain anew. It was made even harder because Billy’s left arm hurt like hell and he could only lift it up a fraction…he couldn’t raise it even straight out…it just didn’t respond.
The pain in Billy’s chest forced him to take small breaths which also helped because the smell of the garbage he was wallowing in was so strong in the confined space that it might suffocate him had he tried to fill his lungs. Suffocate! Billy realized he was in a sealed plastic bag…there was no new air coming in here…he could die at any moment. Billy wasn’t even thinking that it was trash day or that the motion earlier was his mother tying the trash-bag up. Those thoughts were too advanced at this stage for Billy who was now in a one step survival mode.
Scrambling over the smelly, smooth, rough and often jagged refuse Billy looked for the side of the back. It wasn’t far but because of the complete darkness and the difficulty moving Billy went in circles or in less then a straight line making what should have been a few seconds take minutes. Eventually Billy did reach out and touch smooth rubbery plastic.
Feeling a waive of relief Billy tried to tare at it to make a hole he might escape through. That quickly turned out not to be possible. The plastic was too tough and Billy’s nails were not sharp nor did he have the strength to forcefully push his narrow hand through the plastic. Billy realized this after what seemed like hours of pushing and piking at the surface. I need…I need something to cut this, Billy realized. But what and where? Billy didn’t want to leave his spot because he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to find it again. He was running out of time; was the air becoming thinner…was it harder to breath?
Just when Billy was ready to go look for something he heard THUMPING coming from the beyond. He heard his sister’s voice, Britany. Falling up against the wall Billy called out, “HELP! I’M IN HERE!” Billy tried to yell but his cries sounded weak even to his ears. He jus couldn’t get enough air to scream. The thumping came close but then went by. Billy was alone again.
Falling to his knees Billy cried. How had this gone so wrong?
More thumps were heard an indeterminate amount of time later. Billy pushed and pounded on the bag trying to make someone notice it. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. The sound of something large moving and then the ground fell out beneath Billy as everything fell to the side and Billy along with it. Distantly at the same time there was a “BYE!” and the sound of a large CATHUNK!
Billy was submerged under what to him was tons of garbage. It was so much that he couldn’t lift it off; he was trapped. Billy realized he was literally buried alive in filth. His face was pushed up against the side of the bag. He had some wiggle room but it was no good. Billy could feel against the surface and it was solid on the other side where it used to be pliant. Did the bag fall over? It had to have. Now Billy was on the bottom and that must be the floor on the other side. Billy knew he was going to die then. There was no way he could get through the plastic if the floor was right beneath him…there was no give for him to exploit.
As Billy slumped ready to die his working arm touched something that had a bit more sturdiness to it than other materials around him. Out of desperation with just a wee bit of hope Billy felt around the object…was, was this a board? No, more like a plank. Billy ran his hand long the smooth semi flat surface. On one side there were bumpy ridges. Billy couldn’t figure out what it was but in a desperate act he tried to see if he could maneuver the object. That didn’t work… it was partially covered and it was too long, maybe a few feet long, to move in the confined space. Billy only had a small bit of mobility given the among of crud around him. Any shift could send it all falling down to snuff him out.
The object was already facing more or less down. Figuring if he couldn’t lift the item out maybe he could push it in? With his good arm Billy tried picking himself up and putting what little weight he had to push the object down towards the edge of the bag. Maybe if it moved again he could push through…maybe.
Nothing happened for a long while. There was more THMPS and the CATHUNK but no more shifting like had happened before. Billy drifted, his mind becoming hazy. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. Suddenly the work inverted again and Billy was being lifted up along with all the garbage. Billy still hadn’t let go of the object, whatever it was, and he pushed down. Garbage fell on to him filling the little space hi had so that he couldn’t’ even move. Billy was desperate. He pushed down as best as he could. Everything was in motion…Billy wasn’t sure if he was moving or was it the bag? Then Billy was falling.
Patricia heard the girls leave for work and school respectively. She had to drop Erica off at day care but before that she was going to dump the trash bag in the bin s on the curb. Now fully dressed in a blouse, skirt and respectable pumps Patricia picked up the trash bag and started to haul it outside. She tried to hold it away form her not wanting to stain her blouse incase there was any residue on the outside of the bag. Patricia made it six steps outside when the wort thing the world happened. The bottom of the trash bag ripped and fluid and leftover food half rotted started to fall out and splashed Patricia on her skirt and shoes and…and the smell.
Immediately Patricia set he bag down on the walk way and stepped back. She had to slip off her shoes which were now covered in awful. In agitation Patricia ran back inside to grab another bag to try and salvage what could be done. This was not her morning.
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June 10, 2023
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