Coma White (Book 2 of the Razor Blade Trilogy)

I

“Brian, take your pills.”

“I don’t want to!” 17 year old Brian fought off his mother. “I don’t want to feel nothing.”

“Brian, you must; you’re getting out of control!” This was true, first an earring, then dying his hair; red of all colors. “Everyone must feel nothing!”

“Yes, Brian; Everyone.” His father had come in now. He was the fearless leader of Parsh. Together, Brian’s parents forced the pills down his throat.

Out on the street, in the cold; a girl watches the struggle. Her large cleavage revealed in the white skimpy dress she wears. Snow falls quietly, but she didn’t feel the cold. Her long black hair flows down her back.

“He is the one, Jimbo.” She says to her large gentle giant friend. His is large and disproportioned. Tall body, large limbs, small face; framed with two large ears.

Jimbo nodded his agreement, Jimbo never spoke. He made a gesture the girl knew only too well. It meant, ‘Kia, are we going to tell the witch?’

Kia laughed. “Silly, Jimbo; she already knows.” She joined her friend on the street; “but we must wait, wait for him to be ready.” They walked together down the snow dusted road. The large church casting light on their figures; as they disappeared.

Brian didn’t fidget as his mother fitted his suit and tie; he was too drugged to move anything. “You look so handsome!” His mother commented. “Just like your father.”

Brian did look smart in his white cotton shirt and dark navy tie. They were getting ready for church, it was Sunday; they must always go to church on Sunday. The family of three walked down the street, not daring to touch each other. The large church stood on the right of the street. Large wooden crosses line the street around it.

The family enters and scale the stairs to their balcony. Prayer begins. Brian begins his own in his head.

‘God please help that poor girl who was shivering at our window last night. She had almost no clothes and was as thin as a stick…’ His thoughts began to fuzz and blur. The sermon began, there was no need to think now; the minister would do that for them.

Two hours of preaching of God and the terrors of Hell, church was let out for a lunch intermission. The Werner’s made their way home, through the freshly automatic shoveled streets.

‘Lunch’ consisted of Ham with rolls and greens. Of course pills were included; this time Brian took them with no fight. Much to his displeasure, his mouth and throat accepted the drugs.

“That’s our boy!” His mother grinned. Kissing his head. Brian smiled weakly as his thoughts blurred again.

Families filed back into the church, each body well fed. Men in shirts and ties of all colors. Women in skirts and dresses of blues, pinks, and yellows. They were a bright congregation; of healthy people.

Out on the streets, all alone in the cold, the circus bands together. All the outcasts left for dead  on the streets; gather around one cross, each for a different reason; each calling to a God they believe to be watching over them.

Among them are Jimbo and Kia. Jimbo calls to his lost mother; she was separated from Jimbo when they came to this town as a circus act. Jimbo was left behind; this was when he was young, he wishes to block the memory. He cannot, his heart calls too strongly to the mother who was taken away from her baby.

Kia doesn’t pray, she does not believe in ‘God.’ She only goes to comfort Jimbo. They hold hands, because Jimbo feels bad when he visits the cross. Kia doesn’t know why; Jimbo doesn’t tell her. Still, she stands and looks up to the holy symbol; wandering how anyone could put their faith into two pieces of wood.