Red Rock

Chapter 12: A Difference of Ways (Part 1)

Chapter 12 A Difference of Ways

Daire silently walked back to the scene of the crime beside Jacob, thinking of the events that took place the night before. "When we find where they hid our rations we have to relocate them," Jacob said, trying to stir conversation. Daire nodded to acknowledge the comment but said nothing. "I'm not good with people, Daire," Jacob started. "I know that you're in some sort of distress from last night and I don't know how to address it. So instead, I'm going to tell you a little bit about myself." Daire was pretty excited by this. Jacob had never talked about himself in detail unprovoked. "I was working for Akin about seven or eight years ago, doing honest work, making a good wage. Well, good enough for my lifestyle. I was a heavy alcoholic at the time and most of my money went straight to the drink. Anyways, I was at work headquarters one day and I was accompanying my boss up to the top floor. Mucs was his name. That fucker. Mucs had an interview with the board of directors about a big promotion that would relocate him to Los Angeles along with a big pay raise. Just as we got in the elevator, the board showed up and decides to join us and exchange pleasantries. Everything was going extremely well, until Mucs let loose the nastiest sewage of flatulence I had ever smelled."

Daire laughed. "That's hilarious, but I don't see what this has to do with you."

Jacob laughed too. "I'm not finished. So as the thick musk of gas reached the nostrils of these board members, they were not too pleased with Mucs. He was bright red from embarrassment, and even worse, he wasn't saying anything. So I thought it would be smart to take the fall for this one. Surely he would give me a raise or something if he got the job. So I claimed the flatulence, and they all looked disgusted with me. But the look on Mucs' face when I took his blame was pure relief. As soon as the elevator door opened the area was cleared at world record pace."

Daire laughed again. "Well, I bet he was very appreciative of that."

Jacob got serious. "You think he would be. But the next day when I went to work, my colleagues were asking about the fart I released in the elevator, and that Mucs told them all about it."

Daire looked bothered. "What a dick."

Jacob nodded. "So I just took it, and let everyone poke fun at me. Until soon after people started calling me the nick name 'Shits'. Which is pretty funny if you ask me, but later, I found out the person who originated this nickname for me was Mucs. Naturally, I was a little bit angry by this, so I called him out in front of a large crowd of colleagues. I told everyone what really had happened in the elevator that day, but he just mocked me and finished with 'whatever, Shits', making the place erupt in laughter.

"Wow. This guy's an asshole."

"When I cooled down, I scheduled a private meeting with him and asked him why he was doing this after I took the blame. But do you know what he said to me? He told me that I was a liar and that I was jealous of him. 'How could this be possible?' I asked myself. Even in private, this guy was still hell bent that it was me who farted in the elevator. On pure principle I was outraged, and when I eventually lost my job from my drinking habits carrying over to work, I turned into an angry man. Getting into fist fights, stealing, and mugging – and at the ultimate low, I even sold my wedding ring." Jacob looked down in shame at his bare ring finger. "But not a day went by that I didn't think about Mucs and the scumbag he was. I hated him. I hated him so much."

Daire wasn't enjoying the dark turn of the story. "Did you kill him?" he asked.

Jacob didn't answer and continued the story. "So one day I was in Nevada at some bar in the middle of the desert on one of my binge drinking episodes, and you'll never guess who I saw walk into the bar."