All the Lights are On

Deputy Douglass Pence

Douglass

Standing next to a fucking cast iron gate in the middle of the fucking night is the last thing I want to be doing. It gets cold during the nights. Screw this stupid, piece of shit house, screw that asshat realtor Carson, and his stupid tie and his stupid face, and screw this fucking weather.

Riley was telling me the other day he almost fucking died here once. He said when he walked up the stairs somebody threw a fucking lamp out the window. Flew right by his face.

Turns out that Mrs. Rochenstien came home early and found Mr. Rochenstien sleeping with another woman. Got real ugly real fast after that. Real ugly. Didn't help too much that it was her fucking sister either.

I've been here three or four times. Once was a welfare check. Only reason I remember that is because the woman who answered was an absolute bitch. But I do remember that every time I came out here, my siren would spaz the fuck out.

I tried everything to make that god damned siren work right. I hit it, cursed it, and turned it off and on, but the damn thing just wouldn't work. It would make these horrid noises, the lights flashing on and off in a spastic pattern. And I swear, those noises sounded like fucking voices. Once I drove down the hill they'd go back to normal. It's cold, damn it!

I lean against the fence, casting my eyes at the ground, seeing a few cigarette butts courtesy of Doc Monty. Of course this shit would happen five minutes before my shift ends. And of course Riley gets away with it, son of a bitch.

Can't really blame him. He hasn't been himself lately, ever since his wife got pregnant. He's got a lot at stake now. Especially in this fucking job. All he wants to now is make it to tomorrow. But I guess that's all of us.

With a groan, I push myself off the fence and head towards the other deputies.

Michelle and Dana are by one of the cars. Dana tosses me a plastic water bottle. I catch it in one hand.

"Crowd's fucked off then?" I ask as I unscrew the cap.

Dana nods, brushing her auburn hair from her eyes. "Most folks left. Still got a few drifters hanging around, but they don't seem to be causing trouble. Guess they don't have much else to do."

"How much longer you think we'll be out here?" asks Michelle.

I shrug, opening the car door. I pull my jacket from the passenger seat. "That's what I'm fucking wondering." I toss the bottle into the car, pulling my brown uniform jacket on. It gets cold during the nights.

Michelle sighs in that quiet, resigned way that she does. She shoves her hands into her pockets, leaning against the car. Her eyes stare at the ground, flick to Dana, then drift up to the sky. "You think we'll ever see them again?"

Dana laughs. She meant it as a joke, I know that. But I can't help but wonder if we would. I glance up at the house and feel it staring right back at me. It gets cold during the nights.