Dabbling in Danger

That Extra Step

Hey haven't heard from you since this morning... Hope you're alright, I'm getting worried text me back.

I drop the phone in my lap and sigh. There's no way I can face this girl.  She's going to see right through me. I've been sitting in the Target parking lot since six and it's been three hours since what happened with Tiana.

I only ended up here after driving around aimlessly not having a clue on where to go, my mind just racing.

"Oh fuck," I groan to myself and bang my head against the steering wheel.

I can't believe it... You know, what if Tiana can't even get pregnant, she's been drinking since she was what fifteen? Perhaps she's had so much alcohol in her system, it's affected her fertility or reproductive system... That's a fucked up thought, what the hell's wrong with me?

I growl aloud, "what the hell is wrong with me?" I punch at the steering wheel and the horn bleeps.

A woman and toddler walking past me toward the store stares me down. Disgruntled I roar the engine to life and speed out of the parking lot, next to me in the passenger seat is a package of raw ground beef.

On my way home, there's a dirt road that leads to a dead end. I turn down it, drive all the to the end and stomp on the brakes. I pop the trunk, get out amidst the cloud of orange dust floating in the air and walk around to grab my wooden bat. Now on the passenger side I open the door, rip open the packaged meat and set it on my car hood.

I grab a hunk of cold, wet beef and press a thin layer of raw meat around the bat. This reminds me of some weird Walking Dead shit. Pieces of meat drop at my feet and I try to be careful not to step on any or get any stuck in places it shouldn't be.

A section on the top half of the bat coated and dripping with blood, the wind starts to blow, freezing my fingers.

"Alright that should be enough," I mutter to myself.

I trudge over and stand in front of my car, the headlights beaming all over me, but I know if I turn them off I have little to no vision out here. I wind the bat back and around near my head.

"Okay," I take a deep breath, "here we go.

I tighten my grip, count to three and swing the bat with full force. The right headlight shatters into shards of plastic and glass. Sound of the impact is slightly muffled as the meat mashes into the mangled crevices. I take another swing and bash a dent into the corner of the hood, there's blood residue left behind.

"One more I suppose."

I take one final swing into the bumper and it doesn't do a lot of damage, but there is a slight slant to it now.

I toss the bat down in the grass and pick up the packaging again. There's a pool of blood in a corner, I splash a bit of the blood along the bumper and finally toss the meat on the ground too. Maybe some buzzards will swoop by.

Shit well, the damage is done... At least I've got a story now... And evidence that I've fucking lost my mind.

●●●

Blood smeared all over my clothes from when I wiped my hands makes things appear a lot more serious than I was trying to give off.

I put in the code to the door and step in. Like I anticipated, Malina is sitting at the island counter. The moment her eyes fall on me they grow wide. She jumps up from her stool and rushes over.

"Holy shit Adeen what happened?!"

I take a deep breath, throat wavering, "I fucking hit a deer," I lie. "I- I didnt see it coming and..."

Her hand goes to her head as she looks me over, "oh my God, oh my- I was so worried, I knew something had happened!" Tears sting her eyes.

Oh my sweet Malina.

I grab her and hold her against me, "I'm sorry I didn't call love, I honestly was just in shock."

I bury my face in her hair.

"Then you come in here all bloody, I- I thought you were seriously hurt, you're not hurt are you?" She looks up at me.

"No baby, I'm fine. I banged my head a little bit, but no cuts or bruises... I can't say the same for the deer though... The damage is a bit intense, want to see?"

I lead her outside, the porch light on and we stand in front of my jeep.

"Holy shit Adeen, how fast were you going?"

"Like sixty, I stopped by the office and took the back roads home. I was on a wide turn and a deer jumped in front of me. I tried slamming on brakes, but it was too late," I say.

"Wh- what did you do with the deer?"

I sigh heavily, shaking my head and looking up at the sky.

"I had to drag it off the road and into the grass."

She's observing, hand to her mouth. I'm terrified she'll notice it's all staged, but all I can do is stand here.

The crumbles of meat stuck in the mashed car parts is going to oxidize and turn brown tomorrow, possibly even cook in the sun. I'm going to have hose my car down before I can park it in the garage, I don't want to attract flies.

Malina appears baffled to silence and so, turns to me and hugs me again.

"I'm so happy you're okay," she whispers.

I swallow hard, my heart dropping with guilt, "me too babygirl."

Malina

"How do you think you did now that it's all done?"

I wipe a hand over my arm, "I think I did pretty good. I feel like I was actually prepared for once so, it all went well I think."

"That's so good to hear baby," Adeen pulls me into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you... So what now, there's Grad Bash, Prom then ya'll are walking across that stage huh?"

I nod, "yep."

"And you're sure you don't want to participate in either?"

I shrug, "yeah, I just want to be done with it all."

He chuckles and kisses my shoulder, "soon enough babe."

Adeen's been really, I don't know I guess affectionate. I wonder if it has anything to do with the deer, it seems to have really shaken him up.

I feel terrible, I bet he's damn near tramautized.

"Sit up for a sec," Adeen says.

I do and he repositions some pillows and his arm.

"Alright, come here baby."

I scoot close and lay my head in the pillows that's atop his arm.

"I wish I could make this night last forever," he whispers. "All I want is you, nothing or no one else. Just my sweet Malina."

I find his hand under the blanket and bring it to my face, pressing his palm against my cheek.

"Me too," I whisper back and close my eyes.