Rabbit Blood

Chapter 18 - Reaping Benefits

"Today's lesson," said Charlie, "or parable, if you will, is about returning shopping carts at the store."

Leslie heard sophisticated groans from the other demons. Today they sat in rows, facing the blackboard where Charlie stood in a dress shirt and pants, with a smiley-face badge pinned to her suspenders. Leslie herself was front and center, hands resting on her notebook: nothing to write yet.

This was her first real session since the talent show, and some of her peers had seen the dance with Shadow Man. A few looks and noises came her way. Though not openly salacious, for the most part, the fellow guests seemed to take pleasure in thinking she'd sunk to their level with sexy dancing. One of us. One of us.

Leslie tried to ignore them.

"This cart thing better be good," Charcoal threatened Charlie.

"Yes! Now. Everyone knows," Charlie continued, "that when you take a shopping cart, there's an expectation to put it back nicely where you found it. I really think it's a polarizing action, because nobody forces you to return the cart, and there's no reward for doing so. You may not even see the next user's grateful smile! It's doing a good thing for its own sake... right? This decision about the cart return separates the truly good from the truly... not as good!"

Impatient grumbles.

"What's your point?"

"I thought we'd talk about why people abandon their carts near the store entrance, or in a parking space, instead of the designated areas. Why would someone do the wrong thing?"

Leslie raised a hand. "Laziness?"

"That's one idea!"

Angel Dust shrugged one set of shoulders and borrowed Leslie's book to doodle with. "It ain't that cut an' dry," he said. "Some of us got betta things ta do than return a cart."

"Yeah. Places to be, people to do."

"Plus, they employ people to collect carts. Let 'em do their job."

Charlie had a patient smile on her face, so far undisturbed, but Leslie expected it to crack sooner or later. Once order prevailed, Charlie turned to write a few things on the board.

"Do you think," she suggested, "if you saw someone abandon a cart, or you saw carts all over the parking lot... you'd be more likely to leave yours?"

"Do you think if I fucked off, these other bastards would be right behind me?" Charcoal quipped, and his friends agreed.

Leslie sighed.

"What are you huffing about?" said Charcoal, picking up on her exasperation.

"Nothing," Leslie said. She kept her back to him.

"Nah, don't sigh like that and tell me it's nothing. What, you're enjoying this shopping cart allegory?"

"I just think you're missing the point, is all," she told him.

"We don't gotta be spoon-fed, OK, Shadow Slut?"

Charcoal's creative insult garnered a few laughs. Leslie clenched her jaw, but she didn't look round. The best response was no response. Unfortunately, Charlie decided to make it a teaching moment.

"Now, why would you say a thing like that? Peer pressure? You figure your friends will think you're a big man if you attack someone for, um... expressing her agency as a woman?"

"Charlie, no," said Leslie.

"You know it's wrong to do that, and it costs nothing to keep such thoughts to yourselves. What Leslie did was very brave-"