On October 30th, a man dressed in a suit was fired because of the whiskey on his breath.
He couldn’t drive home, seeing as his wife kicked him out long before he was even thought of being let go from his job. The grocery store parking lot had been the place he slept, his spot toward the back of the asphalt field of cars seemed to be unnoticeable, and had yet to be compromised by a store employee, or better yet, the cops.
Driving to his usual spot, drinking and smoking while the radio blasted, the once aspiring sales man questioned his life and the value of it, before his car lurched forward. A young teen, having been looking at her phone while driving, rear ended the drunk, causing him to step out of his car in a fit of rage.
The young girl, wearing clothing not normally associated with grocery shopping, stepped out of her car and tried to apologize to the stumbling drunk. She tried to explain that her mind just wandered, and she wasn’t paying attention. The alcoholic's mind began to wander as well. His thoughts turned from rage to lust, as his eyes dragged across the young girl’s body. His thoughts raced, and his wife, his lost job, the kids he will never see again, and even the damaged car currently acting as his home, were no longer his concerns.
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A teen dressed to impress. A new car paid for by her father, who seemed to never be around. A phone buzzing beside her, distracted her and took her attention from the road.
Her mother needed her to pick up chicken for a dinner that she wouldn’t make, and dinner that no one would eat. As the teen texted her mother that she would be home soon, her judgment betrayed her, and her car lurched forward as she hit something.
“Oh god. Please don’t be a person. I’m too pretty for jail.”
She looked up, and saw a man, stumbling and trying to hold onto his car, while he was shaking his fist at her. Being stupid and naive, she decided to get out of the car and try to apologize.
A part of her wondered if getting out of the car was such a good idea. Her eyes trained on the man’s bottle of Scotch and then his bloodshot eyes. The man looked up and made eye contact, his frown turned into a smirk, and the girl’s insides turned.
Despite her parents never showing any love for her, the girl wondered if they would worry about where she was.
Looking at the two touching cars, the empty lot around her, and the drunk man, she realized unrealistic dreams have only ever gotten her into trouble.
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Daddy said not to get distracted in the parking lot. Cars are big and mean and hit people.
Daddy’s hand held mine while I held my favorite stuffies. A man who looked older than Daddy was talking to a girl. Their cars looked like they were kissing. Why were they so far away?
“Daddy, why are those people parked so far away?”
“I don’t know, sweetie.” He didn’t look at them. Why couldn’t he see them?
The man tried to hurt the girl. I pulled on Daddy’s hand but he told me to stop so he could focus on putting bags in the car.
The man tried to pull the girl to him, and she tried to yell out.
“No!” I yelled. I dropped stuffies and tried to go help her. The man already had her in his car.
“Daddy, help!” I tried to run again but he wouldn’t let go of my hand. His hand was too strong.
“He’s hurting her! I need to save her!” I pulled free and ran toward the car that was leaving.
Daddy finally looked to the side, but the man was already gone. He chased and yelled my name.
It was too late. Daddy grabbed me and yelled.
“Don’t run away like that ever again. I told you the parking lot is dangerous.”
I got yelled at and had no dessert that night.
Life is unfair.
Dani O'Connell hates writing about herself. She enjoys writing, clearly, and tacos. Tacos are good.