Fashion Sketch/Hoody With Flashlights On Drawstrings

©. July 31, 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Polyglot Park “Skateboard”

©. 7/27/22. All Rights Reserved.

Title: Polyglot Park

Medium: Acrylic on 9-Ply Maple Skateboard

Size: 31” X 7.5” Concave Shape 

With Double Kicktail

ABEC-3 Bearings

4.75 in. Colored Composite Trucks

53mm PU Wheels

Maximum Rider Weight: 110 lbs

Date: 7/26/22

An Ever-Present Love Does

©. July 17, 2022. All Rights Reserved.

The consequences

Of feelings

Are around

Like long distance calls.

People want to charge

Us for things,

Interfering with

The nightfalls.

Miscommunication

Can come

From the heart-to-heart chats

That’s watched.

More richer

Than saccharum,

Still, the finer things

Can be botched.

When you’re

A sexagenarian,

Rewards will

Reach it’s apogee.

Found on

The same meridian

Sublime views

Will lack a toll fee.

When you’re

A septuagenarian,

There’ll still

Be candlelit dinners.

Our home

Will remain Galilean.

Together, we’ll bless

The sinners.

When you’re

An octogenarian,

When you’re groveling

On gravel,

Your heart feels

An acoustician.

Breaking tyranny,

You travel.

When you’re

A nonagenarian,

If decreased blood flow’s

In the brain,

Your footsteps

Will be Caribbean.

You in pearls,

Can have your domain.

The moons,

You’re a centenarian,

I’ll be feeding

You private meals.

The world wants you

As a Paphian.

I want you

More than Ferris wheels.

Be a

Supercentenarian

And I’m the beau idéal

Of blessed.

Marmorean words

For a Korean,

May you be

Impressed or obsessed?

What on Earth

Has the world come to,

Worrying about

How to eat?

Properly holding spoons

Feel new.

The things we do

Can be discreet.

If I’m obsessed

Over your looks,

Is it vanity

Like they’re mine?

We are fuller

Than minute books,

So if I’m with you,

Then I’m fine.

Combined, more than

Food and water,

Lands and seas,

And intimacy,

We’ll love Jesus

And the Father.

Throughout the weather,

We’ll be three.

Thresholds of bliss

Feels like each day,

From a getaway girl

To grown,

You’ll know

About the Passion play

And the Bible

Is your milestone.

All-natural,

A smile daring,

With legs

That reaches the heavens.

How versatile

Are those staring

As if you

Have MAC-11’s.

The prefix

Of your name—silence.

The suffix

Of your name—fainting.

The way

Your heart works—self-defense.

Will your heart

Pulsate for a ring?

Will you celebrate

Your birthdays

Or will

Your adrenaline pump

A lifetime, hotter

Than sunrays.

Give praise to the Lord

Or you’ll flump.

Fire and Matches

©. July 12, 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Eyes smothered in honey butter

With lips treated like a chew toy,

He’s vigilant not to stutter.

He’s a mortal man and homeboy.

Can his side chicks make curdled milk?

Can his matches burn the house down?

What woman’s dressed in fireproof silk?

Unfastened hearts desire the gown.

Grind popcorn kernels for cornmeal

And long his sustainable fuels.

Outdoor dresses can look surreal

In linseed oil or crown jewels.

Do you like playing with matches?

Matches.

Oooooohh!

Do you like playing with matches?

Matches.

Oooooohh!

Angst lives for rickety job lots.

One digs for their foundation;

The ergonomic heaven spots,

Where sorrow turns to elation.

Why must he juggle ginger nuts?

Fire plus crotches, he juggles,

Their brains, contained like water butts.

Eyeing medullas, he snuggles.

Who fell in love with his playmates?

When rise to confess all your sins?

Why fall in love with other dates?

How can they hide from the kingpins?

Do you like playing with matches?

Matches.

Oooooohh!

Do you like playing with matches?

Matches.

Oooooohh!

The Way To Rise

©. July 6, 2022. All Rights Reserved

Flattering to the eyes like whole wheat cookies, on the twelfth row of the silver, aluminum bleacher seat, her orange frizziness, with radiant gold at the tip, covers her scalp. On top of her frizzy hair is a plaid, orange and black bucket hat. Her quintessential, enchanting, ocean blue, upturned eyes (featuring flecks of white in them) were cautious to look behind her. The photogenic woman has heart-shaped lips and the skin of a dermatologist, smelling like homemade cocoa butter. She is wearing an orange, asymmetrical neckline tank top, Dalmatian dog print, polyester leggings, and orange espadrille wedge sandals (with braided straps and an adjustable ankle strap closure). Her name is Vera and she is one year shy away from the age of 21, holding an opened, unputdownable Holy Bible, against the refreshing breeze.

It is just a seated crowd full of strangers cheering, more active than children in a pile of itching powder. Specifically, a couple is behind her. Gage Tampa (a 19-year-old male with a black, low bald fade, wearing a white, store-bought baseball cap backwards, a green, 2 piece, long-sleeved, polyester tracksuit, and white gym shoes). Romilly Miles (19-years-old blond female) has brown, tinted, oversized sunglasses above her plump lips, a floral, white, embroidered skirt over a yellow, silk chemise dress, the latest white designer bag, with the strap around her shoulder, and yellow wedge sandals).

Bleachers are surrounding the entire event; there are approximately 46 bleachers surrounding the park. Behind the bleachers, there is an elderly grey-haired man with a buzz cut and a semi-short style on the back and sides. From his bathroom that has a brown, shaggy carpet on the floor, he is looking out of the rain-stained, half-shut hopper window (wearing a grey, oversized sweatshirt, blue, baggy sweatpants with an elastic waistband, and black dress shoes).

He then steps over a spacious, terracotta carry-on bag (made out of cowhide, interior pockets for pens, credit cards, and a cell phone, while two large outer zippered pockets hold additional items). On the right exterior, there is a black microfiber inside along with a deodorant stick, featuring a smooth, moisturizing, and non-greasy application. He attempts to blow up an air mattress, after looking at the cumulonimbus clouds.

Outside of the house, a 7-year-old girl (with her parents nowhere to be found, is wearing an adjustable, beige life vest, bluish-green swimming trunks, and beige sandals) is playing with action figures. Then, she flees from the man (like he is the personification of sarin gas). Vera forms a picture-perfect smile, looking at the elderly man longer. He is not a dinosaur fossil, but a human being.

The damp grassy terrains have alabaster-white, aromatic moon vines with rich, green, heart-shaped leaves that are 4 to 6 inches long. While several skateboarders are speeding downhill, toward the venue of an annual sports event for hypercompetitive swimmers, cars are speeding the opposite direction, all while the girl with an adventurous mind, is picking flowers. She flicks off a lady bug from her shoulder with her right insect finger. One blond, teenage skateboarder that stands out is a goofyfooter (skating with their right foot in front of the skateboard and pushing with their left), wearing a beige baseball cap with an image of a killer shark, on his shaggy hair, green oversized crew neck cut t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “I Have A Sugar Boss,” beige, loose-fitting chino shorts, black tube socks, and black and green, low-top sneakers.

With his left hand, a male food vendor is holding a tray full of fresh hotdogs with onions on the side and condiments (like barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, honey mustard, relish, chili, coleslaw, sauerkraut jalapeños, cheese, and mayonnaise). Forming a winsome smile, he passes up Romilly heading up the bleachers, then she sees a male food vendor holding two bleachers away, on her right side, holding a tray with fresh nachos and cheese.

A female food vendor arrives holding a tray with 20 transparent, plastic bowls of ice cream, with transparent, plastic spoons. The various flavors: vanilla, French vanilla, chocolate, chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, coffee, strawberry, neapolitan, eggnog, peanut butter, peanut butter and jelly, lemon sorbet, butterscotch, butter pecan, caramel, cherry, coffee, banana, and mango.

Sitting behind Romilly, an 8-year-old boy named Ethan (with a black, slicked back hairstyle, a maroon v-neck t-shirt, white capri pants, and brown sneakers) stands up out of his seat, calling for the food vendor, while chewing strawberry bubble gum, “Butterscotch! I want…”

More disheartened than the lifespan of marigold, the moment that the parsimonious boy tries to say the word “Butterscotch,” his bubble gum spews out of his mouth, landing on a seated lady’s grey hair. Fearfully, he darts his head around to see if his parents rooting for the athletes, notice. His mother is wearing a yellow spaghetti strap, black, polyester, low-rise pants, and yellow loafers. His father (takes his immaculate shirt with an alligator design off, shouting louder) while wearing a leather, black belt, blue jeans, and black gym shoes. Since Ethen’s parents did not notice the incident, he laughs ecstatically.

Romilly looks down at the soggy bubble gum, eyes her boyfriend with a horrified face, and stares at the embarrassed boy. Gage and other members of the crowd notices what happened, staring at the boy in utter disgust, making a half-hearted effort to utter a word. To the elderly lady’s knowledge, she is dressed up wearing a light blue midi dress and tawny clogs and nothing can ruin her day. The witnesses in the crowd seem hesitant to inform the lady that gum is launched into the back of her hair. Everyone maintains a fuss-free behavior, except for the boy.

Carelessly, the boy continues to shout, as if nothing happened, “Butterscotch!”

The masterful Romilly says to the boy, who is shouting like he experienced generations of tyranny, “Sorry, but this is an emergency,” takes $2 from her boyfriend’s extended hand, saying to the food vendor, “Over here! I’m your friend here and I want cherry,” and pays the food vendor the cash, saying, “You’re so helpful. Off, you go.”

Romilly grabs the bowl of cherry ice cream, removes the organic cherry, places the large-tipped stem in her mouth, ties it in a knot with her tongue, then shows an impressed Gage. After removing the stem, she places the cherry in her mouth, and gives him an open-mouth kiss. The moment is as surreal as being a debt-free power couple, solidifying their hedonistic pleasures.

A man walks behind Vera and whispers in her ear after shielding her body with his warm arms. Vera’s body is cool like a heavy-duty cooler with wheels. Still, he keeps his position to speak.

The man says with an amalgamation of sexual desires, “Guess who.”

Vera squints as if a subhuman is touching her baby-soft skin and her body turns stiff. Occurring fast, she impulsively squeezes her fingers together, to where there’s no space or gap between them. She is having an overt act of aggression, bending her fingers into her palm, and curling them under until the tip of each finger touches its corresponding base. Her thumb is still loose at the side of her hand. She curls her fingers inward, where the bottom knuckles are brought out and the finger joints are tucked in.

When her third and outermost knuckles of her fingers are bent, her nails partially disappear from her palms while her thumb is still hanging ins loosely. She bends the thumb down, allowing it to fall across the top halves of the index and middle fingers. The top of her thumb presses against the the fold of the second knuckle of her index finger, then she squeezes her fist, prepared to strike the anonymous person into an interstellar voyage.

When Vera turns around, she loosens her fists while having a relaxed composure, saying, “It can’t be.”

Forming a tooth-baring smile, the man sarcastically says, “I said guess who.”

With a gracious smile, showcasing her rectangular-shaped, milk-white teeth, Vera says, “Milo! Don’t ever sneak up on me. I don’t like surprises.”

Milo says, “You have my word.”

Vera says, “Milo.”

Sitting down beside Vera, Milo says, “I mean it. It’s Friday. Who’s winning?”

Gage and Romilly are still enjoying their delicious wet kisses. Since he recently ate a vanilla ice cream before landing his lips on her, the scent of her distinct cherry ice cream blends, smelling like homemade milk bread. They form milky-sweet smiles, continuing to passionately kiss. Like a ambidextrous artisans the way their hands grip each other’s body and face, numerous members of the crowd get distracted from their emotional attachment.

While the couple behind Vera seem to be flaunting their kissing skills, she says to Milo, “Lona Franchester.”

Milo says, “Lona, with the double, braided ponytail, swam her way to first place in the first round, breaking last year’s fastest time in the women’s division. The men’s division is yet to come, but Trevor Bo, with the tousled hairstyle, is trying to intimidate his competition with his infamous stretch warmups before the grueling race. Four years ago, Trevor came in second place and ever since he started performing his warmups, he stole the show. If you ask me, Trevor’s warmups are making me feel exhausted.”

Standing adjacent to Milo, Gage says, “Trevor must have been wearing a life jacket to win. The only reason I’m not competing this year is because I have leg day.”

Milo says, “Tell me about it. In all honesty, you should give swimming a try.”

Gage says, “We are all born swimmers. We’re the sperm that won. We conquered before we were born, so we can conquer while we are born.”

Romilly says, “That is thought-provoking.”

Vera reads from the Holy Bible while Gage stares at her, only to say to Milo, “Are you going to introduce me to your friend?”

Vera appears completely disconnected from what is going on until Milo says, “Gage. Romilly. This is my friend, Vera. Vera. Gage. Romilly.”

Wearing a euphoric smile, Romilly says, “Thank you for that icebreaker. How about you and your compadre take a ride with us around town to better get to know each other?”

Milo says, “I don’t think she’s…”

Romilly says, “We’ll be back in about five minutes. I have a phone call to make. That should give your compadre enough time to make a full decision. Is that clear?”

Milo says, “Crystal clear.”

By the time Milo looks at Vera, she is eating peanut butter ice cream from a bowl with a spoon. From her peripheral vision, she eyes Romilly and Gage walking down the bleachers, then continues to eat.

Milo says, “Are you up for a day with Gage and Romilly?”

Vera says, “How long have you known them?”

“A couple of months,” he says, “Take the edge off. It’ll be fun. Try it for once.”

Vera says, “Sorry.”

He says, “What do you plan to do for the rest of your life? You’re driving me up the wall.”

“To be a martyr for Christ. All things considered, I should get going.”

As if he got a woman pregnant after getting a vasectomy, Milo’s eyes widen in shock. He stares at her walking down the bleachers and turns around to see Ethan eating a bowl of butterscotch ice cream with a spoon. The boy makes an inexcusable laugh and his mother slaps him across the back of the head, saying, “Keep it down! You’re scaring everyone!”

20 Minutes Later:

Vera is driving in an invigorating blue convertible vehicle, stops at a red light signal at an intersection, and hears an incoming sound for a text message, on her cell phone. The light signal turns green after a pedestrian with black dreadlocks walk across the street (wearing a wool, olive-green, hooded raincoat, blue jeans, and brown dress shoes).

A bright green lowrider with hydraulics speed on the right side of the road, hopping and jumping. Romilly is in the driver’s seat, Gags is in the passenger’s seat, and Milo lowers the tinted window from the backseat.

Romilly says, “Baby girl! You’re missin’ out!”

Milo says, “Call you later! Ciao!”

Gage just waves, then comfortable rests his hand on Romilly’s right thigh.

Milo says to Gage, “I ain’t payin’ no woman mind if they ain’t payin’ me head, but I’ll make an exception for her.”

5 Minutes Later:

Vera’s garage door opener was recently installed yesterday by herself and the door is actually opening. Surrounding the garage door are climbing roses of various yellow hues. Slowly, Vera drives her car forward, until it is completely inside of the garage, where there is a high-quality, red mountain bike on the right side (featuring a foam saddle, a riser bar, flat pedals, deep section wheels, and an all aluminum derailleur). Then the garage door opener closes. She places the gearbox in the neutral mode takes her foot off the clutch (without taking her foot off the service break, applies the parking break, releases the break pedal, and switches off the engine. She steps out of the driver’s seat, shuts the side door, remotely locks the car with her car key, open a door, and makes her way into the welcoming living room (where there’s an installed wool, grey carpet).

There’s a black, mahogany leaning bookcase on the plaster wall (painted with beige high-gloss) with several, lightweight books, a polyester, 6-piece, bluish-green sectional sofa over a beige, hand-woven rug, a black, flat-screen television sitting on a glass entertainment system (featuring a removable shelf and two built-in drawers), and a painting of New York City beside the television. On the entertainment system is a black ceramic vase with a Touch-Me-Not plant inside, extended from the soil.

Near the front door, there is a closet with a sliding door. Inside of the closet are stocked up foods. On a silver, powder-coated, steel storage shelf with 6 shelves, there’s canned salmon, next to a red, multipurpose fire extinguisher. There’s budget-friendly boxes full of whole-wheat crackers, oatmeal, granola bars, peanut butter, peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, canned tomato paste, canned tuna, canned chicken, canned sardines, canned beans, canned apricots and raisins, jars of dehydrated spinach, and spices (like cumin, curry powder, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, dill weed, powder, onion powder, paprika, cinnamon, and vanilla abstract). On the left side, there are boxes full of cocoa, baking chocolate, baking powder, baking soda, yeast, cornstarch, vinegar, coconut oil, honey and sugar. Beside the boxes is bleach, ammonia, isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, multi-purpose soap, and antibacterial disinfectant spray, as well as packs of bottled water.

Her kitchen cabinet has bags of beans, white rice, brown rice, noodles, lentils, quinoa, popcorn, sugar, and flour. Above the white, top freezer refrigerator are organic bananas and loaves of whole wheat bread. In the refrigerator, there are 3 full-width racks. Inside are (eggs, almonds, onions, apples, oranges, kiwis, watermelons, pineapples, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, potatoes, flax seed, cheese, butter, ketchup, mustard, relish, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, sauce, as well as almond milk, carrot juice, prune juice, and elderberry syrup. The freezer section has bags of strawberries, cherries, blue berries, cranberries, mangoes, bananas, as well as sausages, chicken, and chicken broth.

Across from the refrigerator, she has a steel, white deep freezer. Inside, there’s ready-to-cook meals (like pizzas, chickens, hams, and sausages). There’s bags of fruits (like blue berries, mangoes, and bananas), and bags of other foods (like beans and corn).

Bluish-green, sheer voile curtains are behind her, blocking the picturesque pool patio. Her patio is as fulfilling as finding ungoverned land. Beside the curtains, there is an air conditioner. On the right corner of the room, the same side the air conditioner is on, there is a black, mini refrigerator (with apples, oranges, and bananas, as well as bottles of water). There is a stainless steel, black, rectangular, mahogany dining table with a silver laptop on the far left side, and two indoor, brown, mahogany sitting benches (with foam inside of leather cushion cases) parallel to each other on the right and left side.

When she lightly touches the Touch-Me-Not plant, the compound leaves fold inward, shaking and defending itself from harm. The plant helps the treatment of disorders like alopecia, piles, dysentery sinus, insomnia, diarrhea, as well as cure wounds. Her plant has antibacterial, antivenom, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, anti-fertility, anti-asthmatic, and aphrodisiac properties.

Vera removes her black cell phone out of her front, right pocket and checks the current time that reads “2:42 P.M.” Her text message from Milo reads, “Are you sure you don’t want to join us? We can turn the car around to pick you up. I brought goodies. I’ll save you a bag.”

Vera calls Milo, then says, “Milo. I made it home. Sorry, but I don’t have a good feeling about your new friends. My workplace meeting is just around the corner.”

Milo sentence seems to carry on longer than a celestial body in what is supposed to be outer space, “It won’t be the same without you. It’ll be even better! You’re missing out, girl! Being a water engineer will give you an early retirement, but I’ll be living my life. There’s no guarantee I’ll be sixty years old. I’ll be back home at around eight.”

She says, “Call me when you get back home.”

Milo says, “You have my word.”

She says, “Thank you.”

Milo says, “Always here to help. I’m just helping out a friend. The pleasure is all mine.”

She responds, “Don’t mention it, but call me back. I want to make sure you make it back home safe.”

He says, “I’ll be fine. No worries. I bench-pressed three-forty right before leaving the house. As soon as I make it back, I’m calling you.“

She says, “Bye,” then ends the phone call, placing the device back in her right pocket.

She slumps down on the sectional sofa, charges her cell phone, sets the device for a 30 minute timer, and falls asleep, with a humongous fish tank behind the sofa. The fish tank full of freshwater has 3 bottom-feeding catfish and 3 non-aggressive betta fish, as well as a Red-Eared Slider turtle.

30 minutes later, her alarm rings and she wakes up, heads to the kitchen, and takes a prepped meal in a container full of salmon salad (with salmon, mayonnaise, hard-boiled egg, onion, celery, pepper, mustard, and pickles) out of the refrigerator. She grabs a box of graham crackers and heads to the living room, sitting at the ergonomic dining table to eat.

40 Minutes Later:

Vera is in an indoor environment, (wearing a brownish-yellow jumpsuit made out of organic cotton and black suede, pointed toe slingback flats) sitting in a black, leather rolling chair at a rectangular desk. There are 19 other employees seated chatting to each other (dressed in business suits) and the boss (with a black, short, low fade haircut) enters the room. Immediately, everyone turns silent.

The boss says, “How is everyone doing? I don’t care. Let your feelings speak through your work and your work speak through solutions. By a show of hands, how many people heard that there will be a hundred-year-flood in California a hundred years ago?”

Nobody raises their hand.

He says, “Two years ago, after I left the water running in my kitchen, my place was excessively flooded. I had over fifty thousand dollars worth of collector’s coins and was forced to evacuate the premises, but I couldn’t find my coins. Thirty to fifty years from now, those coins could’ve been worth a fortune.”

Vera says, “Excuse me, Max. Two years ago, I recall you saying your daughter left the kitchen sink running.”

With adequate knowledge, Max says, “That is why I love Vera. She is always listening like a woman should. That is what today is about. I decided to stop blaming my daughter and took responsibility for her actions. I can’t change what happened, but I can change on whether or not the mold damage will remain in my home. My reaction to the problem is what separates me from the rest. She was generous enough to let me stay with her for weeks and offered me to have her car. She game me financial stability. I only knew the woman for a week. That gave me enough time to get back on my feet. Thus far, our local utility district recycles approximately eighty percent of water and it’s all thanks to the business strategy of Vera. She’s doing more jobs than what was asked for her, which brings me to the decision of giving her a raise. I know everything she’ll say. Say something, Vera.”

When Vera speaks with gusto, Max says the same thing, simultaneously, “Thank you so much. I am flattered.”

Max says, “We are platonic business partners. Now, Benjamin, who I don’t like, is another workaholic. It’s not about liking the employees. It’s about getting the job done and bringing forth effective change, no matter how slow.”

Benjamin, with a black mullet hairstyle forms a long-lasting smirk from the dehumanizing remark. A male employee (with a diamond-encrusted watch) lightly pats Benjamin on the back.

As an employee turns on a projector, another flicks the light switch off. The room is dark and a light flashes on the wall, opposite of Max. It’s visual imagery showing a small product.

Max says, “This is the future…”

While Max talks, Vera cannot properly focus on the words he is saying. She has consistent flashbacks of reading the Book of Revelation in the Holy Bible about the end of times and hearing others warn her about the mark of the beast. She comes out of the flashbacks.

Max continues talking, “Our company will no longer be accepting cash because we are going digital. The first person to show that we mean business is the hardest worker in the room, Vera.”

Showcasing moral fiber, Vera makes a tough decision. She rises up, says, “I am not taking that! That’s the mark of the beast! From this moment on, I resign as a water engineer,” then exits the room. The employees in the room are shocked, especially the boss. Max follows her calling her name, but while she rushes down the seven flights of stairs, he takes the elevator. Almost at the first floor, an employee enters the elevator from the second floor. Max sighs, simultaneous to when Vera is rushing into her car. By the time he looks out the front window, Vera, his hardest worker is driving away.

On the following day, which is Tuesday at 6:00 A.M., Vera wakes up in her brown, mahogany canopy bed (featuring milk-white, silk bed curtains and a mattress made out of horsehair). Her cell phone is ringing on a nearby brown, mahogany, 5-drawer dresser, beside a stack of print paper. She rises up (wearing a green spaghetti strap and white pajamas) and checks her cell phone, where it shows 40 missed messages and 20 missed calls. Thus, she slips on black flip flops and calls her mother, who informs her to turn on the television to watch the local news station.

To Vera’s surprise, she sees a news reporter telling a story about her friend Milo being brutally murdered in a swimming pool while skinny dipping, three towns away. She gasps for air, then calls her mother back.

“The last time I saw Milo, he was in the back seat of Romilly’s car.”

Her mother says, “Who is Romilly?”

A knock sounds off at the front door.

“Milo was friend’s with Romilly, who I met at a swimming event yesterday. She has a boyfriend named Gage, who was also there.”

The knock at the front door gets louder, then the doorbell rings.

“Police,” one police officer yells like an infant with amoral behavior, outside of a door beside another officer.

Vera says, “I’ll call you back.”

The mom says, “Wait! Who is Gage?”

When Vera turns off the television, she looks through the peephole, seeing two police officers with abrasive personalities. One police officer has black, short, wavy hair and down-turned, grey eyes. She unlocks the door and opens it.

Officer Roy says, “Good morning, miss. My name is Officer Roy and this is my partner in crime, Officer Stearling. We’re looking for a Vera Janes.”

She says, “That’s me.”

Roy says, “Do you know Milo Henry. You, by any chance wouldn’t have any information on him? Can we step inside to ask you questions?”

“Would you two like something to eat or drink,” she says.

Officer Stearling walks inside and says, as if she may try to food poisoning him, “Really, miss. You’re doing too much.”

Vera waits for Officer Roy to enter, locks the front door, and says, “Make yourself at home. There’s plenty of food in my kitchen. The police should never work on on empty stomach. Nobody goes hungry in my house. Pancakes?”

Officer Roy says while gazing into her ocean blue eyes, “I’ll have some pancakes and orange juice.”

Vera says, “You’re going to love my pancakes.”

Officer Stearling says, “Water, please.”

Vera walks into the kitchen, washes her hands, takes out a bowl, and starts adding ingredients in a silver, stainless steel bowl. In the bowl, she adds a half teaspoon of salt, a 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/3 cup of corn, 1/3 cup of diced red bell pepper, 1/3 cup of chopped, cooked broccoli, 2 cups of cooked egg noodles, and 3 whisked eggs. Then she stirs all of the ingredients in a bowl.

She heats 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. After pouring 1/4 cup of the noodle mixture per pancake, she allows the food to cook for for 3 minutes and flips the pancakes to the opposite side, letting them cook 3 additional minutes. Afterwards, she places 8 sausage links in a pan, adds a small amount of water, and warms them up until they’re cooked. Ensuring that she turned off the stove, she double checks.

In her left hand, she is carrying a cup full of clean water. In her right hand, she is carrying a warm, white, ceramic plate full of four mouth-watering noodle pancakes and four sausage links on the side, with garlic bread.

Officer Roy says, “Thank you.”

Returning back to the kitchen, she returns out, handing officer Roy a cup of cold orange juice with 4 ice cubes inside.

“Orange juice for you,” Vera says.

Vera sits down at the table while Roy is munching on the delectable meal.

“Delicious. My momma don’t even cook for me. A woman like you can’t be single. Who’s the lucky guy,” Roy says.

Thinking about Milo, her eyes turn watery, then she says, “I’m not seeing anyone.”

Officer Stearling says, “Milo was last seen talking to you at a swimming event. Is this true?”

“Correct. I knew him for more than two years. When I was volunteering to fight against human trafficking in Hawaii, that’s when I first laid my eyes on him. He was a tourist from Trois-Rivières, Canada, who would crack a joke just to break the ice.”

Officer Roy says, “Ma’am, did you watch the news today?”

Vera starts weeping. Her entire body shakes as Roy continues to eat in somewhat of a guilty pleasure. Once he finishes eating, he burps, only to finish drinking his cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Officer Stearling says to Officer Roy, “You idiot.”

Suddenly, Officer Roy leans against the chair and falls to the right side of the floor. Officer Stearling panics as he aims his gun at her, but no bullets fire out. She smiles runs toward him, after grabbing a knife on the table. Officer Stearling screams like he stepped on a bear trap. Then, Officer Stearling exits the daydream, seeing Vera weeping in front of him.

Officer Stearling says, “I’m sorry for your loss. Thank you for this wonderful meal. If you need anything and I mean anything, call me. Have a good one. Come on, Roy.”

Officer Roy follows Officer Stearling out of the front door. Vera closes the door after softly saying, “Thank you. You as well.”

She turns back on the television with her remote control and an RFID chip is being promoted on the news, where one volunteer has it placed on their right hand. The volunteer is allowed access to open up a door to an office, get food from a vending machine, and purchase food at the grocery store, simply by scanning the information on his hand. The RFID chip even has citizens vaccination status on it.

She remembers reading the Bible verse Revelation 13:16-17, which says, “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

2 Weeks Later:

On every news station, it shows volunteers being injected with needles in order to stop a virus. Most commercials are promoting getting vaccinated and regular citizens are referring to the doctors as superheroes.

Her mother calls, saying, “Did you get vaccinated?”

Vera says, “No. I don’t want to. I’ll be fine. I have plenty of food around the house and I don’t believe in the virus anyway. If you look up videos exposing the virus as well as the numbers dropping…”

The mother interrupts, saying, “There’s people dying all over the news and you don’t believe in a virus. That sounds stupid. There’s approximately three hundred thousand people in this state, this month that died from the virus. Have someone at the hospital cough on you and I’m sure you’ll feel differently.”

The following day, which is Monday, the mother says over the phone, “Just last week, there was three hundred thousand people in this state that died from the virus. Nobody dies from cancer anymore. It’s automatically the virus. They think we’re stupid. These people are evil.”

“I’m going to visit a friend.”

“The only friend you need is the Lord. There’s no time to be messing around. I don’t think the vaccine is the mark, but it definitely has something to do with it.”

“You can’t buy or sell without the vaccine.”

“The mark has to be accepted in the right hand or forehead. You’ll know what it is when you see it.”

The videos that Vera saw online about the vaccine being the mark of the beast enters her mind (ranging from a bill currently before the House of Representatives promoting the number 666 in it, the patent for the vaccine having the numbers 666 in it, that the nose swab test is the same effects, to the Greek word pharmakeia appearing in Galatians 5:20 and Revelation 18:23, to the terms of the root word appearing in Revelation 9:21, Revelation 21:8, and Revelation 22:15 being translated into English as ‘sorcery,’ ‘witchcraft,’ and ‘sorcerer,’ to pharmakeia meaning pharmacy and pharmacist, to vaccines taking out the image of God in people, to unhealthy risks, and more).

Wearing a denim, green jacket, a pink blouse, blue culotte pants (with a white floral print), and black running shoes, Vera feeds her pets in the fish tank, then exits the house. Vera’s mom texts her about daily news events like police officers getting shot, police brutality, and mass shootings. The time is 1:00 P.M. she enters her car and drives down the street. Then, she sees Romilly being questioned (outside of her vehicle) by the same two police officers that she met. Gage is outside of the car recording the event on his cell phone, as if the device will turn into a murderous weapon. Officer Roy turns around and notices Vera driving.

It’s 2:14 P.M. and when Vera is at a pizzeria with a friend (Emanuel, who is 20-years-old, with a light blue, button-down shirt, black jeans, and black, leather dress shoes), she sees the story of Officer Stearling and Roy getting shot to death at 1:07 P.M., across the street from her. The suspects are Gage and Romilly. Emanuel looks at the television with an awkward face while taking a bite from a slice of pepperoni pizza.

“They can’t stay out of the news What was Milo thinking. I hope they catch Milo’s killers. Is it true that you were the last one to see Milo’s killers,” Emanuel says.

“I did not see Milo get killed. The last time I saw him, he was in the backseat of a car shouting his lungs out at me to get in the same car. Romilly was driving him and his friend Gage around the town, but I didn’t know where exactly they were going. They just got back from a swimming event and I just drove off because I already made up my mind. All I can do is pray for them,” she says, lowering her head toward her Holy Bible on the wooden table.

Emanuel says, “Someone took your friend’s life and you want to pray? Your prayers mean nothing.”

Gage enters the pizzeria holding a gun. The area erupts with screams. He shoots the camera, shoots the male bartender, shoots at several customers, then a waiter. Making his way to their table, he eyes Vera and aims the gun to her head.

Vera says, “You don’t want to shoot me.”

Emanuel says, “Give the man your money! You just saw what he did! He’s going to kill all of us!”

Vera says, “Put the gun down. You can still have a life. I forgive you and you can forgive yourself. In the name of Jesus…”

Gage lowers his weapon and begins crying, only to get shot by a local police officer. Emanuel says, “Thank God for that police officer.”

5 minutes later, Vera is driving a car with Emanuel in the passenger’s seat.

“Why would Gage come for specifically you,” Emanuel says.

“I don’t know, but thank God that nobody died. At first the bartender died, but that was because he choked on pizza sauce, then he rose back to life. It was amazing. The police said Gage was guilty of killing Milo.”

Suddenly, every news station talks about how citizens in their state should be vaccinated in order to buy or sell and the warning pops up as a message on their cell phones. Emanuel checks his cell phone and notices the police teaming up to shoot at any citizen on the street. Vera speeds away from the scene, crossing pass a red light at an intersection, then a bullet flies through her back window. The two friends are left unscathed.

Another alert pops up on their phone telling all citizens to stay off the street in 2 hours or the law enforcement has the right to shoot them. Police officers are going door-to-door, just to assist with vaccinating regular citizens.

Vera says, “Don’t panic. Jesus is returning.”

Emanuel says, “Maybe if I just get the shot, I wouldn’t have to run anymore. What’s the worse that can happen?”

Vera says, “You’ll be worshipping the antichrist.”

Emanuel says, “That sounds ridiculous.”

“Back at my place, I have bug out bags. We’re both going to walk in there, then flee this town.”

Emanuel says, “Is the three days of darkness really even in the Bible?”

A loud trumpet from the firmaments sound. Then, Vera disappears from the driver’s seat. Emanuel turns around, petrified. He notices at least two pedestrians vanish in front of his eyes, then the car runs into a speeding truck.

3-Dimensional Car Canvas

©. July 2, 2022. All Rights Reserved.