OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO oOOOO OOOO. OOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" .OOOOOO OOOOOo OOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOO oOOOOOOO OOOOOOO. OOOO oOOOO OOOO .OOOO OOOO OOOOOOOOo OOOO OOOO" OOOO oOOOO OOOO OOOO "OOOO. OOOO OOOOo .OOOO' OOOO .OOOO" OOOO OOOO OOOOoOOOO "OOOO. oOOOO OOOO oOOOOOOO..OOOO OOOO "OOOOOOO OOOOoOOOO" OOOO .OOOO"""OOOOOOOO OOOO OOOOOO "OOOOOOO' OOOO oOOOO ""OOOO OOOO "OOOO OOOOOO |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | There Ain't No Justice | | | | #38 | | | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| *---------------------------Questions and Answers----------------------------* by The Fringe It's 11:28 pm. The temperature is 54 degrees farenheit. The radio is playing Niel Young's version of "All Along the Watchtower." The Parkway is clear. I'm on my way home. It's a good night to die. *--------------------------------------------------------------------------* "THERE'S TOO MUCH CONFUSION, I CAN'T GET NO RELIEF. *--------------------------------------------------------------------------* 83 miles per hour. My foot hits the gas. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* She wasn't beautiful. No. She was still the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I love....loved....love her. The kindest woman you could ever hope to meet, she was. A volunteer at a children's hospital. A thinker, too. I could talk with her. About anything. Anything.... philosophy, politics, music, dance.....love, us....the future. I used to lose myself just...staring...into those green eyes. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* 93 miles per hour. The engine's whine almost drowns out the noise of the wind. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* a good job. relaxing. no stress. warehouse. stack the boxes. load the boxes. unload the truck. nine to five. monday thru friday. forty hours a week of back breaking work. no thinking required. it suited me. then came that monday when my boss called me in. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* 103 miles per hour. This truck isn't built for this speed. It's feels as though it's about to fly apart. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* "NONE OF THEM ALONG THE LINE KNOW WHAT ANY OF IT IS WORTH." *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* 107 miles per hour. To hell with it. I've come to far to stop. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* "Do you love me?" she asked. "i don't think I could stop if I tried," I answered. I wish it hadn't been so. God, I wished. Only God knows that I have tried. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* 108 miles per hour. Steering has no feel. Control is by will alone. Come on baby. Hold together. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* "You're kinda smart ta be workin' here, aincha Mal?" "i don't know about that, otis. i like it here." "Nahh. You are. I may never'a gone ta college like you, but I can tell." "otis, what..." "Don't worry, Mal. I like that. Hell, you're one 'a my best boys. A good worker. Only you think alot." "thanks, otis." "Don't thank me. It's da truth. A guy can Talk ta ya, ya know? And i need ta talk ta someone." *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* Speedometer isn't registering. I'm still accelerating. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* "NO REASON TO GET EXCITED," THE THIEF HE KINDLY SPOKE, *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* Faster. Smoke. Coming through the vents. I'm almost there. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* She always listened to the stereo when she took a bath. Claimed it relaxed her. Always the same tape, too. "Cosmic Thing." B-52's. It always annoyed me. It was one of the things I loved about her. I guess she slipped. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* Faster. Flames have spouted from the engine compartment. They lick around the edge of the hood. They begin to flow from the vent. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* We only had the one bathroom. As it turned out, I was right outside the door. I had been badgering her for ten minutes to let me in. She kept saying no. She loved to do that to me. When the music stopped, I figured she was on her way out. But she didn't come out. I called in to her, but there was no answer. After a few moments, I got worried. So I opened the door. When I saw the sparks, I knew. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* "THERE ARE MANY HERE AMONG US WHO FEEL THAT LIFE IS BUT A JOKE *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* "about what, otis?" "You may 'a read it. We lost our contract wid da Air Force." "yeah. i heard." "I hate sayin' dis....." "what?" "Mal, I don't know how ta tell da boys....." "tell them what, otis?" "We're shutting down." *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* Faster. Flames envelope the cab. I'm driving blind. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* The police who investigated ruled it an accident. "God's Will," they said. They were extremely nice. Most of them couldn't meet my eye. Sergeant Gates could. He offered to buy me a drink. Said he thought I could use one. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* BUT YOU AND I, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT, AND THIS IS NOT OUR FATE, *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* Faster. I am driving blind. Tha cabin has filled with smoke and flame. I think my eyes have been taken. My coat burns. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* "SO LET US NOT TALK FALSELY NOW, THE HOUR IS GETTING LATE." *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* "I don't know what ta say, Mal." "nothing you can say." "I feel like it's my fault, ya know?" "calm down, otis." "Heh. Yeah, guess I should. Just one 'a dose things. God's will, I suppose." *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* I'm coming for you, God. I want the answers. I want to know why. We've all borne your games long enough. I'm coming for you. Now you'll face me, and we will have the answers. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER, PRINCES KEPT THE VIEW *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* I never took that drink. Maybe I should have. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* OUTSIDE IN THE DISTANCE A WILDCAT DID GROWL, *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* As I feel the impact, I notice....the radio is still playing.... *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* TWO RIDERS WERE APPROACHING, *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* ........still playing.....still......still......... *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* THE WIND BEGAN TO HOWL. *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* [>> Phoenix Modernz Inc. :908/830-TANJ <<] [>> Modern Textfiles Inc. The Matrix BBS:908/905-6691 <<] [>> The Lawless Society Inc. CyberChat BBS:908/506-7637 <<] [>> -also- <<] [>> Terrapin Biscuit Circuit:908/506-6651 <<] [>> First Universal Church Kalisti: 602/753-3784 <<]