egg-cellence // marlboro

[Deleted]

God, I spent half the damn night just wandering around trying to find the place, and now you're telling me he's got a damn guard dog too? 

So yeah, I egg'd his house. That's the origin story here, but if anybody asks, technically it's Mace's fault. I asked him for directions a few days ago just so I would be able to ask Marlboro a few questions, former mayor to brother-of-mayor. It's been a line of succession down from him to Mace to Reggie to now Kieran, and it wasn't until I was talking to Kiara earlier that I found out the old man himself was running against us now. Like, dude, what type of family feud shit? 

Once Kahinta came home, she'd flip her damn lid, that's for sure. 

But so it's two rights and twenty minutes straight to the rural subsect, and then from there it was just me trial of erroring my way down Mace's shit of a directions list. I don't know who taught him how to write, but I can't read half of it if I'm being honest. It took me a hot minute just to make it here and snoop around -- you see, I learned that from V. You check the area first (scouting), and then go in for the kill (selling drugs, probably). 

"AHHHHHHHH
SHIT-"

The eggs came from the coop on the outskirts, and so did the fucking dog. I was gonna spray paint Kieran 4 Mayor on his porch, but I could barely throw two eggs at the front door before a big ass mutt was on top of my ass. So eggs, then dog, then me barrel rolling into the ground and yelling. My go to mean of defense was armadillo'ing with my backpack in the air. 

It's tearing in my front pouch and I'm just sweating a lot but man does it feel like blood, it feels heavy on my back as I try to push up against it. Crushed eggs on my chest and lifting the dog up and off, shoving it to the side with my backpack as it rips into my snack pouch. 

"Last fuckin' time I do SHIT for Kieran."

[charade]

m a r l b o r o .

When I need a hand to hold
Someone to tell the truth
Would it be okay if I came home to you?

Fell asleep in my chair again. I’ve been doing that a lot more lately. Still fully dressed. But I guess that’s a good thing, seeing as how there’s an intruder. Don’t know what else would get Sarge riled up and I can hear someone shrieking like a little girl. I throw the door open to see someone scrabbling around on the ground in front of my porch. Hmm. Think I got up too fast, my knee is acting up.

“Sarge, heel!” I practically bark the command and my favorite and only hound trots away from the panicked would be thief and to my side, a backpack clenched between his jaws. I shine a flashlight in his face.

Oh hell.

Mace’s kid. The other one.

I put a hand on my hip, rubbing at my eyes with the back of my other hand. There’s not many people I would give a pass for trespassing on my property in the middle of the goddamn night, but if there was one, it’d be him. Lorenzo Emberstatt ain’t a victor, but he came home from the arena alive just the same.

Well, not exactly the same. Goddamn egghead science wizardry. It ain’t right. But I suppose I can’t fault the boy for acting out. All the suffering of being a victor without any of the accolades or the privileges. Poor kid already died once, to boot. Course, that don’t give him free rein to act a fool, even if I do feel bad for him. I sigh again, eying my dog and seeing that he’s found something to eat.

Maybe If I’m feeling generous I’ll buy him a replacement.

“Enzo Emberstatt it is one in the goddamn morning. The hell are you doing—“ Wait. Are those eggshells on the ground? That thumping noise I— Really? My door? It ain’t even Halloween. There's a feather or two in his hair. Like he was crawling around a chicken coop.

Goddammit. I point at the door.

“Those my eggs, boy?”

elegant