Jamie

Sent this to a few magazines in 1990, 1991 when living in San Francisco. I think I may have written it in 1989, while living in Taunton, MA. A friend at that time was Stephen King's niece. As embarrassing as it is to recall, I sent it to King asking for advice, invoking her name in hopes of getting his attention.

Jamie is a witch man rich man. Jamie doesn't care. He strolls the streets at night, looking, looking in the dark canyons. Glass eyes black steel lace lids. The heat, the heat man. No wind, no air but hot, hot. Not heat, something sticks to the skin like dirt like grease like sin. Jamie walks the streets. No air no wind but the trash, the garbage, the paper, moves, ripples.

Black canyons, gray canyons, not color, not light not life. It's late the night is dead. The time before resurrection. The drifters, the grafters, the fuckers, the druggers, all down in their cages.

Jamie's time, Jamie's town, Jamie's king, Jamie's tops. Jamie's eyes bruises black pools to his cheekbones. Cheekbones thrust, caves below. Jamie's body wired wire wrapped tight, armature of his brain. Black leather on the wire, greasy jeans on the wire. Jamie's wrapped, Jamie's tight, he's an arrow in flight. Flying to the neck flying to the heart. Jamie's feet move pad, pad. Jamie's head's straight but he sees 360 degrees. Jamie sees it all. His back looks his hands watch his hips zoom in.

Jamie's close, he smells it. Hunt's done. Now it's time to play. Jamie pads pads around the corner. Drugstore's closed, steel, greasy steel over dead eyes. Jaimie's head snaps snarls smiles, remembers. Jamie pad pads.

A noise a sound a crash a scream. Jamie looks up sideways, smiles. Door slams. A woman in the street walking, walking. Shoulders move, small sounds trail behind her. Jamie slows. Pad. Pad... Jamie locks straight ahead. Jamie's day is done.

Woman walks walks fast. Jamie's glue. Shoulders shudder stop, they thump they slide they halt. Night is still night is dead. Jamie's night. Jamie closes. Foor kicks can, chunk. Rattle. Woman turns woman freezes. Walks, walks faster she faster, zags the dead street. Jamie's glue, Jamie does too.

She breaks the block, rounds the store. Her nerve's shot. She looks she looks. She runs. Jamie's tiie. Jamie's lightning. Jamie's wine. Jamie grabs spins, spade hand digs her hair. Pulls her face to Jamie's face. The bruises. Jamie smiles.

Jamie knows her eyes. Loves her eyes. Jamie pulls soars, necks arch. Hers. His. Jamie smiles. Jamie's tender. Jamie drinks.