FAÇADE, 14
On my way out, I swear I hear the brunette woman say, “Fucking pig.”
My feet can’t move any faster after I hear Emily scream from the backyard. As I turn the last corner, I find Ray holding his Magnum against the side of her head. She cries on both knees in the mud. Rain water glares off of the gun’s steel.
“What the fuck are you doing, Ray?” I scream across the backyard.
“Don’t make a scene out of this,” he says.
“Please let me go.” Emily whines and then sniffles.
“It’s ok,” Ray says, and I think he’s talking to me. “You were right, Mike. This needs to happen.”
“What needs to happen?” I ask between shallow breaths.
Ray replies, “We need to get rid of all the disguises. We’ve gotta stop these people from taking control of us. Fuck her.
“I never said that, Ray.”
Ray cocks back the gun and teases the trigger. “You’re right. These people have nothing to offer. They’re all the same. All fakes.”
He grabs Emily by the hair and lifts her to both feet. She slips along the mud. He holds the gun out towards me, and I step back. “You know best,” Ray says.
“No,” I tell him.
“Take the gun. Do this. It’s right.” He shoves the Magnum into my shaking hands.
I say, “I can’t do this, Ray. What the hell is wrong with you, man? We can
My feet can’t move any faster after I hear Emily scream from the backyard. As I turn the last corner, I find Ray holding his Magnum against the side of her head. She cries on both knees in the mud. Rain water glares off of the gun’s steel.
“What the fuck are you doing, Ray?” I scream across the backyard.
“Don’t make a scene out of this,” he says.
“Please let me go.” Emily whines and then sniffles.
“It’s ok,” Ray says, and I think he’s talking to me. “You were right, Mike. This needs to happen.”
“What needs to happen?” I ask between shallow breaths.
Ray replies, “We need to get rid of all the disguises. We’ve gotta stop these people from taking control of us. Fuck her.
“I never said that, Ray.”
Ray cocks back the gun and teases the trigger. “You’re right. These people have nothing to offer. They’re all the same. All fakes.”
He grabs Emily by the hair and lifts her to both feet. She slips along the mud. He holds the gun out towards me, and I step back. “You know best,” Ray says.
“No,” I tell him.
“Take the gun. Do this. It’s right.” He shoves the Magnum into my shaking hands.
I say, “I can’t do this, Ray. What the hell is wrong with you, man? We can
