It appeared all the businesses had closed long ago. Even the "For Lease" signs on the store fronts showed signs of age.
This was the same mall I visited when I was a child. It seemed so immense back then. I remember my Jewish friend telling me that something evil was in the boys restroom and that it would do unimaginably bad things to the little boys who entered without their parents. I never chanced it.
I looked down at a faded newspaper on a bench which showed a photograph of Satan shaking hands with Alderman Abousse. The headline read "Entrepreneur to Open Headquarters at Local Mall." Satan was given the key to the City. Something about tax breaks and bringing back jobs.
Satan's office was in what used to be a Sears department store. There was a reception going at the front of the office. I could hear the laughter and see people mingling inside behind the tinted glass. The sounds of a jazz quartet echoed down the length of the otherwise deserted mall.
I walked to the entrance of the office and heard a phone ring. The sound was coming from a public phone booth. I stepped inside and answered the phone. At first all I heard were rhythmic computer tones, ascending it pitch. Then I heard the screams. Thousands of screams all at once. I dropped the receiver. My body flushed in a chill and I pissed myself. I felt the warm dark stain on my crotch.
I was inside the office. No one seemed to notice me even with the stain on my leg. I was excited that I was crashing the party. A nondescript person in a suit asked me what department I was with. I replied "psychoneural engineering." That seemed to satisfy her. We talked about what schools we attended. She was a sports fan. Finally, she started looking past me at the other guests. I asked her if I could get her a drink. I looked for a bottle on the waiter's tray that was not opened yet. I drank and I drank. Nothing better than free wine.
I noticed a group standing around a television. A baseball game was being televised. I acted like I cared about the game. I faked knowledge about the players stats. I cheered when they did. I don't remember which team won.
When the game ended, the crowd quieted for the evening presentation. I saw a small podium being set up at the front of the room. Next to the podium was a sign which stated that tonight's speaker would highlight advances in "mind control through tonal resonance in next generation social networking."
I was behind the podium. I knew that it was my turn to speak. I looked out over the audience. They were waiting for me to speak. I knew that I didn't know anything about the subject matter. But I started speaking anyway. The audience seemed to be satisfied even though I really wasn't saying anything.
The nondescript woman came up to me after I was finished. I was in a hotel room with her. We were sprawled out on the bed. Her thigh was warm. I was hard.
The phone rang on the side of the bed. I answered it. Once again, I could hear the computer tones. I looked back and the woman was gone. I looked outside the window. Jupiter appeared large on the horizon and moved quickly across the sky like a huge comet. It was all wrong. This could not be happening.
Mokabee's urban eats winston marsalis, running up grand street and not seeing someone I once had an acquantance with.
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