23-Nov-2018
Why yes, I did write this at the nail salon
“How did we end up with this gig again?” Max growled.
I shot him a glare. “We ended up with this gig because you screwed up our last one.”
“Did not.”
“Pretty sure the kids in the bus were all supposed to die, not end up become an internet sensation for the Pope.”
Max glowered. “It’s not my fault that the driver was up for Saint status.”
“I told you to check before we got there.”
“You think you’re so much better than me?”
The three Vietnamese women in the nail shop stopped and looked at the corner where Max and I hovered.
They couldn’t see or hear us, but apparently they could feel Max’s irritation.
“Check it,” I said.
“Shut it.”
One of the women stood, and another put a hand on her chest.
I gave Max a hard stare. For a minute I thought he might push it again, but after a second he shook his head.
“Fine, but let’s get this over with.”
The anger in the air faded, and the women let out uncomfortable chuckles before going back to setting up the salon.
I watched, taking in each small detail: the chemicals, the nail grinders, the hot wax, the warmed rocks… Plenty of ammo for a little accident.
“You sure we aren’t going to draw unwanted attention?” Max asked.
“I checked the odds this morning, and the amount of deadly accidents in nail salons is down. We’ll just be putting it back up to normal.”
“What’s the plan?” Max asked.
I took one last look around the room before I spoke. “You think you’re up to moving a few things?”
Max grimaced. “Nothing big.”
“No, what I have in mind is small, but you’ll have to be precise.” I solidified the plan in my mind. “We wait until it’s crowded. I’ll convince one of the customers they suddenly have to go to the bathroom.”
Max hovered closer. “And?”
“And when they pass, you launch one of those rocks onto the floor and under their foot.”
Max rubbed his hands together, then moved them apart, palms down. “They’ll be in a hurry, and then splat!”
“I’ll make sure their head hits hard.”
Max grinned. “And then we’re back in favor.”
“And then we’re back in favor.”
***
So the theme is a stretch, so sue me.
And I really did write this while I was getting a pedicure.
Genre – Horror
Character – Not Human
Setting – In a Shop
Random Object – A Rock
Theme – Against the Odds
