There was no way that I could convince her she looked great, so I persuaded her to try an exercise class once a week and see how it goes. Said she could quit if she hated it. Then I started slipping her the pills. When she started losing weight she gave all the credit to the classes. I knew she couldn’t lose it all by herself. In the end she left me, though not for another guy, she left me for herself. All toned and beautiful, she thought she was above me. Never did find out about the pills.
Colt asks if I’ve heard anything and I shrug. I don’t know what to say, I hear about her more than I hear from her. I say nothing and finish my beer. When the girl comes by to collect our glasses she leans over the table and I can see down her top. There’s a small silver razor hanging menacingly in the promise of her cleavage. Her hair smells like sea salt. Colt raises two fingers in the air like he’s giving the peace sign and she nods silently. I tell him that she’ll be back when she’s ready.
Gritting his teeth, he watched it draw closer. Watched the monstrosity drag itself across the cold linoleum floor. Watched it working at words through a palpating mess of blood and gore, what once was a mouth. He listened. A raspy hiss, a sound like cutter but more familiar, slurred and husky, sickeningly percussed by a slippery snick of teeth on bone. It was trying to say his name. He tightened his grip, shut his eyes and brought the axe down hard against his wife’s freckled neck, a mottled target. ‘I’ll always love you, Sunshine,’ he whispered into the silence.
A Few Short Words 