Chapter 4

God, that smile’s like the sun, which we haven’t seen since this

damn storm started. How long has it been? You look up past the salt

pouring down, pouring, pouring, and all you see is gray clouds

covering the sun and the blue sky like someone took a brush and

painted away all the other colors.

For a moment I almost falter,

almost—it would be so easy to just stand aside and wait for

him to check out, ask if he’s doing anything tonight, see if he’d

like to come over. Carpe diem,and all that shit. What’s he

going to say, no? What elseis there to do but sit and stare

at the salt and think that you’re going to die?

But it’s that gun. It clouds my mind like a

fog and I can’t get around it. I don’t want to mess with that. I

don’t even know who the hell he is. Maybe he’s a bank robber, maybe

a killer, maybe a thief. Who knows? I’m just starting over

again—late, but it’s better than never—and I can’t take that

chance.

Outside the first thing that hits me is the