When You Were Young

"I was trying to make you feel better is all."

"There isn't anything that can make me better," she said. She let him go and began to cry. She rested her head on the counter, seeing in her mind Mrs. Pryde lying on the floor. She transposed Andre into the kitchen alongside her, their eyes glaring at her, accusing her. "Why didn't you save us?" they asked. "I couldn't do it," she said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I couldn't save you."

A hand touched her back. She batted it away, thinking it was the bartender. Then she heard a woman's voice say, "Excuse me, Officer, could you help me?"

Samantha looked up and through her tears saw a pale woman with curly red hair poking out of a white bonnet. She wore a gray dress with a white apron that made her look like an extra from a Thanksgiving play. "What the hell do you want?"

The woman's cheeks turned a violent red and she put a hand to her throat. "I'm terribly sorry, dear. It's just that I'm in trouble and I don't know who turn to and when I saw your badge on the counter I thought maybe you could help me. I'm sorry to trouble you."

With halting steps the woman started back towards the door. Before she opened it, Samantha said, "Wait."

"Yes?"

"What's the problem?"

"Well, it's very complicated. You see there's a group of children in grave danger. I realize now I should have come forward sooner, but-"

The woman's shrill voice, bordering on hysteria, gave Samantha a headache. She ran a hand over her face and said, "These children, can they wait until tomorrow?"

"I suppose so, Officer, if we must."

"Good. I need to lie down." Samantha finished the rest of the whiskey and then vaulted off the stool, doing a drunken shuffle before regaining her feet. She slapped a twenty on the counter. "That's for your trouble. And this is for you Floyd, you lovable bastard." Samantha bent down to kiss Floyd, the sour taste of old beer and decomposing teeth making her gag.

"You're a real nice lady," Floyd said again. He moved to take off his belt again, but she stopped him.

"Not on the first date, big boy," she said with a wink. Then she collected her badge from the counter and took the woman in gray's arm. "My car's back that way. Can you drive?"

"I don't have much experience-"

"That's fine." She reached into her pocket to give the keys to the woman. "What's your deal, anyway? You one of them Amish or something?"