The Secret Audit
By David Macpherson
The boy and the other one came into the office, "Here are the office ledgers you wanted Mr. Harvey."
The monster tried to hide his excitement, he tried to be cool and calm and wonderfully human. "That's fine." He listened to his voice, that sounded right? That sounded like these creatures sound? These lovely bags of flesh.
The boy and the other one looked at each other as if they smelled something off, something burning. But boys are want to not be sure of things and smiled it off. "I'll come by for the books early in the morning."
The monster showed his first set of teeth in what was called a smile. The other teeth, the sharp ones, were kept low and unseen in his mouth. "We must be careful. Your father wants me to audit them secretly." He had no intention to tell the boy what the secrets in the ledger were, what deals were made and with whom, or what.
After the boy and the other one left, the monster found himself continuing to indulge in the vanity of language, he was speaking out loud to no one at all. "What a man Mr. Carver is...to give a chance after I...had...confessed. I had expected to go to prison." He used the word prison because this English he was wallowing in did not give him the words to express where he would be condemned to. To the heat, the flames, the cramped ring closing upon him for eternity.
"It would break Minnie's and Alice's hearts if they found out about me." He thought of amending what he said to "ripped into little pieces and eaten their hearts" but one need not be so literal. He was given a chance to be redeemed in two worlds, one need not be so crass. "I must make good."
The monster slumped forward, leaning on his arm. He felt the horns his hair concealed pinching into the flesh of his forearm. Next to him, he heard the ledger, the very thing that might bring all of their salvations, emit a sound, as if it were breathing.
- - -
By David Macpherson
The boy and the other one came into the office, "Here are the office ledgers you wanted Mr. Harvey."
The monster tried to hide his excitement, he tried to be cool and calm and wonderfully human. "That's fine." He listened to his voice, that sounded right? That sounded like these creatures sound? These lovely bags of flesh.
The boy and the other one looked at each other as if they smelled something off, something burning. But boys are want to not be sure of things and smiled it off. "I'll come by for the books early in the morning."
The monster showed his first set of teeth in what was called a smile. The other teeth, the sharp ones, were kept low and unseen in his mouth. "We must be careful. Your father wants me to audit them secretly." He had no intention to tell the boy what the secrets in the ledger were, what deals were made and with whom, or what.
After the boy and the other one left, the monster found himself continuing to indulge in the vanity of language, he was speaking out loud to no one at all. "What a man Mr. Carver is...to give a chance after I...had...confessed. I had expected to go to prison." He used the word prison because this English he was wallowing in did not give him the words to express where he would be condemned to. To the heat, the flames, the cramped ring closing upon him for eternity.
"It would break Minnie's and Alice's hearts if they found out about me." He thought of amending what he said to "ripped into little pieces and eaten their hearts" but one need not be so literal. He was given a chance to be redeemed in two worlds, one need not be so crass. "I must make good."
The monster slumped forward, leaning on his arm. He felt the horns his hair concealed pinching into the flesh of his forearm. Next to him, he heard the ledger, the very thing that might bring all of their salvations, emit a sound, as if it were breathing.
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