Bright Shadows 2: A Hinterlands Anthology

Jimmy The Pinch: Total Eclipse Of Her Heart

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Jimmy The Pinch, PJD: Professional Juvenile Delinquent. Age: 43, 30 as a "zombie." What else could she be?

She watched the coroner zip shut the body bag. Contents:

A one-armed veteran who had been clipped by a hit and run driver near the Centennial Fountain.

How'd that happen downtown in broad Isabel-light? 3 combat tours, bone cancer — and now this? It made neither good sense nor good nonsense!

A.

The wintery wind howled through the artificial canyons between tall buildings. Solid rivers of sulfured pitch pavement conveyed streamlined, 3-wheeled cars. Wool clad pedestrians ambled about like ants. The smells of exhaust, humanity, and the million little things that perfume the air in noticeable ways... This was the scent of the city.

In this fussy bustle, 1 wee lad bawling for his parents was nigh invisible. And nearly inaudible over the discordant symphony of metropolitan clammer.

Unfortunately, Jimmy The Pinch was a perpetual teenager. Normalcy was cruelly denied to her. Namely, both cute children and cute boys were heartbreakers.

Yet "a real girl" can't ignore a crying child without feeling inhuman!

She addressed the child in clipped Anglo-Welsh. "Señorito, where your parentals?"

!!!

"I shan't eat you, silly! I eat dirt! You know! Like Señor grub mouse? Understood?"

"Uh-huh."

"I also eat birdies. Are you Señor Dirty Bird?"

"No, silly!"

"Then you safe from me. Your mommy, what her name?"

"Mommy!" Is this lady braindead?!

Hmm. Should've seen that coming. At least he's too tall to look up my skirt, and too young to be curious.

She talked while unwinding her frayed, gray scarf. "Methinks, you need mine scarf more than mine self. So, Señorito, where was Señora Mommy last?"

"The store."

Hmm? "Anything else?"

"Horsies! Big horsies!"

"Ah! The Centennial Fountain!"

"No water, pretty lady."

"The horsies were dry?"

"Uh-huh."

"Figures, it being wintertime. Take mine hand. We hope Señora Mommy remember horsies, too. Wait... Let's bundle you up first."

B.

"Hello, pretty lady!"

Huh? Pretty I ain't! "Do I ken you, boyo?"

"Want your scarf back?"

O... K...

"I was really, super lost! Thank you!"

Oh... Oh! "Sure!"

The boy unwrapped his gray scarf. "Hey! Same skirt! You got a super small closet! My big sister's socks alone could choke a camel!"

That makes sense -only- because he's a boy!

C.

"Salute! Fancy meeting you here!"

Hmm! "What you want, boyo?!"