morning one, he finds her gravestone one year later
-
night one.
it was the rustling of the bushes that made lockstock whip his flashlight over to the left. bright white cut through the pitch black like a scythe held by god, ready to catch them in the act, but it landed only upon a desperate raccoon gnawing on a filthy, rotten apple core.
the officer sighed, sleepy, and continued making his rounds. the main road lay up ahead, much better lit than the dingy back alleys lockstock patrolled from time to time. the streets were empty and quiet. a dog barked in the distance, and somewhere a trash can was knocked over, crashing onto the sidewalk.
around the corner, directly under a flickering orange street lamp sat a small, fragile little girl. her dress was old and worn and she clutched a ratty looking teddy bear to her chest. her socks were mismatched and one of her little black shoes was missing the buckle, and the strap of leather hung loosely off to one side. the girl, while a sorry sight, was, perhaps painfully, familiar to officer lockstock who paused under the street lamp, next to the girl.
"good evening, little sally." he said, glancing down at her.
"hello officer." the girl replied, staring at her toes.
"little late to be out, isn't it? must be past your bedtime."
"yeah? what are you gonna do about it?" she asked, scrambling to her feet.
"i was going to ask you to go home. i can take you if you'd like, so you're not on your own."
little sally grimaced at him, offended at the prospect of being defenseless. in the light, lockstock took note of a bright red bruise on her cheek. he frowned.
"oh, don't start pouting," little sally scowled, "i hate it when cops pout. it's stupid. you ain't got nothing to pout about."
"no, no, i just noticed your cheek. what happened?"
"nunya."
little sally crossed her arms and put her foot down, teddy bear still tightly clutched in one hand. officer lockstock looked at her the same way a parent does to their child when they've had quite enough fooling around.
"come on now, i'm only asking a question."
"and i answered. i don't need to get my lawyer, do i?"
"define lawyer, little sally." lockstock challenged the ten-year-old flatly.
"awe just leave me alone." she pouted, sitting back down on the ground.
officer lockstock considered this for a moment. he looked down at the girl and a brisk, frigid autumn wind blew through the streets. it smelled like garbage, sewage and death. hardly appropriate for a child to spend the night in. the policeman kneeled down and tilted his head.
"would you like me to call your mo-"
"no." little sally blurted out, whipping her head around to look at him.
"what about your uncle-"
"no!"
"is there anyone i can contact to come and pick you up?"
"no! maybe i wanna stay out on the streets. better out here than anywhere near there." little sally spat, face hot with anger.
suddenly, officer lockstock understood. little sally was quick to notice.
"i told you. cops ain't got nothing to pout about."
-
night two.
the smoke was thick and smelled like pine and citrus. pine, citrus, and weed.
lockstock watched the end of his joint light up faintly orange before releasing a cloud of smoke from his mouth. he tried not to focus on the reprehension in his chest as he watched his exhales travel through the dim light polluted sky, and disappear into the wee hours of the morning.
typically, he didn't smoke this close to the street. he was more than aware that weed was very much outlawed in town, he of all people knew that. still, he didn't ignore how it helped his migraines, and the nausea that accompanied them. he accepted that it was a very useful thing for him to help stop his hands from shaking. and yet when it came to work he had no problem forcing people down on the ground and accusing them of committing a crime and being a criminal. perhaps it was the adopted mindset that "it's not illegal unless you get caught". perhaps officer lockstock was playing with the veil of morality in a desperate attempt to feel something other than himself.
with every drag he took, a little more of urinetown crumbled.
"officer lockstock?" a shockingly recognizable voice said. lockstock choked on the smoke he'd inhaled and shot up, coughing up a lung. hastily, he put out the joint against his jeans, shoving it in his coat pocket. for a very brief moment, he felt what it was like to be a different kind of criminal.
"young lady you should not be out at this hour." lockstock said sternly, catching his breath and turning to face little sally, who sauntered over to him across from the other side of the street.
"it's only like 2:30. sometimes, i don't go to bed until 4!" she said with a maniacal grin spreading across her face.
"good god, child."
"hey what were you holding?" little sally inquired.
"what do you mean, what was i holding?" lockstock asked, hoping to steer the conversation anywhere but the direction little sally was pulling it in.
"the thing. in your hand. it was small."
"im not holding anything."
"liar. it smelled funny too. i could smell it from over there, by the stop sign," the girl said, pointing to the end of the street. "it smelled like the stuff my dad would smoke sometimes. he said they were cigarettes."
"well there you go. they're just cigarettes." lockstock assured her, his head already cloudy and tired.
"but if they're cigarettes why are smoking them so late? and if you're smoking them, does that make you like my dad? does that make you one of us?"
"what do you mean "one of us"?" lockstock asked, brow furrowed.
"like me. we don't have any money. why do you think im on this side of town? you guys tip way better than anyone where i'm from. anyways, im pretty sure you're not allowed to smoke. are you breaking the law, officer. lockstock?"
lockstock geared up to condescendingly tell the girl to screw off in the nicest way he could think of, but decided halfway through that that was a pointless effort. he sighed and rubbed his face.
"i don't know if you'd understand..."
"try me."
"fine. no, it doesn't make me like your dad, it doesnt make me one of you at all. it just means that there are certain things that adults can do that they shouldn't, but still do, and just because they do it doesn't really mean that they're super good or super bad."
little sally stared at him for a second.
"adults are funny like that."
the two stood under the maple tree that grew tall and wide in front of lockstock's house. the city lights flickered in the evening air and they sat with the circumstances for a moment.
"thanks for telling me, though." little sally added before scampering off into the dark.
lockstock felt the october breeze swirl around him. the night was quiet and dead.
lockstock slept all night long.
-
night three.
"let me go! i'll never- you can't make me!" little sally shrieked and yelled aggressively, making every physical position possible to try and get out of the police officer's hold on her arm.
"now i've had quite enough of this!" lockstock said, his voice short. "i am taking you home right now, and that is where you'll stay. if i find you out on the streets again i'll have you taken in and you can spend the rest of the night in a jail cell, child or not."
"do it then! i'm not scared!" the girl decided. officer lockstock was immovable.
still holding little sally by her arm he pulled her along, still fighting and kicking, to her house. eventually, little sally gave in and settled for the officer dragging her along behind, while she followed apprehensively. her protests turned to bellyaching grumbles, and it started to give lockstock a migraine. they reached a fork in the road.
"which way do you live again? right or left?" he asked her politely, preparing to be met with disdain. little sally glowered at him but reluctantly pointed to the right.
the little girl lived in a run down apartment block just outside the worst part of town. the building was dirty, marred with stains and dirt. graffiti that meant nothing was painted across the back of the building, and several windows were boarded up for no better reason than it being easier opposed to buying a whole new window.
"sit. don't move." lockstock instructed sally, pointing to a decrepit old bench. the child huffed and sat, crossing her arms.
lockstock wasn't terribly surprised when nobody opened the door on the first knock. he banged on the door louder, announcing that he was a cop.
no one answered the door.
"you did bring me to the right house, didn't you?" he frowned, looking down at the girl.
"yeah, i brought you to the right house. i never said anyone would answer though." sally said, snarky.
"is your family even home?"
"who knows? and besides, why do you care? you said yourself you'd throw me in a jail cell."
"yes, and you said you wouldn't care if i did." lockstock retorted.
the two glared at each other for a moment, eyes narrowed.
"does your mother have a phone on her? does anyone in your family have a phone?"
"what do you think, smart guy? we don't even got enough coins to go to the bathroom. yeah, my mom has a phone, in hell maybe." little sally snickered.
lockstock clenched his jaw and banged on the door one last time.
nothing.
his watch beeped. 12am. quitting time.
he pinched his brow, considering his options. he could either leave the child alone on the streets, left to her own devices, or drive her to the police station and leave her in a cell for the night, like he said he would. however, he wasn't terribly keen on arresting a ten year old little girl. and on top of that, on what grounds would he even arrest her? for not having a good family?
he sighed deeply, rubbing his face. god, he was tired, always tired.
"I suppose...there's nothing I can do for you...then..." he admitted.
"good," little sally snapped. and then, under her breath, "it's not like you ever did anything for us in the first place."
the wind blew, and it was still cold. lockstock, frustrated, reached for some sort of compromise. the smallest thing that told him this girl would be even mildly okay until she could be let inside somewhere.
"there is a blanket in the back of the police car. i don't suppose you would care to borrow it?"
"sure. it's not like you'll be needing it." little sally said, standing up again and following lockstock.
"no, i suppose i won't." lockstock replied, yearning for his bed, and the sheets that kept him comfortably warm and tucked away from everything bad that had ever happened.
-
night four.
nobody had ever left officer lockstock's house. then again, nobody ever went into lockstock's house except for...well...officer lockstock. not this house, anyways. he didn't have friends, and he didn't socialize with other people. he was quiet, and kept his head down. he did the work he was told to do, and if he even had a shred of doubt over whether was he was doing was morally sound he shoved it so far down it physically hurt.
so when little sally saw lockstock's shorter companion leave the house at 11:30 at night she became very curious indeed.
lockstock was smoking outside again. actual honest-to-god cigarettes this time.
expensive, but legal.
she joined lockstock under the maple tree. lockstock was too tired to ask why she was still out.
"did you ever get inside?" he asked instead.
"well i'm still here, so I guess it doesn't matter, right?" little sally said.
"no, i guess it doesn't." lockstock sighed.
"what are you smoking?"
"cigarettes."
"again?"
"no- well- uh- yes. again."
"can i have one?"
"absolutely not."
"who was that guy who left your house?"
lockstock felt like someone had swiped his feet out from under him.
"what guy?" he inquired.
"don't be stupid. there was a guy who left your house. looked like the other cop you always hang out with. kind of, maybe. i don't know, it was dark, i didn't see his face."
for the first time in perhaps forever, lockstock went quiet. for the first time, he didn't have a good, witty answer to shoot back at the little girl. for the first time, he didn't even have an answer for himself.
"does this have to do with the thing you said about adults doing bad things?" little sally asked. "were you guys covering up a murder?"
officer lockstock chuckled.
"no, no murder. and I suppose it does...but it's not a bad...ah whatever." he trailed off, waving his hand as if to dissipate the thought.
"are you guys actually friends? or are you just friends when you're working together?"
"who?"
"the guy. who left your house. your cop partner."
"oh."
"well are you friends? come on man, don't leave me hanging." little sally pressed. having gotten bored, she'd sat on the lawn and started tearing grass out of the ground, leaving fistfuls scattered around her legs and on her dress.
"i suppose. but, never you mind that, it's none of your business."
little sally hopped up onto her feet once more and started marching around lockstock, arms crossed behind her back.
"maybe it is my business. i mean, after all, you make our business yours. don't you? i don't know, lockstock, how can i be sure you're telling the truth?"
"very funny. you'll make a great police officer one day."
"i'd rather be sent down to urinetown first." little sally said, stopping dead in her tracks.
"then i suppose you'll just have to get comfortable not knowing other people's business." lockstock said, finishing his smoke and flicking the butt somewhere onto the road, leaving it to be run over by a car at the ass-crack of dawn. some businessman leaving early for work because he had an "appointment" with his "secretary". he'd tear down the streets, because god forbid he miss his meeting, and run right over the cigarette butt. he'd be blissfully unaware.
"then why do you get to know?"
"because it's my job." lockstock answered. little sally was still intrigued.
"you get paid to know other people's business?"
"i mean, you could look at it that way." lockstock nodded.
"when you put it that way, it sounds kind of fun."
lockstock frowned.
"it's not."
-
night five.
there used to be a fountain outside of the UGC building. it had been shut off and dried up years ago after everyone kept getting sick after drinking from it. now, it was an empty, disintegrating monument, like a ticking clock waiting for its owners downfall. with every piece of concrete that chipped lose, another minute passed, bringing the king closer to the ledge with every step he was forced to take.
aside from that, it was generally just a good place to go sit and think.
little sally sat on the outer ledge of the fountain with her legs criss-crossed, and her elbow resting on her knee. her chin rested on her hand and there was a frown etched onto her brow. she stacked pebbles with her free hand, and when they fell apart she went right back to stacking them once more. she was more bored than entertained, but at least it was something to do.
heavy boots approached her and she sighed, getting up.
"i'm going, im going." she scowled, not even bothering to greet officer lockstock properly. lockstock waved her away dismissively.
"you're fine, little sally." he said, and sat himself down on the ledge of the fountain. tentatively, little sally took her spot back and resumed stacking pebbles.
both had displeased looks plastered across their faces.
"what are you even doing here?" little sally asked him.
"i don't know." lockstock said, rubbing his forehead.
"you should go home, it's late."
"i should..." lockstock trailed off. he should, but he didn't want to.
"you ever get mad, officer lockstock?" little sally wondered.
"sure, everyone does."
"no, not like just mad, i meant at them."
"who?"
"them."
"oh."
they lapsed into silence once more and lockstock considered the little girls question. it took him a long, long time to answer.
"maybe. just a little bit."
-
morning one.
it had been years since officer lockstock had visited the city. these days, he enjoyed the quiet of the countryside. it was easier that way, probably for everyone. one less cop patrolling the streets. not that his absence held much merit, they would have replaced him in the blink of an eye, but at least he could die knowing that he stopped being part of the problem.
he walked through the streets and felt a weight lifted off his chest knowing that him walking around didn't mean anything. from across the road, he stared at the water fountain, still empty and crumbling. nothing had changed, but lockstock took comfort in knowing he didn't have to care anymore.
the UGC building had been abandoned long ago- or rather, the BSMTA building had been abandoned long ago. people milled about on the streets and the smell of cigarettes floated through the morning air. he flicked a penny in the direction of a homeless girl who was hastily counting her coins.
"thanks!" she yelled after him. lockstock wasn't sure if it was genuine or sarcastic, but all of that stopped mattering the second he realized who the voice was.
"little sally?" he asked, walking back over to her.
she looked up.
"officer lockstock?"
she looked different, but then again, so did lockstock. they both looked older, hardened by years of survival. her hair was cut short, framing her face in a sort of chaotic bob. no more long, innocent braids.
the sun rose over the city and despite everything, it still looked pitiful and smelled sour.
"nothing's changed." little sally told him.
"i know." lockstock said, and regret seeped into his bones.
"i don't think it ever will."
"...i know."
"are you sorry yet?"
"yes."