When The Fun Stops, Stop

Flash Fiction by Jason Smith

The moon shone brightly in the clear night sky, lighting up the area around the yellow colored cab. As he stumbled through the driver’s door he felt the blood spilling out of his neck and between his fingers. He stumbled for a while, feeling dizzy and lightheaded before collapsing to the ground. Someone was standing over him but it was too dark to see. He felt nauseous, closed his eyes and wondered what death would be like.

He’d been working extra shifts, he needed the money and he wanted to spoil his daughter. His wife had left him for another man and all he had in life was his one year old daughter. He thought back to the last few months and everything that had gone wrong. One day he had a wife, a baby and a home, then he lost everything and he couldn’t get it back.

His wife had met someone else and his daughter was living in a house with another man and he worried she would grow up thinking that man was her father. He thought if he could just keep spoiling her, she wouldn’t forget who he was.

The person walked away, reached inside Clay’s cab and turned the engine off. The area plunged into darkness, the moon now covered by clouds.

***

The wedding anniversary party was packed with family, old friends and work colleagues. Gloria never knew they were so popular.

Gloria had married Bill twenty five years ago, one year after Clay had been murdered. She rarely gave Clay a thought, even though she could see him in her daughter’s face. Amy had no memory of him, she was only one when he was killed.

She remembered the day their car was repossessed. She had paid the deposit and it had been agreed that Clay would make the payments. It wasn’t long afterwards that she found out Clay hadn’t been paying the mortgage and the house was foreclosed. That night she left with Amy and moved into her parent’s house.

She never talked to Clay about it, she had no intention of talking to Clay about anything other than a divorce. She heard he was in the casinos and owing all the wrong people money. After Clay died, the police speculated he’d been killed by someone he owed money to, they never caught the murderer. Gloria and Bill were married, they moved away and put it all behind them.

The next morning Gloria and Bill talked about Clay.

“I thought Clay was in the past?” asked Bill.

“He is, but talking to people from home last night brought everything back.”

“Going over the past won’t help you. What happened, happened and nothing will change that. We moved on when we left there.”

“I know that. So many people think Amy looks like him.” said Gloria.

“And Amy looks like you too.” replied Bill.

***

It took a lot of planning and expense but when Gloria climbed into the back of Clay’s cab she wondered how good her disguise was. She’d taken drama in college and had become pretty good at transforming herself with makeup and prosthetics. She was disguised as an older woman, Gloria thought she looked like her Aunt Lorraine.

“Where to miss?” Clay asked.

“Can you take me to Viewpoint Hill?” Gloria replied.

Clay stared at her through his rear view mirror and she wondered if he recognized her until he started the cab and they drove away.

Clay tried smalltalk, he’d told her in the past it was a great way to get tips but Gloria managed to keep the talking to a minimum. She managed to fool him with her disguise but she was worried if she kept talking Clay would recognize her voice.

The journey took about fifteen minutes and by then Clay had given up talking to her as she pretended to be looking at her phone. She knew exactly where they were and she knew Clay was at any time going to ask her where she wanted to be dropped off.

“Where do you want to be dropped off, miss?” Clay asked.

“At the far end of the parking lot please.” Gloria replied.

She reached inside her purse and wrapped her fingers around the knife’s handle. She stabbed Clay’s neck just as he put the car into park. His blood sprayed everywhere as she twisted it free, she saw Clay’s wide eyes staring at her in the cab’s rear view mirror and she wondered if he recognized her.

Gloria watched Clay get out of the cab and stagger away, before collapsing to the ground. She walked towards him and thought about Amy.

Amy didn’t need him. All he’d done was create debt. Clay had been gambling for years, she’d confront him and he’d deny he was gambling but she knew he was.

After she’d left Clay, she met Bill as she was drowning her sorrows in a bar near her parents house. He listened, actual listening, not pretending to listen like Clay always had.

Clay needed to die. The car and house were in Gloria’s name and she’d already negotiated payment plans. Clay was creating a giant sinkhole of debt and she was worried that one day he’d drag Amy into it.

Once she was sure Clay was dead Gloria walked to the yellow colored cab and switched the engine off. Another car, across the parking lot, started up and drove towards her. Gloria opened the door and climbed in.

“Is it done?” Asked Bill.

---

Bio: Jason Smith writes out of the Pacific Northwest. He’s married and is a father to a special needs son. Originally from England he has lived near Seattle, WA since 2009 and now resides in Olympia WA. He had previously been published on The Yard: Crime Blog and he had several stories published on Short-Story.Me

Cover photo by pexels/Rodolfo Clix

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