CHAPTER 11: THE MANIFESTO OF ALAN POTTER, PART 4

The drive to Carl’s hardware was an uncomfortable one at best.  I couldn’t help but think that everyone I passed on the trip could somehow see into my mind, see what I had done.  Did they somehow know about poor, slutbag Jane?  Did they know that I was a killer?

“Relax Allie, nobody knows and nobody is ever gonna know,” Ghost Jack said from the passenger seat.  “I have to ask you though, what did you enjoy more?  Was it killing her or fucking her?”

“Shut the fuck up, Jack.  it was a mistake.  We just going to get rid of her and you’re going to go back to being dead and I can forget this whole goddamn nightmare,” I said. 

“Nightmare?  Admit it Allie Boy, seeing her eyes go dark was the best moment of your life.”

“I said shut the fuck up.  You never know when to shut the fuck up.”

“Don’t hate me for telling you the truth, Al.  I’m the only one who ever has,” Jack said.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“I told you not to marry that slut, Samantha,” Jack replied.

“Don’t talk about her that way.”

“Some truths are hard to hear, Allie Boy.”

“Don’t call me that, Jack.  You know I hate that.”

“Fine, Alan.  But don’t tell me I’m wrong.  She has you so fucked up in the head you’re murdering women who actually want you and talking to your dead brother on the way to the hardware store so you can buy tools to cut up a body.”  As much I a tried not to see it, Ghost Jack was right.  I gave my best years to Sam and she repaid me by fucking my best friend. 

“You know you have to do something about that,” Demon Jack said.  His implication was clear.  He wanted no me to kill Samantha.

“No,” I said.  “Not her.  Marty.”

“I’ll take it,” said Jack.  We pulled into the hardware store and went to look for tools, Jack’s eternal head wound leaking blood all over the pavement.

Shopping for tools appropriate to dismember a body is stressful as it is.  My excursion for body dismembering implements was made extra nerve wracking by dead brother making constant lewd comments and humping the female cashier that didn’t know he was there.  I was already on edge and Demon Jack’s antics were almost impossible to ignore.

“Lighten up Allie,” Jack said and then licked the face as a girl who was trying to pick out a hammer.  She, of course, remained oblivious.

“Shut fuck up Jack,” I said, forgetting that the woman and I were the only two living people in the isle.  She gave me a very confused glanced and I hurried away in embarrassment.

In the end I (we?) settled on an axe, a hacksaw, a large amount of leaf bags, and some work gloves. 

“Got some trees to clean up?” the cashier asked as Jack made lewd gestures

“I, uh…yeah,” I said.  I grabbed my things and left.

“Smooth,” Ghost Jack said as we climbed into the car.  I ignored him during most of the drive home and eventually he gave up; at least until we started cutting up Jane.