Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20A | 20B | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25-26 | 27 | 28-29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35-36 | 37 | 38A | 38B | 38C | 38D
PART II
ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS
39
JULY 1929
MARINA STOOD AT the back of the Armour Chapel in the middle of Elmwood Cemetery in her gorgeous white dress—far more grand than anything Mother would have allowed her to wear—looking at Trey in fine clothes, standing by the altar with a wry smile on his face.
He was so familiar.
He was such a stranger.
He was about to become her husband.
She would go to a strange house with him today.
She would wake up in that home tomorrow morning.
She didn’t know what was supposed to happen between going there and waking up.
And she had no idea how she’d gotten here. His smile faded as she stared at him—through him. She was floating like a dust mote, nothing under her feet, nothing attached to her arms, no body to speak of, just a tiny dot in a big universe that had no god.
Her attention wandered to the dark windows of a chapel used for funerals.
It was storming, which, she vaguely thought, was fitting. A metaphor. A simile? She didn’t know. Allegory? Irony? Satire? Parody? Pun?
Joke.
A plain ol’ joke.
On her.
Just to be cruel.
If the god she was taught existed, she now didn’t like him any more than Dot did.
Her mind was blank.
“Marina?”
She didn’t know who said her name. She didn’t care.
“C’mon, sis.” It was Dot, tugging on her.
She had no choice. Even if she had a choice, she would do whatever the person physically closest to her told her to do. She took a step down the aisle and tripped over the hem. Only Dot kept her from falling. She wasn’t used to wearing dresses, especially long ones.
“I don’t like this dress,” she said matter-of-factly.
Dot looked at her sadly. “I know.”
It was a beautiful dress. There was no doubt about that. It fit her well, but that was about all she could say for it. She shouldn’t be wearing white at all, which was its own cruel joke: white made her look sickly and they hadn’t been able to find an ivory dress that didn’t look like it belonged on a flapper or an Erté print. It was not as fine as one she could have made for herself had she had time. Or patience. Or energy. Or a sewing machine. Or space. Or one thought in her head that wasn’t fuzzy.
Money had not been a problem, either.
Time had been. Sister Albright had gleefully sped Marina and Dot around town in Trey’s convertible gathering everything they would need to have a nice wedding. When Sister Albright had objected at Bishop that a week and a half wasn’t long enough, Bishop was adamant that it be done as soon as possible. It wasn’t that the Albrights wanted her out of their house. It was that the baby’s birth date should be as far from the Dunhams’ wedding date as possible.
This walk down the aisle wasn’t the way it was done. She knew that. Usually there was music and people standing and all sorts of pomp and circumstance. This was just Dot dragging her from point A to point B using the most efficient route. She had to drag her because she kept tripping over her hem.
“Pick up your dress, Marina,” Dot said finally.
Marina did that and then it was easier to walk.
She didn’t look at Trey, not because she was avoiding him, but because she wasn’t looking at anything. Her eyes roamed around but took in nothing. All she really wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep.
She was so tired.
“Marina,” Trey murmured once she reached his side. “You look lovely.”
Marina didn’t react. She was too tired. Too numb.
His hand brushed hers, but she pulled away from him. He sighed.
“All right,” Bishop said abruptly. “Let’s get this show on the road. Marina, do you take this man, et cetera?”
Marina said nothing until Dot nudged her. “I do.”
“Dunham?”
“I do,” he said strongly.
“Man and wife,” Bishop said tersely.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Marina knew she was being a spoil sport, but she barely had any energy to …
Trey caught her when she fainted.
39
If you don’t want to wait 2 years to get to the end, you can buy it here.
she barely had any energy
self-absorbed bridegroom gonna expect sex that night?
Worse.
my first wife was so drunk I couldn’t pry her off the toilet all night
not that her spewing had me rutting
Hair-holding back is involved.
Most things are worse than sex.
Some things are better.
So
Not
Hot
😂
I once Firsted so much that I was puking all night long. But a Firster would never allow someone to see him in such a state and there was no one to hold back my hair.
Why would your hair need to be held back, high speed?
Reminds me of a girlfriend I had back in high school.
Thanks, Moj, things are suddenly going so fast I thought ‘d missed something but 39 comes after 38D.
I’m trying to figure out the next event and a couple things cross my mind but I’ll stow them so I don’t embarrass myself.
Keep the good times rolling
That is the way I enjoy fiction. Let the story unfold itself.
Notice, we are now in part 2.
I did.
Aaaah, I didn’t see that. Thanks for bringing me on board.
I’ve been absent from here for a while and I missed parts 1 through 38, but you are truly gifted, Moj
This is a place where it is a privilege to get to interact with so many genuinely talented and fascinating people.
Oh, thank you!
Pulled from the dead thread:
PVC vs. ABS for home sewer lines. Discuss.
And no, leaving the main stack CI is not a possibility. I’m not replacing it because I have nothing better to do. It is literally crumbling apart.
Is this for a stack?
All of it. Stack and the drain lines from the only bathroom in the house. The kitchen had already been switched to PVC. THE Hyperbole chimed in “ABS”. So I thought I’d throw it out there and see if anybody had any reasons for ABS other than being contrarian.
From the little research I’ve done it seems like a personal choice for fuzzy reasons. ABS might last longer? I’m 51…pretty sure PVC will outlast me.
Ah. So I googled. Thing that got me was PVC is “chemically resistent” and ABS is not.
I’d like Hype to say why ABS, though. I’m not DIYing anymore, but I still like to think about these things.
I’m pretty sure he said it because he is Hype. Sure seems like a personal/locale choice.
Late , MikeS, PVC schedule 40 or which ever is the heavy duty one. 30 years and no problem yet.
Ugh, I hate plumbing.
Preach.
But, while I staunchly support the trades, I am a tight ass who hates paying the money they rightfully demand.
Plumbing – the muffler work of the house.
I was looking at that the other day.
https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/abs-vs-pvc-dwv.2836/
Thanks. While reading that I remembered that when I went into the local hardware store today to check out if they were going to have what I needed, there was very little ABS. Lots and lots of PVC fittings.
The plot keeps thickening.
MikeS, more lathe porn. Just to let you know I am still working on it.
https://ibb.co/8zvKTW5
https://ibb.co/0tRsnN0
That little one was being used to make a small part, and it, sadly, didn’t work.
Boing
Keep the pics coming. I hope to get a small project machine like this someday. But, for now I have other shit to deal with. heh
That is a fine workbench. Oregon Pacific Co is still in business but looks like they’ve shifted to logging/outdoor only and don’t seem to do any mill supply. Not surprising given how many have gone tits up.
Was contemplating about the lady who had that mental break on the plane saying that some dude wasn’t real. All the screen grabs of her being disseminated on the socials.
Absolutist in me us there is no expectation of privacy in a public place but that statement is antiquated with the ubiquitousness of a camera in wvery pocket. Her, popping a cork on a plane would normally be word of mouth about a guy who knows a guy who was on the plane.
Today with cameras in every hand, it’s insane. How can she get help and get over seeing herself made into an internet meme?
This must be a problem for the airlines, because when I was on KLM this past spring, they mentioned that it’s not allowed to take pictures of people without their permission. I can’t remember if they used ‘allow’ but the point is, that was the first time I’ve heard a mention of no taking camera pics/vids during the safety briefing.
There was no mention of such a prohibition when I flew KLM five years ago.
Now I want some genever. Or their Flying Dutchman.
I didn’t aim my camera at people but I did take lots of pictures.
My wife and I thought it was crazy she wasn’t charged with something… Lady was probably on drugs.
I disagree, she probably was NOT on drugs…that she should have been on. Manic depressives and the like that don’t take their meds can lose it pretty quickly.
It’s good and bad.
The cameras put an end to a lot of speculation over responsibility in strange situations, but at the same time they make everything in public very public.
Just go to Reddit.com/r/publicfreakout and be amazed and terrified.
But that motherfucker was definitely not real.
My son’s family arrives tomorrow for a visit. I will get in some grandpa time in a warm clime. He is promising to bring some interesting biers from his home.
I love/hate this song.
Daylight.
https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=daylight
Marina miscarries, Trey demonstrates his True Love by being an excellent husband?
Marina gives up the baby for adoption and becomes a Catholic nun to marry God.
Morning, people.
☕😃
How goes it?
Meeting went well yesterday. We’re gonna be getting a bunch of sweet government cash.
Also, have an appointment to get my front windows tinted on the new ride this morning.
You?
I fell asleep early, but now have the chance to get to the grocery store before the crowds show up.
Hopefully they’ll actually have what I need to stock up on this time.
Happy Saturday morning, y’all!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qr1-WpWOUk8
🎶🎶
At the diner!
Does the waitress call you “Hun” ?
Naw, she calls him Atilla.
Atilla the Hon? Sure he was a warmonger but also a helluva of a nice guy and a good tipper.
And such a painter! He could paint an entire apartment in one afternoon. Two coats!
First name, actually.
Eat, drink, and be merry.
Mornin’, reprobates!
Nice government windfall, Sean? Be sure to spend my involuntary contribution wisely. You, know, on steaks and the usual entertainment options.
Mornin ‘, U. Early morning is the best time to go grocery shopping.
Enjoying my last bowl of South Carolina’s finest before going for dental implants later this morning. Pipe smoking is not conducive to healing. On the plus side, I have a few hundred cans of soup in the pantry so I won’t starve.
suh’ fam
whats goody yo
This time tomorrow Im heading back to Cali.
Never heard of these things:
https://youtube.com/shorts/f_kY9CBNhrc?feature=share
A sea slug that recycles Portuguese Man of War venom. Neat.
Neat, also gorgeous – not a word I would normally associate with “slug”.
WRT: “Elevator to the Gallows,” I was watching some BBC Detective show, and they have indoor gallows built into HM’s prisons.