Tonight I was out walking past-midnight, politely nodding to the 5,000 rabbits that live my neighborhood, when I noticed a high school couple walking ahead of me, holding hands. The guy had a backpack on and the girl did not. They walked without speaking, but it was a comfortable silence. I turned off onto a parallel street still heading the same direction so I wouldn't creep them out. Two blocks later the boy in the backpack crossed my path again, now walking alone.

8 comments:

Alex said...

This could be a beautiful little story, or it could go in a whole other, creepy direction. What's in the backpack? Where did he stash the girl? What does the moon look like?

Rand said...

No! They were an awkward high school couple, having an innocent walk together. It's like a YA novel: the turmoil of paralyzing self-awareness, emerging confidence, undefined longing and lots and lots of walking (no driver's license yet).

Kelly Coyle said...

This could be a beautiful little story, or it could go in a whole other, creepy direction. Why so many rabbits? Are the streets really parallel? Why is the narrator so worried about whether the couple gets freaked out?

Anonymous said...

Dave, you should have really freaked them out and started dancing like one of those zombies in the 'Thriller' video. That would have freaked me out. Say what you will about zombies, but they're scary as hell. Maybe next time, eh? :-)

P.S. I love the way you framed this story. It could be harmless and it could be quite ominous, indeed!

Geoff Herbach said...

God, that's just fucking gorgeous, Blopp.

Michelle said...

I wonder if the inclusion of so many rabbits might be a metaphor for the somber discussion they were having -- why is she late? Should they worry? Where is the nearest Planned Parenthood? Even though they were wearing the nifty red Pledge Rings from the Northwestern Bookstore, perhaps there was a moment of indiscretion leading to the difficult mood of the moment.

Full moon. Definitely.

Kelly Coyle said...

Fecundity! Carrots!

Becca said...

I'm so naive. I thought, "Chivalry lives!" Sir Blogagaard tries not to freak out children and the boy walked the girl home.

Maybe the backpack was for the trophy body parts after the "stashing"?

P.S. B, be careful. We had a man up here go on a beer run and get brutally murdered in his back yard. First homicide of the year. So sad. Watch your back!

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