Now still standing in front of the body with a half empty cup of abyssal dark coffee that smelt sickly sweet, Rowland tore his eyes away as he believed he had had enough of that off-putting look in the dead man's eye. As he clung to the mug in order to somehow cypher it's nearly dead warmth.His saddened and worried green eyes were the only sign of colour in his face, as they battered with long lashes and automatically lifted and turned his head to a better view to his right, of the now visibly black tiled pool. Now littered with red plastic cups that blotched the serene architecture that surrounded it. Subconsciously panning out and to the beautiful and lush palm trees and ferns that swayed slightly in the light wind as the sun spotted the tropical Japanese garden with sequin like golden rays.He used the excuse of missing time on his artwork, the fact that he needed to find a teddy bear for his baby cousin, the fact that he hasn't checked his e-mail in weeks, the fact that he needs

Rowland knew that he didn't want this whole situation to matter all that much, especially not today. He had heard enough from the reporter as they moved on to sports, and it was strangely enough, enough to give him the energy to stand up from his seated position, toss his T-shirt onto the bed and slug on with his life; breaking off and tucking the bad parts of that thought, along with the dead man behind the clouds that which brought a silver lining as he walked into the bathroom to further relieve himself;"...it's gonna be another hot, clear and sunny day in California, folks! Though, temperatures have cooled around areas...", so said the easy eyed stranger. But Rowland felt the freeze of precipitation - condensation which created an accumulation of clouds above his head as the thought of the dead man - which stuck to his mood like a thorn in his paw, indicated a slight chance of rainfallHe in fact, actually didn't pack a raincoat or an umbrella..But he had to think despite the pa

But as they drove, Rowland's curiosity begged and boiled him almost compulsively to ask..;"What did you do with...", he wanted to know but couldn't quite get himself to finish that sentence as he blinked behind his shades."With? ", Nick's tone was stiff as he relaxed and made himself comfortable in his seat."...With the fingers, teeth and toes?", as Rowland said this, Nick rolled his head to face him still laying on the seat. He didn't remember Rowland staying to watch... But after an odd silence;"I got rid of them.", Nick stated bluntly as he faced away again, looking forward at the road past his chin as Johnny and Santo's Sleep Walking softly played on the stereo..."How many times have you had to bury someone like that? ", Rowland spotted a red light amidst his thoughts behind dark glasses, Nick fell silent in the music;"...I've never done that before.", He then said," The first time, always sticks... But in all honesty, I never pegged it as something to fear, considering that

"I'm telling you Lucius, you've gotta put those phones away before you start glowing green.", Rowland laughed at the sound of His reaction as he jokingly scoffed."You know what, Macspazatron. It's a social thing, I don't think you'd get it.", as Nick said this Rowland lolled his head and rolled his eyes in sarcastic humor;"Hardy har, asshole. But, you can miss me on the people bit.""And secondly, I don't think that's how radiation works. They're kinda stuck on me what with important business and shit.", Nick stretched."Magnetism, it's already starting.", Rowland jolted to one side and smiled to himself as Nick nudged him in the side with his knuckles while he, stared thoughtfully at the floor having just remembered something;"Speaking of, people. What are we gonna do at the ball-gala-dinner... Thing anyway?", Nick revealed his hand in his peripheral view as he passed over the blunt before roughly settling back down."You're just supposed to show some face, Y'know. You'll get to k

There were no stops, nor music to kill the suffocating silence...The drive home was long and quiet...No one said a word, they couldn't even look at each other...Nick was driving fast but Rowland had managed to put on his seatbelt, too tired to realise the expired irony.And whose heart, was so heavy in so many ways that he thought it might fall out of his chest and tear through his button down shirt, or smoosh his innards from it's mere weight; that if he breathed in too deeply it would simply stop like it would somehow disappear from his rib cage.He was gutted beyond all reason, split open and oozing.He subconsciously bounced his left leg anxiously.Rowland felt that he could just die from personal embarrassment alone, but that was too close a call already. Biting his split bottom lip and subconsciously tonging at the sore and dry blood that clotted the gash, still too focused on the aching pain in his chest, the back of his head and biceps, or that blunt throb from a swelling e