96. The Car Jockey

They treated him like shit. Most of the customers fell into 3 stereotypical categories; asshole, jerk and jackass. Their attitude didn’t bother him because he saw his work there as a means to an end. He spent his days in the cavern of darkness. His nights, however, were beyond what anyone would suspect, and he liked it that way.

95. Sao Paolo church

It was hard to believe he had been there for 30 days already. When he fled with his family he had no other place to go in the panic of it all. He felt the guilt building, as his young sons played in the aisles of the pews, rowdy one minute, solemn at others, reflecting the mood of their parents. They were all pressed into a constant state of looking inward. He felt like a prisoner of Christ.

94. Motorcycle

She felt flaky for her indecision. Some days she loved it; the pavement heat rising, the urban gallery of graffiti art, sweet drinks and spicy food. Others she loathed it: the city’s assaulting smells, the leering men who spat, and the indignant noise. She wasn’t noncommittal, she just had the freedom to make the choice at this point, and in that she reveled.

93. Sao Paolo Building

This time it felt foreboding. He had been here a hundred times before, but now his conscience threatened to overpower him. He begged forgiveness in his mind as his sin battled within. His youth, passion and dedication to be a leader crippled him in that moment. Soon he would experience the ease of which sins can be washed away. The extra swigs from the goblet were nothing.

92. Pickle

She was talking a blue streak. He looked down trying to appear aloof but he was completely focused on what she was saying. He formulated a response, rethought it and decided it was best to keep quiet for now. She became invigorated by his lack of response and relentlessly assailed him. He waited for her to change tact like she always did. Then it occurred to him bitterly that this time might be different. He would have to seize the chance.

91. Josephine

The talk wasn’t going her way. She had planned and envisioned a completely different interaction, one where she was in charge. But he prodded her to divulge feelings she had been unprepared to bare. He accused her of self-editing that projected an aloofness he saw past. The moment had come to fess up.

90. Lord of Lords

He was determined to relax and chill out once and for all. Apparently it would take some practice. The toll of the past few months left a black hole in his heart, he had certainly self-medicated to get through it. This, on the other hand, should be fun. He was holding a tiny aperitif, but he really wanted another beer.

89. Soos Seuss

Others thought about his place in life, he did not. Every moment was a highlight and he moved through it surefooted and with a sense of hilarity about everything. His focus now demanded more. He analyzed what he saw and dissected his choice with care. Yes, the Dr. Seuss book would make the perfect gift for her.

88. The last dance.

It might have been their last dance together. She thought of it with a nostalgic taste in her soul desperately wanting to discover if he had that feeling too. She knew in her heart that neither one had experienced that sort of abandon in a long time being pulled apart as the stars conspired against them. But they had good reason, she could never put up with his sloppy kisses and therein lay the fateful strike under a cloud of his B.O.

87. E and C

The group of teenage tourists thronged along the pavement and down into the underground. They were oblivious except for one. She teared up and remembered that day starkly. It was the empathic rush that overwhelmed her even though she had only been a child watching it on TV in Nebraska. She wanted to blurt out to the others that they should be respectful. But it was clear they just wanted to find the Abercrombie store.

86. Old School

He pulled his car over and dashed out into the darkness. The anxiety squeezed his throat and threatened to bubble over. What he thought he could handle he clearly could not, and his body rebelled. He stared at the beacon of light encased in metal wishing for help but not wanting to ask for it. His mind desperately ran through a list of who he should call. Then the phone rang and startled the pants off him.

85. Pamalot

She was like a doll that he dressed up. It was a total turn on for him and she just wanted to please him. But she soon tired of the game as it became abysmally superficial. She craved a deeper and more meaningful connection. Until he bought her those killer boots, she decided dragging it out further was harmless.

84. Yellow

He tried his best to relax. But every inch of him said to run. It was his pattern, a bad habit he was aware of and trying to break. He was of course setting about it in every wrong way possible, looking for things and ideas to settle him that just didn’t fit. Quite simply, it would take the right woman to arrest the fight or flight in him.

83. Thong

She knew exactly what she was doing though it seemed nonchalant. He looked on admiringly as she went about pretending to accomplish her daily details. Every nuance had been rehearsed for an audience of one. She played the game well and he was none the wiser, falling for it like a silly rabbit.

82. Beach

I probably shouldn’t have bought those answers. But there is no way I can get caught. I hope Beth isn’t cluing in. She is being so vibey and passive aggressive. It’s impossible for her to know about Greg. So not worried about that, though it would be easier to handle than her knowing anything else, I have so much on her, she wouldn’t dare. It’s college, no one will remember a thing. And that test will finally get me through this bullshit and these people I will never see again.

81. Soos again

She didn’t know how to take it. She had used all her tricks to get through to him and the truth was, she was running out of ideas. He moved through everything shielded from life. It was beyond body language, it was his entire way of being, like he just couldn’t commit to being there. Yet he kept engaging with her. It was thoroughly frustrating. She would have to truly take charge.

80. Winter

He did it all for the love of his family. Shift work was brutal, sleeping in the daylight hours and working at night, it defied circadian rhythm. Time and half was worth the martyrdom he took on. He really only saw his kids on the weekend and his wife had stopped waiting up for him. He never felt lonely though, darkness was his companion.

79. The Fat Lady

Just when she thought it could get no worse he said he had to stop in to check on his mother. She braced herself as it was only 9 O’clock, and feigning an early morning wasn’t going to work yet. Amazingly his mother was just as embarrassed that he would show up on a date. She immediately made killer Magaritas with premium Tequila. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

78. Hot dog

It was an excruciating date. He spoke excessively about himself like a bloated salesman on a used car lot. He was determined in professing his admiration for her, yet she barely spoke, and at a certain point, gave up at trying to do so. His idea of a fun outing consisted of going to an “I’m young-at-heart” amusement park. She felt like a fool surrounded by the teenagers alternately whooping it up or sticking their tongues down each other’s throat. She didn’t bother telling him she was vegetarian when he ordered dinner.

77. Glamour And Heat.

The glamour fell away as she moved in heated frenzy. She felt beyond disheveled and horridly out of place. Everyone else saw her as stunning and elegant, otherwordly as she moved within her own aura. She didn’t want to judge the beer swillers, but she didn’t want to make conversation either. She just wanted to take her shoes off and swallow back a martini.

76. Bat Shit Crazy

There was no question she was driving him bat shit crazy. He wondered if they would have already broken up had they not married so quickly. All his friends seemed to have free reign over their relationships. They labeled him the stable guy and she chose that too. There were times he just wanted to run but he wasn't a quitter. They loved each other like mad and the makeup sex was well worth it.

75. Warner Bros.

He found it inspiring. Sitting up here was the only reminder of the heights he came to achieve. His reality was dark and a complete drudgery. He lied to his family back home with visions of lightness and humour. He wasn’t a star, he was bland and lumped in with people whose dreams were extinguished long ago. He refused to succumb. When he got back to his cubicle he got a voice mail that was a small victory that could ultimately lead to major change if he played the game right.

74. Charles.

There was no harm in checking it out. Even as he stood on the edge his comfort zone he saw it was a test for him, a new encounter that he had been unprepared for previously. This was his chance to become absorbed into a new social scene and dispel his outsider status. The challenge was too much to fight, he took a deep breath and walked in alone for the first time in his life.

73. Backseat

She swore it would be the last time. She was smooth confidence on the outside, total and utter trepidation on the inside. She walked as a woman who held a secret close to her chest, fooling everyone in her path. But her story crumbled when the right person questioned her. She had no time to decide whether the driver would keep it quiet.

72. Curve.

He could rhapsodize about her body for hours. When they were apart her silhouette was ingrained in his mind and he could recall it in an instant. It sent him into a flushed state, simmering and aching to lay his eyes on her again. He left her frustrated, his eyes lingered when she wanted him to touch. But this was his fetish, and she struggled to determine if she wanted to remain it’s subject.

71. Legs.

She had her youth as her mask. It was what she used to hide her many
lifetimes from prying eyes. The experiences were hers alone and she
drew on them as needed for the situations she found herself in, most
of them, not pretty. But she always clambered out unscathed, rosy
and dewy in rebirth.

70. Cowboy J.

He couldn’t figure out why his mother believed it. To him it was a good story, as a good as the Westerns he was allowed to watch at 4 o’ clock. If Jesus came on TV it might convince him into believing too. His 9-year-old mind conjured up visions of Jesus riding into a dusty town, swinging through the saloon doors and asking who was in charge. He decided then and there, it would always be him. He would be the captain of his soul.

69. The Guide

Everyone thought she was a wallflower and she had believed it. Sometimes a part of her personality exposed itself as she shrugged off the shy one. She discovered she could connect and guide others. To the point where it not only surprised them, it shocked and scared the heck out of her. But she couldn’t help it. It wouldn’t be long before her inner desire for a larger audience would be fulfilled.

68. The Contortionist

There was a time when she didn’t know what to do with this body. It felt foreign and disconnected from who she thought she was. She mistreated it but it still loved her back. Now she knew it’s every curve and angle as she showed it off to others. The effect was always pleasing. Though few could guess, it was to her perspective first.

67. The Archpriest

The trip had been arduous, a journey few could bear. She had whittled down her possessions long ago to accommodate her travels. Tossing them aside she joined the line up with tourists of all kinds to go in, light a candle and say her prayers. Upon exiting, she was somewhat miffed that her bag was missing. With the joy of God in her heart, she was it as a sign that she carry on without her heavy load.

66. Seatbelt Photo

It was the only picture he had of him. He had been staring at it for years trying to figure him out, why he left, and what resemblance they had with one another. Searching within the shadows he tried to connect, emulating and adoring the image. As he got older he realized he was nothing like him and his anger rose. He buried it under a stack of record albums. Now the dude who bought the collection from him was returning the long lost photo.

65. The Boots

She was happy to be herself regardless of his tentative demeanor. She learned long ago that laying her personality on the line was an honest approach. Her habit was to reach out and grab what she wanted. He clearly had to ponder it. She would wait this time, but not for long.

64. Paris Match.

The memories flooded back. His years as a journalist gave him a self worth that had eroded in old age. No one cared anymore. He bought all the magazines he’d written for, devoured every piece, and then burned them in ceremony. It was not until that moment that he realized how much his personality was linked to this bygone era. He pulled out the old typewriter and wrote his story as if his life depended on it.

63. The Entourage.

It was freeing to be out, but she felt guilt regardless. Her usual entourage, clamouring. sticky hands, needy voices, attention seekers, were missing. In the brief time away from them she felt good, independence lent itself easily to her. But her thoughts would stray, what they were doing, what they were eating, were they missing her. She stemmed the guilt and bought them new socks.

62. Exit

It looked forbidding even at her petite 8-year-old stature. The “Do Not Cross This Line” spelled “Go” to her as it crossed her eyelevel delineating right from wrong. Of course this just made her want to do it more. This attitude would come in handy as an adult. As a child, she was a rebel, who made her poor mother exasperated.

61. The illusionist

They were all taken in by him. He knew that and took full advantage of his talent to have his audience in a trance. Though his own mind often drifted; what he would eat after the show, was the costuming congruent, were the musicians with him or against him. But he never flinched or let that escape show. It was amazing what you could convince people of with smoke, lights and the drone of a rhythm he thought. As he scanned the audience with an intense stare, he decided definitely fried chicken tonight.

60. Lite Brite

He lay motionless cursing modern technology. They had said his hip would be better than ever. Liars. The feeling of his body slowly giving out on him was bizarre. He felt all its bits held together like a robot, the kind he used to win trophies for at the Statewide Science Fair. He was tormented by his lively mind stuck in this decrepit shell. Maybe the lady who smelled of cakes from 4F would come by, she always took the stairs.

59. Bodka

It felt like he was forcing it on me. He was trying to coax some other personality out of who I usually was. A bottle of courage wasn’t going to do it. I knew what I needed, it wasn’t him, loud music or smooth booze. But what I wanted was another story. He had no idea what he was about to unleash.

58. Soostalan

She couldn’t explain to anyone why she loved him, she just did. Over the years she had questioned herself; he couldn’t cook, he left a whirlwind mess around him, he hated being social and loved hip hop. If they were mismatched in their tastes what was left over was super connectedness. Plus he was the best lover she’d ever had.

57. Slit

If he fixed his eyes and focused then everyone would think he was fine. He envisioned his life beyond this group and it’s cloying darkness. He hadn’t figured out how to extricate himself and find somewhere else to go, though he was dying to. The fantasy of making new friends was appealing. Then he wondered if it was the booze talking and he was over-thinking it all.

56. Elevator

She wanted to go though knew she shouldn't. The decision held more weight to her than to anyone else. The draw and release was in her power in that singular moment that moved slower than any other she'd experienced. She heard them laughing from inside, freely giggling. And realized the invitation was more benign than she imagined.

55. Kealan

She usually wasn't needy. But tonight she decided it couldn't be miscontrued since she was getting what she wanted. It had taken so long, she had repressed volumes, and now it was clear how to let it out. In her own measured way so no one would suspect a thing. It was her truth and her time. Luckily for her, they accepted it without question.

54. Motel

She had come for him. This place had nothing to do with her and every aspect of it stung her skin. She only felt herself if he was there, and now he wasn’t. It was crippling. The idea of creating a new environment for herself was more than she could bear. She got in her Mustang and drove back to the city.

53. Sao Paulo Trees

She lay in wait to join the rest. Few would even notice the unveiling, just the ones who built her with their sheer ideas that came to limestone life. Her final resting place was to be here and she would live out her long days slowly becoming elegantly decayed. It was useless desire to ever be the maiden again.

52. Tattoo girl

She did it to keep people away. The staring was a surprise and something she had learned to deal with. She was expert at averting her eyes and as a result found it hard to connect with anyone. The people she wished to let in took her at face value and that led to a sad, insular, loneliness. It was a shame because she was soft and endearing.

51. Apartment terrace

Their life seemed dreamy, full of sparkle and shine. It was so different from hers, which felt drab and melancholy in comparison. She watched their dinner parties, their little arguments that always ended in romantic bedroom escapades. She became the ultimate voyeur, though to her it was more like becoming obsessed with a TV soap. Then one day their flame spluttered and it became ugly. She never knew that they started to watch and dream of her mundane life, because she had stopped watching them long ago.

50. Bus Stop

He wanted to talk to her desperately. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen her, just the first time he had a clear unchallenged view. She was clueless of course, but that only added fuel to the unrequited romance he conjured in his mind. He would never talk to her, just imagine for years what it would be like. Then the bus arrived and it wasn’t his.

49. Traffic

His legs stuck to the vinyl seats slicked in sweat even though it was barely midday. His driver’s side arm was already sun burnt and coated in the dust of the city. But it felt normal to him. The rusted out hulk of brick canyons was home and he had no problem being shoved down its valleys on his never-ending route. It was the cacophony of bleating horns that bothered him. So he shoved his ear buds in tighter to block it out.

48. Windows

It was home. The village could see whatever he was doing in that concrete square. Mama had reminded him frequently of this fact. Kicking around an old ball or pressing against a girl into the shadows of the night, he knew one day it would be him looking down to spy on his own kid. That’s just how it went around here, he’d never leave the block.

47. Sao Paulo

He made huge efforts to beautify as he saw fit. Vertical slabs were the canvas that he attacked with every intricacy he was capable of. Everyone else took it for granted and just walked by clueless to the unconscious absorption that took place. Soon their city would be slathered in the glory of his colours and they would take all the credit.