Or use these alternative prompts: Born in the USA or mayhem, mollycoddle, dandruff or stairway to heaven or Puff the Magic Dragon.
This week, I continue the story of Dallas in Wonderland, as the mystery surrounding Dr. Levi deepens. Enjoy! And don't forget to visit the other Wednesday Briefers, whose links you'll find at the end of my story.
Dallas in Wonderland #10
Dallas stared at her, a frown creasing his brow. She hadn’t heard him correctly, that must be it. “Samuel Levi,” he said, as if by giving the doctor’s full name, surely she’d know whom he referred to. His eyes slid to the mailboxes, to the names imprinted there. He saw his own. There was his neighbor’s. He’d been right. It was Mayhew. There were four other names, all in the same raised type. None of them read Levi.
“I don’t know anyone by that name. Sorry, Dallas.” She gave him a small shrug of apology. “Take care of yourself. Drink lots of fluids, remember. I’ll see you after work.” With a final flutter of one hand, she departed. He stood, staring after her, long after she’d left the building.
Dallas shook his head as if to clear it, dust falling from his hair onto his shoulder. At first glance, he mistook it for dandruff, then realized his mistake and flicked it away, glancing upward. Where’d that come from?
Kelly’s words made no sense, despite the apparent reinforcement provided by the names on the mail boxes. Why would Dr. Levi say he lived here if he didn’t? Dallas thought back to their first meeting, in the laundry room, to every single word that had been exchanged between them. Come to think of it, Dr. Levi had never once said he lived in the building, so why had Dallas assumed he did?
Maybe because he was in the building, in the laundry room even, in the middle of the night? As if he had a right to be there. So Dallas had assumed. He grimaced. Served him right. Everyone knew what happened when you assumed. Well, he’d certainly made an ass out of himself, alright. Not Dr. Levi, that’s for sure.
Instead of answers, he had more questions. Why had the handsome older man been there? And more importantly, what had happened at the bus stop? A man was dead. How, and why, Dallas didn’t know. His memory was blank on that part of the evening, other than remembering seeing Dr. Levi.
Impulsively, he left the apartment building, shivering slightly in the crisp October air. He’d left his coat in the apartment, not having expected to go out. He’d live. Pushing one hand into his pocket, he felt the cool metal of a handful of change. Good, that would work. He jingled the coins in his fingers, walking purposefully toward the street in front of the apartment building, and the bus stop there. According to his watch, the next bus was due any minute. When it pulled up, he hopped on, dropped his money in the coin machine, nodding to the driver, before heading toward the back, swaying as the bus lurched back into traffic.
So if the doctor didn’t live in the building, what was he doing there? Dallas’ mind kept running over the question, again and again. Like a hamster spinning in its wheel. Going around and around, but getting nowhere. Blind to the passing scenery, he almost missed his stop. Thank goodness, someone else chose to exit. The hiss of the brakes and the jolt of the bus against the curb brought Dallas back to reality. He jerked his head up, saw where he was, and made a quick escape through the back doors.
If he’d expected to see anything unusual, he was quickly disillusioned. No yellow caution tape, no roadside memorial. Nothing more or less than what he’d seen the night of the accident. Assuming it was an accident. Dallas couldn’t be sure, as he remembered nothing of the incident, or its consummation. Right now, to be honest, Dallas wasn’t sure of very much.
He glanced around. People passed by him, traversing the sidewalk in both directions; they paid him no attention. No one glanced his way, or looked twice at the spot where he stood. As if the incident were yesterday’s news, now no longer relevant. Perhaps it wasn’t, but it was nagging at the back of Dallas’s mind, and it was causing mayhem.
The wind had picked up; it nipped at his ears, and around his neck. He pushed both hands in his pockets for warmth, turning his steps toward Chaucer’s. Not that he intended to eat, but rather to retrace his movements that night. He wasn’t sure why, it simply felt right.
Not that there were that many, to tell the truth. He and Oz had walked straight from the pizzeria to the stop. Nothing had happened in between. The only unpleasantness had arisen as a result of the man’s rudeness to them, his nasty attitude. Well, okay, his being hit by the bus had been unpleasant, surely, but Dallas had no memory of that, and that was the problem.
Dallas sighed. This was getting him nowhere fast. He stood where he’d stood that night, staring into the street, as if he could conjure up the imagines by sheer dint of will. It wasn’t working. Instead, he saw Dr. Levi, his black-clad figure moving toward him, felt the warmth of his touch…
A rough hand yanked his arm. The startled Dallas found himself being pulled onto the curb; in front of him the bus he’d nearly stepped in front of, brakes squealing.
“Wake up!” his savior snapped, before pushing ahead of him onto the vehicle.
Chagrined, Dallas mounted the steps, paid his fare once more and headed toward the empty back, taking a seat by himself. What a mollycoddle he was being. He felt totally useless.
Now what? Hell if he knew. He was no closer to the truth than he’d been before.
He slumped into the seat, resting his head on the back, staring up at the advertisement-riddled ceiling. Ads for on-line colleges mingled with those touting a popular brand of condoms. Last thing he needed.
A warm breath in his ear alerted him, followed by soft lips brushing over his skin.
“Well hello, Dallas.” The enticing voice of the enticing Dr. Levi.
to be continued
Be sure to check out the other intrepid Briefers!
Nephylim m/m
Lindsay Klug m/f
Lily Sawyer m/m
We hope you enjoy our offerings of flash fiction! See you next week with more!
Until next time, take care!
♥ Julie
