Obituary

It’s a man’s world in the arid sand swept city of San Antonio, Texas. The Alamo sits as the monument of all things dominantly masculine. The American landscape is scattered in the ideological patriarchy in the post war time of 1955. For a secretary at the San Antonio press, this world can seem like a inescapable board game, whose rules aren’t written in favor of the women playing the game.

Maria, had found work at the San Antonio Press after her father had shown the chief editor, Hector, a picture of his daughter; when he had visited the café on his lunch break. Hector was an obtuse snarly old man, who had interest in women, whiskey, and reliving memories from the war. Hector’s wife had become a shell of a woman in the emotional abuse that Hector would dish out at home.

Maria would feel the same disgruntled violent approach, that Hector took with the women around the office. Maria couldn’t quit her job though. Working as a secretary for a pig of a man was better than becoming a house wife for an equally filthy man.

She had worked at the newspaper for only six months, when the Halloween office party had come around. Maria was put in charge of decorating the office for the spooky and alcohol drenched celebration. She stood in the corner during the event trying to stay out of the lime light. Hector would spend his time flirting with his employees’ wives, knowing the men wouldn’t risk getting fired by telling him off.

As the party whined down closer to midnight, everyone began to leave the office. Hector had ordered Maria to stay behind to clean up the office before going home. As she was cleaning, Hector was in his office killing the remaining whiskey in his second bottle of the night. Maria was tired and eager to get back home to relax. After finishing for the night, she grabbed her sweater to head back through the printing press room to get her father’s pick-up parked in the back.

The printer was running with the next morning’s edition so that it would be ready for the pre-dawn delivery. As Maria was passing through the dark room she heard a glass bottle drop and break on the cold hard concrete floor behind her. She could smell the whiskey and body oder emitting from Hector directly behind her. The noise startled her to turn quickly around on the short heel of her green shoes.

“Where do you think you’re going there little kitty cat?” - Hector

“I’m going home. It’s late.” - Maria

“Not without giving me a Halloween treat.” - Hector

Hector grabbed Maria by the waist to pull her in for a sloppy drunk kiss. Maria shouted out, “No!” as she pushed his pudgy chest away with her free arm. She wasn’t strong enough to stop his advances though. As Hector plopped his greasy lips on Maria’s face, she lashed out across his cheek with her sharp nails.

The pain was enough for Hector to let go of Maria’s waist. Unfortunately Maria would loose her balance once she was free of Hector’s clutches. Maria stumbled backwards. She put her hands out behind her to catch herself in the fall. As her body fell back, her arms became caught in the rolling ink drum. The rest of her body was pulled in by the turning press and crushed between the moving parts. The blood of her body would be printed on tomorrow’s morning edition in place of the black ink.

Hector’s heartless and grimy heart was not phased by the incident. He gave a belch before wiping the whiskey scented salvia from his face. After Hector left the newspaper to go back home to his wife, the full moon on that Hollow’s Eve would enchant the printing press dripping with Maria’s blood. Maria’s spirit was not lost, but captured in the now haunted metal of the machine that took her life.

Maria was vengeful for the life taken from her by the careless and awful man named Hector. Her spirit began to bewitch the moving parts of the press to change tomorrow’s article. The obituary section had yet to be printed. Maria would right the obituary of Hector Gonzalez on the last page of that edition.

“Hector Gonzalez - A foul and disgusting excuse of a man, who was void of all love and respect. Hector passed away on the night of Halloween after drowning in his over indulgence of his beloved whiskey bottle.”

The second the press printed those words written by Maria’s spirit, the moon shined down on Hector driving down the back streets of San Antonio. The magic of the night began to fill Hector’s lungs with whiskey from the bottom up. Hector began to choke one the liquid as he gasped for air. It was too late as his esophagus was filled with the sweet brown liquor. His car crashed into the tree in his front yard. Hector’s head hung over his steering wheel as the whiskey spilled out of his mouth and onto the dashboard.

To all foul men who think of doing women wrong, you better think twice or you might just find your name in the next morning’s issue of the obituaries.

Have a spooky Halloween.

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