Laundromat

Isaias sat sideways on the very last of a line of pale blue fiberglass chairs. He was looking out of the large laundromat glass window up at the sky above the old mostly run-down buildings that lined the street. With the coming evening, it had begun to morph from a pale blue cloudless sky to a mixture of pink, purple, white, and dark gray as the encroaching clouds rolled in above rushing into one another. There was no doubt a storm coming. Unfortunately for Isaias, he had to wait until after work before he could even begin his laundry, which most likely meant he would not be home before it became dark. The storm was just icing on the cake.

He was already on edge, when he came into the laundromat he was greeted by a homeless man that smelled of a mix of piss, body order, and alcohol, he stood looking out of the other matching window on the other side of the room.

The man had been watching Isaias since he began to fill three of the twelve white beats up washing machines with his clothes. When Isaias had realized he had forgotten the two rolls of quarters he had pickup specifically for this event, he was taking it as a sign he should probably just go buy new clothes. That was when he had noticed the neon sign across the street at a diner suddenly flash on. He was hesitant to leave his clothes but either way, stolen by this homeless man or dirty, by tomorrow he would have a reason for a new wardrobe. Isaias gave the homeless man a smile and a nod as he walked out and across the street to a dinner that had a 24/7 sign and asked for some change. The waitress gave him the change he needed. Isaias thanked her turned and quickly made his way back over to the laundromat. The homeless man had not moved. He had stayed posted in the same spot just in front of the chairs that lined either side of the laundromat windows.

Isaias walked over to the first washer he had left his clothes in and was disappointed to see they were still piled inside. Isaias put in the coins looking up at the homeless man his lips curled in a, “My clothes aren’t good enough for you look?” He quickly relaxed his face when he remembered that the man was watching him. Isaias walked over to the chairs on the other side of the room sitting down in the third seat. He had passed on the first chair closest to the wall because someone had left what he hoped to be some kind of soda and not body fluid that had saturated some old newspapers. The second chair was just too close to the dripping wet bio mess for Isaias taste.

The homeless man came over to Isaias and sat down. The putrid smelled was definitely coming from him. Isaias leaned back trying not to seem rude but his smell was overwhelming. The homeless man began to tell him a story about how a man that owned the 24/7 diner. “It used to be called “Pa’s Place”. He killed his family and served them to his customers. When the cops came, the cowardly owner killed himself. Only his son had survived, that was because I had run away the night before.”

The homeless man stood up looking out the window to the diner. “He didn't leave completely you see, he is still very much around,” Isaias remembered him saying before the homeless man looked down at him again. He then abruptly walking out of the laundromat. Isaias found himself to be stunned not knowing how to respond. The homeless man did not look his way this time as he passed outside of the window, instead, he looked straight ahead, disappearing around the corner.

Isaias was thinking back on what landed him here in the laundromat alone. Being down to his last pair of clean white boxer briefs he had held out as long as he could. Isaias just happened to be sitting at this small dining room table, drinking coffee talking to his mother. A routine that just sort of happening after he left home; when he felt something touch his feet thinking nothing of it. He assumed it was just Loki, his small white poodle that ran around the house. When he tried to gently push the small animal away he found himself standing in ankle-deep gray soapy water. His mother overhearing the spew of cussing and splashing intently began asking what was wrong? Isaias explains there was water all over the place. He told his mother he would call her back and he stayed true to his word. She had already sprung into action, saying that his father would bring a brand new washing machine to him bought and paid for in a couple of weeks. Three days after talking to his mother, Isaias loaded up his bare necessity's into a black plastic laundry basket and headed down to the local laundromat. He had hoped that it being the middle of the week, there would be little to no one there, other than Mr. Creepy-Urine-Man, he had not been disappointed.

As the light left the sky, tiny drops of water began to fall from the darkness. Isaias watched the people that were coming and going from the diner while he waited. After a while, an elderly couple came out of the dinner. Isaias watched as the older man sporting a salt and peppered beard, assist his wife. The rounded woman was wearing a light pink dress with some kind of berry strategically dotting every few inches and was pushing a dark blue walker with wheels. He had only noticed the pattern because of the bright lamp post they had just past. He found it strange that the pair had begun to walk down the sidewalk instead of a closely parked vehicle, especially since the weather had turned and the woman was using a walker. A movement in the ally just ahead of them caught Isaias' attention.

“Mr. Creepy-Urine-guy?” He thought to himself. Dark shadows made it hard to see but there was a figure of someone. With all the lights on in the laundry room whoever it was, could see that Isaias was watching. Isaias' heart began to beat fast as the elderly couple made their way to the ally.

Did they see that figure? The shadow lowered his stance in a sort of attack formation. Isaias stood up and began to bang on the glass pointing at the ally yelling for the elderly couple to stop and turn around. The shadow rushed toward them as they left the security of the light of the last lamp. Isaias ran screaming out of the door into the mist, across the street. He had no idea what he was going to accomplish but he couldn’t just stand idly by and let anyone hurt an elderly couple. Isaias came to a stop where the couple was supposed to be, to his surprise there was no one there. No old man or old lady and no shadow man. He looked around walking deeper into the alleyway. He turned to leave when the elderly couple he had been looking for seemed to appear walking past the mouth of the ally as before. As Isaias stepped out the old woman screamed in shock. The old man turned quickly with a balled-up fist, clocking Isaias directly in the mouth. Isaias crumpled to the ground. Clearly, he had startled them, and yeah he probably deserved the fist smooch, but he was there to help them. The old man stood like a boxer ready for a fight. He was not going down easily.

“I’m sorry I didn't mean to scare you,” Isaias yelled out holding his face. “I thought I saw someone in here and I was worried about you!” He called out. It took a second but the old man lowered his stance. He checked on his wife before turning around and extending his hand. Isaias accepted the old man’s gesture.

“I’m sorry,” the old man said, “but nowadays you can't be too careful.” The old man was quickly back at his wife's side again.

“I understand, I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you. I just..”

“You saw someone here in the ally.” The old man said the couple had already begun to walk down the sidewalk away from Isaias. “Your seeing ghost son, I suggest you get home.” The old man said as the couple seemed to fade into the dark.

“Is there a problem?” a voice from behind him caught Isaias’ attention. He quickly turned around to be met by two officers he glanced one last time to where the couple should have been then back to the officers.

“No sir, I thought I saw someone in the ally but, I guess I’m seeing ghosts? I’m doing my laundry.” Isaias pointed to the laundromat.

“Decided to play in the rain?” The officer standing beside the first laughed.

“I thought I saw someone who needed help, but I was wrong. I’ll go back now.” Isaias spoke.

“To your laundry?” The first officers seemed to growl.

“Yes sir,” Isaias replied. The first officer steps forward as if he wants to say something, but the second officer placed his hand on his shoulder holding him back.

“You have a good evening son.” The second officer spoke.

“Thank you, sir,” He replied back before rushing back to the laundromat.

He sat back down on the first chair closest to the door this time. A man in blue jean shorts and no shirt ran past the large windows, with the two officers following closely behind.

Isaias watched as the first officer stopped and pulled his weapon aiming it at the suspect that had been running, who is now kneeling down on the pavement with his hands up. The second officer who had grabbed his shoulder earlier came running up behind panting. He walked over to the man on the ground and place him in handcuffs. The second officer put his gun away. He then began running toward the man, kneeing him as hard as he could. Isaias watched as a spray of crimson blood exploded from the cuffed man's mouth before his body met the pavement. The officer continued to kick and stomp the defenseless man. His partner pushed him away only to find he was stronger. It was only after the second officer pulled his weapon and aimed it at his partner did he stop.

“You going to shoot me, Tom? You going to shoot me!” The officer yell.

“Don’t make me!” Officer Tom exclaimed.

The first officer lifted his foot up in the air and slammed it down on the victim’s neck. Officer Tom fired his weapon. Isaias watched as the rouge officer took flight into the air and landed flat on his back. The officer Tom cried out, he rushed over to the cuffed man and check his pulse. Officer Tom lowered his head and began to shake it before walking over to his partner, checking to see if he was still alive. He stood up looking directly at the window where Isaias stood, slowly lifting his gun and placing it against his temple. He pulled the trigger.

Isaias found himself moving away from the window placing himself behind the line of washers, tears streaming down his face. “What do I... What do I do!” He cried out. He felt a hand on his shoulder forcing him to turn around, it was officer Tom. “I should have stopped him sooner.” He said placing the gun to his temple and pulling the trigger. Isaias screamed out. It was the loud beeping of the wash coming to its final cycle that brought Isaias back from his mental break. He opened his eyes to see there was nothing there, only an empty laundromat.