Walk Back, Frankie

Chances

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

His grandma got him an Ant Man mask, Frank, and he still kinda wanted to be a fireman, that sound kinda like someone we know?

And when he worked at Morris he had a crush on Terrie Stein, I know that bangs the controller in whatever cortex thing inside your brain applies, right Frank? 

He's a junkie, is he Frank?

Think about this Francis, think hard, take your time.

When you made Kerbawy Travel, he was the final cut, standing on the other side of the fence, trying not to cry,acting, acting like he could take it. 

You know where you were when Neplicki went into Jollycluck with the AR, right? 

Tell me.

Yep.

A tourney in Elkhart. As I recall you were least valuable player, but that don't matter, because no one called you that, they patted you on the back and tried to make you feel better, and everyone forgot about that tourney anyway, Frank, didn't they? Why?

Because Neplicki went into Jollycluck that same night and started exterminating people.

And one kid from Lucasville, one kid Frank, knew how to apply a tourniquet and Mindy Lucic still has an arm because of that. 

You knew how to do that too, right Frankie? But you weren't there, you were on a bus, and Dennis was on his knees in a pool of blood trying to make sure Mindy didn't bleed to death, that was before Guzman shot Neplicki, Frank. 

He did that when Neplicki was still squeezing the trigger.

But Guzman is a cop, and he got all the hero credit.

I'm sure Mindy would have thanked Dennis, but she can't speak no more, I know you know that, just reminding you, because you sneered when we walked by and said Dennis was a junkie.

Walk back, Frank.

Walk back and talk to Dennis.

And while you're walking, physicallly walking, walk back in your head. 

That kid on the other side of the fence 

That kid that didn't make the cut.

That's you Frank. Dennis is you, he was just on the wrong side of that fence, and then the Jollycluck thing, he can't get that noise out of his head, and the dope shuts it up for a few minutes.

Walk back, Frank.

Give him a kind word.

Are you too good for that? 

If you think you are, then you're not , for sure.

Remember when ma got you that Ant Man mask?

Both you guys wanted to be superheroes.

Neither of you are.

If you don't have time for him, I don't have time for you. 

I'm serious.

Go.

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