Running Forever from the Flesh Eater - Second Place Poetry

by Aaron Moseley

I.
breath in, out, in, out, in,
out, in, stop. He’ll hear me.
grasp the tree and be still.

God, where is he?
can you tell me, God?
I hear breathing…fuck!
breathing, breathing, breathing
keep running. Just keep running.
the flesh eater’s behind me, people!…
can’t you see him? Hide me!
fine, fuck you…shit…
he goes through them…
quick…in here…he didn’t
see me did he? what’s that breathing?
fuck…just rest…I haven’t adequately
slept for days…why has he chased
me since age 11? who is listening to me?
will you chase me forever you beast?
what tapped me! shit…just a bug…
shit…breath…shit…breath…flesh…
breath…horny…breath…fuck

II.
Maxwell Widenboots walks home;
His two story Victorian house
Rests on a quiet street in Wisconsin.
A cross rests on his door—outside.

thank you holy cross for being
my protector from the flesh eater.
keep him away from me forever, please.
take away his ability to hand me the apple
these women and their apples;
he hands the women the apples to tempt us.

He places his groceries on his kitchen counter.

home. he didn’t get my groceries.
I can’t wait…I can’t wait…yes.

He enters his basement.
Concrete is visible in places where
The sound proof foam cannot reach.

“please let me go…please…please…please.”
“Shut up whore.” women. “You like it.
I know you like being here. You just don’t know it.”
ungrateful women. they don’t know what they want.
“Please…I’m tired. I need to be with my family—my kids.”
kids…kids…all they seem to care for—women.
“Your kids have a father…the man you hate.
I know you hate him…you want me..you look at me.
why would you look at me if you did not want me?”
“I don’t need to be here…please let me go. Please”
“Shut the fuck up! I give you food…a robe… a small bed.”
“This robe does not cover my legs…it’s lacy. I’m cold”
“I’m cold…I’m cold…whine…whine…whine”
why must women whine…they always whine.
stop the whining…shut up…please shut up. no.
she won’t shut up…get to business Max and go.

Her hands are cuffed together;
Her feet are bound to the wall with rope.

“remember …if you scream…no one will hear you.
scream though…I insist.” I love screaming…scream
scream and accept all that I have inside of me.

III.
finished. always scared when I’m finished.
“here…pee onto this. I bought it while out.”
“Can I go after I’ve taken this? Please”
“No…so shut the fuck up and take it. I
cannot know if anything went wrong last week
unless you do this test. Hurry up woman.”
“It’s cold in here…can I do it in the bathroom?”
“no…right here and now.”
“Can you turn around please?”
“No. do it.”
privacy…huh. what a concept. fuck privacy.
I hate privacy…I want to kill privacy…rip it apart.
“Good. Now hand that over here. I’ll let it sit
upstairs for ten minutes.

IV.
“You bitch! You cunt! How could you?
You did this on purpose I know you did!
You want to ruin me…ruin what I have… ruin
this scene that brings me hope…eases my fear.
Your body has become an abomination. An abomination!
You were my freedom from the monster…now
a monster grows inside of you. Fuck!”
fuck…fuck…fuck! why me? why?
I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve her shit.

He runs up the stairs. He enters the kitchen.

shit…shit…shit…I’m not tolerating.
I’m not tolerating it. no…never. what to do.
marry her? can we? no. she’ll never do it.
Go to a doctor? no. authorities would be called.
WHAT THE FUCK

A knife rests on the kitchen counter.

V.
He soaks in water in his tub.
Bubbles float on top of the liquid.
Mr. Bubbles sits on the tub next to him.

mom…help me…tell me what to do?
if you were here you would…no…you wouldn’t
you couldn’t see me like this.

Cancer killed his mother;
His father died from Parkinson’s Disease.

I don’t know…I just don’t.
She angers me so much. why pregnant?
she must be laughing down there…yeah
that’s it..she did this to get a reaction
and now she is laughing. the bitch!
I should have known…it's so simple.
she toys with me all of the time. look
at the way she whines…she knows I hate it
and yet she does it all the fucking time.

VI.
A chill flows past Miriam’s face.
Her robe does not cover her forearms.

where is he? where? where?
God…please…deliver me an angel.
take me away from here God…please.

She cries.

what’s that noise? just listen. just listen.
a mouse? I think it’s a mouse. just a mouse…
just a mouse…. just a mouse…please Lord,
just a mouse

VII.
Maxwell walks through the kitchen.
He descends into the basement.

“Miriam! You Bitch!”
she goes and goes and goes…
with the moaning and groaning…
it never stops. “listen…you
have to stay still for this to work.”
“What?”
“Shut up! I’ve had it. I’ve had enough of your
shit and this is your last abuse for me.
I cannot let this fetus live.”

The knife emerges.

VIII.
“Move…move! Damn you!
Stop fucking around with me! I know
You can really breathe. You fuck with me all the time
So stop playing wolf. Wake up! Wake up! Now!”
she’s not moving…she’s really not breathing…what
the fuck…what the hell has she done. I can’t…I won’t
let the flesh eater in…if she’s not here to take my manhood
then the beast will get in. no…no…what’s that knocking at the door.
what the hell? how did he find me? he can’t get in…
no…go away..please go away…just leave…just leave me alone.

He weeps.

no…you won’t get in…I know you won’t.
I still have her body…you won’t get in you stupid fuck…
you have not eaten me…you never will. this lovely woman
will continue to give me her apple…I will partake so long
as she is here to offer…and you will never…ever…get
into my home. Miriam…how tender a form…how lustrous
even in death. Ah… Miriam… take me inside.