Hole Punch by Simmons, Garth (the dot read aloud TXT) 📕

Liam was out stealing a car, Claire knocked on the door of the upstairs flat. She needed to borrow some coins for the electric meter. The tenant upstairs was a Marine Biology student called Dan.

“Can I borrow a couple of quid for the electric meter,” she said.

She felt a bit embarrassed asking, but Dan gave her some coins.

“No problem,” said Dan.

It was the nicest thing anyone had said to Claire since she had started going out with Liam.

* * *

One time, Claire invited Dan downstairs and introduced Dan to Liam.

“This is the guy upstairs who gave us a couple of quid the other day,” said Claire.

“Alright mate, thanks for that,” said Liam.

“No problem,” said Dan.

“What's your name again?” said Claire.

“Dan,” said Dan.

The three of them got stoned and had dinner. Liam threw mash potato at Claire's face. He laughed and she didn't and neither did Dan but Liam said it was just a joke.

* * *

One time, Dan and Liam went out for a drink, Liam was crying and told Dan that he couldn't keep his penis hard anymore.

“When I try to get it in her it goes soft. I can get it hard for a bit but when I try to get it in her it goes soft.”

Dan tried to reassure Liam and Liam was thankful.

“Thanks mate,” said Liam.

“No problem,” said Dan.

Liam told Dan that if he ever told anyone about this then he would throw Dan into the sea.

* * *

One time, when Dan and Claire went out for a drink, Claire told Dan that Liam liked lube because it took some of the effort out of things.

* * *

One time, when Dan and Liam were out for a drink, Liam told Dan that Dan had been like a dad to Liam. Dan pointed out that they had only met a few weeks ago and that Liam was older than Dan. Liam insisted that Dan had done more for him than his own dad had ever done.

* * *

One time, Dan and Liam stood in the backyard of the flats. Liam had built a bonfire by using gasoline and plastic chairs. Dan thought the toxic fumes were giving him cancer.

“Fuck me,” said Liam. “I'm going to have a lie down, I've got a proper headache. You don't mind, do you mate?”

“No problem,” said Dan.

Dan stood in the backyard of the flats. It was three in the morning and he could hear the boy racers and the sea. Dan wondered as he often wondered.

“What's point of all this?” he wondered. “Why did I come to Scarborough to study Marine Biology?”

After he'd finished wondering he went back inside Liam and Claire's flat. Claire was still awake, she had no make up on and she was wearing her dressing gown. She looked tired without her makeup on.

“Do you want a coffee?” she said.

Dan shrugged.

“Why not?” said Dan.

FRIEND

Me and my best friend have lunch together every day.

My best friend isn't a nice friend. He tells me that all my actions are vindictive acts of a cowardly passive aggression; symptomatic of my struggles with a vain narcissism and a confused idealism.

I disagree with him.

He asks me why I'm writing this?

This thing I am writing now.

I tell him that I am writing this as a vindictive act of passive aggression against The Way Things Are.

There's a purpose to it.

There's a meaning to it.

My best friend laughs.

He always laughs.

I hope he doesn't follow me home from school again because I don't like how he smiles down at me from the bedroom ceiling.

NEWS

“Important announcement!

“The Enemy struck the Eastlandia Mining Industry today with an act of germ terrorism. The area is quarantined and working conditions are desperate."

Footage of miners and their families covered in layers of sweat, boils and blood. Close ups of pustules at high temperature. A child's nose dribbling snot.

"Preventative measures have been taken!"

Men in protective rubber bubbles shoot at the plagued people with flame-throwers. Mining shafts filled with burnt bodies.

"Talks happening today between senior orbs of the Conglomerate, planning instant retaliation against The Enemy."

“Important Announcement!

"The Enemy struck the Westlandia Mining Industry today with an act of germ terrorism. The area is quarantined and working conditions are desperate."

Footage of miners and their families covered in layers of sweat, boils and blood. Close ups of pustules at high temperature. A child's nose dribbling snot.

"Preventative measures have been taken!"

Men in protective rubber bubbles shoot at the plagued people with flame-throwers. Mining shafts filled with burnt bodies.

"Talks happening today between senior cubes of the Syndicate, planning instant retaliation against The Enemy."

GO

Everywhere I go I see me there.

Everywhere I go.

No.

MISTAKE

The muscles fall screaming into the Mistake's cracked skull and they bloat the Mistake's brain with red.

Everything ending and everything sliding in and everything bloating red.

This is all a mistake.

The Mistake is a mistake is the Mistake is a mistake.

“I wanted to love you!” said the Mistake, mouthlessy. “I wanted us to love each other! I didn't want to be alone and I didn't want everything else to be a mistake! I will never forgive me! Everything will be better now that there isn't any me!”

The red darkens.

“I am sorry!”

The Mistake can't be anything but this.

“I shouldn't have done this!”

The red is now black.

“I will never forgive me.”

The world ends.

No inside or outside.

Just everything.

A mistake.

IN

A knock on the rain wet window.

I know it’s you.

The door opened and someone new stood there.

Not another one.

The door closed.

A knock on the rain wet window.

I know it’s you.

The door opened and someone new stood there.

Not another one.

The door closed.

A knock on the rain wet window.

I know it’s you.

The door opened and someone new stood there.

Not another one.

The door closed.

A knock on the rain wet window.

I know it’s you.

The door opened and someone new stood there.

Not another one.

The door closed.

A knock on the rain wet window.

I know it’s you.

The door