THE CONSEQUENCES OF
THE C.O.W.A.R.D.
The smell of burning cedar and the clouds of purple smoke cleared from Charlie Waterfield’s office, but the ticking in his ears remained. He looked at Twiggy, who in Shirley’s absence had come unfrozen. Twiggy patted down his hair. He straightened his tie and tucked his dress shirt into his dress pants. But nothing Twiggy did fixed his dishevelled appearance. He looked a mess because he was one. He opened the office door, but stopped when he was halfway out.
‘I wish I could feel sad about this,’ Twiggy said.
‘You don’t?’
‘I’ve just lost the love of my life.’
‘There are very few things harder.’
‘But I don’t feel anything about it! Nothing! Shirley was the greatest love I’ve ever known. And I don’t feel sad or destroyed or even upset! This absence of emotion is the worst feeling I’ve ever had!’
Twiggy looked across the room at Charlie. His eyes didn’t focus on Charlie. They focused on something very far behind him …
Poof!