CHANCE MEETING
fiction by Claudia Baskind
OCTOBER 2002 MIDNIGHT,
Soccer Field,
South of Binghamton Senior Apartment Buildings
You: girl wearing campus patrol security jacket, carrying maglite and 2-way radio.
Me: naked man bound with duct tape.
CHANCE MEETING
fiction by Claudia Baskind
OCTOBER 2002 MIDNIGHT,
Soccer Field,
South of Binghamton Senior Apartment Buildings
You: girl wearing campus patrol security jacket, carrying maglite and 2-way radio.
Me: naked
man bound with duct tape. You offered to cut me
free with your keys, I said no thanks. Should
not have let you go. You stunned me. I'll never
forget how you waited until the other guys left
me standing there before you approached. Will
there ever be another wild and crazy night like
that? Remember the small flashlight that fell
from my ass as you walked up? They didn't shove
it in too far, so it fell right out. You took
me at my word that I wanted to be alone. Dumb
me. Would like to tell you how cold the grass
was and how red bumps formed on my wrists and
ankles when the tape ripped off chunks of hair.
I was too shy to speak at the time--kicking myself
ever since. Long to describe my attempts to saw
through the grey fibrous tape first with a dull
rock and then by sliding it over a loose wire
in the chainlink fence. Used to see you everywhere
around campus--never felt like right time to introduce
myself! Would you have left me there if I was
a woman? Can't believe I didn't call after you.
Long to describe the looks my roommates gave me
when I came home red, wet, naked. Would be wonderful
to share with you the story I made up. Always
wondered what happened after you left me in the
darkness. Heard your radio buzzing--why didn't
you call in a code? Things have changed. I wear
clothes more and trust people less. Have you been
working on your courage? It shows.
Me: lost
my dignity.
You: saw
where it went.
Give it back over coffee?
