CHRISTOPHER HIGGS / ECHOES ECHOES EVENTUALLY EVENTUALLY FADE FADE
And and then then Sharah Sharah slipped slipped down down the the stairs stairs. A a ghastly ghastly sight sight. Real real crunch crunch stuff stuff. Real real Baton Baton Rouge Rouge. Honestly honestly nobody nobody felt felt their their best best about about it it. Some some even even regretted regretted it it. The the truth truth made made little little sense sense. What what really really happened happened, no no one one knows knows for for sure sure. One one minute minute jest jest and and jubilation jubilation. The the next next minute minute sorrow sorrow and and despair despair. Blood blood gooped gooped everywhere everywhere.
Big Big Shot Shot fought fought Murray Murray inside inside an an igloo igloo prior prior. Murray Murray instigated instigated it it at at the the behest behest of of conglomerates conglomerates. Big Big Shot Shot loved loved Sharah Sharah indisputably indisputably. Apparitions apparitions formed formed and and dissipated dissipated. Secrets secrets bustled bustled about about. Moonglow moonglow made made Big Big Shot Shot nostalgic nostalgic. The the fight fight proved proved nothing nothing, but but these these events events seemed seemed connected connected somehow somehow. Especially especially once once you you slowed slowed down down and and pictured pictured it it.
In in a a castle castle, far far far far away away, lived lived the the first first son son of of King King Epsilon Epsilon, a a wretched wretched deviant deviant named named Big Big Shot Shot who who committed committed everything everything and and melted melted under under pressure pressure, unfortunately unfortunately he he felt felt a a lot lot of of pressure pressure.
So so murder murder therefore therefore came came easily easily for for him him.
Ghostmaking ghostmaking came came easily easily for for him him.
As as a a ghost ghost herself herself Sharah Sharah wept wept first first, then then later later no no more more tears tears. Death death made made her her think think. When when she she slipped slipped down down the the stairs stairs, it it all all made made sense sense. The the queen queen died died and and then then the the king king died died of of heartbreak heartbreak.
But but would would the the king king die die of of heartbreak heartbreak?
Afterwards afterwards, once once Sharah’s Sharah’s body body went went underground underground, Big Big Shot Shot began began fighting fighting other other grieving grieving widowers widowers. This this gave gave him pleasure pleasure and and also also pain pain and and also also he he did did it it for for the the compensation compensation. Making making money money always always made made sense sense. But but so so many many grieving grieving widowers widowers desired desired pain pain. So so many many craved craved pain pain. Big Big Shot Shot himself himself loved loved the the pain pain so so much much he he fought fought multiple multiple times times per per night night. Rearranging rearranging faces faces. Rearranging rearranging bodies bodies. Once once a a rival rival made made haste haste and and Big Big Shot Shot slit slit their their throat throat ear ear to to ear ear. Ended ended that that widower’s widower’s suffering suffering. Then then he he rubbed rubbed the the blood blood on on his his face face and and put put some some to to his his nose nose to to sniff sniff before before sticking sticking his his fingers fingers in in his his mouth mouth and and sucking sucking the the blood blood off off. Nothing nothing ever ever came came of of it it. Nothing nothing ever ever happened happened to to him him. The the powers powers that that be be just just mopped mopped it it up up. No no charges charges. Never never got got arrested arrested. Nothing nothing. Some some might might call call it it luck luck. Some some might might call call it it favors favors. Some some might might call call it it a a backhanded backhanded compliment compliment. Any any which which way way you you sliced sliced it it, Big Big Shot Shot got got off off scot-free scot-free. Of of course course it it didn’t didn’t matter matter. He he died died shortly shortly thereafter thereafter. And and on on that that day day when when he he died died the the world world tilted tilted. A a hole hole opened opened up up. The the ghost ghost of of Sharah Sharah pushed pushed him him into into the the hole hole as as she she screamed screamed.
Big Big Shot Shot fell fell forever forever.
Sharah Sharah the the mother mother the the wife wife the the daughter daughter should should not not get get forgotten forgotten in in this this story story. Her her life life meant meant everything everything to to everybody everybody. Most most everybody everybody. Some some. A a few few. To to those those rare rare few few who who loved loved her her, they they loved loved her her. They they remembered remembered her her. They they wanted wanted to to play play pretend pretend with with her her, wanted wanted to to enact enact all all the the farfetched farfetched gardening gardening scenarios scenarios imaginable imaginable.
But but how how to to remember remember her her?
Remember remember the the first first time time anyone anyone heard heard an an echo echo? The the sense sense of of derangement derangement.
But but beware beware when when echoes echoes fade fade then then the the ones ones who who speak speak in in tongues tongues come come out out in in spades spades. Let let this this be be a a lesson lesson and and a a warning warning to to everybody everybody.
Echoes echoes don’t don’t go go on on forever forever.
Echoes echoes eventually eventually fade fade fade fade.
Christopher Higgs has published three books, two chapbooks, and shorter prose pieces most recently in Fugue, The Account, and Bennington Review. He shares a home in Los Angeles with his wife and son and cat where he collects books, records, and houseplants. As associate professor of English, he teaches narrative theory and technique at California State University, Northridge.