2/3 Soul

Fitzwater ties the cat to his ankle and goes out to the curb to get the mail.

“Damn lot of mail,” he says, opening the box.

He pulls out three packages labeled: “1 of 3,” “2 of 3,” and “3 of 3.”

He walks back into his house, unties the cat, and sets the packages down on the table.

Rummaging through the cupboards, he finds a stale box of cereal, pours it into a bowl, and waits. There is a knock at his door.

He bounds to open it. Reggie the Milkman stands outside, smiling and holding a liter of milk. The smell of crack still clings to his clothes.

“Do you think it the least bit odd,” Fitzwater begins. “That this is perhaps the only town in the country to have a milkman?”

“Not in the least.” Reggie smiles a rotted smile, handing Fitzwater the milk and staggering back to his truck. Fitzwater pours the fresh milk into his cereal. He puts the stopper into the sink. After pouring the other half of the milk into the sink, he tosses the cat in.

Before eating his cereal, he opens the first package in the series of three. There is a letter enclosed with it. He reads the letter and then says aloud: “Excellent. My soul has finally arrived. I’ve been waiting for this.”

He decides to finish his cereal before trying on his soul. Once finished with his cereal, he takes the bowl over to the counter and gently places it down.

Now, fully opening the package, he pulls the first part of his soul out and puts it on.

“Slightly ill-fitting,” he grunts to himself.

He then opens the second package and puts this part of his soul on. After opening the third package, the usually sluggish cat becomes very excited and leaps out of the sink. Fitzwater has just pulled the contents of the third package out and has time to think, “Oh, a nice pair of boots,” when he has to chase after the cat, boots in hand.

“Get back in the sink, you little shit.” He grabs the cat with one hand and walks it over to the sink. As he starts to toss it in, the cat scratches him and he drops the boots into the milk instead.

“Ruined now,” he says to the cat. “Better set them out for the Trashman.”

He ties the cat to his ankle and goes outside, into the blazing heat of the desert, and places the boots on the curb. It is not the usual day for the Trashman. He will have to go inside and call one.