Thursday, April 28, 2005
Stumbling upon a Crime Scene
My roommate is taking English 101 this semester also, and I liked the idea of one of her assignments, so I decided that I would write one for myself. The title of the assignment was “stumbling upon a murder scene.” Here goes!
The smell of decaying flesh still lingers in the air. Passers-by don’t even stop; the yellow tape surrounding the back alley doesn’t even faze them. Cars race by, honking. The cold, dry air stings as it travels through my lungs. The air allows the exhaust fumes from nearby vehicles to rise up into the air for only a few seconds before dissipating. Across the street, the vendors are selling hot dogs and the little Jewish man that owns the corner store is out, sweeping the dust off the street. His shouts and the smell of day-old pork cannot cover the scent of death just beneath my nose. I look down. She looks so peaceful, despite the cesspool of blood and garbage underneath her. There is a single large bullet hole, right in between her wide-open glassy green eyes. Her mouth, too, is open, exposing a half chewed stick of gum. Her curly, blonde hair is wet from blood. Her white sweater is now a reddish brown, and her blue jeans are soaked in blood and covered in maggots. There is no sign of struggle; she merely looks surprised. Her tiny blue purse is at her feet, its contents scattered about, lost in the refuse. The blue trench coat is wrapped loosely around her body. The green garbage dumpster behind her is covered in blood and brain matter. The sound of a newspaper boy startles me, and I look up. I am again thrust into the world of cold, callous people and busy schedules. There are fewer passers-by now. The streetlights are on, reminding all that night has come. It is colder now. And it has started to snow. The hot dog vender is gone, and the corner store is closed. Taxis drive by, honking, and emitting more exhaust. The snow is coming down faster now. I look down once again at the scene before me. “Poor girl,” I think to myself as I walk slowly away, numbed by what I just witnessed.