Pool_1

"Davon. But he said to have you tell it." Frank made these squinting beady eyes and curled his fingers near his mouth. "Biggest rat you ever saw. Even big dogs couldn't jump over this one. The bastard would strut the projects like he owned them, right down the middle walk. Big dude. Slow walking, cool strutting big mother rat. I decided to get rid of him. I was ready. I had this really heavy coal shovel, three inch thick long hickory handle, about five feet long. Cast iron. Heavy shovel. I marked a spot on the walk, exactly where that shovel was going to land. My arms over my head, my hands behind my head gripping that heavy hickory behind me, just standing there. High noon. He'll come. There was a lot of preparation. The world was watching. The rat was due at noon. Would he come?" "Did he?" "Yup. That rat was proud. Didn't miss a beat. Strutted down that path right at me. Step step step step, closer and closer, step step step step, approaching my mark, step step step step as my arms tensed. I could feel my moment coming. I became one with my physical self. My lungs, my muscles were in a singular harmony focusing all my power into my back which swelled with anticipation. Step step step, the rat didn't even alter his rhythm. We were on a trajectory of obliteration. Step step step. Approaching my X drawn on the cement. Step step. My face squeezed inward like a bear trap set to snap, step step step onto my mark, my pectorals exploded in violence, my triceps ripped at my forearms, my wrists were breaking the sound barrier - the shovel, my God, that shovel slammed like an asteroid into the earth - BAM! The explosion of that shovel crushing that bastard brought people to the windows. Shock waves reached Russia! Faces at all the windows. I stood there violent with expectation glued to a shattered half