TBA

His hands shook as he dropped the unmarked CD into the tray of the stereo, pushed it in, skipped to track 3 and pressed play. The Toadies began "Possum Kingdom" as he began to button his powder blue shirt in the crooked mirror on his closet door.
As he raised his chin to button the top button he saw that he'd missed a patch of hair when he shaved a few minutes earlier. He immediately went to the sink, picked up the still damp razor, and made a single pass over the patch and, satisfied with his handiwork, returned to his door. He slipped the red paisley bow tie around his neck, ran it under his collar, and was about to tie it when he noticed that the silk was frayed right on the thickest portion of the tie.
 He threw the tie across the room in disgust and snatched another from the tie rack in the closet, an orange and blue plaid affair that he'd never before worn. He tied it, was dissatisfied with his knot, and retied it. After stopping to wipe the sweat from his brow and run his hand through his short auburn hair, he slipped his navy sport coat over his shoulders and dusted off the front of his khakis one last time.
 He gave himself a once-over in the mirror to assure himself that all was in order, and crossed his flat to the door, grabbing his phone and wallet on the way. His phone showed an unread text. He read it as he walked through the lobby (he lived on the first floor). 'Can't wait to finally meet you! - Lucy.' He crossed the street to his car (a black Tahoe) and opened the trunk. "Well, Lucy" he said to himself, unable to keep his voice from shaking and cracking, as he unrolled the tarp and checked that the hatchet, polished and sinisterly gleaming, still lay inside. "I can't wait to meet you either." He rolled the tarp back up, slammed the trunk shut, and walked to the driver's door. His sweaty hand slipped off the handle when he tried to open the door. He tried a second, more successful time, then got into the car and drove away.