Tyler Dilts - A King of Infinite Space

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Text copyright 2010 Tyler Dilts

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Published by AmazonEncore

P.O. Box 400818

Las Vegas, NV 89140

ISBN: 978-1-935597-09-4

For my mother

Awake in the darkness, long after midnight, I imagine it like this. He waits patiently in the restroom, the early November sun fading in the small patch of sky visible through the row of windows along the top of the back wall. Standing near the door, he reads the first bits of graffiti on the freshly painted wall above the urinals:

Mr. Jackson Sucks Dick, Fight the Power, I Luv Sweet Pussy.

The sound of a squeaking wheel in the hall catches his attention. Its almost time. He pulls the door open quietly, just enough to peek out. Carl Peters, the custodian, stops his janitorial cart in front of the open classroom door across the hall.

Hello, Elizabeth, Carl says into the room.

Hi, Carl, she answers.

Another late night, huh?

Seems like they all are.

He can hear the smile in her voice.

Getting dark. You give a shout if you want me to walk you out.

Thanks, Carl. I will.

He eases the door back into the jamb as Carls cart begins squeaking down the hall toward the far side of the building. He waits expectantly. Theres plenty of time. Carl always starts upstairs at the distant end of the building and works his way back. Itll be at least ninety minutes before Carl will be close enough to hear anything at all.

As he waits, he feels the butterflies tingling in the pit of his stomach, a feeling much like the nervous anticipation he used to feel driving his fathers car to a girls door for a first date. But thisthis is something moresomething so much more. His pulse quickens, and his breaths grow deeper and faster. The tightening in his crotch comes as no surprise.

Inching the door open, he slips into the hallway. Like a child crossing the street, he looks first to the right, then to the left. After a deep breath, glancing around the edge of the wall of student lockers and into the open classroom door, he sees Elizabeth.

She is sitting at her desk at the front of the classroom, focused intently on the student paper she is grading. Her long chestnut hair is pulled into a tight ponytail, and she holds a pen in her mouth as she pushes her glasses back up her nose. A loose strand of hair falls across her face, and she brushes it back, tucking it behind her ear.

He likes to watch her like this. Seeing her after a long day in the classroom, after the students have gone, the sleeves of her faded blue chambray blouse pushed up above her elbows, the tails untucked, one more button open at the collar, showing just the barest hint of her cleavage. But he knows the time for watching is now over.

He steps into the doorway. His eyes take her in, and the beginnings of a smile form at the corners of his mouth. He stands there for a moment before she senses his presence. Just as she starts to turn toward him, he speaks.

Hi, Beth.

What are? Hi, she says, surprised, but not afraid. Good.

Im sorry to just stop by like this, he says, smiling charmingly. I was driving by and I saw the school, and of course, I thought of you.

Thats nice. She smiles tentatively. But you really shouldnt be here. School policy.

I know. I just wanted to say hi. His eyes sparkle. Want to take a break? Walk me out?

She hesitates, and he gives her his sweetest aw, shucks smile. As she walks toward him, he slips the blade from under his coat.