ALLEY OOPS
by Del HowisonDarkness had been arriving noticeably earlier ever since the time change had gone into effect. The dull gray of the evening had been pushed from the sky by the heavy curtain of night and the autumn wind’s piercing damp chill easily cut through thick layers of clothing. People on the street bowed and braced themselves against its breath. With their hats pulled down and collars turned up they appeared to be a race of faceless alien creatures that leaned forward as they walked through the shafts of light from the department store windows. Rectangular yellow pools of neon on the sidewalks outside beckoned to those passing by to come in out of the cold…and shop.
Inside, the customers still shuffled from counter to counter in search of some final closing time bargain.
