The Trailer Court

Catriona sat inside her small rundown trailer, her grandmothers ancient tarot cards laid out before her. A hundred candles flickered around the room, casting shadows on the walls.1

She frowned and tilted her head to the side, something scurried along the back wall of the kitchen, most likely one of the many rats that inhabited the small rundown trailer park.2

She took a swig from her scotch bottle and reshuffled the cards, laying them out yet again, still the same outcome. 3

Catriona sighed. The silence of the trailer, usually calming was somehow more defined, making a creeping sensation crawl up her spine. 4

She had come from a long line of gypsy women. Her grandmother had taught her to trust her instincts, her tarot cards, and well as the fates.5

At 34 she was well out of her prime. Why the fates expected her to do this, she did not understand.6

She looked down at the cards again, and nodded. Before tomorrow came, someone would die.7

*8

Catriona was in the first trailer in the court, right at the opening of the road. The road entered, circled and then exited through the same opening. So to get in, you’d have to drive the whole way around before you could leave again.9

At the far end of the court was another trailer. This one was brown; weeds grew around it, some over waist high. Slowly getting taller, as though they intended to swallow the trailer and it’s occupants.10

The children who resided within the trailer were skinny, they’re clothes dirty and grungy, hair scraggely and unkempt. The very definition of “White trailer trash”.11

The mother, Carol, never came out of the trailer, how would she explain the bruises that constantly adorned her face? She’d much rather stay inside, hide away from the rest of the world while her children went out and did only god knew what.12

Melanie was the eldest at 15. She worked full night shifts in a convenience store, while going to school everyday. She couldn’t bear to stay at home and watch her father, who was a drunk beat on his children and his wife. He was the better part of the reason she had taken on the job as well as school. At fourteen her body had changed, and it wasn’t just the boys at school who had noticed. Her father’s nightly visits had become more frequent and more frightening.13

Dale was only 14, he had inherited his father’s cruelty. The only exception was that he did not need to be drunk to cause pain. The very idea of torture and pain made him smile, at least until his father decided that Dale, himself needed pain.14

And then Mitch, husband and father. An out of work drunk who took his own miseries and aggressions out on his family. He didn’t care about any of them. The children could starve and it wouldn’t matter one bit to him. And for a man who beat his wife nightly, why on earth would he care what she thought?15

Carol looked out the window while she was doing the dishes. Dale still hadn’t come back, but these days he rarely came home until 9 and it was only 6. Melanie would be at work right now. And Mitch was passed out on the couch.16

Carol sighed. This was never the life she had envisioned for herself. For some reason as a young girl she had envisioned marrying someone rich and charming. Instead she had gotten pregnant at 16, dropped out of high school and married Mitch. Only a couple years later with two small children, they had moved into this dump.17

*18

Haley sat at the window of the trailer number 3. Her big brother would be home any minute. And then Mrs. Shelly could go home.19

Derek had promised to bring Haley home a candy bar tonight. A rare treat, as his income would only allow a few necessities.20

Haley was only 5, and she looked up to her big brother more then anyone else.21

Derek had taken care of her since she was 2, ever since they’re mother had died from a cocaine overdose.22

“Hey, Mrs. Shelly!” Haley called out suddenly, her forehead pressed against the window pain.23

“What is it, short stuff?” Mrs. Shelly came up behind her and knelt on the couch so she too, could look outside.24

“There’s a woman out there.” Haley pointed.25

Mrs. Shelly squinted. “Isn’t that that strange woman from number 1?”26

“Number 1?” Haley asked, curiously.27

“Yeah sweetie the first trailer on the road.” Mrs. Shelly paused and squinted. “What’s she doing out there?”28

*29

Derek grinned and walked around the corner into the trailer park.  He checked again, to make sure the candy bar was still in his pocket. Haley would never forgive him if he lost it, and he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. 30

Haley was the most wonderful kid. When they’re mother died he’d gladly taken her in, although he would have much rather it had been a house rather then some dingy trailer in a trailer park. Working only two jobs and only 21, Derek was doing the best he could, which wasn’t half bad.31

He rounded one of the trailers and jumped when a boy’s voice cried out. Looking towards the trees that lined the back of the trailers he saw that Dale boy, the one who lived three trailers down.32

Dale was scrawny, his jeans ripped and filthy, his hair sticking out at odd angles, he looked like he’d been playing a mud hole. 33

Derek’s eyes narrowed and he watched as Dale leaned over something small and dark, poking it with what looked like a stick. A loud yowl pierced the air and Derek could have sworn he’d heard the boy laugh34

Derek moved closer, not bothering to hide himself. Again the kid poked the dark shape. This time the yowl was louder, laced with pain. Derek growled when he realized it was a small kitten, no doubt one of the little that the Thomson’s cat had just given birth to.35

“Hey!” Derek shouted, making Dale jump. “Leave that cat alone!”36

Dale turned and looked at him, glaring out from under his messy hair. “What’s it to you?” He snapped.37

In the growing twilight Derek saw the kitten, taking this rare opportunity to make a run for it, and dive into the undergrowth that surrounded one of the trailers.38

Derek shook his head and walked away, muttering to himself, while Dale looked around for his lost prey.39

*40

Catriona, having seen Derek and the boy, had to admire the Derek somewhat. Most of the other tenants would have turned away and ignored that little rat, letting him just torture the poor cat till it had died. Least someone around here had a heart.41

She clutched her shawl tighter and walked on. But then a voice called, jeeringly through the evening quiet.42

Turning her eyes narrowed as she saw the young boy going after Derek.43

Derek had almost been to his house, his foot poised on the bottom step of the porch. He to turned, glaring down at the boy.44

“You made me lose that cat!” Dale said, his voice angry.45

Derek shook his head. “Look kid, you don’t need to be hurting animals.”46

“Yeah.” Dale said, nodding. “I should be hurting you.”47

Catriona smirked, there was no way that the young boy could possibly hurt Derek. Over 6 feet, the young man loomed over the boy.48

The smirk was wiped away however when the young boy pulled something small and black out of his pocket and pointed it at Derek.49

Catriona’s eyes flickered over the two, then to the window where she saw movement. A small girl’s face peeked out from behind the curtain, deathly pale in the fading daylight.50

“Come on, kid.” Derek said, his voice low. “You don’t want to do that.”51

“What do you know? You don’t know what I want to do or not.” The small gun was still aimed at Derek, unwavering.52

Catriona took a step forward, again seeing the tarot cards within her minds eye. 53

Dale heard her and swung around, the gun now pointed at her. “Don’t move!” He shouted.54

With his attention now and Catriona, Derek took his chance, leaping off the porch he caught the kid, slamming into his back.55

They struggled for the gun, rolling around on the ground. The gun went off, once, twice, and one last time.56

Upon the last bang there was a horrible smashing sound, like glass shattering.57

Catriona shrieked, the first bullet had caught her in the stomach.58

And within the trailer, there came a dreadful wailing. The window in which the little girl had been sitting was now shattered.59

*60

Only an hour later a small body of a 5 year old was marched into the morgue, dead, do to a bullet wound to the neck.61

Catriona’s body rested on the table next to Haley’s. Her tarot cards had been right, but rather then one. Two lives had been taken.62