Amy Grech

ORANGE JULIUS

Vermilion froth,
tart and sweet.
The perfect treat
when you need a break
from the endless storefronts
in the suburban mecca vying
for your attention and
hard-earned dollars.

Ceaseless foot traffic, a
steady stream. Perfect for
an orange dream. Things aren’t
always what they seem...

Married couples bicker,
cigarette butts flicker,
burning bright
like miniature suns.

Neon lights delight
a mother and her daughter
holding a red balloon.
Childlike whimsy on display
at KB Toys. Something
for all the girls and boys.

Orange dream.
Things aren’t always what
they seem...

Teenagers canoodle.
Kids play with
pool noodles in a ball pit.
Management doesn’t give a shit
as you hit rock bottom.
You’ve got a short fuse
and nothing to lose.

You had a good job
at a store on the second floor.
Waldenbooks. You loved
the work, but your boss,
a real jerk, didn’t care.
He said you stared at customers,
did as you pleased, and
put them ill at ease.
With that, you were fired,
so, you conspired.

You took your father’s gun,
a police-issued .38 snubnose Smith
& Wesson revolver out of
your trench coat,
taking aim at everyone.

Bullets rain down,
a lethal hailstorm, hitting their mark.
The world goes dark as hapless
shoppers fall like dominoes,
riddled with pinpoint precision holes
spouting blood amongst the
incessant shouting as
their shopping bags
crumble and they
wither, like flowers
cut down before full bloom
.
The little girl with the red balloon
along with her mother, promising
lives ended too soon.


Amy's YouTube video reading of "Orange Julius":



Subscribe and turn on Notifications for Channel 52.


Amy confesses: "'Orange Julius' was inspired by the namesake booth at my local suburban mall on Long Island. Beloved brands, frozen in time, and a disgruntled employee coalesce with dire consequences."

AMY GRECH has sold over 100 stories to various anthologies and magazines including A New York State of Fright, Apex Magazine, Even in the Grave, Gorefest, Hell’s Heart, Hell’s Highway, Hell’s Mall, Microverses, Punk Noir Magazine, Roi Fainéant Press, Tales from the Canyons of the Damned, The One That Got Away, Under Her Skin, Yellow Mama, and many others. She is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers who lives in New York. You can connect with her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amy_grech or visit her website: https://www.crimsonscreams.com.