as they stared with their wide unblinking eyes, their loose skin covering brittle bones, i thought they looked more like the aliens i saw in movies.
we walked down the halls and they looked at us. we were supposed to roll some of them in their chairs to a room so sterile even the light felt clean. i sat down with a man called bobcat.
"i can't play bingo," he said. he didn't look very old.
"why not?" another girl asked. i was thankful i didn't have to speak.
"i always win," he smiled and i could see his gold tooth. "it wouldn't be fair to the others." i laughed.
a man was sitting by a woman who was not in a chair, but rather a funny looking bad with wheels that was not quite a gurney.
"go sit with them," someone said. i said ok. i didn't want to.
the woman had a bingo card already. the man apparently couldn't see well enough to play. i placed mine on the table. the woman glared at me.
the man at the table next to ours was insane.
"O 43."
"oh, oh no, oh no, no, no, no, i can't hear, no, no, why can't i hear?" the man was yelling as he got up out of his chair.
"please sit back down, please." the girl sitting with him was desperate.
"shut up, you loud fuck, some of us are trying to play," the woman said. she glared at me once more as i placed a chip on O 43. "are you sure that's right?" i nodded. "it's not, you stupid girl. don't try to cheat."
"does anyone know his name?" the pleading girl asked about the man still screaming.
"i call him the noisemaker," bobcat said from across the room. i decided i liked him best. the blind man was staring at me.
tbc when i'm not so lazy.
