Shut Down

The police ruled Alice’s **** as a homicide. The Pony was investigated. Shut down. Indefinitely.

Nadia kept walking back to see The Pony months after the incident. There was yellow tape on the door — do not enter.

Nadia missed her life at The Pony. All of Alice’s things were taken as evidence by the police. It was ironic that for a girl who saw the police as the plague — that her pink dildo and Lego **** Star were sitting safely in the local police department.

The Pony didn’t have CCTV. But a shop across the street showed a man in a balaclava running away into an SUV with no plates.

Nadia and Neera had alibi’s. Neera was with Arman. Nadia was unclogging a guest's toilet.

Nadia remembered that last day at The Pony. Neera and Nadia had a fight. A bitter end.

“Is that it? You are just leaving?” Nadia said to Neera who was going with Arman.

“Alice loved you,” Nadia said.

Neera scrunched up her nose, “Don’t talk to me about Alice… You barely knew her.”

They hadn’t spoken since. Nadia didn’t like Neera anyway.

Nadia watched the street wistfully. Her hair had grown out a bit. Tied into a little pony. She worked at a local Starbucks. Lived in a cruddy apartment. Had a landlord with anger management problems. She didn’t have the money for therapy. So she just watched YouTube videos about how to deal with grief. How to let go…

The only thing she had left of Alice was the sweater she had borrowed once. It was black with a print of a dinosaur on the back. Nadia wore it and stood in the mirror.

“I miss you…”