rotten rotten in the middle in the gut I must I must I must
come here rotten girl I will fix you
I will fix you
The alarm was going off, and had been for a while. Jake picked up his phone and stared at it. He could hit the snooze button and go back to sleep, or he could get up. He had a fairly long list of things to do today, so he decided on the latter.
Maybe.
He sighed and put the squawking phone back on the nightstand.
"Dude, wake up already!" Ali pounded on the door a few times, then tried the doorknob. It was locked. "Hey, Jake! If you don't turn off that friggin' alarm, I'm gonna knock down the door or call the cops or somethin'!"
"Yeah, yeah," Jake grumbled. He reached toward the phone to silence it, but stopped short when the ring on his pinky knocked against the lamp. rotten girl where are you
Ali kicked the door, but his roommate barely heard it.
come here bad bad I can smell you
Jake rubbed a finger across the simple band of roughly cast silver. Faint outlines of letters seemed to appear and disappear among the pits and ridges of the uneven surface. The metal was warm, and it seemed to throb with a pulse separate from his own. The ring seemed so familiar, yet he was sure he had never seen it before. He started to take it off, then realized that was the last thing he wanted to do.
run run it don't matter I'll find I'll get get you
"Jake! Come on, man!"
Jake shook his head to clear his mind. "Sorry! Just give me a sec. Can't seem to find my phone." He stabbed at the snooze button and got out of bed.
"Finally!" Ali gave the door one last kick for good measure, then stomped up the stairs to his room.
*****
Jake stepped out onto the porch, letting the screen door slam shut behind him. The air was crisp and clean, with the smell of an impending snowstorm on the breeze. He zipped up his jacket and headed down the street.
He had walked nearly three blocks before he realized he wasn't going to work. As to where he was going, he hadn't a clue.
Elm Street and Carter Boulevard. The street signs were no help. He had lived in the area for five years and could name a dozen places in the vicinity where he might go on a Saturday morning. Jake tried to remember what he was thinking about while he was walking. Oddly enough, he could remember nothing except the way the ring felt on his finger, the way it slipped against his skin when he stroked it with his thumb. Unsettled by this revelation, he turned back the way he came.
left right left right run run run don't worry I'll catch you
Jake walked quickly, head down, eyes on the pavement. Every so often he checked the time; one more infraction at work and he would get his final warning. He stepped up the pace.
where little one rotten one where are you
10:30 a.m. He stopped and stared at his watch. It normally took less than ten minutes to get to work, but he had left home over a half an hour ago and he had yet to reach the factory gates. Jake glanced around.
Elm and Carter.
"What th-?" Jake's voice caught in his throat, and he could feel himself starting to hyperventilate. This isn't real, he told himself. This isn't happening.
"Sir, are you all right?" said a voice to his left.
Jake jumped and whipped his head around. A uniformed police officer stood next to him, a look of wary concern on his face.
"I- what? All right?" Jake gulped and tried to slow his breathing. "I guess. Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, officer. Thank you."
The officer nodded, then pointed at Jake's hand. "Is there something wrong with your finger, sir? You keep rubbing it. Maybe you should have a doctor take a look at it."
Jake looked down at his hands. He had been playing with the ring, twirling it and twisting it until it reddened his skin.
yes come here here rotten rotten rotten
I can fix you open you up take out the rotten rotten
The officer peered at the ring and said, "That's an interesting piece of jewelry, sir. Where'd you get it?"
secret secret I have a secret
Jake smiled and forced a laugh. "Know what? I don't really remember. I just happened across it one day."
"You just found it, you say."
"Yeah. I think maybe and old girlfriend left it in my apartment or something." Jake's fingers worked feverishly at the ring, twisting, twirling, pushing, pulling-
give it girl give it here you're too rotten for such a sparkly
"Hey, what's going on over there?" Jake nodded at the commotion down the block. "Lots of cops. Is something going on?"
The officer glanced over to where Jake was looking. The yellow tape was still fresh, as was the gaggle of onlookers who kept snapping cell phone pictures of the body being loaded into the back of the medical examiner's van. A harried-looking detective waved his arms at the crowd and yelled at them to back away from the crime scene.
"Did, uh, did someone die?" The skin under the silver band grew hot and blistered, yet the ring still twisted.
"You walk this way often, sir?" The officer's hand hovered over his gun; Jake took no notice.
selfish girl it's mine mine mine
"I- I guess. I live down that way. Someone died, right? Was someone murdered?"
"Cause of death has not been determined yet, sir. A little bit of a jump to assume it was a murder, don't you think?" Two more officers appeared behind Jake.
"I-"
cut it loose cut it loose it's mine for me me for me
"That really is an interesting ring. Do you mind if I take a look?"
"I guess." He held out his hand. "It's just a ring. It's plain, but I kind of like it."
"Plain, but also kind of distinctive."
"What do you mean?" His heart started to pound.
"Well, it's kind of lumpy, like it was made by an amateur, but there are also spots where it's smooth, like it's worn down. See?"
Jake swallowed. "Sure. I guess."
"Strangest thing," the officer said, partly to Jake and partly to the detective who had walked up while they were talking. "I just saw a pair of earrings that looked just like this."
"Earrings?" mine mine
The detective spoke up. "Oh yeah, I think I know which ones you mean. Say, what's your name, son?"
"My name? Jake. I'm Jake."
"Well, Jake. I think you and this young lady I'm thinking of might have gotten your jewelry at the same place." The detective smiled at Jake. It was not a happy smile. "So Jake, can you tell me why you have dried blood on your shoes?"