The Beautiful People

Chapter One: The Milkman

Max graduated with the class of ’93 at the age of seventeen. From there on, he attended Princeton University where he left with a Bachelor’s degree in literature and music. Then he left home and headed out to the city hoping to make a new life for himself.

Only to land flat on his ass during prime time three months later.

Now Max runs up and down driveways, climbing porches, bewaring of vicious dogs, and delivering each day’s milk ration. Spring, summer, fall, winter, where the stairs are especially slippery and he slips forward climbing up them. He smashes his front teeth against the brick stair and the two glass bottles in his numb hands shatter as they hit the steps; glass flying up into the air and milk spilling all about him like a waterfall.

Max can taste blood in his mouth and can feel the jagged edges of his teeth with his tongue. He hauls himself up and then sits down on the step.

“If there be devils, would I were a devil, to live and burn in everlasting fire,
so I might have your company in hell, but to torment you with my bitter tongue!” he whispered, his voice thick, as he buried his face into his hands.

It is here that Maxwell takes a deep breath and lets out a slow shaky breath.

Then, Max the Milkman begins to cry.

A really random idea that popped into my head about normal everyday people and the miserable lives they live. They're not supposed to be long. I had orignally intended that they be about 100 words in length as it was inspired by Neil Gaiman's "Nicholas Was..." but I got 134 more words carried away. Sos, constructive criticism appreciated. Quote from Shakespeare.