Joseph M. Perez's Page

This is an excerpt from something I'm working on now. It's a bit different from the first book-SMALL GIFTS: very short stories with a touch of faith-a bit darker, harder. I have a feeling this one will take much longer to complete.

He had a good job, and a wonderful wife. Yes, there were times he wished for more what with them having to take care of his invalid mother in law, and not being able to get away for more than a couple of hours-twenty eight years and counting. He knew his wife might be on the verge of a mental crisis-Joseph was just hanging on as it was. If it wasn’t for the job-going every day no matter what-he would have lost it a long time ago. So why was he looking at other women these days? There was more in his thoughts than just looking, too. He guessed all it would take would be an invite. He was shamed by it, but kept doing it anyway-fantasizing.
Joseph was one of the elders being around for forty years. He was just one of the “old men” hanging on for retirement-going for the maximum annuity. So many of his contemporaries had already gone on to either the grave or retirement he felt alone. The ones hanging on with him were just counting the days-they, too, felt alone. It felt as though he and they were being abandoned. It seemed as though he and they were in constant mourning.
The newly hired looked so young, forty or so years Josephs’ junior-just baby faced kids. The girls looked so very young like they should still be at home rather than beginning a career. Joseph was a butt man. He enjoyed watching those “two puppies in a tote sack” in their going away tight pockets. He was living in the sin of lust-he had to control his thoughts or his mouth would get him into deep trouble-bad enough he looked and thought he had better keep it all to himself.

**

The demon priest with the snow white hair, black eyes, and over white teeth with vampire canines sensed a rift in someone’s morality. He could tell there hasn’t been action, but the thoughts coming from this person were like a beacon drawing him in. All he would have to do is create the situation, the opportunity, and his primary mission would be complete.