THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
by Noah Cicero

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one

3am.

A young man throws a body into the river.

The body splashes.

The man looks at the sinking body.

It sinks.

The river he threw the body in is the Mahoning River.
One of the most toxic rivers in the world.

What was filled full of toxic chemicals and garbage from the time when the steel mills lined the river for over thirty miles.

The man doesn’t see the body anymore.

The body has settled at the bottom of the river.

Fish swim by the body.

The fish pay no attention. They are used to swimming past human bodies.

A strong looking Italian man named Tony runs up to the man staring at the river.

“Did you cut its head off?” says Tony.

“No, why would I? I shot him in the head. What do you want me to do shove a grenade in his ass?”

Tony runs over to the river. He looks to see if he can fish the body out. The body is gone.

Tony runs back to the young man, and says, “You fucking idiot! We are so fucked. If you throw a body into the Mahoning river without cutting the head off something happens to it. Something weird. We are fucked!”

“You’re full of shit. Uncle Joe always said you were nuts.”

The young man walks to his car laughing.

Tony yells at him, “Get your family and leave. Get out of here. We’re fucked.”

Tony runs to his car and drives home.

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