Geof Huth


Scenic Persuasion: Outside Housatonic, Massachusetts

DISCOVERY

Night, the road torn open by two headlights

Stopping to vomit by the side of the road, left hand resting against the sideview mirror

Three bodies, arms crossed across their chests and lain, in a row like ellipses, in a ditch

Three steps backwards, a stumble, back of the head hitting a fallen tree trunk, unconsciousness

Morning, dew covering his face, a slight headache, sunlight streaming in between his eyelids

A cellphone, a call, looking up at the blue sky and reporting a memory

Driver’s side door left open through the night

UNTERMAN’S ASSISTANTS

         Alice, who takes the call                                  Unterman, Jr., still green

         Alexander, whose pistol shines brightest

EVIDENCE

Peaceful, like sleepers deep enough into sleep not to be furrowed by dream

Soft bruises, like a wash, scattered on their white bellies, some obscured by hair

Strands of ropes tossed into the grass like letters

No rope upon the bodies

Every sock, each of the six socks on their bodies, a different color

No evidence of dragging, of footsteps, of tire tracks on the side of the road

No buttons except one on every pair of pants

Rigor mortis evident

No identification except for the bodies

Roadway yielding no clues

Sun burning away the dew

THE VICTIMS, EACH BEGINNING AS VOWELS, AS THEY WERE UNDERSTOOD

Available person on the side of the road          Unidentified person of interest

Available person, discreet

LETTERSHAPES THE ROPES TOOK IN THE GRASS

S         O         G         U         I         D         C

UNTERMAN’S INTENTIONS

         Dredge the woods for evidence                                                 Investigate the veins of the leaves

         Interview the brook with boots                                                Doctor the evidence, twice

LETTERS FROM WORDS LOST BY THE VICTIMS

                                                   OOOOOO                          PFFFFFT                          CC

                                                   MM                                    ESSSSE                               ASD;LKFJ

DEDUCTIONS

                   Sometime after midnight                                                       Sometime before twilight

                   No guns, no knives, no strangling                                      Intentional and uninterpretable

AFTERWARDS

                                       Discussion                          Investigation                          Reflection

                                       Confusion                           Collusion                                   Conclusion

 
 
 
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