Instalment One Hundred and Fifty One

He wasn’t sold, I could tell.

“I can come back at anytime?”

“Anytime you want,” I reassured. “Wanna look around?”

I gestured to a large green field with 10-foot fencing.

“It’s empty?”

“Look again, squinting helps.”

I could see realisation crawl across his face.

“They’re so fast.”

“They move quick when you give em air.”

“So how does this work?”

“I don’t know who each belongs to but once a day I listen to them all. It feeds them. Warning though, I don’t know what you’re looking to tell but some of them in there, well they are dark.” I opened the gate and grabbed at air.

I held one up to his nose.

I used to poison my baby sister, just a little, to keep her sick.

“T-t-that’s awful.”

“Can’t ever tell if their true but yeah, that’s the hard part of the job, listening to them. That’s what you pay for if you can’t keep your own Secret.”

“What are those ugly trees?”

“Side business. You ever plant a kiss one someone who didn’t want it. That’s what grows. I take em free of charge, but come autumn they sure drop some Secrets. And those I charge for.”