For this weeks Flash! Friday we had to incorporate a Janitor into a story about the following prompt:
Coliseum in Rome. CC2.0 photo by Vlad.
Clean up on Lion three
It’s not clear if Goliath is entirely human. There may be a bear hidden somewhere in his family tree. It’s no easy task for a man that size to sneak up on someone, but unfortunately I’m distracted. His booming voice interrupts me, “You, slave, clean this shield.”
I’m too preoccupied to look up, “I’m not a slave, I’m the janitor. I’m currently busy getting the blood stains out of this gravel floor.”
“There will be more stains if my shield is not cleaned.”
Finally I look up, and up, and up. He’s a big guy and in a room full of gladiators it takes a lot to stand out. He thrusts his mammoth shield at me, “Make it glisten, or else.”
“Of course, I’ve got just the solution to make it sparkle. Give me a moment.”
I find the rag I keep for just such occasions. It stinks to high heaven, but it gets the dirt off. Goliath examines my handiwork before grunting and strutting off to his big match.
Will these brutes never learn. All it takes is a quick polish with female lion piss and someone’s going to find themselves surprisingly popular in the arena. Of course, I’ll have to clean up the mess.
