Finding an Existential Crisis in the Taco Bell Dumpster

Page one of comic. Panel one, close up: dumpster Panel two, three close ups: old taco bell foods, greasy / tiny light gray raccoon hand reaching for wrapped items labeled "chalupa," "special" and "beefy," "burrito supreme" / tiny dark gray raccoon hand reaches for tipped cup of baja blast Panel three: A light gray raccoon is about to chomp down on a wrapped item marked "beefy" while a dark gray raccoon messily munches on a takeout box of something unclear but probably fried. Panel four: The light gray raccoon takes a bite and says, "man..." Panel five: It stares at the burrito in its hands and asks, "Do you ever just...think?" panel 6: The dark gray racoon fwoomps onto its stomach and farts. Panel 7: Light gray raccoon says, "Was that like an answer or,,,?"
Page two panel 8: Dark gray raccoon is about to chomp into a burrito supreme but pauses Panel 9: Dark gray raccoon says, "Huh? You say something?" with a smile. Panel 10: Light gray raccoon, looking defeated, says "Nevermind..." while the food in its hands droop. Panel 11: Dark gray raccoon looks more earnest. "No, come on. Ask me again," it says. Panel 12: "Ok," says the light gray raccoon. "I asked if you ever, like...think." Panel 13: White on black image of dark gray raccoon with spiderwebs in its thoughts signaling an empty head with the caption "All the time." Panel 14: Light gray raccoon says "Anything other than food, fighting, or fucking?" Panel 15: Dark gray raccoon asks, "What else is there?"
Page 3 Panel 16: Light gray raccoon puts a paw to its head and says, "Ugh. It's just..." Panel 17: Raccoon's words continue over an image of a constellation forming a bell shape, "Don't you see the shapes the stars make?" Panel 18: Same's words over close up of empty raccoon paws, "Don't you imagine what your paws could make if you stopped scratching your crotch for five minutes?" Panel 19: Both raccoons sit in silence, staring at each other. Panel 20: Dark gray raccoon says, "Literally none of that ever occurred to me."
Panel 21: Light gray raccoon, agitated, says, "What's the point of these paws if I can't use them for greatness?!" Panel 22: In three shots, the raccoons reach out and hold each other's paw while the dark gray raccoon stares up into the sky Panel 23: They look at the stars. Dark gray raccoon says, "Huh... kinda looks like a black bean burrito." Light gray replies, "Yeah, it kinda does, doesn't it?" Dark gray raccoon adds, with a cheeky look, "Or maybe your butthole." Panel 24: Wideshot shows both raccoons lying on top of the dumpster which is behind a taco bell. Far-off stars glimmer in the night sky. The dark gray raccoon farts again and both raccoons laugh, finding a temporary moment of peace/joy. End.

Molly Amundson (he/him) is an artist, writer, video game enthusiast, part-time welder and full-time cat mom. You can usually find him kicking around on twitter @mollyamundson.

Pushcart Prize nominee S. M. Hallow writes speculative fiction of all flavors, from horror to fantasy to romance. Hallow’s stories, poems, and visual art can be found in Baffling Magazine, CatsCast, Final Girl Bulletin Board, The Lovers Literary Journal, Prismatica Magazine, and Seize the Press, among others. To learn more about this part-time fairytale witch, full-time vampire, follow Hallow on Tumblr & Twitter @smhallow.

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