Teresa is the host of this Thursday’s 50 Word Thursday.  Teresa says:

Rules: 
**Find the muse within the photo or line provided and follow where it leads. It can be a story, anecdote, poem. Anything!
**Story must be between 50 and 250 words, in 50 word increments.
**Link back to this post with the tag 50WordThurs so that everyone can find it, or post your response in the comments below.
**HAVE FUN!

This week’s prompt:

“Elmer Gantry was drunk.” —from Elmer Gantry, by Sinclair Lewis (1927)

Elmer Gantry, age 24, was found drunk and passed out on the side of the road in his car by the police. It was the third time in as many years; this time was without a valid license. Out on bond, Elmer was scheduled for court at 9 a.m. sharp that morning. He put on his nicest suit and stood in front of Judge Marie Doom as his attorney begged for the court’s mercy.

Judge Doom said, “Mr. Gantry, I am going to let you make a choice for your future. You can: 1) serve 6 months in jail, no early releases; 2) go to an inpatient drug treatment program for 90 days; or 3) go to a young offender boot camp for 60 days. I will give you today to think about it. Return back here this afternoon at 4 p.m. and let me know what you decide.

Elmer left the courthouse and got into his car – still no valid license – and drove directly to The Kitten Lounge, which opened every morning a 7 a.m. sharp. Elmer Gantry was drunk by noon while he partied with the 3^rd shifters from the food processing plant. He wasn’t going to lockup sober, that’s for sure.

His phone alarm went off at 3:30. Elmer staggered out to his vehicle. He had plenty of time to get to the courthouse, but he gunned it anyway. He saw the schoolbus but his brakes locked up as he slammed it going 80.