lips.
“I won’t hesitate to use this.”
I snapped to attention and slipped the knife into my hand with lax fingers. I didn’t know what to do. Brionna pointed at the dog.
“I said, skin it. Go on.”
My hand shook. I couldn’t move.
“I don’t know how,” I whispered.
Sighing, Brionna dropped down into the dirt next to me. She wrapped her hand about mine, raised it high into the air and slashed it down into the animal’s side in one swift stroke.
“That’s how you skin it. Go on. Now it’s your turn.”
When I still hesitated, she gouged away at the animal’s side with firm gestures herself, spewing matted white fur out in all directions. Then she shoved me with impatience.
“Now you do it,” she said.
I dug away half-heartedly at the rubbery flesh, still half frozen with terror. When fresh blood started pouring out, Brionna leaned forward with excitement and buried her hands in the entrails. Her hands made slimy, squishy sounds in the animal’s guts. She bent over, digging her arms anxiously into the dog’s sides up to her elbows, panting with pure pleasure, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.
“Mmmhh. Nothing feels better in all the world than warm, bubbling blood.” She glanced up at me and chuckled.
She splashed through the blood some more with her hands, then smooshed her face into the still throbbing entrails. I heard a guttural groan in the back of her throat. She raised her head, dripping with blood, lunged forward and grabbed my arms.
“ Feel it, li’l bro,” she screamed. “Feel it for yourself. Feel its pain. Feel its death. Feel its life blood pouring all over you.”
She shoved me against the animal and pressed my mouth into its gory side. I gagged, almost threw up into the dead thing. She pounded my head face down into the mangled flank. The warm, pulsating flesh reeked of rot and metal. She pulled me out, then wrapped her arms dripping with blood and guts all around me. She traced her palms up and down my arms, painting crimson patterns into my skin.
She smiled at me. Her smile was a shiny white gash in the midst of glistening scarlet and slime green.
“Next time we’ll go for something bigger. A hog, maybe. Don’t worry, li’l bro. After a few times you’ll get used to it.”
I didn’t believe her then. But she was right.
I did get used to it.
Chapter 12
I didn’t want to go to work. I didn’t want to go anywhere. All I wanted was to hide in my bed for the rest of my life and pull the quilt over my head. But within one week it would be the first of the month and the rent was due.
“If you want I’ll accompany you to work every day,” said Calvin, whispering into my hair. “It’s no prob for me. I work nearby anyways.”
I shook my head.
“I’m a big girl, Cals. I ought to be able to take care of myself.” I grimaced. “Just because I’m not doing a very good job at it, doesn’t mean...”
Calvin nuzzled some more into my brown waves.
“You’re doing stupendous, babes. Anyone in the same situation as you would be freaking out too.” He took his face out of my hair long enough to flash me a wry grin. “Well, anyone, unless they were a cop or a spy or something. Policemen have all sorts of protection. But you and me poor innocent waifs on the street, we don’t, babes. We’re left to our own devices, just thrown out on our own to the wolves.” He shook his head ruefully.
We spun about the small space I called home, and I double and triple checked that all the windows were locked and closed all the blinds. A dismal darkness fell over the apartment.
“Well, better dark but safe, I always say,” Calvin quipped.
I cuffed him on the shoulder, lightly.
“You’ve never said that before,” I said. But he was right.
I hustled Dinky Head, aka Romeo, out the door before me and turned out the lights.
“I probably won’t be in tonight,” Calvin said as we walked down the hallway of the building. “Gotta do
“I won’t hesitate to use this.”
I snapped to attention and slipped the knife into my hand with lax fingers. I didn’t know what to do. Brionna pointed at the dog.
“I said, skin it. Go on.”
My hand shook. I couldn’t move.
“I don’t know how,” I whispered.
Sighing, Brionna dropped down into the dirt next to me. She wrapped her hand about mine, raised it high into the air and slashed it down into the animal’s side in one swift stroke.
“That’s how you skin it. Go on. Now it’s your turn.”
When I still hesitated, she gouged away at the animal’s side with firm gestures herself, spewing matted white fur out in all directions. Then she shoved me with impatience.
“Now you do it,” she said.
I dug away half-heartedly at the rubbery flesh, still half frozen with terror. When fresh blood started pouring out, Brionna leaned forward with excitement and buried her hands in the entrails. Her hands made slimy, squishy sounds in the animal’s guts. She bent over, digging her arms anxiously into the dog’s sides up to her elbows, panting with pure pleasure, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.
“Mmmhh. Nothing feels better in all the world than warm, bubbling blood.” She glanced up at me and chuckled.
She splashed through the blood some more with her hands, then smooshed her face into the still throbbing entrails. I heard a guttural groan in the back of her throat. She raised her head, dripping with blood, lunged forward and grabbed my arms.
“ Feel it, li’l bro,” she screamed. “Feel it for yourself. Feel its pain. Feel its death. Feel its life blood pouring all over you.”
She shoved me against the animal and pressed my mouth into its gory side. I gagged, almost threw up into the dead thing. She pounded my head face down into the mangled flank. The warm, pulsating flesh reeked of rot and metal. She pulled me out, then wrapped her arms dripping with blood and guts all around me. She traced her palms up and down my arms, painting crimson patterns into my skin.
She smiled at me. Her smile was a shiny white gash in the midst of glistening scarlet and slime green.
“Next time we’ll go for something bigger. A hog, maybe. Don’t worry, li’l bro. After a few times you’ll get used to it.”
I didn’t believe her then. But she was right.
I did get used to it.
Chapter 12
I didn’t want to go to work. I didn’t want to go anywhere. All I wanted was to hide in my bed for the rest of my life and pull the quilt over my head. But within one week it would be the first of the month and the rent was due.
“If you want I’ll accompany you to work every day,” said Calvin, whispering into my hair. “It’s no prob for me. I work nearby anyways.”
I shook my head.
“I’m a big girl, Cals. I ought to be able to take care of myself.” I grimaced. “Just because I’m not doing a very good job at it, doesn’t mean...”
Calvin nuzzled some more into my brown waves.
“You’re doing stupendous, babes. Anyone in the same situation as you would be freaking out too.” He took his face out of my hair long enough to flash me a wry grin. “Well, anyone, unless they were a cop or a spy or something. Policemen have all sorts of protection. But you and me poor innocent waifs on the street, we don’t, babes. We’re left to our own devices, just thrown out on our own to the wolves.” He shook his head ruefully.
We spun about the small space I called home, and I double and triple checked that all the windows were locked and closed all the blinds. A dismal darkness fell over the apartment.
“Well, better dark but safe, I always say,” Calvin quipped.
I cuffed him on the shoulder, lightly.
“You’ve never said that before,” I said. But he was right.
I hustled Dinky Head, aka Romeo, out the door before me and turned out the lights.
“I probably won’t be in tonight,” Calvin said as we walked down the hallway of the building. “Gotta do
Similar Books
