coming up to pat his friend on the shoulder.
“She just gets under my skin.” Paul shook his head.
“Like a rash?” Eddy asked.
“A lot like that,” Paul laughed. “Come on kid, grab the stuff you like the most,” he said as he lifted Eddy up to a bird’s eye view of the treats in front of him.
“I think we’re safe for the time being,” Mad Jack stated. “I’m going to lock the front doors, unless anyone has an objection to that.” He waited for a few beats before heading off.
Alex cleaned up some of the stray glass around the machine and started surveying what his kids might want and that might be somewhat healthy, not an easy task when dealing with vending machine food.
“Alex, can you hold the baby, I’m not feeling so well,” Alex’s wife Marta asked.
Alex was midway between deciding on licorice or peanuts when he turned to honor his wife’s request.
“Marta, what’s wrong?” Alex asked in alarm. The lighting was not good but it could not hide the fact that his wife was as pale as a cold winter moon. Black crescents ringed the bottom of her eyes, and her eyes themselves were as dark as craters.
“Mi Dios!” Alex exclaimed as he grabbed the baby and almost simultaneously his wife as she very nearly collapsed.
Erin quickly took the baby as Alex eased his wife to the floor. “Marta, what’s the matter?” Alex fairly cried. Marta did not look well and the transformation from bad to worse was happening right before their very eyes. Paul was watching it too, he thought it looked like those time lapsed photographs they sometimes showed for some special effects make-up make-over. This was much scarier than watching Lon Chaney become a werewolf, this was real.
“Alex, let’s get her to a bed,” Paul said.
Alex looked up and nodded, then picked his wife up in his arms. “You’re so cold, Marta. Talk to me mi amor.” “It’s in my head,” she whispered in his ear.
A spike of iciness plunged down the middle of his back. “Who’s in your head Marta? Eliza?” She shook violently, with a force that almost caused Alex to drop her. “Much worse, it’s Tommy!”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN – Tracy’s Car
“That guy was huge!” Dizz was telling Sty, as if Sty hadn’t been there to witness it himself. “His bicep was bigger than my thigh,” Dizz added with amazement, as he sized himself up.
“Yeah, like that’s hard to do? Mrs. T’s arms are probably bigger than your spindly legs.” Tracy and Dizz simultaneously yelled out, “Hey!”
“I meant no disrespect to you Mrs. T,” Sty added slyly, leaving Dizz out of the response.
“Hey pretty lady we should have taken the doggie,” Angel said to Tracy . “I would have been able to hold him in my lap.” Tracy looked over to the small girl. “Honey, I think he’s bigger than you. You would have had to sit in his lap.” “Dogs have laps?” Angel asked in wonderment.
“It’s a figure of speech,” Ryan said from the back seat.
“I’ve got your finger of speech right here!” Sty said, flipping his friend off.
“Oh, I’m telling!” Angel said, catching a glimpse of the ‘dirty finger,’ as her mom used to call it. When she realized there was no one she could tattle to even though she was only playing, she started to go back down the path of sadness.
Tracy watched the girl’s head bow. “Plus it wouldn’t have been safe to bring Henry in this car,” Tracy told her.
“Why, is he mean?” Angel asked. “Does he have big teeth?”
“No, way worse.”
“Way worse?” Dizz asked with concern. “Does he have rabies or something?”
Tracy shook her head in the negative.
“Come on Mrs. T, what gives, does he turn into a werewolf or something?” Sty asked, getting sucked in.
Angel sat up straighter so that she could look through the windshield at the car they were following. Henry was seemingly staring straight back at them. Angel ducked down under the dash to be out of his line of sight. “I think he knows we’re talking about him,” she whispered to Tracy .
All three boys followed Angel’s lead and peered into the lead truck. “Does he know?” Dizz asked, getting himself a little spooked.
Tracy was a moment away from dismissing the thought, but the more she looked at Henry the more she thought that maybe on some level he did know.
“Is that why he’s dangerous?” Angel asked. “Because he can read thoughts? If I think of dog biscuits will he like me?” Angel scrunched up her face. Tracy imagined that she was thinking hard about dog cookies.
“Henry’s dangerous because of his
Angel’s deep thought lapsed as she started to laugh out loud. The desired effect Tracy was shooting for was met.
“Really?” Dizz asked. “Because right now he looks mad,” he added, pointing to the back of the truck.
Of course they couldn’t hear him but Henry was barking up a storm. Tracy was left to wonder if maybe the dog had another trick or two up his sleeve.
Meredith’s Car
“We really should have made Henry ride in Tracy’s car,” BT lamented as he pulled his shirt over his face. “You should call your dad and let him know we’re coming back.” “You do realize I’m driving, right?” Meredith told him through clenched teeth, hoping that she would be able to filter some stink that way.
“Fine, but if I pass out from the fumes, it’ll be on you,” BT said, turning around to fumble with the radio.
“I’m willing to take that chance,” Meredith told him.
“Yo, crazy Talbot number one!” BT yelled into the handset.
“Damn! You get any louder and he’ll pick up your echo.”
“Sorry,” BT said sheepishly.
“BT? This is Ron, you’re early, everything okay?” Ron asked.
“Yeah, Tracy found us out and is bringing some kids back,” BT told him.
“What? Okay BT, let’s start as if I’m not there and I have no idea about what you’re talking about.” BT spent the next few minutes laying out all that had transpired that day.
“Man, I’m glad you’ve got Henry,” Ron said.
“I’m not,” BT said.
“I’ve been looking for him for hours. Mike would have killed me. How long before you get back here?” Ron asked.
BT turned to Meredith for an answer. “Three hours tops according to your pain-in-the-ass daughter.” “Yeah, try living with her for the better part of twenty-three years,” Ron voiced.
“Dad?!” Meredith exclaimed.
“Love you honey,” Ron said. “See you guys in a few hours. Out.”
“I think I can come to like that guy,” BT said with a smile on his face as he sat back down. “Wake me when we get there.” He folded his arms and rested his head against the headrest. As his eyes closed he was nearly asleep, Ron’s pain pills taking full effect.
“BT, wake up!” Meredith said, shoving his arm as hard as she could. He barely moved. “BT, get your ass up!” Meredith yelled this time.
“Damn girl, you made good time, we there already?” BT asked as he stretched his arms out.
“Not quite. We’ve only been driving about an hour and a half.”
“Why isn’t the car moving?” BT sat up straight. He followed Meredith’s line of sight. About a quarter of a mile up the roadway was a roadblock.
“It’s cops,” Meredith said.
“Doubtful,” BT finished.
