Amoeba (The Experiments) (29 page)

“Gee
, thanks.” She laughed and grabbed a handful of mud, tossing it at him.

Billy ducked with a laugh, then reached his hand out. “Here. Let’s head back.”

“Thanks.” Cal gripped his slippery hand and used it as leverage as she clung to the front of his shirt.

Billy pulled her up and tried to get his footing. As she was brought to a kneel, Billy slipped, falling towards Cal and arching her backwards. His hand reached down to the ground, stopping himself before he knocked her completely over. “Sorry. Not much of a hero
, huh?” As he lifted himself up straight, Cal, still holding on to his shirt, came with him, causing them to meet chest to chest. Billy paused in moving when he noticed Cal’s stare on him. Immediately and nervously, he locked into that. With a shiver, trying to escape a moment he really didn’t want to have, he reached up, smearing away some of the muddy hair from her face. He swallowed harshly and his chest rose in a deep breath. “You . . . you . . . really do look cute in . . .” Billy closed his eyes and lowered his head to Cal. “Mud.” With only a slight hesitation he touched his lips to hers. The moment that their joined lips met and parted was the moment they sprang away. What sounded like a group of pigs squealing loudly at them and in an attack mode had scared them into separation.

Cal wiped the mud from her eyes and looked around. Seven wild bo
ars surrounded them. “Do you think we’re in their mud?”

“I think we’re on their dinner plate.” Grabbing Cal’s hand
, Billy, in a tripping stand, hoisted her up. And with the cry from the pack of boars, Billy and Cal took off running, screaming all of the way as the seven hungry animals pursued them with speed and determination.

^^^^

Jake was slipping into the rare occurrence of a mid morning nap as the boredom of his book consumed him. His bobbing head, propped on his hand, sprang up when he thought he heard a scream. Listening and hearing no more, Jake, chalking it up to one of those almost-dream sounds that awaken you, shook his head to wake himself, and tried to read the book again.

Cal leaped like a hurdler over a tree stump. “Billy
,” she said as she charged in a run. “It’s my intention to lose these things. That’s why we’re . . .” Another jump. “Running around these fuckin woods. Now, quit screaming.”

Billy looked behind him to the pig pack that followed. “
You
quit screaming.”

“I’m allowed. I’m a woman.”

“I’m telling Jake you said that.”

“Oh!” Cal spoke with excitement. “Good idea! Let’s go tell Jake. This way.” She careened to her left and onto the path not far ahead. And
, of course, the pigs, loud and persistent, followed.

Down the path Cal and Billy charged. Behind them, the wobbling, fast moving creatures caused a dust storm in their stampeded chase. Billy let out a female type squeak as a bo
ar leaped at him and nipped at his rear just as they rounded the bend near the bungalows. Cal, who was running side-by-side with him, spun and kicked out her foot at the pursuing pig. The pig snorted in pain, flew backward, and slammed into the other six who just jumped over him and kept on coming.

Reed, standing on his porch, saw the two of them running, screaming, and laughing. “Hey, guys, what’s going on?”

Cal pointed at him as she raced with Billy across the unity circle toward
s her bungalow. “Reed! Get inside!”

“What for?” Reed asked
, and then his eyes widened when he saw the pack of boars enter the camp.

In a hurry and nearly flying
, Cal burst open the door to the bungalow and slammed it shut with her weight once Billy was inside.

Jake lifted his head, looked, returned to the book briefly, then sprang up. “What the hell happened to you two?”

“Hi Jake.” Cal smiled nervously. “Hon. Can you, uh . . . get me the revolver.”

“The revolver?” Jake questioned as he walked around the bed. “What do you . . .” A bang against the door shut him up. “Is something following you
, Cal?”

“Yes.” Cal bounced as she held the door.

“Cal?” Jake tilted his head as he moved to her. “What’s behind that door?”

Cal flashed a smile, looked at Billy then Jake. “Pigs.”

“Pigs?” Jake questioned with a wide eyed look, “Pigs? Pigs are chasing you.”

“Bo
ars.” Billy corrected. “Mean ones, too.”

“Christ
, and you led them here?” Jake shook his head in disgust moving to the bed. After opening the night stand, grabbing the revolver, and placing it in the back waistband of his pants, he reached underneath the bed, pulling out his arsenal bag. Just as he unzipped it and pulled out two shotguns, he heard the loud painful scream of Reed.

“Aw!” Cal whined loudly. “I told him to get inside.”

Jake pumped the chamber on the shotgun and tossed the other to Cal. “Ready?”

“Yes.” Cal pumped her chamber as well. “Close or far?”

“I’m faster, you’re more accurate.” Jake aimed his weapon low. “I’ll take close.” His finger was ready. “Billy, when I say . . . you open that door fast.”

Billy scooted up to the door, staying clear of Cal and Jake’s aim. He grabbed the handle and prepared.

“Ready and . . .” Jake ordered. “Now!”

Billy flung open the door. It happened so fast, he was grateful he couldn’t see. A short squeal, a heavy shot
, and a pump of the shot gun. Another shot by Jake followed not two seconds later. Billy watched them both step out on the porch, and just for safety’s sake, he stayed inside behind the slightly closed door.

“Cal, to the left. I’ll get the ones that are eating.”

Jake stepped off the porch, and Cal shifted her gaze, aimed, shot, pumped, and shot again. Two boars flew back.

Jake neared a screaming Reed
’s porch. His arms flung out as he fought off the two boars that nipped and picked at him. Tossing the shotgun over his shoulder, Jake pulled the semi-automatic revolver from the back of his pants, clicked back the hammer, stepped closer, and fired only twice, both of which hit the boars in the head, killing them instantly.

Reed lay crying on the porch, trembling. Jake scooted the carcasses of the bo
ars aside and moved to Reed.

“Jake!” Cal ran forward th
rough the other participants who had emerged when they knew it was safe. “Is he okay?”

Jake shrugged. “Hey,
you okay?” He asked, but only received a whimper. “Christ. Hey.” Jake bent down closer.

Cal joined him on the porch, Judge and Paul not far behind her. “Jake, is he all right.”

Jake visually examined him. “I see lots of blood, but no reason for crying like this. A leg nibble, arm bite. Nothing major. Reed, come on get . . . oh, okay, I see now.”

“What?” Cal asked.

Jake stood up with a slight cringe and a sniff. “They got his ear.”

^^^^

Billy could barely move because of the mud that had dried on his clothes nearly as hard as concrete, but he wanted to get the pictures he had developed of Cal out of the bathroom so the dampness from the shower didn’t ruin them. One batch was already ripped up, and he didn’t want the second batch from those negatives to get ruined as well. He paused to look at a picture of Cal, and then set it down on the sink with the others. He closed his eyes thinking about their eventful afternoon, the fall, the mud. And not only could Billy still feel the pain where that pig had nipped his fingers and rear, he could still feel something else, as well. Cal’s lips on his. And that wasn’t good. Billy didn’t know why he let himself go like that, and he knew he had to get it together, because like him and Cal on that muddy hillside, his feelings were starting to careen out of control.

^^^^

Lou stood, arms crossed in his body guard mode, looking down at a whimpering, bald, and bandaged Reed lying in the bed in his bungalow. Raising one eyebrow, Lou looked at Judge who sat at Reed’s bedside, then at Paul who was over at the dresser with what looked like a mini pot over a flame. Then to Rickie. “He . . . he doesn’t look good,” Lou commented.

Judge peered up. “I don’t think he’s dying.”

“No, that’s not what I mean,” Lou said. “He doesn’t look good. Bald, earless . . .”

Rickie laughed loudly
, then quickly shut up when Paul, carrying a smoking wand, walked over to the bed. Rickie stepped out of Paul’s way moving closer to Lou.

Paul shook the smoking wand over Reed, doing a mumbling chant. And for every word he spoke, Rickie tried
his best to imitate it. Then Paul stopped. “Do you mind?”

“Dude, you look at me weird.” Rickie pointed. “You don’t like me guy, huh?”

“That’s because only I see you.” Paul’s eyes glared at him.

Rickie snickered. “Dude, that is
, like, so wrong. Lou sees me, don’t you guy?”

“Yeah.” Lou nodded.

“No.” Paul spoke softly yet firmly. “I see Rickie.”

Rickie snickered placing his hands together and form
ing a circle and peering through. “Romper-stomper-bomper-boo. Tell me, tell me, who are you. I see Lou, and Judge, and . . .”

“You are an abomination
,” Paul stated.

“Yeah.” Rickie nodded. “Cool
, huh.” He growled. “I’m a monster.”

Lou s
hook his head. “That is amazing.”

“What
, guy? That I’m a monster?”

“No, that you know Romper Room.” Lou was so amazed. “You’re so young.”

“Dude, like, my uncle was one of the writers of that show. I got me the hand-me-down moon shoes while all my little buds were still, like, morphin on the power rangers.” Rickie gave a thumbs up.

Paul slowly stared up. “I really need silence.”

“Why?” Rickie asked.

“So this can work.” Paul let the smoke linger over Reed.

“Like on his ear?”

“Yes.”

“Dude, Sarge, like, sewed up what he could, See . . .” Rickie reached down to the bandage only to have his hand removed.

Paul looked at him. “While this man is weak, do not touch him. We don’t want what is in you to pass along to him.”

Rickie tightened his lips and looked up at Lou then to Paul. “Just so we’re clear. Will it get you mad if I touch him again?”

“Yes
,” Paul answered calmly.

“O
kay.” Rickie bounced some, reached out his hands, laid them on Reed, saw the glare Paul gave him, and then sped from the room with Lou.

^^^^

Facing the shower’s hot water stream, Cal ran her hand over her wet hair, then flicked the extra water from her face. She snickered when Jake touched up behind her as he closely examined the nails on her hand. “They’re clean, Jake.”

“Checking.”

“Really, I’m not a child. I could have done this myself.”

“Cal.” Jake rubbed over her fingernails. “You were covered from head to toe in mud. You had mud, and I don’t want to know how, in crevasses of your body you shouldn’t have.”

Cal laughed. “Again, cleaning myself is a task I could have handled.”

“Well.” Jake moved even closer. “I do have an ulterior motive.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” Jake softened his voice and he grabbed her wrists. He raised her arms, placing one of her hands flush against the wall and the other flush against the shower door. He reached around the front of her for the soap in the dish, soaping up his hands.

“I uh . . . I might like this ulterior motive.” Cal moaned a chuckle as she felt both of his hands lay on her stomach.

“I should hope so. It’s
, um, all part of the cleansing process.” His voice was raspy as he tried to keep it soft. His one hand glided up her slowly, his fingertips barely touching as they traced the contour of her breasts. “Cleanliness is next to godliness.”

“What . . uh . . . what does religion have to do with this moment
?”

Jake nibbled at her ear. He smiled as he felt her head press back into his chest when his other hand moved down. “Let’s just say I long to hear you say . . .”

“Oh, God.” Cal closed her eyes.

“That’s the phrase.” Jake brought his lips to her ear again. “Do you know how much I love you?”

Cal’s head swayed feeling his touch, feeling his lips glide softly down her neck.

“And . . .” Jake spoke through his kisses. “How great you looked in mud.”

Cal’s eyes widened immediately, and the vision of her kissing Billy flashed into her mind. “Jake.” Her head sprang up. “Stop.”

“What’s wrong?”

She turned to face him, clearing the water from her face.

“What’s wrong?” Jake asked, watching Cal breath a little heavy, her mouth twitching while she held a lost expression. “Cal?”