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Glum and frustration in every move, Benny dug through the
tiny apartment refrigerator: sour milk that was already cheese and whey, two
eggs of undetermined age, a few pieces of wilted broccoli, and no meat. Not even
the body wastes otherwise known as soy.
Something broke under his foot. Glancing down showed it was a
thin bone. Scowling, Benny lowered himself to examine it. Rodent? He grimaced.
The floor was dirty, and he wasn’t allowed in the bedroom by
Ama. Too much hovering was bad for Sue, the old bat claimed. Benny found a
broom. It was worn and well chewed by hungry rats and mice, but serviceable. Ten
minutes later he has a small pile of dirt in a small box and was hunting for a
back door and a garden to dump it on.
Despite the chill damp of the house, a bead of sweat ran down
his face. No back door.
He slipped to Sue’s bedroom. She had a small window, and Ama
was dozing. The window was covered with wet cardboard, but he peeled a little
away and saw a cow chewing her cud. A draft brought the faint odor of manure, and
for some odd reason he felt some of the tension ease.
A life spent between the Project and Children’s Services
was nothing to dream over, but there had been good places in the midst of the
nightmare. Uncle Charlie’s prize Devonshire cattle. Milking and feeding and
cleaning the barn. Camping on the mountain. Free of the Project, for a time.
Running the woods, catching snakes and throwing them at those agents. Then Kills
Deer and the rez and that agent, Tina’s old man. His eyes exploding from his
head when the spirit attacked him. Then the horror of the Manse and the sweet,
petite Twins From Hell, Trixie and Dixie. The girls were firebugs. Anyone that
messed with them would find his feet smoking and flames shooting out of his
backside.
ESP, riiiight.
Benny snorted a cold laugh.
“Got no life so they want to own mine,” he said to the
cow. She looked up and offered him a short ride on a set of sharp horns.
“Good girl,” he said, smiled, and pushed the cardboard
back in place.
He moved to Sue’s side, bending to brush his lips on one
high cheekbone. Her eyelids fluttered and opened.
She smiled, whispering through a raw throat, “Hey, man.”
Benny moved to step away but she caught his hand.
“Please.” Her hand trembled. “Don’ go.”
He shot a look at Ama. The old woman was muttering and
snoring.
“OK. But if the Dragon Lady gets up, I’m gone.”
Sue giggled. She drew Benny down to the bed, and he lay beside
her. The bag with the dirt made a soft thump on the floor.
A snoring Ama let one eye crack open. She smiled
and let the eye closed.
©2004 StoriesByEmail.com
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