looked like a group of people. Maybe three or four. They didn't look very appealing, though. They weren't carrying any bags. It didn't even look like their clothes were very nice.
"What about 'em?" Rick asked. "You wanna attack 'em or something?"
Carl laughed. "No, we're not going to attac k the m . Those are the creatures."
"The creatures?"
"The creatures!" Carl slapped Rick on the back.
"I thought they killed each other," Rick said, ignoring the man's touch.
Carl raised up his finger as though he were about to teach an important lesson. "That's why I called you up here. It seems that our competition has changed. They seem to like each other now. Isn't it sweet?"
Carl smiled. It made Rick sick.
"No, it's not sweet," he said. "It's fuckin' scary."
At that, Carl's smile dropped.
Rick knew that he shouldn't have said anything. He simply couldn't help it. It wasn' t swee t at all that they creatures were working together. That meant that the creatures could hunt in groups.
Carl moved his face closer to his own. Rick could smell the man's breath. Surprisingly, it smelled like mint. Rick had expected something foul.
Their leader tilted his head and brought one of his eyes closer to Rick's. "I t i s sweet," he said. "It means that they've evolved. You know what that means, don't you? It means that they're trying to survive. Like us. They're trying to work together. Like us. They want to live . Like…u s ."
Rick couldn't say anything to that. Nor did he didn't want to. He was sure that anything he said would either leave him with a bullet, or a boulder, in the head. He simply nodded.
"Good," Carl said. "You understand."
Rick nodded. "So, what are we going to do?"
Carl raised his hand and looked as though he was going to strike Rick. But, before he did, he composed himself and flattened his shirt with the palms of his hands. He turned back toward the creatures walking across the horizon. "We're just going to sit here for a while and watch."
Rick didn't argue. None of them did. If that's what Carl wanted to do, then that's what they would do.
*
They waited until the creatures had gone.
"Beautiful, wasn't it?" Carl asked.
Only Big Mike shook his head.
Carl turned to look at Rick. "What di d yo u think?"
Rick wanted to say it was stupid . So fuckin' stupid . They were wasting time. They had was t e d time. And it had been dangerous. If the creatures had seen them...
"I don't know," he muttered. "It was okay, I guess."
"You guess? Do you understand what you've just seen? It's survival. It's how a species comes together. It's how they bond. How they thrive."
Rick wanted to shou t big fuckin' dea l . But he didn't. He just shrugged his shoulders.
That got him a cold stare from Carl. So much so that Rick thought that this was the end.
He watched anxiously, his heart beating heavily.
Carl didn't move. And he didn't attack. "Let me get this straight, you didn't see anything beautiful in that?"
Rick knew that he should just sa y yeah, it was fuckin' great. I can't wait to see it agai n . But the words wouldn't come out.
He saw Carl twitch.
This was it. He was a dead man. He knew it.
Yet, it didn't happen. Carl's twitch turned into a smile. "Think about it a little more," was all he said. "We can talk about it later." Then he screamed, a great yell over the landscape.
Rick cast a look at Joe.
Yeah, no doubt about it, this guy was nuts. And he and his friend needed to get out of there.
Chapter 9
Sam sat next to Gregor, both beside the cage. Shelly hadn't looked at him yet, but she was still in there, huddled up against the back bars with Big Mike's woman. She had her arm wrapped around the little girl and was whispering something to her the whole time. Sam didn't know what. He assumed that it had to be some sort of consolation . It'll be okay, everything will be all right, we'll get out of here . Stuff like that.
He wished he could have said those things to her too, but he wasn't been about to
"What about 'em?" Rick asked. "You wanna attack 'em or something?"
Carl laughed. "No, we're not going to attac k the m . Those are the creatures."
"The creatures?"
"The creatures!" Carl slapped Rick on the back.
"I thought they killed each other," Rick said, ignoring the man's touch.
Carl raised up his finger as though he were about to teach an important lesson. "That's why I called you up here. It seems that our competition has changed. They seem to like each other now. Isn't it sweet?"
Carl smiled. It made Rick sick.
"No, it's not sweet," he said. "It's fuckin' scary."
At that, Carl's smile dropped.
Rick knew that he shouldn't have said anything. He simply couldn't help it. It wasn' t swee t at all that they creatures were working together. That meant that the creatures could hunt in groups.
Carl moved his face closer to his own. Rick could smell the man's breath. Surprisingly, it smelled like mint. Rick had expected something foul.
Their leader tilted his head and brought one of his eyes closer to Rick's. "I t i s sweet," he said. "It means that they've evolved. You know what that means, don't you? It means that they're trying to survive. Like us. They're trying to work together. Like us. They want to live . Like…u s ."
Rick couldn't say anything to that. Nor did he didn't want to. He was sure that anything he said would either leave him with a bullet, or a boulder, in the head. He simply nodded.
"Good," Carl said. "You understand."
Rick nodded. "So, what are we going to do?"
Carl raised his hand and looked as though he was going to strike Rick. But, before he did, he composed himself and flattened his shirt with the palms of his hands. He turned back toward the creatures walking across the horizon. "We're just going to sit here for a while and watch."
Rick didn't argue. None of them did. If that's what Carl wanted to do, then that's what they would do.
*
They waited until the creatures had gone.
"Beautiful, wasn't it?" Carl asked.
Only Big Mike shook his head.
Carl turned to look at Rick. "What di d yo u think?"
Rick wanted to say it was stupid . So fuckin' stupid . They were wasting time. They had was t e d time. And it had been dangerous. If the creatures had seen them...
"I don't know," he muttered. "It was okay, I guess."
"You guess? Do you understand what you've just seen? It's survival. It's how a species comes together. It's how they bond. How they thrive."
Rick wanted to shou t big fuckin' dea l . But he didn't. He just shrugged his shoulders.
That got him a cold stare from Carl. So much so that Rick thought that this was the end.
He watched anxiously, his heart beating heavily.
Carl didn't move. And he didn't attack. "Let me get this straight, you didn't see anything beautiful in that?"
Rick knew that he should just sa y yeah, it was fuckin' great. I can't wait to see it agai n . But the words wouldn't come out.
He saw Carl twitch.
This was it. He was a dead man. He knew it.
Yet, it didn't happen. Carl's twitch turned into a smile. "Think about it a little more," was all he said. "We can talk about it later." Then he screamed, a great yell over the landscape.
Rick cast a look at Joe.
Yeah, no doubt about it, this guy was nuts. And he and his friend needed to get out of there.
Chapter 9
Sam sat next to Gregor, both beside the cage. Shelly hadn't looked at him yet, but she was still in there, huddled up against the back bars with Big Mike's woman. She had her arm wrapped around the little girl and was whispering something to her the whole time. Sam didn't know what. He assumed that it had to be some sort of consolation . It'll be okay, everything will be all right, we'll get out of here . Stuff like that.
He wished he could have said those things to her too, but he wasn't been about to
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