and began to drag, his
upper body fell away, lightening their load. His insides were dry,
creating a fine powder. I saw Boggs cough. Gus walked into the
trailer, holding his shirt over his nose, and emerged with a bed sheet that was
covered in dark brown stains that I presumed was old blood. He laid it
out flat on the muddy ground and the two men started piling on pieces of
Chuck. When they were done they hauled the bundle off into the
woods. I lost sight of them and turned toward the fireplace. I took
my shoes and socks off, and stripped out of my wet t-shirt and shorts, down to
my matching powder blue bra and panties. I laid my clothes out near the
fire, next to Gus’ hat. I added one more wedge of wood to the fire and
rolled out one of the sleeping bags, laying it on the old mattress. I set
out the ARCO feast of Doritos and bean dip and Cherry Cokes for when Boggs and
Gus returned. Exhaustion overcame me while I waited. I slid into
the flannel-lined sleeping bag and lay my head on the pillow from Boggs’
bedroom. It smelled like him, which I found comforting. I fell asleep and
dreamt of things that don’t belong in even the worst of nightmares.
I woke disoriented and it took me
a moment to realize where I was. My body ached, especially my hip.
I sat up and looked at the two men who were set aglow by the soft orange light
from the woodstove. Boggs tossed my now-dry t-shirt to me, causing me to
blush realizing I was still in just my bra. Gus had politely averted his
eyes this time.
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
“What time is it?”
Gus looked at his
watch. “Two o’clock in the morning. Just a bit
after. Sleep well?”
I didn’t answer, still trying to
orient myself. The air in the little building felt warmer
and not as damp as earlier. I held the t-shirt in a clump to my
chest, and climbed under the covers while I slipped it over my head and arms.
I crept out from under the thick
sleeping bag, the large shirt coming nearly to my knees. The guys were
playing a game with a deck of cards they had found.
“Mind if I sit and watch?” I
asked. I had a strong desire to be next to the warm fire and the two men.
“C’mon over, Zo. We saved you some chips,” Boggs said. He
sounded tired.
I sat cross-legged on the sheep
skin between the two of them, facing the fire. Gus handed me an unopened
Cherry Coke, and I took it thankfully. My stomach growled fiercely and my
mouth was dry. My teeth had sweaters growing on them. I twisted the
cap and drank eagerly from the plastic bottle.
“Thanks, Gus.” I set the
bottle down in front of me and reached for the half-empty bag of Doritos.
I ate several and took another long pull from the Coke before speaking
again. “Sorry about your uncle.”
“Thanks, Zoe. Me too,” answered
Gus solemnly. “Looks like he’d been dead for awhile.
Last I talked to him was maybe…six months ago?”
Boggs leaned back against the bean
bag he had claimed. I tried not to look at his bare chest as light from
the woodstove flickered across his skin. He reached down and brought the
bottle of tequila that had been on the shelf to his lips. It was clearly
not as full as it had been when we first arrived.
“Boggs…c’mon. You don’t need that crap,” I snipped. Boggs knew I
wasn’t fond of hard alcohol or drugs, both being the reasons for the deaths of
my sister and our parents. I also knew he held his own recent sorrow
linked to indulging.
He sighed. “Tonight, Zoe, I
think I do.”
Gus looked at me softly.
“Zoe, Boggs told me about your folks. I’m really sorry about what
happened to them. Tonight, though, I think we all just need a break after the
hell we’ve seen today. We’ll be responsible about it. Ok, darlin’?”
I wiped a tear away from my eye
and nodded. I actually understood. When I was a junior in high
school, my older sister overdosed on cocaine. My parents
upper body fell away, lightening their load. His insides were dry,
creating a fine powder. I saw Boggs cough. Gus walked into the
trailer, holding his shirt over his nose, and emerged with a bed sheet that was
covered in dark brown stains that I presumed was old blood. He laid it
out flat on the muddy ground and the two men started piling on pieces of
Chuck. When they were done they hauled the bundle off into the
woods. I lost sight of them and turned toward the fireplace. I took
my shoes and socks off, and stripped out of my wet t-shirt and shorts, down to
my matching powder blue bra and panties. I laid my clothes out near the
fire, next to Gus’ hat. I added one more wedge of wood to the fire and
rolled out one of the sleeping bags, laying it on the old mattress. I set
out the ARCO feast of Doritos and bean dip and Cherry Cokes for when Boggs and
Gus returned. Exhaustion overcame me while I waited. I slid into
the flannel-lined sleeping bag and lay my head on the pillow from Boggs’
bedroom. It smelled like him, which I found comforting. I fell asleep and
dreamt of things that don’t belong in even the worst of nightmares.
I woke disoriented and it took me
a moment to realize where I was. My body ached, especially my hip.
I sat up and looked at the two men who were set aglow by the soft orange light
from the woodstove. Boggs tossed my now-dry t-shirt to me, causing me to
blush realizing I was still in just my bra. Gus had politely averted his
eyes this time.
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
“What time is it?”
Gus looked at his
watch. “Two o’clock in the morning. Just a bit
after. Sleep well?”
I didn’t answer, still trying to
orient myself. The air in the little building felt warmer
and not as damp as earlier. I held the t-shirt in a clump to my
chest, and climbed under the covers while I slipped it over my head and arms.
I crept out from under the thick
sleeping bag, the large shirt coming nearly to my knees. The guys were
playing a game with a deck of cards they had found.
“Mind if I sit and watch?” I
asked. I had a strong desire to be next to the warm fire and the two men.
“C’mon over, Zo. We saved you some chips,” Boggs said. He
sounded tired.
I sat cross-legged on the sheep
skin between the two of them, facing the fire. Gus handed me an unopened
Cherry Coke, and I took it thankfully. My stomach growled fiercely and my
mouth was dry. My teeth had sweaters growing on them. I twisted the
cap and drank eagerly from the plastic bottle.
“Thanks, Gus.” I set the
bottle down in front of me and reached for the half-empty bag of Doritos.
I ate several and took another long pull from the Coke before speaking
again. “Sorry about your uncle.”
“Thanks, Zoe. Me too,” answered
Gus solemnly. “Looks like he’d been dead for awhile.
Last I talked to him was maybe…six months ago?”
Boggs leaned back against the bean
bag he had claimed. I tried not to look at his bare chest as light from
the woodstove flickered across his skin. He reached down and brought the
bottle of tequila that had been on the shelf to his lips. It was clearly
not as full as it had been when we first arrived.
“Boggs…c’mon. You don’t need that crap,” I snipped. Boggs knew I
wasn’t fond of hard alcohol or drugs, both being the reasons for the deaths of
my sister and our parents. I also knew he held his own recent sorrow
linked to indulging.
He sighed. “Tonight, Zoe, I
think I do.”
Gus looked at me softly.
“Zoe, Boggs told me about your folks. I’m really sorry about what
happened to them. Tonight, though, I think we all just need a break after the
hell we’ve seen today. We’ll be responsible about it. Ok, darlin’?”
I wiped a tear away from my eye
and nodded. I actually understood. When I was a junior in high
school, my older sister overdosed on cocaine. My parents
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