they stuck fake longer fingernails on him. But they call him Scratch. Lovely Mr. Goodrow.”
“There’s something wrong with this,” Tammy said. For the first time since he’d known her, Josh felt he heard something adult in her voice, as if she’d been hiding behind a little-girl persona during college. “I don’t feel good about it.”
“I know. It’s not right,” Ziggy said, startling the others.
Josh turned—Ziggy had pressed himself up against the metal wall. He was tripping somehow—it looked as if he’d finally hit the legendary limit of too much weed and too much speed. “What’s up? Zig?”
“I had a dream about this. A vision. Like a shaman.”
Griff snorted. “Doin’ ’shrooms, was ya?”
“I had this vision where I saw this thing coming for me, only it was all bloody and torn up, but it had eyes just like this.”
“It was a dream. That’s all,” Josh said.
“I don’t know. I am never ever taking anything again,” Ziggy said. “Crap. My brain is fried. I know it is.”
Bronwyn went over to him and touched the edge of his elbow. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Look, let’s go back down to the shop. I’m sure the car’s nearly ready. We can get some Cokes. Want a Coke? My treat.”
“Some freak put this together,” Ziggy whispered. “Some freak. Some sick nutjob. That’s a kid. Or a dwarf. Or a very little person. Jesus Holy Mother of Mary.”
“It’s okay,” Bronwyn said, softly. She tugged at his arm, and Ziggy, head down, began walking with her down the long corridor, past the paintings and the stonework of the Quonset hut, back to the shop at the Brakedown Palace.
“I never wanna get that burnt out on drugs,” Tammy said. “I like weed too much.”
“Remember that acid?”
“Only three times,” Tammy said.
“Let’s get out of here,” Josh said.
“Eh, we just broke some cheap piece of glass. It’s no biggie,” Griff said. “Hey, let’s find out if this thing is real. Let’s feed it.”
“Hardy-har-har.”
“I mean it. Come on. We can just give it a little skin. Just a little.”
“You’re getting creepy on me, baby,” Tammy said.
“Creepy can be good.” Griff reached for her left breast and gave it a squeeze. Tammy slapped him hard on the cheek—the smack echoed as much as the breaking glass had.
Josh stood there, wishing he could disappear.
“You slut,” Griff spat, and swung a fist out at Tammy, connecting with the side of her neck. Tammy fell—knocked off her feet by the blow.
“Hey!” Josh moved forward, grabbing Griff’s arm, pulling it back. Griff tugged hard, pulling Josh off balance. “Leave me the hell alone!” Griff shouted. Josh wasn’t sure what he yelled back, and he was only dimly aware that Tammy was screaming and weeping in a heap in the corner, but the next thing he knew, he was thrown backward into the glass display case. He felt a sliver of glass go into his side, then a sick little crunch. At first, he thought he’d broken his back, but then realized it was just the Unspeakable Mystery Attraction, Scratch, beneath him.
Josh started cussing, and when he was done, whispered, “You probably killed me.”
Griff’s face was deep red and sweaty—but the smash-up of the display had gotten his attention and stopped the fight.
“
Did
I kill you?” Griff asked.
Griff gingerly pulled Josh up by the waist from the broken display.
Josh felt a pain in his back and side, but after a minute, lifting his torn shirt up, Griff only found two small bits of glass, and they had just scraped his skin a bit.
“Oh man,” Griff said.
“You are one fat moron,” Tammy said, as if it were the worst insult she could hurl.
“Okay. Just leave me alone,” Josh said, pulling back from Griff.
“I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. Okay? I’m fine. Don’t touch me. And do not hit her ever again.”
“She hit me first,” Griff said.
“What, are you two years old? She slapped you because you copped
“There’s something wrong with this,” Tammy said. For the first time since he’d known her, Josh felt he heard something adult in her voice, as if she’d been hiding behind a little-girl persona during college. “I don’t feel good about it.”
“I know. It’s not right,” Ziggy said, startling the others.
Josh turned—Ziggy had pressed himself up against the metal wall. He was tripping somehow—it looked as if he’d finally hit the legendary limit of too much weed and too much speed. “What’s up? Zig?”
“I had a dream about this. A vision. Like a shaman.”
Griff snorted. “Doin’ ’shrooms, was ya?”
“I had this vision where I saw this thing coming for me, only it was all bloody and torn up, but it had eyes just like this.”
“It was a dream. That’s all,” Josh said.
“I don’t know. I am never ever taking anything again,” Ziggy said. “Crap. My brain is fried. I know it is.”
Bronwyn went over to him and touched the edge of his elbow. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Look, let’s go back down to the shop. I’m sure the car’s nearly ready. We can get some Cokes. Want a Coke? My treat.”
“Some freak put this together,” Ziggy whispered. “Some freak. Some sick nutjob. That’s a kid. Or a dwarf. Or a very little person. Jesus Holy Mother of Mary.”
“It’s okay,” Bronwyn said, softly. She tugged at his arm, and Ziggy, head down, began walking with her down the long corridor, past the paintings and the stonework of the Quonset hut, back to the shop at the Brakedown Palace.
“I never wanna get that burnt out on drugs,” Tammy said. “I like weed too much.”
“Remember that acid?”
“Only three times,” Tammy said.
“Let’s get out of here,” Josh said.
“Eh, we just broke some cheap piece of glass. It’s no biggie,” Griff said. “Hey, let’s find out if this thing is real. Let’s feed it.”
“Hardy-har-har.”
“I mean it. Come on. We can just give it a little skin. Just a little.”
“You’re getting creepy on me, baby,” Tammy said.
“Creepy can be good.” Griff reached for her left breast and gave it a squeeze. Tammy slapped him hard on the cheek—the smack echoed as much as the breaking glass had.
Josh stood there, wishing he could disappear.
“You slut,” Griff spat, and swung a fist out at Tammy, connecting with the side of her neck. Tammy fell—knocked off her feet by the blow.
“Hey!” Josh moved forward, grabbing Griff’s arm, pulling it back. Griff tugged hard, pulling Josh off balance. “Leave me the hell alone!” Griff shouted. Josh wasn’t sure what he yelled back, and he was only dimly aware that Tammy was screaming and weeping in a heap in the corner, but the next thing he knew, he was thrown backward into the glass display case. He felt a sliver of glass go into his side, then a sick little crunch. At first, he thought he’d broken his back, but then realized it was just the Unspeakable Mystery Attraction, Scratch, beneath him.
Josh started cussing, and when he was done, whispered, “You probably killed me.”
Griff’s face was deep red and sweaty—but the smash-up of the display had gotten his attention and stopped the fight.
“
Did
I kill you?” Griff asked.
Griff gingerly pulled Josh up by the waist from the broken display.
Josh felt a pain in his back and side, but after a minute, lifting his torn shirt up, Griff only found two small bits of glass, and they had just scraped his skin a bit.
“Oh man,” Griff said.
“You are one fat moron,” Tammy said, as if it were the worst insult she could hurl.
“Okay. Just leave me alone,” Josh said, pulling back from Griff.
“I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. Okay? I’m fine. Don’t touch me. And do not hit her ever again.”
“She hit me first,” Griff said.
“What, are you two years old? She slapped you because you copped
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