planet. And make no mistake about it; God had forsaken him, him and Davey and everyone else. An absentee landlord who had allowed his house to fall to ruin, while he did what? What was he doing when those clouds raced across the sky? Babbling a bunch of nonsensical bullshit across the airwaves?
And now here was Scott, lost and alone and wondering if he would ever see his wife again. Wondering if he even wanted to see her again, because if she was still here, what must she have gone through to stay alive these last few weeks?
To keep from ending up on the spit.
Scott put the can to his open mouth, tipped it up and slippery chunks of beef tumbled across his lips. The greasy juice spilling into his throat as he chewed was like heavenly nectar from the gods. He knew that somewhere, in another time—a much happier time—he had experienced better than this, but knowing it took nothing away from the tremendous feeling of satisfaction that started in his belly and spread outward like ripples from a stone cast upon still waters. Like a starving dog, he chewed and swallowed, chewed and swallowed and tapped a finger against the can—another mouthful fell across his lips and he slurped that down as well. Finished with that, he dragged two fingers around the can, scooping most of the remainder out and into his mouth while Davey laughed and said, “Here, man.”
Scott looked up to see the kid holding out a white plastic fork. “Fuck that,” he said. He began to lick his fingers dry, but stopped himself, because even though he was starving, he was not a bum, and he would not behave like one. He wiped his fingers on his sweatpants and accepted the fork, held the can to his lips and shoveled the last few bits into his mouth. Finished, he grabbed his bottle of water and guzzled down a mouthful. Davey handed Scott another opened can of beef stew and he quickly consumed it. Then it was a can of peaches and some fruit cocktail, Davey laughing and tossing the empty cans out the open side window as Scott finished them off.
Lila, who had polished off a tin of Spam and a container of fruit cocktail, now sat cross-legged beside Scott. She patted him gently on the shoulder, smiling as she said, “How does it feel, eating something after being out for so long?”
“Great,” Scott said, patting his belly and leaning back against the bed. “I never knew dog food could taste so good.”
Laughing, Lila picked up a half-full container of Gatorade and drank from it. She held the bottle in her lap, sighed and said, “How long have you been here, Davey?”
“About a week.”
“And all this stuff?”
“It was already here. Warren said he’d been hauling stuff around for a couple of weeks. Said we were far enough out of the way we didn’t have to worry about anybody looting the place.” Davey picked up a bottle of beer, twisted the cap off and said, “He was pretty much right. Other than an occasional motorcycle racing down the road, nobody’s even come close to this place. Until you guys showed up.”
“ Beer? ” Scott said, and Davey shrugged his shoulders.
“Aren’t you a little young for that?”
“A little young?Yeah, I’m a little young. I’m a little young for a lot of stuff. Sure as hell didn’t keep it from happening to me though, did it? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Scott, but it’s a new world out there, a new world with new rules—or better yet, no rules, and until my mom walks through here and says different, I’m gonna do whatever the hell I wanta do. If that’s all right with you, I mean. I wouldn’t want to do anything to upset you .”
Davey took a drink of beer, and Scott said nothing. He looked at Lila, who gave her shoulders a disinterested shrug. Davey was right: it was a new world out there, and who was Scott or Lila or anybody else to pass judgment on the kid? With his hollow eyes and the deep welts crisscrossing his back and legs, no telling what he’d been through these past weeks, or
And now here was Scott, lost and alone and wondering if he would ever see his wife again. Wondering if he even wanted to see her again, because if she was still here, what must she have gone through to stay alive these last few weeks?
To keep from ending up on the spit.
Scott put the can to his open mouth, tipped it up and slippery chunks of beef tumbled across his lips. The greasy juice spilling into his throat as he chewed was like heavenly nectar from the gods. He knew that somewhere, in another time—a much happier time—he had experienced better than this, but knowing it took nothing away from the tremendous feeling of satisfaction that started in his belly and spread outward like ripples from a stone cast upon still waters. Like a starving dog, he chewed and swallowed, chewed and swallowed and tapped a finger against the can—another mouthful fell across his lips and he slurped that down as well. Finished with that, he dragged two fingers around the can, scooping most of the remainder out and into his mouth while Davey laughed and said, “Here, man.”
Scott looked up to see the kid holding out a white plastic fork. “Fuck that,” he said. He began to lick his fingers dry, but stopped himself, because even though he was starving, he was not a bum, and he would not behave like one. He wiped his fingers on his sweatpants and accepted the fork, held the can to his lips and shoveled the last few bits into his mouth. Finished, he grabbed his bottle of water and guzzled down a mouthful. Davey handed Scott another opened can of beef stew and he quickly consumed it. Then it was a can of peaches and some fruit cocktail, Davey laughing and tossing the empty cans out the open side window as Scott finished them off.
Lila, who had polished off a tin of Spam and a container of fruit cocktail, now sat cross-legged beside Scott. She patted him gently on the shoulder, smiling as she said, “How does it feel, eating something after being out for so long?”
“Great,” Scott said, patting his belly and leaning back against the bed. “I never knew dog food could taste so good.”
Laughing, Lila picked up a half-full container of Gatorade and drank from it. She held the bottle in her lap, sighed and said, “How long have you been here, Davey?”
“About a week.”
“And all this stuff?”
“It was already here. Warren said he’d been hauling stuff around for a couple of weeks. Said we were far enough out of the way we didn’t have to worry about anybody looting the place.” Davey picked up a bottle of beer, twisted the cap off and said, “He was pretty much right. Other than an occasional motorcycle racing down the road, nobody’s even come close to this place. Until you guys showed up.”
“ Beer? ” Scott said, and Davey shrugged his shoulders.
“Aren’t you a little young for that?”
“A little young?Yeah, I’m a little young. I’m a little young for a lot of stuff. Sure as hell didn’t keep it from happening to me though, did it? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Scott, but it’s a new world out there, a new world with new rules—or better yet, no rules, and until my mom walks through here and says different, I’m gonna do whatever the hell I wanta do. If that’s all right with you, I mean. I wouldn’t want to do anything to upset you .”
Davey took a drink of beer, and Scott said nothing. He looked at Lila, who gave her shoulders a disinterested shrug. Davey was right: it was a new world out there, and who was Scott or Lila or anybody else to pass judgment on the kid? With his hollow eyes and the deep welts crisscrossing his back and legs, no telling what he’d been through these past weeks, or
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