leapt out of the vehicle and struggled to get the man to his feet. She opened the Rover’s back door and did all but shove him inside. Turning back to the girl, she said, “ HURRY !”
Finally understanding, the girl climbed into the vehicle and Rebecca slammed the door behind her, jumping in behind the wheel and slamming her own door as well.
Then her eyes fell on the crumpled, unmoving form still in the lot. “What about him?” she asked the young woman.
“He’s a dick,” the girl replied.
Rebecca probably would have been amused by this response under different circumstances, but now she said only, “Good, because he’s dead.”
She threw the Rover into reverse and hit the gas, the dog still barking in her ear.
Once she’d pulled back onto the road, she again cut the headlights. Behind them, the diner exploded, probably due to a ruptured gas line.
“ Holy shit !” the girl cried, covering her head.
“You can say that again,” Rebecca said, speeding up. “Lou, quiet !”
The dog immediately fell silent and went to work sniffing the moaning man.
“The stinger...” the man said. “Pretty sure it broke off in my thigh.” He was struggling to sit up, teeth gritted against the pain. “Help me get it out, Stacy.”
“What?” Stacy asked. “Joe, I...” She began to cry. “I don’t know if I can.”
“Please,” Joe grunted. “If you don’t...” He trailed off, wheezing for breath.
Now that they were a safe distance from the diner, Rebecca slowed the vehicle to a crawl. In the rearview mirror she could see the flames shooting into the night sky and some of the bees darting towards it and then away.
“Go on,” she growled under her breath. “Get in there you sons-of-bitches. Burn.”
In the backseat, Stacy said, “I think I feel it.”
Joe fought to get air into his lungs and rasped, “Pull...it...out.”
Rebecca winced a moment later when Joe let out a piercing scream. “Got it!” Stacy said triumphantly. “Shit! It’s...barbed!”
Catching a glimpse of the stinger in the mirror, Rebecca quickly returned her attention to the road. It was probably two feet long, black and had what appeared to be thorns all along its length. Definitely a nasty bit of work.
Stacy’s triumph was brief. “Now you’re bleeding. Shit !” To Rebecca, she said, “Do you have anything in here we can use to wrap his leg?”
“I don’t know,” she said apologetically. “This isn’t my car. Look around in the back.”
Turning in the seat, Stacy rummaged around but all she came up with was a wool blanket and an old blue and tan flannel shirt. She did the best she could with the shirt, binding Joe’s upper thigh with it before covering him with the blanket. A few hisses of pain escaped through Joe’s clenched teeth, but otherwise he was silent through the process.
“There,” Stacy said when she was finished. “That should help.”
Joe took a long ragged breath and said, “I guess I should mention I’m allergic to bee stings.”
Both women gasped, but he lifted a bloody hand to silence them. “All the Benadryl in the world won’t help this one. It’s a...doozy.”
“Jesus,” Rebecca whispered.
“We need to get him to a hospital,” Stacy said, her voice on the teetering edge of panic. “We need to go now !”
Rebecca licked her lips and shook her head slowly. “I’ve been driving for hours looking for a way out of town. So far, all the roads leading out are gone.”
“What do you mean ‘gone’?”
“I mean... gone . The sinkholes just swallowed them. I haven’t been able to find one completely intact yet and nothing’s been passable.”
Stacy let out a long string of curses then fell silent for a few seconds. “Well..what about that clinic over on Poplar?”
Rebecca thought about it. “I haven’t been down that way yet, but I can try taking the long way around.” She didn’t say what she was really thinking: that it would be a miracle if the clinic was not only
Finally understanding, the girl climbed into the vehicle and Rebecca slammed the door behind her, jumping in behind the wheel and slamming her own door as well.
Then her eyes fell on the crumpled, unmoving form still in the lot. “What about him?” she asked the young woman.
“He’s a dick,” the girl replied.
Rebecca probably would have been amused by this response under different circumstances, but now she said only, “Good, because he’s dead.”
She threw the Rover into reverse and hit the gas, the dog still barking in her ear.
Once she’d pulled back onto the road, she again cut the headlights. Behind them, the diner exploded, probably due to a ruptured gas line.
“ Holy shit !” the girl cried, covering her head.
“You can say that again,” Rebecca said, speeding up. “Lou, quiet !”
The dog immediately fell silent and went to work sniffing the moaning man.
“The stinger...” the man said. “Pretty sure it broke off in my thigh.” He was struggling to sit up, teeth gritted against the pain. “Help me get it out, Stacy.”
“What?” Stacy asked. “Joe, I...” She began to cry. “I don’t know if I can.”
“Please,” Joe grunted. “If you don’t...” He trailed off, wheezing for breath.
Now that they were a safe distance from the diner, Rebecca slowed the vehicle to a crawl. In the rearview mirror she could see the flames shooting into the night sky and some of the bees darting towards it and then away.
“Go on,” she growled under her breath. “Get in there you sons-of-bitches. Burn.”
In the backseat, Stacy said, “I think I feel it.”
Joe fought to get air into his lungs and rasped, “Pull...it...out.”
Rebecca winced a moment later when Joe let out a piercing scream. “Got it!” Stacy said triumphantly. “Shit! It’s...barbed!”
Catching a glimpse of the stinger in the mirror, Rebecca quickly returned her attention to the road. It was probably two feet long, black and had what appeared to be thorns all along its length. Definitely a nasty bit of work.
Stacy’s triumph was brief. “Now you’re bleeding. Shit !” To Rebecca, she said, “Do you have anything in here we can use to wrap his leg?”
“I don’t know,” she said apologetically. “This isn’t my car. Look around in the back.”
Turning in the seat, Stacy rummaged around but all she came up with was a wool blanket and an old blue and tan flannel shirt. She did the best she could with the shirt, binding Joe’s upper thigh with it before covering him with the blanket. A few hisses of pain escaped through Joe’s clenched teeth, but otherwise he was silent through the process.
“There,” Stacy said when she was finished. “That should help.”
Joe took a long ragged breath and said, “I guess I should mention I’m allergic to bee stings.”
Both women gasped, but he lifted a bloody hand to silence them. “All the Benadryl in the world won’t help this one. It’s a...doozy.”
“Jesus,” Rebecca whispered.
“We need to get him to a hospital,” Stacy said, her voice on the teetering edge of panic. “We need to go now !”
Rebecca licked her lips and shook her head slowly. “I’ve been driving for hours looking for a way out of town. So far, all the roads leading out are gone.”
“What do you mean ‘gone’?”
“I mean... gone . The sinkholes just swallowed them. I haven’t been able to find one completely intact yet and nothing’s been passable.”
Stacy let out a long string of curses then fell silent for a few seconds. “Well..what about that clinic over on Poplar?”
Rebecca thought about it. “I haven’t been down that way yet, but I can try taking the long way around.” She didn’t say what she was really thinking: that it would be a miracle if the clinic was not only
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