Chapter 2

Slum Hotel

Awake again. You hear the thumping of the ceiling fan before you open your eyes. Stale smoke and old booze permeates the room, along with the thick humid air being wafted around by the fan. The thin sheets were a pale blue and the covers had long been kicked off and discarded below. You sit up, wearing a Flesh Curtains tee shirt and underwear. Running a hand through your hair let you know that it was in knots along the back and probably sticking up all over the place. You could feel sand along the scalp and brushed it off to falling on the floor of a dirty bar. But you didn't fall, did you? Your vision blurs with a green haze as you shake your head and stumble out of the bed. On the ground laid Squanchy, curled among the discarded blankets. His soft snoring makes you smile, sounding almost like a gentle purr. Stepping over him, you make your way to the bathroom and gently shut the door. A nice cool shower was what you needed. You reach in past the shower curtain and turn on the water.

"Fuck!" Came a loud yell as Rick scurried out of the tub below and onto the bathroom floor. You stare down at him, confused as to why he was lying in a tub with the curtain pulled. "Didn't you see me?" Still confused, you look him over and notice the vomit stains along his shirt and pants. Ahhhhhh, he came in here in case he passed out while still throwing up…

"No. I didn't. You look like shit." You take off your shirt and drop your underwear next to a shocked Rick. Stepping over him, you stand in the shower and allow the cold water to run along the back of your neck and down the drain.

"Wow… um… you need some help in there?" Rick's voice was practically muted by the sound of the pouring water, but you got the jest.

"I'm good. You're next though. You stink." You mumble out, still groggy. Then it hit you. You basically got naked in front of a guy you didn't know. The realization freezes you in shock… No worries, he was probably still too intoxicated to notice. You shake your head and laugh it off. After a while you look past the curtain to see Rick still sitting on the floor. "Still want in?"

"With you?"

"No. But I will drag that smelly ass in here."

"Naked?"

"No." You let a smile spread.

"Damn." Rick hands you a towel. "Here then. Maybe next time I… I won't be the, the gentleman." He winks at you.

"Wow, you mean there is a whole other level of Rick to discover?" Wrapping the towel around you, you step out of the shower and realize as he stands up that there is little space in the bathroom. The small white sink is digging into your back as Rick is only inches away. He leans in towards you, one arm reaching up behind you. "This might be sexy if you didn't have old vomit covering you…"

"I'll remember that…" Rick smiled as he pulled back his arm, holding on to a toothbrush. You trade places, gather up your clothing and step out of the room. Squanchy was awake now and nursing a white cup that smelled like coffee.

"Ohhhhhhhh. That smells delightful."

"I made you a cup." Squanchy yawned out while handing it to you. He regards you as you blow on the steaming liquid before taking a sip. "You passed out again."

"No 'squanch' in your sentences?"

"This is serious." His eyes worry.

"Sorry. I guessed that. Seems to be a regular thing now. I… When I try to remember things, I get fuzzy. I don't know. I'm scared…" You say the last part in a whisper. Squanchy's ear turns towards you and he sits down next to you on the bed. His (hand? paw?) hand rests on your leg.

"You're safe. Don't squanch too much about it. We'll help you squanch back on your feet and figure out who the squanch you are." He removes his hand and resumes with drinking his coffee.

"Thanks, really. I don't think drugs did this to me. If they did, the effects should have worn off by now. Instead, here I am with a band, in a cheap hotel room, on a balls hot day… This should be one of those epic stories you tell your friends, right?"

"Squanch if I know. My best nights I don't want to squanching remember. Too much squanch, you know?" He hops off the bed and digs through a pile of clothing, tossing some to you. "They're Rick's size, but I guess for now they will squanch."

"I'll make it work. Where's Birdperson?"

"Out. Squanching the morning worm… or something squanchy like that. Don't squanching care. Not a morning person."

"Guess I'm not either…" The two of you sit in silence, finishing off the coffee. The shower turns off as you look down, deciding it best to put on clothing before Rick comes in. Squanchy notices you starting to take off the towel and politely turns around. You smile while getting dressed, grateful for the common decency some people still held on to. "I'm done."

"Good. Looks like Rick should be squanching out any minute. After I squanch we'll grab some grub."

Rick walks out of the bathroom, arms raised high with a full body stretch; naked. Squanchy growls out something about having to see his squanch too many times and disappears behind a slammed bathroom door. Rick is chuckling as his eyes meet yours. You focus on his face, not wanting a repeat of last night… he was not going to catch you looking again. Rick eventually shrugs his shoulders and walks towards the bed looking you up and down.

"Those are my clothes." Rick proclaims in a low voice. "Let me take them off you babe…"

"Cute. You're caulked full of one liners huh?" Refusing to move from your spot on the edge of the bed, Rick leans over you, causing you to fall back along the mattress. His body covers the length of yours, one knee between your legs, upper half supported by his arms on either side of your head. Your heart is racing at his wild eyes.

"Baby… I'm caulked full of other things too… Why don't you do us both a favor and stop pretending…" He dips his head to the side of your neck as you feel the ghost of his lips from jaw to collar bone. You tilt your head despite what your brain is yelling at you to do; flee, kick him, don't let him win. Rick stops all motion and you turn slightly to see his eyes studying something along your neck.

"What's wrong?" All previous pretense is gone. He is focused now, his eyes going from seductive and playful to serious and dangerously intelligent. You find yourself attracted to his current mood far more.

"Where did you get this tattoo?" His voice is partially distracted, bringing his head closer to examine your neck.

"The flower one? I… I can't…" You try to focus on the circumstances around it, but it felt as though you were pushing against a thick fog. Closing your eyes didn't help either. Panic started to build knowing that this was more than just simple drug induced memory loss. Then a cool hand cups your face and your eyes open to see a concerned Rick looking at you.

"Don't stress it babe. Something is going on with you. Something related to… things I know of but others don't. Until you get these memories back, you're with me." Tears start to well up in your eyes at these words, feeling helpless and hating it. Rick pushes himself off of you and gives you a hand to bring you up and pulled against him. "Don't let that fool you though, babe. I'll fuck you eventually…"

"In your dreams…" You push away from him with a slight, forced smile.

"Yes, I will. Every… fucking… night…" He wiggles his brow and you can't help but laugh fully.