BLOODY TEARS
Chapter Four: Dark Places and Old Faces
Squid stared at the food in front of him. The rest of D-Tent had all
finished their dinners but he hadn't started, and they weren't going to let
him leave until he ate it.
Zigzag and Magnet were sitting on either side of him. X-Ray sat across from
him. Armpit was at the opposite end of the table, as far away from Zigzag
as posible. He wasn't too keen on getting in a fight, not because Zigzag
would win - he knew for a fact that he'd be able to beat him with one hand
tied behind his back - but because he knew that the rest of D-Tent would be
backing Zigzag.
X-Ray was getting impatient, "Do I have to force-feed you or something?"
Squid didn't answer.
"'Cause I will if I have to!"
Squid took a small bite.
An hour or so later Squid had finished his dinner and was lying on his
bunk, alone.
Hearing the creaking of someone sitting down on another cot, he glanced up.
Armpit was staring at him.
"What?" he asked irritably.
Armpit sighed, "Squid, I wanted to... apologize."
Squids eyes widened. Everything was turned upside down. First he'd heard
Magnet beg, and now Armpit was apologizing.
"I didn't mean to say those things... it's just... I don't know how to act.
You really freaked me out, ya know? And when I get freaked out, I get
mean... I dunno, I'm just sorry, ok?"
Squid managed a smile.
"Ok."
Armpit looked uncomfortable, "So, uh... do you wanna talk or something?"
Squid shook his head. "Nah."
He rolled over and closed his eyes. He was feeling incredibly tired, he'd
been digging all day and the dinner X-Ray and the rest of D-Tent had forced
him to eat hadn't stayed down long. He fell into a dream filled sleep.
Swirling memories played in slow motion, or fast forward, sounds blurred.
The beer bottle slowly turning over in the air, coming towards his head,
the image of himself in the mirror, blood running down his face, thick and
sticky, the floor slamming into his body. His fathers face, unshaved,
clothes stinking of alcohol, a half-smoked ciggarette hanging from his
mouth, the fingers raised to his lips.
"Shhh..."
Hands that hit, hard... a house that stunk of cheep booze and ciggarette
smoke...
Squid sat straight up in bed. The trumpet playing loudly. He quickly wiped
the sweat and tears from his face before anyone saw.
He didn't even look at the burnt toast set out for breakfast, just picked
up his shovel and started towards the Lake. Almost immeadiately X-Ray
appeared next to him.
"Hey, you wont have enough strength to dig your hole if you don't eat
breakfast."
Squid looked at the burnt piece of toast X-Ray was holding out to him.
"I wouldn't call that breakfast. I wouldn't even call that food."
X-Ray shrugged, "Well, you're eating it anyway."
"No, I'm not."
"Armpit?"
Squid was confused for a moment, had X-Ray just called him Armpit? Then
someone grabbed him and he realised Armpit had been standing behind him.
"What the-?!"
His cry was cut off by X-Ray shoving the piece of toast in his mouth. Squid
choked and spat it out.
"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled angrily.
"Hey, I told you I'd force-fed you if I had to."
Squid yanked himself away from Armpits grasp.
"Fine." He snatched the piece of toast from X-Rays hand and ate it.
"Happy?"
X-Ray grinned victoriously. Without a word he turned and walked away. Squid
glared at his back. He knew it would be like this now: either eat normally
or suffer the humiliation of being held down and force-fed. Scowling, he
made his way to the Lake, making sure his digging spot was as far from X-
Rays as possible.
He dug quickly, using his anger and frustration as extra weight on the
shovel. After an hour his hole was at least half a foot deeper than anyone
elses, apart from Zeros. He leant back against the side of his hole,
reaching for his canteen. He unscrewed the lid. Suddenly his head spun, the
sky above him seemed to be breathing in and out, his own breathing
quickened, the unmistakable feeling of panic built up inside of him. His
canteen fell to the ground, spilling his precious water into the dirt,
which drank it up greedily. He let himself slide slowly down the side of
his hole.
"Man, I told you you needed to eat more," said X-Rays voice.
Squid scowled, "Just shut up, I'm fine."
"Oh yeah? Then how come you're sitting in the bottom of your hole?" X-Ray
jumped into his hole and knelt down next to him, "Look Squid, you don't
gotta put on the tough-guy act with me."
Squid looked up at him, then suddenly he shoved X-Ray. Catching him off
guard, X-Ray tumbled backwards.
"Who says it's an act?"
"Hey!" X-Ray yelled. He was about to jump at Squid when the sound of a horn
stopped him. A horn?
He looked up and saw the water truck had pulled up near them... but the
water truck never honked it's horn.
The door opened and a figure in a clean orange uniform stepped out.
Magnet recognised him first.
"Barfbag?!"
Chapter Four: Dark Places and Old Faces
Squid stared at the food in front of him. The rest of D-Tent had all
finished their dinners but he hadn't started, and they weren't going to let
him leave until he ate it.
Zigzag and Magnet were sitting on either side of him. X-Ray sat across from
him. Armpit was at the opposite end of the table, as far away from Zigzag
as posible. He wasn't too keen on getting in a fight, not because Zigzag
would win - he knew for a fact that he'd be able to beat him with one hand
tied behind his back - but because he knew that the rest of D-Tent would be
backing Zigzag.
X-Ray was getting impatient, "Do I have to force-feed you or something?"
Squid didn't answer.
"'Cause I will if I have to!"
Squid took a small bite.
An hour or so later Squid had finished his dinner and was lying on his
bunk, alone.
Hearing the creaking of someone sitting down on another cot, he glanced up.
Armpit was staring at him.
"What?" he asked irritably.
Armpit sighed, "Squid, I wanted to... apologize."
Squids eyes widened. Everything was turned upside down. First he'd heard
Magnet beg, and now Armpit was apologizing.
"I didn't mean to say those things... it's just... I don't know how to act.
You really freaked me out, ya know? And when I get freaked out, I get
mean... I dunno, I'm just sorry, ok?"
Squid managed a smile.
"Ok."
Armpit looked uncomfortable, "So, uh... do you wanna talk or something?"
Squid shook his head. "Nah."
He rolled over and closed his eyes. He was feeling incredibly tired, he'd
been digging all day and the dinner X-Ray and the rest of D-Tent had forced
him to eat hadn't stayed down long. He fell into a dream filled sleep.
Swirling memories played in slow motion, or fast forward, sounds blurred.
The beer bottle slowly turning over in the air, coming towards his head,
the image of himself in the mirror, blood running down his face, thick and
sticky, the floor slamming into his body. His fathers face, unshaved,
clothes stinking of alcohol, a half-smoked ciggarette hanging from his
mouth, the fingers raised to his lips.
"Shhh..."
Hands that hit, hard... a house that stunk of cheep booze and ciggarette
smoke...
Squid sat straight up in bed. The trumpet playing loudly. He quickly wiped
the sweat and tears from his face before anyone saw.
He didn't even look at the burnt toast set out for breakfast, just picked
up his shovel and started towards the Lake. Almost immeadiately X-Ray
appeared next to him.
"Hey, you wont have enough strength to dig your hole if you don't eat
breakfast."
Squid looked at the burnt piece of toast X-Ray was holding out to him.
"I wouldn't call that breakfast. I wouldn't even call that food."
X-Ray shrugged, "Well, you're eating it anyway."
"No, I'm not."
"Armpit?"
Squid was confused for a moment, had X-Ray just called him Armpit? Then
someone grabbed him and he realised Armpit had been standing behind him.
"What the-?!"
His cry was cut off by X-Ray shoving the piece of toast in his mouth. Squid
choked and spat it out.
"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled angrily.
"Hey, I told you I'd force-fed you if I had to."
Squid yanked himself away from Armpits grasp.
"Fine." He snatched the piece of toast from X-Rays hand and ate it.
"Happy?"
X-Ray grinned victoriously. Without a word he turned and walked away. Squid
glared at his back. He knew it would be like this now: either eat normally
or suffer the humiliation of being held down and force-fed. Scowling, he
made his way to the Lake, making sure his digging spot was as far from X-
Rays as possible.
He dug quickly, using his anger and frustration as extra weight on the
shovel. After an hour his hole was at least half a foot deeper than anyone
elses, apart from Zeros. He leant back against the side of his hole,
reaching for his canteen. He unscrewed the lid. Suddenly his head spun, the
sky above him seemed to be breathing in and out, his own breathing
quickened, the unmistakable feeling of panic built up inside of him. His
canteen fell to the ground, spilling his precious water into the dirt,
which drank it up greedily. He let himself slide slowly down the side of
his hole.
"Man, I told you you needed to eat more," said X-Rays voice.
Squid scowled, "Just shut up, I'm fine."
"Oh yeah? Then how come you're sitting in the bottom of your hole?" X-Ray
jumped into his hole and knelt down next to him, "Look Squid, you don't
gotta put on the tough-guy act with me."
Squid looked up at him, then suddenly he shoved X-Ray. Catching him off
guard, X-Ray tumbled backwards.
"Who says it's an act?"
"Hey!" X-Ray yelled. He was about to jump at Squid when the sound of a horn
stopped him. A horn?
He looked up and saw the water truck had pulled up near them... but the
water truck never honked it's horn.
The door opened and a figure in a clean orange uniform stepped out.
Magnet recognised him first.
"Barfbag?!"
