Bloody Tears
Chapter Eight: Licence Plates
X-Ray caught Magnets hand before it connected with Squids face.
"What they hell are you doing?!" X-Ray yelled.
"You promised!" Magnet yelled angrily to Squid, "You prmoised you wouldn't
do anything again!"
Squid flinched. "I'm sorry..." he whispered.
Magnet felt his anger melt. Squid looked so weak and pale, he'd never seen
him look like that before.
"Damn it Squid, look at yourself," he said sadly.
Squid looked away.
"Squid, you gotta talk to us about this." Barfbag stepped forward.
"Why?" Squid muttered, "You didn't."
Barfbag frowned, but didn't say anything.
Squid rolled over, "I'm tired, leave me alone."
***
Zigzag sat next to Squids bedside, stroking his hair gently. It was damp
from sweat. Squids fever was slowly cooling down but Squid was still sick
from the pills that had been fully digested before they'd found him.
"How you feelin'?"
Squid looked up at him, "Like crap," he complained.
"Sorry," Zigzag apologized, even though it wasn't his fault. He continued
playing with Squids hair.
Squid suddenly reached up and stopped him.
"Don't," he said shortly.
"Why not?"
"My dad... used to do that."
"Oh, sorry."
Squid sighed softly, "It's not fair."
There were silent for a moment.
"Ziggy?"
"Yeah Squid?"
"Why do you think we're digging these holes?"
Zigzag grinned, "It's the lizards man, I'm sure of it."
Squid smiled slightly, "What's the date Zig?"
"March 22nd," Zigzag answered.
"If you're right, then I've still got six months left in the hell hole."
"Hell hole is right," said Zigzag, "But I've still got six months too, so
you wont be alone."
Squid drifted off into a fitful sleep. Zigzag sat back into the chair next
to Squids cot and rubbed his tired eyes. He wasn't about to give Squid the
chance to take his own life again. He knew it was illogical, he couldn't
stay awake forever, he'd have to sleep sometime, just... not tonight.
***
Dig, scoop, toss. Dig, scoop, toss.
Squid was digging, scooping and tossing a lot slower than usual. He was
tired, hungry and, basically, feeling like shit.
"Hey look," said Magnets voice.
Squid looked up. The water truck was heading towards them.
"It hasn't been two hours, has it?" asked Armpit.
"No where near," replied X-Ray, leaning on his shovel.
The truck pulled up and Mr Pendanski stuck his head out the window.
"Alan, the Warden would like to see you."
Squid frowned but threw down his shovel and climbed out of his hole.
Anything was better then digging, right?
He climbed into the passenger seat of the truck and they drove back to
camp. He noticed a new car parked outside the Wardens cabin, it seemed
vaugly familiar, the licence plate number seemed to have been imprinted
into his memory, but was without a backround, without a reason. He was
still studying the car when Mr Pendanski knocked on the Wardens door.
"Yes?" called the Warden.
"Alan's here," the overly happy councillor informed.
"Send him in."
Pendanski opened the door and ushered him in. A man was standing in the
corner, his back turned.
Squid shut the door behind him and the man turned around. He has short dark
brown hair and dark eyes. He could, perhaps, have bee described as
handsome.
"Alan!" he cried happily.
Squid eyed him suspiciously. He tried to remember where he recognised the
man from. It was only a few seconds before the realisation came smashing
into him. Everything fell into place. The car driving away as Squid watched
from his bedroom window, staring at the licence plate. The smell of
ciggarettes snaked over to him, and a sudden pain ran through his body, or
rather, the memory of pain.
"Dad!" he cried, too shocked and scared to think of anything else to say.
That one syllable word sounded so foreign and wrong. The man in front of
him had never acted as a father.
"Son, I'd like to talk to you."
Chapter Eight: Licence Plates
X-Ray caught Magnets hand before it connected with Squids face.
"What they hell are you doing?!" X-Ray yelled.
"You promised!" Magnet yelled angrily to Squid, "You prmoised you wouldn't
do anything again!"
Squid flinched. "I'm sorry..." he whispered.
Magnet felt his anger melt. Squid looked so weak and pale, he'd never seen
him look like that before.
"Damn it Squid, look at yourself," he said sadly.
Squid looked away.
"Squid, you gotta talk to us about this." Barfbag stepped forward.
"Why?" Squid muttered, "You didn't."
Barfbag frowned, but didn't say anything.
Squid rolled over, "I'm tired, leave me alone."
***
Zigzag sat next to Squids bedside, stroking his hair gently. It was damp
from sweat. Squids fever was slowly cooling down but Squid was still sick
from the pills that had been fully digested before they'd found him.
"How you feelin'?"
Squid looked up at him, "Like crap," he complained.
"Sorry," Zigzag apologized, even though it wasn't his fault. He continued
playing with Squids hair.
Squid suddenly reached up and stopped him.
"Don't," he said shortly.
"Why not?"
"My dad... used to do that."
"Oh, sorry."
Squid sighed softly, "It's not fair."
There were silent for a moment.
"Ziggy?"
"Yeah Squid?"
"Why do you think we're digging these holes?"
Zigzag grinned, "It's the lizards man, I'm sure of it."
Squid smiled slightly, "What's the date Zig?"
"March 22nd," Zigzag answered.
"If you're right, then I've still got six months left in the hell hole."
"Hell hole is right," said Zigzag, "But I've still got six months too, so
you wont be alone."
Squid drifted off into a fitful sleep. Zigzag sat back into the chair next
to Squids cot and rubbed his tired eyes. He wasn't about to give Squid the
chance to take his own life again. He knew it was illogical, he couldn't
stay awake forever, he'd have to sleep sometime, just... not tonight.
***
Dig, scoop, toss. Dig, scoop, toss.
Squid was digging, scooping and tossing a lot slower than usual. He was
tired, hungry and, basically, feeling like shit.
"Hey look," said Magnets voice.
Squid looked up. The water truck was heading towards them.
"It hasn't been two hours, has it?" asked Armpit.
"No where near," replied X-Ray, leaning on his shovel.
The truck pulled up and Mr Pendanski stuck his head out the window.
"Alan, the Warden would like to see you."
Squid frowned but threw down his shovel and climbed out of his hole.
Anything was better then digging, right?
He climbed into the passenger seat of the truck and they drove back to
camp. He noticed a new car parked outside the Wardens cabin, it seemed
vaugly familiar, the licence plate number seemed to have been imprinted
into his memory, but was without a backround, without a reason. He was
still studying the car when Mr Pendanski knocked on the Wardens door.
"Yes?" called the Warden.
"Alan's here," the overly happy councillor informed.
"Send him in."
Pendanski opened the door and ushered him in. A man was standing in the
corner, his back turned.
Squid shut the door behind him and the man turned around. He has short dark
brown hair and dark eyes. He could, perhaps, have bee described as
handsome.
"Alan!" he cried happily.
Squid eyed him suspiciously. He tried to remember where he recognised the
man from. It was only a few seconds before the realisation came smashing
into him. Everything fell into place. The car driving away as Squid watched
from his bedroom window, staring at the licence plate. The smell of
ciggarettes snaked over to him, and a sudden pain ran through his body, or
rather, the memory of pain.
"Dad!" he cried, too shocked and scared to think of anything else to say.
That one syllable word sounded so foreign and wrong. The man in front of
him had never acted as a father.
"Son, I'd like to talk to you."
