Chapter three is here and I'm too tired to put much of a note up here, so just read.
Oh yes! I guess I should really add: Rumpy and I made a "site" for MixmasterRevolution (really it's just a forum) where you can interact with the stories and other Tremors fans a little better. We've had countless guests already, but no one's JOINING (which is driving me nuts, personally). So go, join, maybe it'll convince the other perusers to join.
Address is: mixmasterrevolution -dot- freeforums -dot- net
(jeez, it's getting harder to put the damn addresses on here, you can't put "dot" in parenthesis anymore, and it erases the surrounding words. -_-')
Lorry tugged uncomfortably at her bandage. The bite underneath stung still, even though Casey had given her some pain killers, but that wasn't the only reason she was edgy. Okay, so she was always very hyperactive and hated being in one place for too long without a movie to watch, but this was worse than usual. She wasn't bored, but nervous and self-conscious. The fact that the snake could have easily killed her still had her shaken.
Plus, she was alone with J.D. Casey had just left to look for Berta and Skylar, since neither Hailee nor Roberto had answered their calls, and Reagan was elsewhere in the lab running tests. Lorry had liked J.D. since she had moved in, and she felt like it was painfully obvious. She also felt like it was painfully obvious he didn't like her nearly as much- or even very much at all. Being alone like this with him without the distraction of the store or something was just making her all the more aware of it.
"Hey." J.D.'s lulling Asian voice sounded behind her, startling her. "You okay?"
Lorry bit her lip, looking away at her arm. "Yeah, it's just... My arm hurts," she half-lied. It definitely did, but it wasn't the only reason she felt near-tears.
J.D. stared at her for several moments, adding to the tense awkwardness. Finally, he spoke, turning away to grab the pain killers Casey had left on the table. "You shouldn't worry about them. You know Sky and Berta. They're too stubborn to let a few overgrown, legless lizards kill them."
Lorry nodded. "I know. They've dealt with a lot worse, like the shrimp thing Sky told me about." A small part of her was glad that's what he figured was bothering her, so she didn't have to tell him what really was.
"Yeah. Her wound wasn't as bad as yours though. Here," he handed her several pills as well as his water bottle. "Take these, they'll help."
"Thanks," Lorry said, looking away again as she felt her face get hot and quickly took the offered medication. She put the water down, rubbing her hands together anxiously. "I've been thinking about moving," she suddenly admitted, surprising herself.
"Well, it's about time you got out of that small trailer," J.D. agreed.
"No," Lorry said, voice shaking a little. "I meant, like, away. Back to Wisconsin."
J.D. stared at her in something akin to shock. "Why?"
Lorry didn't meet his eyes. "Well, my mom has been pretty lonely since my dad passed away, and... it's just, sometimes I feel like I get in the way around here."
"…You never said your dad was dead."
"He died about two months ago," she said. "That's why I had to go back home that weekend a few weeks ago."
The Asian frowned. "You said that just was to collect a few things. Magazines, or something. Why would you lie?"
"I-I was really upset," Lorry said, beginning to feel tears welling in her eyes as the memories and her emotions started to get the better of her.
J.D.'s frown deepened and he shook his head. Loretta prepared herself for the annoyed lecture she was sure would follow.
She wasn't expecting the hug.
"Lorry, Lorry, Lorry," he muttered, pulling her against his chest tightly. "Honestly."
She tensed up slightly at first, but slowly relaxed against him. The tears spilled over and she buried her face against his shirt. J.D. just held her, his hands rubbing her back in slow circles and his lips pressed against the top of her head as she cried.
Roberto shot a string of angry words in Spanish at the worm creeping through the ground around the bolder he stood atop of. The former Chippendale dancer crossed his arms, sitting down heavily. "When will this stupid sand whale go away?"
"Maybe when you sit still and stop hollerin'," Hailee chided with amusement. "You're always so impatient, Roberto. Quite the opposite from your uncle."
Roberto huffed at the Native American woman. "Patience has never been one of my strong suites. This valley doesn't help."
Hailee just laughed.
"I can't believe you dropped your radio," Roberto accused after a moment.
She huffed. "At least I brought mine."
Before the Latino could respond, the sound of a truck could be heard approaching. El Blanco obviously heard it as well, speeding off in its direction only to be driven away by a concussion grenade.
"Ah, Casey!"
The scientist pulled up close to the rock. "I was wondering why we never heard back from you two!" he exclaimed, motioning them to get in.
"We got a little surprise from El Blanco while checking the fences," Hailee explained as she climbed into the middle seat. "I lost my radio in the attack, Roberto just left his behind in the truck."
"It's not exactly easy to remember everything you need when a giant worm is trying to drag you underground," Roberto shot back in defense.
"We'll have time for that later," Casey said. "Right now we've got to find Berta."
"Find? When'd you lose her?" Hailee asked.
"She and Skylar were attacked by another Mixmaster creation," he informed, "And we couldn't get them on their walkies."
"Another creature?!" Roberto threw his head back with a groan. "Wonderful."
Hailee frowned. "Has anyone been hurt?"
"Lorry," Casey informed. "Nearly got her arm torn off. She's okay, though. Not nearly as bad as it could have been."
"So what exactly happened to Berta and Skylar?" Hailee asked.
"Saw something suspicious, stopped, and got attacked," Casey elaborated. "They contacted us, and we tried to get you guys to head out and pick them up because the power wagon broke down. We couldn't get you, we tried them again but they wouldn't respond."
The ranch worker exchanged a worried glance with her boss. "Do you think they're hurt?"
Casey shook his head. "Don't know. You never do with those two."
"Where were they last?"
"The other side of the valley," he responded. "Near the mountains, by the dry lake bed."
Roberto groaned. "Great. Where the ghost was."
Berta froze at Skylars' words. "Are you sure?"
Skylar pointed down towards the basin they had just run through. From above, the scattered mounds full of eggs were now clearly visible where they hadn't before.
Berta pulled herself and the tour guide back from the edge. "We'll have to wait here until someone comes. If we even try to get down we'll step on a few of- whatever those are," she grumbled.
"Not to mention the snakes."
Berta nodded, leaning back against the side of the small cave. Skylar sat next to her, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her head on her arms.
"So what do you think their weakness is?"
"Well, they can't climb for one," Berta responded. "They are fast, we can't see them, and they are obviously quite large, but they seem to be constrictors so they would have to get around you to do more harm than a bite."
"A bite could probably still kill though, if they missed the limbs," Skylar added.
Berta nodded again at that. "True."
"Sooooo..." Skylar sighed. "I'm not seein' much of an advantage here."
"Neither do I."
Don't forget the forum. Seriously. It gets crazy talking to myself.
-Vlad