Kings of the Earth by Christopher Stanton

Author:Christopher Stanton [Christopher Stanton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Indie Author Project
Published: 2019-08-29T00:00:00+00:00

19

Chapter Nineteen—ERIC

Eric had trouble falling asleep. The intense light from the strange red moon penetrated the twisted window blinds like a spotlight. And the couch cushions in Taco’s living room were itchy and smelled like stale Chinese takeout. Sometime after three o’clock, he took out the letters he’d written to his father and found one written on light blue stationery that he’d borrowed from his mother’s desk.

* * *

Dear Dad,

Some kids snuck beer into school and down into their lockers before gym class. Four guys did it and they were really hammered while we all played baseball outside. Mr. Augustino is so dumb he didn’t even realize it. He just kept yelling at them to catch the fuckin ball, dumbass and stop acting like monkeys and don’t you know how to swing?

We were down in the locker room afterwards changing and the guys were still drunk. They were jumping on top of each other in their underwear and burping in each others’ faces. Then they started grabbing random kids and holding them down and grinding on top of them. The drunk dudes were these huge guys like Paul McCoy and Sven Ackerland. It was funny at first because the kids on the floor looked so scared.

Then this guy Jack Beaudaire tackled me and I went down on the wet floor. He yells C’mere baby and give me some lovin! I was just in my jeans and no shirt and this kid is really strong because he plays football. He’s only wearing underwear and his breath smells like Pabst Blue Ribbon. He sits on my face and starts rubbing his crotch against me and singing Hit Me Baby One More Time.

This horrible feeling comes over me. The only way to explain it is like being on the high dive at the swimming pool and someone trying to push you off and you don’t want to go. My stomach drops and my hands go all numb. And the worst part is that I know I’ve felt this way before, but I don’t remember when or why.

I start screaming really loud. I don’t realize I’m doing it but Taco told me later that it sounded like I was being murdered. Jack stumbles off of me and all the other guys in the locker room gather around. Nobody helps me up. They just stare at me like I’m pathetic.

I didn’t tell anyone about it, not Mr. Grewall or Mom or anybody.

-Eric

* * *

“Wake up, Spider.”

Eric opened his eyes. Taco stood over him. He wore a long underwear top and Michigan State sweatpants. Bristly black hair stood straight up from his head like the quills of an agitated porcupine.

“What’s the haps?” Eric said.

“It’s almost eight thirty. My mom’s gonna be home any minute,” Taco said. “You gotta get your funky ass up, ‘cause I ain’t gonna get in trouble for harboring a fugitive.”

Taco’s mother worked the graveyard shift, cleaning offices in Manistique. Taco had picked Eric up last night from Harborfront Stroll, in his brother’s Subaru.

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