Skid by Keith Fenwick

Author:Keith Fenwick [Fenwick, Keith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Keith Fenwick
Published: 2012-09-21T22:00:00+00:00

Nineteen

Bruce picked a little flesh from one of the fish and threw it over to Can who quickly snapped up the dirt-soiled morsel. After watching the dog carefully for several minutes, Bruce picked off another sliver of flesh and popped it into his mouth.

“You’re not going to eat that are you?” Sue asked incredulously.

“Yummy,” Bruce replied, pretty certain he wasn’t about to poison himself. “Try some. It’s good.” It wasn’t particularly, but that was neither here nor there. The bland flesh was hardly more to his taste than the synthofood. But at least it was real food.

Sue looked at the fish, wondering if Bruce really expected her to eat some of it.

“A bit bland, perhaps,” he began, “but … aggh.” Bruce clutched his neck, rolled over onto his side and began to throw a fit.

Sue, about to reach tentatively for a small piece of fish quickly withdrew her hand and screamed. “Bruce! What’s the matter?” She panicked as he writhed and moaned on the ground, frothing at the mouth. Visions of a life without Bruce on Skid flashed through her mind and she knew she was lost. She would never survive long by herself.

“Nothing. Just testing!” Bruce said sitting up with a stupid grin, in time to catch the fish before they fell into the fire as Sue stepped back and dislodged one of the forked sticks that formed part of his rotisserie.

“You bastard!” Sue screamed at him. “What a stupid thing to do. I was so worried.”

“Why?” Bruce asked ingenuously. “You should have seen the look on your face. Wish I had a camera.”

“I, I …” Sue hesitated. “I can’t handle the idea of living here on this godforsaken planet by myself. So don’t ever scare me like that again!” She shook angrily. Or thought she did, as she suddenly discovered her feelings towards him were not all that she had imagined previously.

“No worries. Here, have a piece of fish. It’s not that bad, really.”

“Okay.”

“Now that’s what I call a halfway decent feed,” he said polishing off the last of the fish and throwing the scraps into the river. “Not that I’ve ever been partial to fish, and we didn’t have any chips,” Bruce said as he watched the plate float slowly away.

“This is a nice spot, don’t you think, Bruce? So green and peaceful. Is this the sort of place you’d build a house?” Sue asked wistfully.

“Not right here, exactly. It might flood and then we’d be in the shit. Up the hill there may be.”

Sue swiveled round and stared where Bruce pointed casually, not having given it much thought.

“I’m going up to have a look.” Sue continued to stare at the low ridge. “Coming?”

“Oh yeah, I suppose so.” He got to his feet slowly and followed her, rolling a cigarette as he went.

Bruce had to admit the view was fairly impressive from the ridge. A slash of green foliage contrasting with the drier, lighter hue of the surrounding grassland marked the meandering course of the river as far as the eye could see in both directions.

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