Drifters

by Santos, J. A.

  “I remember that I lured you to a turn inside the cave that brought you to a halt.”

  “That was smart of you and I was so very proud.”

  “Stop it” I said my rage was getting out of control, Max was gone, Alex is still at large and turning even more to a mindless beast, while we just went on a remembrance road of how I escaped and how he got closer at times, useless information now.

  The screams of Max could be heard as people gathered to see what was happening; my hands were crossed over each other and under my breasts. Jeremy was at my side as the troops gathered at the other side of the road.

  “Why are they just taking Max and not me?”

  “Beats me, you’ll have to ask Marino yourself. Here he comes.” He said nodding towards my right and my head snapped. Marino the one who hold my heart so long ago, and Ironically the one who pointed out that I should check the northern part of the fence for a hole in the fence, more than fifteen years ago. He stood tall like a skyscraper, his hands behind his back as he walk straight and still the prince charming smile of his as he came closer to us.

  He stopped several feet away as a uniformed man, a cop from the town came to his side and spoke some words to him, only thing I could get was, we got the car, I think that was what he said. Marino looked forward as the cop turned around and moved away from his side. He came closer still with his smile.

  “Hello Sara, It has been so long.”

  “Marino.” I said my face not moving the dark situation, the only reason we all got together here, one for a chase, another by pure chance and another cause he was a prick. Still Marino skyscraper figure was so intimidating his broad shoulders strong on to his high build, his chest long and I could see the muscles trying to pop out of his shirt. His blond hair, now long, flew like a flapping flag, it glowed with the sun.

  “Jeremy what have you gather so of now?”

  “Its name is Alex two year on the run I presume, that one there is Max,” he said pointing at the white van as it drove away.

  “Do you need him?” Marino asked

  “He knows well the thing we are looking.” He said and looked at me as he had just made a mistake, I glared at him with my lips tight shut and my eyes looked like daggers were about to pierce through his body. I looked back at Marino.

  “Hey, stop calling them as if they were objects, they are human beings,” I screamed at them both.

  Marino stood there looking forward. His hand still on his back as a looked of questioning came to his face. He looked up and let out a breath of air. He moved his left hand and put it inside one of his jackets pockets and I stayed alerted, I thought he would produce a weapon, but instead took out a small black radio. He turned as he spoke through it.

  “Let the kid go.” He said as the van stopped and Max was let out.

  “Why would you do anything like this after the trouble of putting him on the van? That was a stupid move.”

  “Sara, I need to know how you would deal with it, not stupid, smart. If you would have attacked us you both would be in the van. You did not so I can trust you, for now.”

  “What happened to you?”

  “Marino, here comes Max now, I better watch out for him he already got his neck broken, you know how they get.”

  “Would you two stop talking like that, it’s infuriating.” I said and started to walk away.

  “Sara,” Marino said and I turned around, “would you mind getting a cup of coffee with me for a bit.”

  “Yes, yes I would.” I left the diner where we were having our drinks since the commotion when Marino showed no one paid the bill of our three drinks, yet mine was probably free.

  “Miss Sara, wait!” I heard someone scream and turned again, Max was running to my side as Marino and Jeremy were arguing about something I could not get from the distance I was now. I could see how the arms of Jeremy flew rapidly up and down in front of Marino as he only nodded having his hand to his chin. Max gets closer and I waited. If I had a camera right now it would be a prefect picture of who’s been who in my life. Jeremy my father figure since fifteen because everything before that I really did not recalled, and Marino once the good lab technician, and kind soul that led me to a new life. I know I have not spoken of him at first but there are things in my life I really want to forget, Marino being now the most important thing I want to let go. My heart skipped a beat and blood started rising to my cheeks, I was blushing, or so it felt like it, I knew it was a trick of my mind since heartbeat I have none, and I wanted one.

  “Miss Sara, are you okay?” Max asked.

  I looked up surprised as Max puts a hand to my back. “Yes I am.”

  “So, now what?”

  “I don’t know?”

  “Well the hotel is some place I can’t go,” he said moving his hand up and down like a lever, scratching the back of his head. Max looked like a child having fun always with his smile.

  “In the car Jane told Alex ‘when we picked you up’, where was he?”

  “O, he started walking, two days ahead of us, when we caught to him he already was in a bad mood that is why Jane told him to chill.”

  “You and Jane had the same shirt, so did Alex, where are they from, what they represent and I know where you told you were from are fake destination.” He smiles and again with the back of his head scratching, it started to annoy me.

  “Okay I guess there is no point in hiding it now.”

  “Get to the point”

  “The monogram on the shirt we made in the last town we crossed, you know fun, like we were part of a club or something.”

  “So where are you from then?”

  “I am really from Florida, I moved two years ago after the hunting accident and cause weird stuff was already happening. I remember the case of the murderers that were held by police on a warehouse in the piers and when they finally got in there was just chunks of meat and blood all over, like if they had just exploded and spattered their innards to the walls.”

  I remember that quite well, I was the bomb that made them explode. I remember searching for them after they killed thirteen people for mere pleasure. When I found them I remember calling 911 and telling the cops were they were and told them not to go inside till I was done with them. I remember them shooting at me as they saw my pale red complexion coming towards them as I rushed my hands inside one of them and parted his gut from his body, the scream of the other as he dropped the gun and ran for his life, but he did not let others run before, so I leapt forward grabbing him by the back of his neck and my nails digs deep in his skin, deeper and deeper every second till I got to his spine and with great force I yanked as hard as I could and his spine came out his neck skin, protruding several inches out and his body limbs to the floor. ‘You, watch.’ I remember saying to him and his eyes flicker from side to side. I dragged the body of his partner to his side and turned his neck ‘you die tonight, but not before I dine’ I remember myself saying as I started getting the flesh of his partner inside me. It felt so good to eat at that moment. They were ruthless people. Bad men, doing bad deeds, so society would not miss them. I remember running away through the back all covered in blood full and satisfied. I dove to the salty waters underneath and the blood started to disappear from my black clothes. I had a backpack almost same as I have now with extra cloths hidden on a small abandoned house.

  “How do you know, I know that was not on the news.” I asked

  “My adopted father was a cop and he came home while I was packing and he said that it was something he would never forget.”

  That’s a nice coincidence, his father being one of the cops there and he being adopted sparked a beam of curiosity.

  “Now, I know it was Alex who did that.”

  Alex did not, I did.

  “How so?” I asked

  “He said so.”

  “But how could he do it, if he was with you?” I asked.

  “O, I wasn’t with him; I was packing in the house.” his hand flew to his head
moving up and down like seesaw, scratching his head again. I slap it so he would stop it, so annoying. He just smiles.

  Chapter Eight

  We walked for several hours in silence, South, north, west then south again. I found the marked tree and we moved inside the forest, this time with Max at my side. The afternoon had just started and in the sky the still bright sun shines down upon us. Max looked at each side, maybe remembering the death of his friend by the hunger, probably this wood looked as were he did do. Alex should be around here, somewhere and I will find him. I had to. We got to the clearing I had found the day after. I was looking down thinking when I bump to him, as Max stopped.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “That,” he said pointing to the batter corpse of the man that ran through the bushes in the early morning. That stupid fuck, I said to myself as I walked closer to him. I looked up and saw his head dangling like a wind chime from a tree and his spine was intact. At least I did not have to worry for this one to come back. I put the backpack down and sat beside the corps.

  “No need to waste, have at it.” I said to Alex as he came closer

  “But isn’t that a bad idea”

  “It would if it was a trap which it is not.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Smell the air,” I said and he move his head up and sniff wrinkling his nose, the air around the clearing smelled of dirt and trees, animal droppings and metallic cooper, blood.

  “What do you smell?”

  “Wood from the trees, animals and the corpse, that is what I smell.”

  “Good, no other smell, right”

  “No”

  “Then Alex is not around so it is not a trap.”

  “How do you know? He could have put something inside it.”

  “Look there is a smell for everything even smells that humans can’t detect, we can. If there was something inside like poison or a type of venom we would smell it. And you said yourself normal wood smells.”

  “Okay you are the master here.” He said and started to scratch the back of his head, again and smiling.

  “Don’t,” I scolded as he jumped a little and stopped. He got closer to the body and we ate till there was almost nothing left of the body. I left myself dropped backwards and letting out a breath of satisfaction. I told Max that we should bury the corpse so no one could find it, we dug a six feet deep grave and again I knelt and said a little prayer.

  I heard thunder and I sniffed the air, the night was going to be a wet one. Good beats looking for a river to clean our bloodied clothes. I said to myself and looked at Max.

  “Take your clothes off.”

  “Why?”

  “To clean them, why else?”

  “Are you going to take yours off?” he asked and a mischievous looked came to his eyes as one corner of his tight lips moved upwards and a grin appeared on his face.

  “Yes, get close to me and I will beat the crap out of you, understand” I said.

  “Okay, okay,” he said rising his hand in defeat, too high that made him looked like he was making and arrow of his body

  “Urgh, you are such a child.”

  He laughed out loud.

  He put his hands down and started smiling. I looked at him with a scolding look as the rain started falling, and just in time. The rain poured down like if a dam had broken in the sky, big drops of rain. Arizona was a dry place, but apparently Flagstaff had his pours every other day, but not like in the small Caribbean Island. There it rain almost every day which it was good for me.

  We hanged our clothes on the tree branches. I stayed in my bra and panties, Max with none, naked. I threw him a pair from the pack as I let my bare back rest to the bark of a tree, feeling the rain, closing my eyes and for each drop, my strands of hair sticks to my almost naked body like small threads of silk. We waited. Alex could be doing the same thing now, getting clean and maybe thinking about doing something, but what?

  “Miss Sara?” I heard Max speak and I turned my head left to where he was, also sitting with his back to the same tree.

  “Yes Max.”

  “I am sorry for all the trouble I am causing; all I wanted was to not remember my friends’ death.”

  “Well Max, it’s something you’ll never forget, the hunger will never let you forget.”

  “Um, okay.” he said and looked down disappointed.

  “So what is with this thing of the broken neck?” I asked

  “You don’t know” he asked

  “We are almost alike, I have never been inside a morgue unless it was to deal with someone that was about to turn.”

  “I can’t really explain, not even Alex could. All I know is; if something happens to me, I will come back every time with a little more hunger than usual, but I guess it is cause of the hunger itself.” He said.

  Chapter Nine

  Night had fallen. I moved my head up to the twinkling skis with closed eyes as the rain fell on my face and it felt good, so good, that I dosed off to sleep. I could hear Max saying my name over and over again in the distance then giving up.

  I slept with calmness in me like the calm sea after a storm. I woke about some hours later, still night and I moved my back from the tree looking back to where Max was and he is sound asleep. I could hear him murmur some words, but I paid no attention to it.

  I grabbed my clothes and put them on; they were still a little moist from the rain. I didn’t mind since it was not the first time I had put moist clothes on. I soon as I finished dressing, I stretched my hands up in the skies and twisted my body from side to side letting out small grunts, as I am Looking to every side after that well welcomed stretch. I found myself staring at a black wolf, shiny night fur with blue eyes; he had entered the clearing and I did not noticed. I did not hear any sound but I didn’t get scared he was not bearing teeth, no white on its mouth. I remembered the fawn, but was reluctant to do the same to this animal. I know I could hold the hunger for about a day or two now. Two meals in one day were more than enough.

  “Shoo,” I said as I moved my hands forward, waving them to scare the animal. He did not move, but only twisted his head away.

  “Aw, come on get out of here.” I said as I twisted my head back hearing the sleepy grunts of Max then back to the black wolf, but he was gone. I remembered Med once told me ‘when you see a wolf calm and staring, it’s an omen of terrible things to come’ or was it the other way around. I couldn’t remember at the moment as the sun started rising, the faint yellowish glow could be seen on the east, and the blue of the sky started appearing. I walked toward the sleepy Max. He was murmuring something under his breath while asleep.

  “No… Alex… can’t deal… with….” those were the words that I could make of his low mouse like squeak voice as he slept.

  “Max, Max. Wake up damn it.” I said moving him harder. I grabbed one of his shoulders and moved him to wake up when he open his eyes I saw the same red I did on Alex the day after.

  “Morning Miss Sara.” he said as soon as he opened his eyes and rubbed them with the palm of his hand.

  “Put your clothes on, we need to find Alex today.”

  “Okay,” he said as he open his mouth in a yawn.

  I watched as he stumble getting up and fell to the ground, he laughed as he got up. He started to put his clothes while asking a bunch of question from my past. I only answered one.

  “How can you live like this?” he had asked

  “This is how we were intended to live, no walls to feel incarcerated from nature, no celling to stop the rain from falling on our body like it did last night. Don’t tell me you didn’t like the water on your skin, and listen to the sounds around you. You can learn a lot.” I said as he stopped what he was doing closing his eyes, straightening and listening to the chirps of the birds, the wind blowing making the leaves dance, the rustling of animals around.

  He opened his arms wide letting the sun hit the rest of his body as I remembered the time I did that for the first time. Out
of the lab after the nurses incident I did exactly that, spread my arms to each side letting the sun hit my body, feeling its warm embrace. Max stood still for a minute or so as we heard hard rustling to our left and Max opens his eyes as Jeremy appeared in the clearing.

  “Finally I found you, and what the hell Sara?” he said as he saw Max still with his pants down wearing one of the panties I have given him last night.

  “Not what you think.”

  “Anyway we have a new development.”

  “Alex reappeared?”

  “No, we found his journal”

  “That is private!” Max screamed

  “Not anymore.” I said as I move closer to Jeremy.

  I looked at Max and then at Jeremy as he said “Read,” and threw the little hard bind book that was Alex journal. I still was mad with Jeremy as he still did not confess on replicating me and creating others with this curse. I sat on the wet ridden floor; mud started covering my once cleaned pants. Opening the book there was an odd feeling of familiarity to it. I lost mine in Canyon Diablo before coming here. The small book had blue leather on it with a symbol I did not recognize. I looked like a star inside a circle its last lines overlapping the circle making somewhat of wings protruding its side.

  “That is Orin.” I heard Max say as he sat beside me “Miss Sara I urge not to read it”

  “Why not?”

  He let out a breath of air and looked down. “Because, it’s private.”

  “It became ours as soon as he attacked those in the hotel, there is no private for Alex now.” I said in a scolding voice, hard and determined. Jeremy was still standing tall and looking down. I bet he saw us like ants from up there; I said in my mind and giggle a little.

  “What?” he said

  “You and your sky scraper figure I always found it funny.” I said

  I open the book with the mark of Orin in it and started to read:

  - July 3rd: I am still looking for whoever was responsible for this, this condition. When I do I will consume them.-