Something_Violent Read online

  Then she jogged off, her feet pounding the squeaky stairs on her way up.

  Huffing through his nostrils, Ron gazed at the can. He set the pen on his leg, grabbed the can and reached for his zipper.

  He couldn’t move his arm.

  In order to pee, he would need one of them to assist him.

  Ron felt like crying.

  When Seth returned, wiping his hands with a paper towel, Ron asked for help.

  He fought back the tears while Seth held his penis as he urinated, turning his head away like a doctor giving a physical.

  3

  Jody

  My friends and I were on our way to the lake. We stopped at Mert’s Bait and Tackle and Gas to fill up and get snacks. I was in a good mood, ready for fun. Not that I liked my friends, because I didn’t. But I did like the lake, and they’d offered me a ride. The girls I ran around with were just around, and so was I, so we hung out. In a town as small as the one I grew up in, you spent time with kids your age by default. Some grow up and move away while others become trapped. I was twenty-four, and terrified I’d become a member of the latter category. Most likely, I already was.

  I stayed at Sally’s Jeep to pay for gas while she and Carla went inside to get some things. As they entered the store, I noticed the missing-persons posters nearly covered the glass on the door. Looked as if they’d gained a few more.

  People were dropping like flies, it seemed.

  I inserted the nozzle into the tank, then leaned against the Jeep, propping my leg on the tire. I noticed a lot of heads turned my way as guys headed toward their trucks. One even whistled.

  Smiling, I lifted my hand and waved.

  We had on our bikini tops and shorts and sandals. Nothing else. My shorts covered me like denim briefs, the pockets hanging out like white tongues. My top was a white pair of small triangles that covered my nipples and not much else. Since I was already oiled in suntan lotion, my skin looked as if I’d bathed in butter.

  Anyway, I knew I had a body that people liked to look at, so I let them do it. I kind of liked being able to control people just by what I wore, or in most cases, what I didn’t.

  Never failed.

  A guy approached the pump island. I recognized his face from seeing him around. He was cute in a dumb sort of way, with curly hair that was the color of sand. Shirtless, his muscular chest was glossy and pink from too much sun.

  Standing on the other side of the gas pump, he leaned his head sideways to see me. “I know you?” he asked.

  “Probably,” I said.

  Smiling, the guy nodded. “I’m Glenn. You’re…?”

  “Jody.”

  “Ah, that’s right. I think I do know you. You work at Honkers, right?”

  “It’s possible.”

  “Sure you do. I know I’ve seen you there.”

  “Then you’re a truck driver?”

  “I am.”

  I nodded. Honkers was a trashy pit stop for truckers looking for more than a warm meal. The food was awful, but the coffee was good. Some of the waitresses traded tips for bigger payouts with hand jobs and blow jobs. Sometimes more if the customer had a fat wallet. And the management required the girls to wear clothes that showed off their assets. Some girls had a lot more to show than others.

  And Glenn was right. I worked there. The midday shift. I didn’t make trades, but I got tipped really well. Those assets I mentioned? I had the best since Teresa was killed by a mad dog a couple years ago. Since we were permitted to wear our uniforms as scantily as possible, I had cut my T-shirt into a band, where only the Honkers logo of a hand squeezing a horn showed over my left boob. It left my midriff bare to my clinging purple shorts.

  “So you work there, right?” he asked.

  Nodding, I gave him a coy smile. “Can’t put nothing past you, huh?”

  “Not when it comes to beautiful girls, nope.”

  Holding back my gag, I kept smiling. “Is that your line?”

  “My line?”

  “Yeah. The one you use on every pretty girl you meet?”

  “Nah,” he said. Puckering out his bottom lip, his eyebrows lifted. “Just the really special ones.”

  “Oh, so I’m special?”

  “Very.”

  “I see. And what makes me so special?”

  “Your skin.”

  His response caught me off guard. I thought he was going to say my tits, or my legs, maybe even my ass. But not my skin. That was a first for me.

  “My skin?” I said, laughing. Holding up my arm, I looked it over. The color of creamy coffee, the sunlight glinted off the lotion and left shiny patches up my arm. Maybe he was impressed by how much I seemed to glow. Looked as if I’d dipped myself in a radiation bath.

  “What’s so special about it?” I asked.

  “It looks really…slippery.”

  I made a face, slowly nodding. “I see. And I bet you want to play slip and slide?”

  “Wouldn’t mind at all.” He surprised me again by reaching through the gas pump to stroke my upraised knee. I didn’t flinch, though. “Yep,” he said. “Very slippery.” He held up his fingers, rubbing the tips together. “Look at them shine now.”

  “I see that. Little flashlights you have there.”

  Glenn laughed softly. “Yep. Want to make me shine somewhere else?”

  “Oh, boy.” I laughed. “Really? That’s how you approach it?”

  “Why beat around the bush?”

  Shrugging, I said, “I don’t have a bush to beat.”

  Glenn moaned. “I bet you don’t.”

  “Talk about slippery. Bet you’d like to see how much it glows, huh?”

  “I bet Santa would put it on the front of his sleigh.”

  Again, his poor attempts of being suave tried to make me puke. But I had to admit, he was kind of winning me over with his folly. I don’t know if I was attracted to him, or if I just felt sorry for the dumb bastard.

  “All right,” I said. “You’ve got me interested.”

  He put his fists together, quietly whispering, “Yes.”

  The trigger on the gas pump clicked off. The tank was full. Pulling out the nozzle, I stepped over to the pump and switched off the machine. Then I hung up the nozzle. Glenn moved closer, gripping the edges of the pump, peering over the top beside a sign advertising cigarette prices. What I could see of his face was smiling like a little boy looking through somebody’s window.

  “Is that your ride?” he asked, nodding toward the Jeep behind me.

  “No. My friend’s. She’s inside with another friend.”

  “Ah,” he said. “Got plans?”

  “Right now?”

  Glenn nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Well, we were going to head to the lake.”

  “How about you ride off with me for a couple hours, then I drop you off with them later?”

  “You want me to ditch my friends?”

  “Not for the whole day, just a couple hours.”

  “Would it only take a couple hours?” I asked.

  “It’s a good start,” he said.

  Snorting, I said, “I can’t just ride off with you. What if you’re some kind of weirdo?”

  Laughing, Glenn held out his hands. “Willing to risk it?”

  I stared at him. Stared at his chest, his stomach. Though he wasn’t flabby, he wasn’t lined with muscle. Like I said, his uneducated charm had broken through my defenses. Plus, it had been over a month since I’d fucked anybody. I figured, why not? If he turned out to be a creep, I could handle it.

  “Sure,” I said.

  “Really?” he said in a shocked voice. “You’re serious?”

  “No, I’m bullshitting you.” For a moment, he looked brokenhearted. “Yes, I’m serious.”

  His boyish enthusiasm returned, making him look much younger than I figured he was. “Great! I’m parked right over there.” He pointed to an old pickup backed into a parking space next to the air pump. A guy was squatted beside a tank as he filled
it with air. I could hear the loud hiss where I stood.

  “I’ll meet you there in a few minutes,” I said. “Just let me grab my things.”

  “Great. Great.” He stared at me, a goofy grin curled on his face. “I’ll…uh…see you over there.”

  He trotted toward his truck. I could hear him whistling some joyful tune on his way. It made me laugh. I opened the Jeep door and leaned in. I figured Glenn was watching, so I made a show out of it. Jutting up my rump, I slowly wiggled it as I pretended to hunt for my belongings. I could feel my denim cut-offs riding up, pulling tight into the valley of my ass. The lower halves of my cheeks were probably showing. So I leaned over even more, making the shorts rise higher. The waistband squeezed my stomach, the button digging in.

  Since it hurt being in this position, I quickly grabbed my purse and cigarettes. Then I stepped back and stood up. Turning toward the truck, I reached behind me and pulled the shorts down. That felt better. The denim wasn’t burrowed inside me anymore.

  On my way to Glenn’s truck, I sent a text message to Carla.

  Met a guy out here. Going to have some fun. Meet you at the lake later.

  By the time I reached the truck, she’d already replied: Horny bitch!

  Smirking, I opened the passenger door. Glenn, behind the wheel, watched me climb in.

  “Everything settled?” he asked.

  “Right as rain.”

  Nodding, Glenn gulped. I sat down, leaned sideways, and pulled the door to me. I felt my breasts bounce. When I looked, I caught Glenn staring.

  “Wow,” he said.

  “What?”

  “You’re…beautiful.”

  “Now you’re just saying things. Don’t worry. I’ll let you in my shorts.”

  “Ruh…um…” He cleared his throat, nervously laughed. “Wow. Um…”

  “Not used to somebody being so direct?”

  “Well, um…”

  “Didn’t you say there’s no point in beating around the bush?”

  “I…”

  “Yes, you did. And I agree.”

  “But I was serious about you being beautiful. I didn’t mean… I hope you don’t think I was just saying that. I’ve never seen somebody…who looks like you.”

  “I’m unique? That’s what they all tell me.”

  “I can tell you’re much more than that.”

  I hoped the cab was too dark to show my blush. Didn’t matter how ignorant Glenn was, that was a very nice thing to say. And I could tell he meant it.

  “Let’s get going,” I said. “How much longer you going to make me wait?”

  “Not much longer,” he said, turning in the seat. He reached for the key, twisted it. The engine made a growling cough before it rumbled to life. Revving the gas, the engine noise grew louder and louder. I began to smell the tangy scent of exhaust. “I know a spot near the lake.”

  “Oh? Is it pretty?”

  Glenn nodded. “Yep. I used to go there a lot when I was kid. I found it by accident.”

  Popping the gear into Drive, I flew back when he took off.

  With the windows open, I could smell the sweet aromas of the forest. My hair whipped around my head, hitting my eyes. So I put on my sunglasses to avoid being poked by a lashing strand of hair.

  We passed the lake entrance. The pebble-covered parking area was packed full of cars and trucks. There were a bunch of trucks backed down the embankment, their trailers in the water to drop off their boats.

  I gazed out the window as we crossed the bridge. The lake shimmered like glass, except for where the boats were. There, the water looked fizzy and cool. My skin tingled from wanting to jump in. I loved swimming in lakes, though sometimes I let my imagination get to me. Because I couldn’t see the bottom, my mind liked to conjure up gross monsters lurking below me. While my feet kicked under the water, I imagined their cavernous, fang-filled mouths were opening to gobble me up.

  We left the lake behind.

  The turn signal clicked on. Slowing the truck, Glenn steered to the left. “Almost there,” he said, driving us onto a narrow two-lane road that split the heavy woods. I knew the road. I’d been back there before. It led to some other boat accesses, and a slew of trailer parks.

  The woods bordering the road threw down a lot of shade. Trees whisked by in a blur. Each time I stole a peek at Glenn, I caught him watching me. Leaning against the door, I angled my legs to the side to make sure he could see as much of them as possible. Every now and then, I rubbed them, slowly up and down. Fingers spread, I delicately kneaded my skin, working my fingers to the inner sides of my thighs.

  When I checked on Glenn again, he was sweating.

  Smiling, I looked out the window, moving my hands up to my throat, gliding my fingers down the slopes of my breasts. I slid my fingers behind the patch over my nipple.

  Quivery breaths came from beside me. This time, I didn’t look over. I just played around, letting him watch. But I did notice the truck sped up. The trees outside were really zipping by now. Wind buffeted my face through the open window, stinging my cheeks. I had to turn away.

  “Going a little fast?” I asked.

  “I want to get there.”

  Smiling, I reached across the seat. My hand rubbed his thigh, the tips of my fingers poking his erection. “Don’t kill us before we get there.”

  His leg jerked up when I grabbed his balls, making his foot come off the gas. The engine noise softened, but roared when he slammed his foot back down.

  4

  Jody

  I spotted the narrow entrance of a beaten dirt road right before Glenn hit the brakes. Yanking the wheel, the truck shot off the road. We bounced when the tires left the blacktop. My head bonked the ceiling. Something in my neck popped, and my ears began to ring.

  “Asshole,” I said, rubbing my head. It felt tender and sore where my hair parted.

  If Glenn had heard me, he didn’t acknowledge it. He just stared ahead, his jaw locked and mouth stretched into an odd sort of grimace—like he was holding in a massive shit or something. I decided to let it go. No sense in getting pissed off about something as juvenile as head trauma. But it really did sour my mood.

  The tips of branches scraped the truck as we drove deeper into the woods. Leafy hands smacked the window frame. One whacked my arm and felt like it did when my dad used to pop me for mouthing off. I began to wonder if we were actually on a road that had been used since by anything other than a horse and buggy.

  Then we reached a spot where the road just…ended. Glenn slowed the truck to a stop.

  “Here we are,” he said, in a winded voice. He clapped his hands, rubbed them together.

  “Finally. I thought you might be driving me to the end of the world.”

  Laughing, Glenn shouldered his door open and hopped down. He turned around, held out his hands. “Help you?”

  “I thought we’d handle things in here,” I said. I patted the seat. “Plenty of room.”

  “Better spot out there. Lots of shade.”

  “There’s shade here.” Tall trees arched over us, creating a dome that blotted out the sunlight.

  “Trust me,” he said. “It’s way better out there.”

  Of course, my inner warning device flared up. Usually when somebody tells you to trust them, that’s all the evidence you need to know you can’t trust them. But Glenn seemed harmless, and very goofy. “Sure,” I said.

  I turned in the seat, facing Glenn, keeping my right foot on the floorboard. I brought my left leg up, leaning the side of my thigh against the seat back. The upholstery was slick from our sweat. Then I started to scoot toward Glenn, bit by bit. Each thrust of my hips, my rump shot forward. Looking at Glenn, I saw where his eyes were aimed.

  I knew he had a clear shot of my bikini bottoms where my shorts made a small cave beside my leg. That had been his motive the whole time—the perv had just wanted to watch me wiggle my way out. I couldn’t believe I fell for such an immature trick.

  So I took my time, sco
oting and shaking. Made sure each movement was accentuated for jiggling purposes. As I reached the end of the seat, he held out his hand, then stepped back to give me room. I held his hand, and jumped down. My sandals slapped the bottoms of my feet when I landed.

  “That was an adventure,” I said.

  “The view was nice.”

  “I bet so. How many have fallen for it?”

  Glenn laughed softly. “Not that many.”

  “Great. I’m one of the rare ones.”

  “Told you you’re special.” Smiling, Glenn reached beside me, grabbed the truck door, and swung it shut. Instead of bringing back his arm, he dropped it around my shoulders. I leaned against him. His side felt slippery and warm against mine. Both of us shirtless and slicked in sweat, we started walking.

  We approached a stand of trees. So Glenn went through first, then held back the limb so I could follow without getting whacked. When I was beside him, he let go. The branch whipped back into place. This time, he held my hand as we walked.

  The woods were filled with a sweet scent, like after a fresh rain. Shadows were heavy, and only skinny blades of sunlight cut through. They made dazzling flecks on the trees, shaking like glowing bees.

  We walked a bit farther. I was about to ask him if he knew where we were going when he said, “We’re here.”

  A small clearing was in front of us. Probably a spot used by campers from how cleared out and flat the ground was. Other than the spread-out blanket and a pile of brush, the small section was bare.

  “A blanket?” I asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “You already knew what you were doing when you came up to me, didn’t you?”

  “Well, I hoped I would…”

  “What about that ‘Found it when I was little’ stuff?”

  “I did find this spot when I was little. I’ve been back here since. It’s not like I found it then, and never returned until now.”

  “So you laid out the blanket, then drove to the gas station, hoping to find somebody dumb enough to come out here. Right?”