the boat first and Trev stepped up on the railing to follow him. He turned to Billy and saluted him. "Have fun in the city, dumb ass."
"Drop the gun and let's see how tough you are," said Billy.
Trev stepped back down from the railing to confront Billy. "Oh yeah? You wanna go, little dick? You wanna fight me. Let's see what you've got, baby boy."
Trev threw his shotgun down to Frank and started to roll up his sleeves. Billy got ready to fight and I knew the situation was about to get worse.
"Stop it." I stepped between them. I punched Billy in the chest and pushed Trev away. "No one's going to get in a fight. Just tell me what you know about the food. Was it all poisoned?"
Trev looked as if he was about to push me out of the way, but then he calmed down and answered. "Not all of it, but I ain't gonna take no chances. Throw that shit out if you know what's good for ya. And you, baby boy, if you don’t turn into a zombie from the food, come and find me. I'd be happy to kill ya myself."
I felt Billy's hands on my shoulder, ready to move me out of the way, and I begged him to calm down. He glared at Trev from behind me and said, "You'll get yours, pal. Trust me."
CHAPTER FOUR - WASHED THE SPIDER OUT
"Stop worrying," said Billy as if that were an option.
"What if they're right?" I stared at the empty pouch of stuffing.
"They don't know what they're talking about." Billy took the bag out of my hands, crumbled it, and tossed it aside. "The food was sealed. Who could've poisoned it?"
"I don't know, maybe someone that worked at the factory. The news said there were kids getting sick. What if it's true? Jesus Christ, Billy, what if I just poisoned us?" I tried to say it quietly so Kim and Annie didn't hear. They were in the cabin of the boat, where it was warm, tucked under a tarp for a blanket.
"We can fish for food from now on if you don't want to eat the school stuff," said Billy.
I paced the length of the boat and shivered in the cold air over Hailey's Bay. Billy took off his flannel and wrapped it around my shoulders. I slipped into his warm shirt and rubbed my arms beneath the sleeve.
"You're going to drive yourself crazy worrying about this."
"Probably," I said as I continued to pace.
"You're going to drive me crazy too." He grabbed my hand and guided me over to the bench beside him. "Relax for a minute." He swept a dingy pile of rags off the bench to clear a spot for me. Annie's hidden bag of candy tumbled to the deck along with the rags. I picked them up and smelled the sticky treats.
"What are those?" asked Billy.
"Chocolate apricots. Annie must've hidden them under those rags." I took one of them out of the bag. It was tacky and melted between my fingers. "She likes to hide food." I smiled as I thought of my girls fighting over hidden food. "Kim used to tell us that Annie was stealing candy and hiding it around the house, but we never believed her. We always thought she was being ridiculous. But then one day David found a stash of old gum wrappers hidden behind her stuffies."
"Stuffies?" asked Billy.
"Stuffed animals. Our house was littered with them. Annie had her favorites though. She collected all of the cat stuffies and horded them in her room. She used to lay in them, in a big pile in the corner of her closet. We would find her in there talking to them, all by herself. That's where David found her gum stash, tucked back behind those cat stuffies."
I took a deep breath and stared up at the stars. It was a clear, brisk autumn evening and only a few wisps of clouds marred my celestial view. Winter would be upon us soon, and that ushered in the busiest time of year for us. Not only were there the holidays, but Kim and David's birthdays were at the end of the year as well. It was always a hectic few months that I looked forward to getting past.
"I'd give anything for it to be yesterday again."
"It'll be okay," said Billy in a fruitless attempt to console me.
"I should have grabbed one of those
"Drop the gun and let's see how tough you are," said Billy.
Trev stepped back down from the railing to confront Billy. "Oh yeah? You wanna go, little dick? You wanna fight me. Let's see what you've got, baby boy."
Trev threw his shotgun down to Frank and started to roll up his sleeves. Billy got ready to fight and I knew the situation was about to get worse.
"Stop it." I stepped between them. I punched Billy in the chest and pushed Trev away. "No one's going to get in a fight. Just tell me what you know about the food. Was it all poisoned?"
Trev looked as if he was about to push me out of the way, but then he calmed down and answered. "Not all of it, but I ain't gonna take no chances. Throw that shit out if you know what's good for ya. And you, baby boy, if you don’t turn into a zombie from the food, come and find me. I'd be happy to kill ya myself."
I felt Billy's hands on my shoulder, ready to move me out of the way, and I begged him to calm down. He glared at Trev from behind me and said, "You'll get yours, pal. Trust me."
CHAPTER FOUR - WASHED THE SPIDER OUT
"Stop worrying," said Billy as if that were an option.
"What if they're right?" I stared at the empty pouch of stuffing.
"They don't know what they're talking about." Billy took the bag out of my hands, crumbled it, and tossed it aside. "The food was sealed. Who could've poisoned it?"
"I don't know, maybe someone that worked at the factory. The news said there were kids getting sick. What if it's true? Jesus Christ, Billy, what if I just poisoned us?" I tried to say it quietly so Kim and Annie didn't hear. They were in the cabin of the boat, where it was warm, tucked under a tarp for a blanket.
"We can fish for food from now on if you don't want to eat the school stuff," said Billy.
I paced the length of the boat and shivered in the cold air over Hailey's Bay. Billy took off his flannel and wrapped it around my shoulders. I slipped into his warm shirt and rubbed my arms beneath the sleeve.
"You're going to drive yourself crazy worrying about this."
"Probably," I said as I continued to pace.
"You're going to drive me crazy too." He grabbed my hand and guided me over to the bench beside him. "Relax for a minute." He swept a dingy pile of rags off the bench to clear a spot for me. Annie's hidden bag of candy tumbled to the deck along with the rags. I picked them up and smelled the sticky treats.
"What are those?" asked Billy.
"Chocolate apricots. Annie must've hidden them under those rags." I took one of them out of the bag. It was tacky and melted between my fingers. "She likes to hide food." I smiled as I thought of my girls fighting over hidden food. "Kim used to tell us that Annie was stealing candy and hiding it around the house, but we never believed her. We always thought she was being ridiculous. But then one day David found a stash of old gum wrappers hidden behind her stuffies."
"Stuffies?" asked Billy.
"Stuffed animals. Our house was littered with them. Annie had her favorites though. She collected all of the cat stuffies and horded them in her room. She used to lay in them, in a big pile in the corner of her closet. We would find her in there talking to them, all by herself. That's where David found her gum stash, tucked back behind those cat stuffies."
I took a deep breath and stared up at the stars. It was a clear, brisk autumn evening and only a few wisps of clouds marred my celestial view. Winter would be upon us soon, and that ushered in the busiest time of year for us. Not only were there the holidays, but Kim and David's birthdays were at the end of the year as well. It was always a hectic few months that I looked forward to getting past.
"I'd give anything for it to be yesterday again."
"It'll be okay," said Billy in a fruitless attempt to console me.
"I should have grabbed one of those
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