The Brothers Crunk Read Online Free PDF Page B

starving!”
     
    “ What do you mean you’re facking starving ? How is that even possible?” asks Reynold.
     
    “ What do you mean? I’m alive, ain’t I?”
     
    “ Well, that’s debatable.”
     
    “ I’ll show you how alive I am by shoving my foot up your ass!”
     
    Reynold looks down at Pete’s feet. They’re not there. He’s a facking pile of meat. But instead of arguing any further, he nods his head and agrees to go fetch dinner.
     
    He moves slowly, carefully maneuvering through the separated heaps of vehicle parts, until finally reaching the pile of poultry. He pierces one of their fat bodies with a stick, removes all the machine parts and wiring—slowly, carefully, quietly—and begins to roast it over the open campfire.
     
    The orange light from the fire licks the darkness and quickly fades. The fire is dying. In a few moments they’ll all be swallowed by night.
     
    “ Come closer . . .” a weakened voice whispers. Reynold jumps nervously at the sound and stumbles backwards over the poultry pile, hitting his head on the metal bumper of the Chevy Nova. The voice is coming from Vandenboom, but it isn’t his voice.
     
    “ Shhh! You’ll wake him!” the voice cries. “Rey, it’s me, Divey. I may not have long, so just keep your trap shut and your ears open.”
     
    Reynold nods and rolls his eye in a daze. He is losing consciousness. Tiny sparks begin to pollute his vision.
     
    “ Vandenboom is planning to meet up with others like him. Four others. He calls them his ‘Damned Dirt Devils’ .”
     
    Reynold nods and rests his head on the sand.
     
    “ They are dangerous, you have to stay out of their way. You got me, Rey? I’m not worth it. If you pursue them, then you will die. Got me? Rey?”
     
    Reynold nods his head, closing his eye. “Yeah, I got you,” he says just above a whisper.
     
    “ Don’t worry about me, Rey. You just keep walking. I’ll find my way back to you.”
     
    “ G’night, Div . . .” Reynold whimpers, slipping into unconsciousness.
     
    “ Bye, Rey.”
     
    The night gulps.
     

 
     
    THIRTEEN
     
    THE RED RAIN
     
     
     
    IT is standing over me, breathing down my neck. There is evil in ITs eyes, but it’s not for me. The red rain splashes against and runs down ITs purple skin in tiny streams. It’s almost beautiful.
     
    The chime of a bell tower echoes in the distance. The illuminated clock on the outside of the tower is clearly visible, even through the rain. A quarter till midnight.
     
    IT sees the clock. There is worry in ITs eyes, but it’s not over me. There is a white glow coming out from ITs chest. Out from the glow comes a voice.
     
    Go. Now. Run.
     
    IT turns away from me.
     
    Go. Now. Run.
     
    IT goes. It runs.
     
    Go.
     
    But somehow I can still . . .
     
    Now.
     
      . . .hear ITs voice.
     
    Run.
     

 
     
    FOURTEEN
     
    THE GRAVE OF THE ELDER
     
     
     
    Vandenboom sits in the middle of the desert, waiting. The quad-bike resting beneath him rumbles and growls, eliminating the silence the desert usually keeps. Spiked in the sand before him are four shovels. The sand beside the shovels is stained with a splash of red paint. It marks a grave. The grave of an ancient Edokko elder.
     
    There is a faint thunder in the distance. Vandenboom turns the key in the ignition and kills the motor.
     
    They’re here.
     
    ● ● ●
     
    Reynold awakens, not knowing how much time has passed since his fall. All he knows is that it is now daylight and Vandenboom is gone. In fact, the piles of car parts are gone as well. He jumps to his feet, staggering backwards. The blow to the head still has him a little off-kilter.
     
    Pete still sits in the front seat of the blue Caddy. His meat is now a darkened brown from the heat. He smells delicious. Reynold makes his way over to the Caddy.
     
    “ It’s ’bout fucking time, man! Purple took off hours ago!” Pete screams. Reynold examines Pete. He’s a bit crispy. “What’s