Edward Lee - Slither

Nora nodded wearily.

't'he infection constituents would be incompatible in humans, wouldn't they? And of course the ova themselves would be too. A human immune system would destroy it immediately." Loren blinked. "Right?"

'I think so," she said very softly.

Loren seemed suddenly enlivened. "So let's not freak out. This is actually exciting, it's a polychaetologist's dream. It might be a new species."

'Yeah, that would be great, Loren." But she didn't sound convinced. "But we're still ignoring the size."

Loren looked back down onto the radiant magnifying frame. "It's big, all right." He seemed to be chewing the inside of his cheek. "And I mean really big."

(I)

They moored the beaten cabin cruiser at the usual stop just when high tide hit; Jonas, hip-deep in the lagoon, caught the rope Slydes tossed and tied it off to a sweetgum tree.

"It's creepy tonight," Ruth commented as she lowered herself off the back ledge.

"What are you talkin' about?" Slydes asked.

She looked up and around, wading clumsily. "It's just… different. Feels weird. It's my female intuition. We have that, you know. I saw it on that Oprah show."

Slydes climbed off, frowning. Bitch is drunk again, or fucked up on something. The water lay like black glass. No moon roved overhead; more cloud banks were rolling in. Ahead, the island's wall of trees looked like an obscure, dark bulk. Slydes didn't feel quite right himself, but he didn't admit it.

Once ashore, the three of them stood dripping. Ruth's T-shirt clung to her breasts. When she raised a flashlight, Slydes snatched it away.

"I told ya, no fights. There's people on the island tonight."

Jonas seemed aggravated that he was wet. "Any idea if they're camping near the headshacks?"

"No, so that's why we gotta be extra careful." Slydes shirt read ST. PETE BEACH-A QUIET LI FLE DRINKING TOWN WITH A FISHING PROBLEM. "So remember what I tell ya. We get in and out fast as we can. I'll keep watch and Jonas, you get in, grab some product, and leave. Then we come back to the boat. We need to get out of here in a half hour before the tide goes back down too far."

"What do I do?" Ruth asked for instructions.

"You can tweak your titties for all I care. Just don't make any noise. It's past midnight now, and these photographer people are probably asleep. But you never know."

"Any of 'em chicks?" Jonas asked.

"What do you care!" Ruth objected and gave him a hard slap to the arm. Jonas had always had something of a voyeurism problem, and Ruth knew it. He actually had a lot more problems than that, but that was another story.

"Two of 'em, I think," Slydes said.

"And that goes for you, too!" Ruth added, and slapped Slydes.

Slydes latched a big, dirty hand to her face and squeezed her cheeks between her teeth. "Keep your voice down, ya pain in the ass."

Jonas swatted at a mosquito. Now that I think of it, how about -if-Ruth-stays here?"

"The fuck I am!"

'She's high as a kite and'll be yappin' the whole way."

Even in the darkness they could see her face redden. "I'm not stayin' here by myself! There's gators and snakes and stuff!"

"And leeches and ticks," Jonas added. "Oh yeah, and them big spiders that paralyze ya when they bite."

"Fuck that shit!" Ruth conveyed as eloquently as she could. Right after she'd said it, a bat squeaked by. "Fuck!"

Slydes pointed a smudged finger. "All right. No more noise or we leave ya here."

"Fuck," she whispered.

"So let's quit fuckin' around and get moving."

They moved slowly down the trail. Visibility was poor even when their eyes acclimated to the darker woods. Unseen animals could be heard scampering through brush. Slydes felt as though he were walking through fog.

A hundred yards in, he whispered, "Not a sound. Look."

They peered past trees. A light flickered. Tents had been set up in a small cove, and a campfire crackled. A blonde in a bikini sat before the fire, writing in a notebook.

Oh, man. There's a party, Slydes thought.

"Damn," Jonas whispered. "Would you look at the-"

Ruth glared. "I'll pop your nuts off if you even think about looking at her!" came a hot whisper in response.

Slydes chuckled. He had to admit, it might be fun to have a roll with this one and then maybe tune her up Slydes and Jonas-style afterward. After all, Slydes had his skinning knife on him, and he had a pair of pliers on the boat that he sometimes used to pull out gator teeth. Yeah, we'd get her screaming something fierce. But…

Not tonight.

We just get in and out, he reinforced to himself.

"Shit," Jonas whispered next. "How come these folks aren't sleeping?"

Someone else emerged from the woods and approached the blonde, who looked up and started chatting. In the firelight, Slydes could tell the guy was a big-time geek: skinny, lanky, stoop-shouldered. Who the hell's this turkey-neck? One of the photographers? "Let's move on," he whispered.

They crept away, swallowed by the woods again. The trail veered.

"What if there's people at the head shacks, too?" Jonas asked.

"There won't be. Ain't no reason," Slydes felt sure, then, Good god-DAMN!

The outside light glowed bright at the first head shack, and the door stood open.

"Aw, shit, Slydes!" Jonas whispered.

"I can't fuckin' believe this shit. There's no reason for any of these people to be here, for shit's sake!"

At least none that they could think of. It was the farthest head shack Jonas used for his hydroponic operation, at the other end. He knew if he took a chance now and blew it, they'd lose the whole works and a hell of a lot of money.

"I say we go in and get the dope anyway," Jonas said.

"No way," Slydes insisted. "We'd be morons to do that."

Ruth smiled in the dark.

Jonas wasn't happy. "Shit, Slydes, I don't even think there's anyone in that first shack anyhow."

"Then why's the door open, dick-for-brains? Why're the lights on?"

"Maybe-"

With no warning, Ruth squealed like a referee whistle.

Slyde's heart surged. He slapped his hand over her mouth to seal off the shriek, and felt her tremoring in his grasp. What the shit!

What was wrong with her?

"Quiet, quiet!" Jonas shot another whisper. He held up Ruth's quivering arm, which displayed a small thin snake. "It ain't nothin'," he said and plucked the snake off with his fingers and tossed it away. Shit, a little snake's all it was, Slydes thought. He kept his huge hand clamped over Ruth's face, and took a few silent moments for him and his brother to see if anyone inside the head shack had heard Ruth's outburst.

A shadow appeared in the bright, open doorway, and a figure stepped out.

Another chick, Slydes thought. What the fuck's going on here? And it didn't matter, because if she'd heard them, and called authorities, they'd have to beat feet off the island and leave everything.

All that pot.

The woman in the doorway looked wan, slim. She walked out and glanced around as if indeed looking for trespassers.

Then she shrugged and went back inside.

"We lucked out," Slydes said under his breath. "She didn't hear." He gestured with a jerk of his head to move off.

When they got to another clearing, Slydes realized he still hadn't let go of Ruth. She collapsed out of his arms when he released his grip.

"Shit, man!" Jonas exclaimed. He seemed almost amused. "Is she dead?"

Moonlight broke through some clouds. Ruth lay crumpled and still at their feet. I didn't smother the bitch, did I?

He began to worry just when her chest heaved and she snapped back to consciousness.

"Damn," Jonas remarked. "We could only hope."

Her eyes batted; she leaned up on her elbows. Then awareness returned. "Holy fuck! That snake!"