Stephen Randel - The Chupacabra

“What do you mean, we can’t invite the Greenhills to your wedding, princess,” a woman in one of the stalls said to the woman in the other. “Your daddy and I’ve known the Greenhills for years. They’ll be horribly upset.”

“I don’t care, Momma. Billy used to date Melissa in high school. She’s a skank and I don’t want her there.”

“But princess, that was years ago. She’s married to that Martingale boy and has two kids already.”

“Stop bringing up kids, Momma! Jesus, I know I’m twenty-five and don’t have kids yet. Why do you always have to bring it up?”

“Princess, all I’m saying is that the Greenhills belong to our country club and your daddy has sold them insurance for years. We can’t just go and not invite them. It’s not like they’d bring Melissa along with them, anyway.”

“I don’t care, Momma. I don’t want anyone associated with that tramp invited. I guarantee she’d show up somehow and try to ruin my wedding day.”

Jackie tapped her foot impatiently as she looked back at the woman in line behind her. The woman shrugged her shoulders at Jackie and checked her watch. The movie was about to start.

“I just don’t know how your daddy is going to feel about this, princess. I mean, he’s got business with the man.”

“Why is everything so much more important than my wedding day? It’s just one stupid client. It’s my day, Momma! You even said so yourself.”

“It definitely is your day, princess. It’s going to be just perfect. I’ll talk to your daddy and see what he says.”

“He better say they’re not invited. I swear to God, Momma, if they show up, I’ll walk right out of that church. We’ll see what that does for Daddy’s business!”

“Calm down, princess. I’ll see what I can do. Oh, princess,” the older woman gushed, “you’re going to be so beautiful on your day. I won’t let anything spoil it.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Thank you, Momma,” the younger woman said as she began to cry. “I just don’t know why I’m so emotional right now.”

“Oh, don’t you cry, princess. Your momma’s going to take care of everything for you. Your wedding day is going to be just as perfect as you are beautiful.”

“Do you really think I’m beautiful, Momma?” the younger woman asked through her sniffles.

“Princess, of course you are.”

“Momma…”

“Yes, princess?”

“I love you, Momma.”

“Well, I love you, too, princess.”

“That is just so sweet I can’t stand it,” Jackie interrupted loudly with a vague undertone of sarcasm. “Now, I think you two ladies should come right out of those stalls so we can all have a big group hug.” The woman standing behind Jackie covered her mouth with one hand to keep from laughing out loud and gave Jackie a high five with the other.

“Oh, sorry,” the older woman said as she and her daughter both flushed their toilets and exited the stalls.

“Sorry,” the younger woman said as she walked past Jackie and took a paper towel from the dispenser to wipe her tears away. Jackie and the other woman jumped into the stalls and slammed the doors shut. A minute later, Jackie emerged from the restroom and found Kip fiddling with his phone while he waited.

“Thought you fell in or something,” said Kip as he took Jackie’s hand. “What was that gal who just came out crying about?”

“You don’t even want to know,” replied Jackie as she pulled Kip toward the stairs leading to the movie theater’s upper balcony. The two could barely remember the plot of the black and white foreign film when it was over, they spent so much time ad-libbing over the subtitles. After leaving the theater, Kip and Jackie spent the next few hours patrolling the streets of downtown Austin. One bar, one jazz club, and a few drinks later, Kip couldn’t help but stifle a yawn.

“I didn’t think I’d bore you until our next date,” Jackie teased.

“No way,” Kip replied. “It’s not you at all. I’m just beat from pouring that blasted concrete walk in front of the house.”

“Start of a second career, maybe? It looked awfully professional to me,” said Jackie.

“Not a chance. I try to kid myself, but I’m a desk man by nature.”

“Well, let’s get you home, then, paper pusher. But I was thinking the restaurant is closed on Mondays. How about I cook for you and Bennett tomorrow night?” Jackie asked.

“Over at our place?”

“Sure, if that works best for you guys,” Jackie replied. “Will Avery be there?”

“Not really sure,” replied Kip. “God only knows where he’s chasing monsters. Could be halfway to South America by now. I just hope he shows up with my car in one piece. Preferably sometime in the foreseeable future.”

“Well, I’ll plan on him showing up, just to be safe.”

“Nothing too fancy for dinner. Bennett’s a country boy at heart, and Avery, well, he’s just weird.”

“No problem. Now, let’s get you out of here and into bed.”

“Okay, deal,” Kip replied as he paid their tab and took Jackie’s hand as they left the dark bar and headed for her car.

“You still planning on heading back to New York in a week or so?” Jackie asked as they walked arm in arm down Sixth Street.

“Not really sure. Maybe I’ll stay a while longer,” Kip replied as he smiled at Jackie.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Jackie said as she paused and kissed Kip quickly on the lips. Kip kissed her back. He kissed her back for a long time as he held her tightly.

“Get some, bro!” a young man in a pack of students called out as they passed by.

“Old folk PDA, ya’ll!” a young girl in the group said as she snapped a picture of the tightly embraced couple with her cell phone camera. Kip and Jackie both laughed as they continued on their way back to Jackie’s car. A few blocks into their drive, Kip noticed they were heading the opposite direction from the big white house.

“You miss a turn back there?” Kip asked.

“I said I was taking you home, sailor. I just didn’t say whose home,” Jackie replied with a smile.

It was three hours into his drive home toward Austin, and Avery was still shaken by the incident at the headquarters. Evil visions of the two Mexican men filled his head. His hands were latched in fear to the hard plastic steering wheel as he sped along the dark, empty highway. Thoughts crashed through his head. Were the two men dead? Were they alive? Why the hell did he take their money? Would they come after him? Avery panicked as he thought about the potential consequences in gruesome detail.

“Too late now,” Avery mumbled as he rubbed his exhausted eyes with his fist. Avery glanced over his shoulder into the back seat and saw the dark face of the chupacabra in the dim light protruding from its silver cocoon. Its tongue was hanging out. It seemed to be laughing at him. Mocking him. Avery turned his eyes back to the road. The lines in the highway zipped past his car’s headlights. Avery flinched as a yellow warning light on his dashboard lit up. The fuel indicator showed that he was almost out of gas. He wanted to put Tornillo as far in his review mirror as he could, but he knew he needed to stop. A few miles later, he pulled into an all-night gas station just off the highway. Avery stopped next to a set of pumps and got out of his car. Noticing the stacks of money on the back seat floorboard, Avery took off his tracksuit top and draped it over the bills. Double-checking to be sure the money was concealed, Avery turned towards the pumps. The sign on the gas pump read Prepay Inside. Avery, shirtless and fatigued, wandered into the station to pay.