Aptitude of the Slug

Chapter 89: Aptitude of the Slug

 

 

 

            What ARE we going to do?” he asked again demandingly. “Well, I can't get to that fraud in another dimension, and the guy in the sky definitely isn't coming down anytime soon. That leaves us two options. We look for more elsewhere or I contact Jamie.”

            “The latter would be preferable my man.”

            “You got it partna.” Off he drove to Jamie's residence. It was reaching the ten o'clock hour and Trevor was driving quite fast. He wasn't keen on the reason, there wasn't any imminent persuasion to turn around now. “Hey, how you doin'?” David asked. “Mmmm… chipper.” he said in a snippy way. “So, what do you think will happen?”

            “If I'd have to say it'd be that we will drink and then go meet people.”

            “A bright outlook. I guess we'll see.”

            “Kay. So, how about we come to terms with if anything goes awry.”

            “I'm listening.”

            “It seems Jamie has this tendency to take us somewhere and then shy away from the company he took us to. It's rather aggrivating.”

            “So, you're saying that he doesn't usually have close connections to who he finds to party with.”

            “That's not what I'm saying. It's like… he doesn't want us to know that he does know them well or at least enough.”

            “So you say. But, likewise he could very well not know them much.”

            “You're right it was just an inferrence”

            “I'll observe if anything does occur.”

            “Gotcha.”

            “How about we pick up some beer on the way.”

            “Okay, I'll stop soon.”

            He parked outside the range of the station's pumps and normal parking spots. He watched David liner slowly into the doors and get around the aisles. He quit eying him after he'd gone to pick up the beers. Then he watched three birds swoop across the evening sky and up into a bleak treeline and wisp through them. As he turned David was returning with a bag in his hand. “Did you get a good haul?” he asked him. “Oh yeah.”

            “Good. Good.”

            He spurned into Jamie's driveway, kicking up dust on the incline and almost coming to a stop before stopping all the way to the right. “Whooa, what's going on Trev?” He didn't have any interesting ideas. He had been in a daze mostly down the road and he wondered why he didn't have full attention. Brashly, he ran his fingers through his hair and looked to see what time it was. Ten-twenty six p.m. He adjusted the message box in his phone and lifted his head up to see what David was doing. He was looking at the scenery around Jamie's house. Then at Trevor, then out the foggy window on a cold December night. He shook his head and looked at him again. Trevor could only wonder what that was about. As he lifted himself out of the vehicle and let his foot down onto the icy dirt. He almost slipped and dropped to one knee, but he didn't. David walked around right behind him and dipped in next to him as they climbed the stairs. Ironically enough, he had a dip in his mouth, which may have been why he was so stand-offish earlier. Trevor decided to pull out a cigarette and smoke it anyway. It was supremely cold and he was shaking in his jeans and hoodie. He rustled up a lighter from the depths of his pocket and flicked it many times before sparking a flame in the winter wind. He saw ashes fly as he pocketed his remaining cigarettes in the breeze. He knew it'd be awkward meeting Jamie this late at night and he wasn't too positive about the outcome with no warning of them coming over. David looked impatient, though with the tobacco in his lip he almost seemed spurning and holding some kind of latent distress. A couple minutes had gone by and Trevor saw a number of cars flash by before he made the action to knock on the door softly. He was aware the dogs would bark and alert Jamie, then he'd have to take care of that. But, he would just have to deal with them. David looked antsy and unbecoming. It lightened Trevor's mood for some reason. He always looked so startled and far-away at the same time. Like he was eager to fly away at any minute on a jetpack. It made Trevor teeming with thoughts of getting out to some place they hadn't been before. Despite what his actions said which was he wanted to be through with this. Maybe both were true, but sadly, he couldn't unhitch the madness that was pressing on him and his life. It figured that Jamie would take a while to come to the door and let them in. Since there was no notifying him at all today. Surprisingly, Laurie was there and he and David were summoned to the guest room and gotten sprites. He wished he could get around to asking him how he'd fared when the last fight took place, but he appeared well. It wouldn't be appropriate to do that in the house this time of night, but the reasons were more-so that he felt like everything relating to the incidents were drifting away. The night would grow colder still in late December, and Trevor was all bundled up, but Jamie wasn't even dressed to go outside his door. Time was becoming short and Jamie was blabbing on to Laurie the entire time. While David was elusive, he could be seen as not particularly wanting to be here.

            Trevor was at odds with the accomplices that he'd chosen and he had to figure out a way to fix that, even if it meant detaching himself for a period of time. Then, Jamie came bustling in the room and informed them he knew of a party tonight. Trevor was delighted and frightened. But, this was the opportunity he needed. First of all there was some correlation between events and the demons mostly being able to hone in on where they were. Secondly, the chance would allow him to experiment with separating himself from the others and watching their actions. He would have to label it a team inter-cooperation study. Trevor went to the porch and sat down by himself. He begun to feel lonely. He whipped his phone from the holster of his pocket and screened his texts. He flew through all the way back to when he'd last talked to Peyton. Before they'd departed. Trevor eyed it and missed that moment. The way he'd felt when he got in the car and went away. Not knowing he might not see her again. Taking a picture of himself and setting it as his background, he closed it and moved to the end of the staircase, lobbing along sluggishly and breathing in cold air. It was cleansing. The freedom of the icy oxygen he inhaled, it didn't taste sour or dry. He used it to get over to his car and slunk up against the side panel, swaying whistfully while he caught his breath. He scanned the area, then watched as David left the front door and leaned over the porch-rail. Trevor stuck his hand out to him but he was looking off-toward the horizon of the grey-black night sky. Trevor spoke but the words wouldn't reach him. He didn't want to yell subconsciously.