Operation Paintbrush Part 3

boys skip school, hoping to see nude models posing in a collage art class. (PG-13) suggestive themes and language.

There was some trepidation as Fluck and Curby pointed to the deer path. It was just a narrow void, hidden from view by vines and undergrowth, and Morton couldn't figure out why anyone would want to go into such a place. He looked up, and felt the omnipresent force of the trees. They swayed in their dominance, and kept order by dropping crushing blows from above. Dryness consumed his throat and he reached for the thermos, forcing Ham to look at him with curious fascination. "Are you alright?"

　

They all looked at him, but at that moment his mind was fixated on the agonizing sounds of nature. The trees made a horrid sound against the wind, and the vines shimmered with glee while they strangled their rivals. This is a killer's paradise, Morton thought, and no one should have fun amongst it. He looked at Flunk and Curby, "How many times have you guys been in these woods?" Flunk, amused by the question, grined. "A lot, why?"

　

Morton took another drink from the thermos, as a cowboy might take another shot of whiskey before a showdown. "Just making sure you guys know what you're doing."

　

Curby sensed the nervousness in Morton, and decided to use his skills that would later earn him the title: Best used car salesmen this side of the Mississippi. "Don't worry, we'll just use the deer path till we get to the creek. There it will get much wider... I tell you what, I'll walk with you in the back." Fluck roared with laughter when he heard that. "Nice try Curby! The real reason why he wants to stay in the back is to avoid any spiders. When we come out here, he always makes me go first, hoping I will scare them off."

　

The boys all laughed, not so much about Curby being afraid of spiders, but because of his crude attempt at trying to hide it. Curby defended himself, "Hey, we all have to be scared of something! It might as well be something that has eight legs and eyes! C'mon, you have to be scared of something Flunk." Fluck thought about it for a moment. "Mrs. Miller." It was a cop-out answer, but all agreed. She was to be feared. If not for her scary face, then the idea that she had control over a large portion of their lives. She was a hateful woman by nature, and all assumed she became a teacher just to drown their lives' in a sea of homework. Fluck looked at Piggy, "What about you?" Piggy didn't hesitate. "Cats." They were all taken aback by that answer, and they showed it with a collective "What?"

　

"I'm allergic. If I even get near one, my throat swells up and I develop a rash. It sucks, and I have to carry this with me at all times for emergencies." Piggy took a syringe out of his pocket, it was in a clear plastic tube, and showed it to everyone. "That's cool!" Ham said, "It lookes like you're an assassin with that thing! You could like totally stab someone with that!" Piggy got a laugh out of that. "Yeah, maybe... so what are you scared of Ham?" Ham knew his answer was going to be laughed at, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. "You know... like when you're sitting on the toilet..."

　

Ham paused for too long, and Piggy couldn't resist saying, "Yeah, I think we've all done that before. You're afraid of going to the bathroom, are ya?" Ham told him to shut-up, and went on. "I always fear, that there's a snake in the toilet just waiting to bite me on the butt." Everyone laughed at that, but it had a nervous quality to it. As if they all had feared the same thing, and were too embarrassed to say so. Seeing their reaction made him feel better. It might be a crazy idea, but at least he wasn't alone with it. Not anymore.

　

Piggy noticed the time and looked at Morton. "You ready to go." Morton nodded, took one last swig, and watched as his friends got swallowed up one-by-one. Curby was behind him for "moral support" and it did seem to comfort him a bit. The path took the boys on a deep decent into the heart of the forest. Curby was right about it being wider at the creek, but the space came with a price. Now the trees loomed with even greater presents. Morton noticed their twisted limbs joined one and other, in a unified certinty to expel the trespassers. Even the animals seemed to know. No birds were singing, no deer to be seen, only the sound of their footsteps were clear, as Morton forced himself onward.

　

For most of the journey the creek was wide and shallow. It's mud bottom refused crossing, but soon it gave way to sand, and the pebbles. No one knew why this was happening, and they didn't really care, but Ham found himself fascinated by the different colors the rocks displayed. "I wonder if we could find gold here. That would be awesome huh?" Piggy smiled, "I'm sure if there was, adults would have found it already". Flunk agreed, "Yeah, besides what would you do if we did find gold Ham?" Ham wasted no time in answering, "I'm buy a Ferrari 458 of course."

　

A Ferrari 458 seems a reasonable purchase for any boy, but Piggy suggested a Lamborghini instead. "No way!" Ham said, "I'm not going to spend my fortune on a jumped up tractor!" Piggy wasn't sure what he meant by that, none of them did. How could they have known the Lamborghini brand was once synonymous with farm implements, tractors above all. So Piggy resorted to the long held tradition of saying, "Oh, shut up. You don't know what you're talking about." to end the dispute.

　

They pressed on, forcing Ham to keep moving despite his weird obsession with rocks, and noticed something odd. It wasn't a Ferarri, or a jumped up tractor. It was an abandoned pick-up truck. They were not sure how old it was, but its grill resembled a row of wicked fangs. Its engine had been taken long ago, and there were not tires to speak of, but the cab was still there and Piggy couldn't refuse getting behind the wheel. Fluck got in the passenger side, ignoring the fact that there was no upholstery. Only the springs were left. The rest of them jumped in the back, being careful not to fall through the rusted decking.

　

They played for a while acting like gangsters who had just robbed a bank, and were now being pursued by the coppers, and Fluck decided it was the perfect time to reveal his surprise. He reached into his bag, and pulled out five cans of beer. Piggy was shocked. "Where did you get those!" Fluck smiled, " My dad always drinks these when he's home. He calls them 'The beast.' I'm not sure what that means, but since we're about to become men... we'd better drink like men."

　

Everyone reached for a beer. They were warm to the touch, but that didn't matter. As Curby reached for his, he asked, "Won't your dad be pissed when he finds out you took his beers." Flunk took a swig before replying." Nah, when he gets home, he's already drunk. He won't even notice they're gone." Curby was about to ask another question, but Morton interrupted him. His face was contorted from the acrid taste of hops. "What the hell! How can adults drink this stuff?" They all laughed, except Curby. A revelation came to him as he was sipping his beer.

There were spans of time, when Fluck seemed desperate to spend the night at his house. Even if it was a school night. Other times, he wouldn't even think about spending the night. My dad works on a river. Right now he's on some barge, headed down south, and won't be home till next week.

　

Curby whispered to himself, "Ho-ly s**t."

Author's Note

I thought part 2 was a bit rushed. I think this is better.

What do you think? Is the pace good?

Also, any corrections are always welcomed.

Thank you.

Reviews

[Jonas]

This is a vast improvement from your previous work and indeed extremely enjoyable. The pacing seems fine and you are doing a good job overall.
I am indeed looking forward into reading more!