Part II:
17 September 1982
It started the first week of school, I think. Probably around there. I was sitting in lunch with my girlfriend Rhonda when I first saw him. He strutted into the cafeteria with such swagger. He was the most breathtaking boy I had ever seen. Pursed lips, broad shoulders and a butt...a butt that just wouldn't quit.
"Rhonda, who is that boy?" I asked my friend.
"I don't fucking know," She replied. I suddenly remembered that Rhonda really sucked. When I turned back around the boy was gone. Damn you, Rhonda.
I didn't have any classes with him, I knew that. I kept my eye out in the hallways but we never seemed to cross paths. A few weeks later and I forgot about him. Besides, Randy had asked me to homecoming. Randy was this other cute guy with this really jacked up body who was a kicker for the football team. I'm not sure why he was so beefy, actually, I don't think he ever used his arms. Anyway he asked me out so whatever.
So like a week or something passed and I pretty much stopped thinking of the kid from lunch and was getting excited for Randy. I was walking out to the parking lot one day though and suddenly this car came careening towards me! Rhonda behind the wheel! Out of nowhere that kid from lunch wandered through the lot and hit the car before it hit me! He didn't quite stop it but he definitely slowed it down so it only caused me to loose my balance as I fell through the air on top of it. As I struggled to get up through my scrapes and bruises he was standing there, bleeding from where his arm used to be. He picked it up and walked away with a moan and vacant look in his eye. That was my first indication that this boy was special.
I rushed home, tried to sleep but ended up just staring at the rain drops on the window thinking of this boy who had almost probably accidentally saved my life. The rain slowed with a crack of thunder, his green face was lit up in the window! I slid it open.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Rrrrragghhh..." he cooed. I climbed out.
"Thank you for saving me today from that car, kind of. What's your name?"
"Frrrreedd." A wolf howled in the distance, he lobbed his head and gazed into the night.
"That's a beautiful name, Fred." I heard my dad stir. "My dad's a light sleeper, there's some woods nearby we can talk in." I grabbed his hand and led him to the woods. "You're new in town, aren't you?" A chill breeze blew. "You've got to learn that Smelterville Autumn is pretty cold, where's your jacket?" Fred just stared at me, a large drop of drool hung from his lips. I caught it on my finger. "That's a pretty neat talent, Fred."
"Mmmrrrggh." I took his hands.
"Fred, your hands are freezing! Screw my dad, I'm giving you some hot tea. Also don't screw my dad." I tugged on his hand but he wouldn't budge. His eyes were fixed on to something in the woods. He started to walk away, legs stiff, arms locked out in front.
"Hey, where are you going? There's no houses that way, did you guys put one up?" He kept walking. What could I do? I wanted to be true to Randy but I couldn't just let this boy wander alone into the woods. There were wolves and shit. I followed him until he came to a clearing in the woods not more than a few hundred yards away. On a rocky outcrop was this green-skinned man with dripping black hair and a long face. There must have been dozens more who looked like him and Fred around the rock. Fred began to walk but I tugged him back into the woods. He looked at me, then stayed where he was.
The man on the rock lifted up a gun and fired it, squirting water into the air. I squeezed Fred's cold hand. He didn't squeeze back. Suddenly someone grabbed my shoulder, I let out a yelp that he muffled! This man brought me close to him and whispered in my hear, I could feel his hot breath pant through his moustache.
"What are you doing here? This is a Frankenstein meeting!"
"What?!" I whispered through his fingers. I turned around to see a cop I had known when I was a little girl, Officer Otto. "Officer Otto, I remember you from when I was a little girl!"
"Shut up. Who's he?" He motioned to Fred.
"He's cool, uh, he's my new friend. Don't tell Randy."
"Who the fuck is Randy? No, don't answer that. Did he bring you here?"
"No, I followed him, he was wandering off without a jacket into the wolf-infested forest."
"Dead things don't need jackets. And wolves only eat fresh meat. You'd better get out of here." I saw him cocking his gun.
"What are you going to do?"
"Get going." I turned to Fred. His eyes moved towards mine. For the first time tonight he was looking into me. He then caught a spider that had been dangling in front of my face and ate it. Then his eyes glossed over. I grabbed his hand again.
"We need to go!" Officer Otto looked at Fred and I, squinted his eyes then moved into the night.
"Know what you're doing, Traci," he grabbed my arm. "This is Lowcountry."
End of Part II
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