Page 84 of Trapped: Until The Darkest Of Night

She nods mechanically.

“Let’s do it.” I point to the pipe opening, which is the diameter of a coconut.

Lou leans forward a little and studies the two valves as if they were unpredictable mathematical equations. Lost in thought, she shakes her head and hesitantly grabs the front lever.

I don’t know if it’s a joke or if she actually wasn’t listening to me. I wait a second too long to say no. Lou pulls on the lever and Grey lunges at me, grabbing my pants pocket a second time. Cursing, I push him away, knocking over the bucket with my elbow.

“Fucking shit!” I can’t react fast enough. A dark brown fountain shoots out of the pipe and spills over my lap like a flood. It stinks of stale piss, chemicals, and shit. The stench paralyzes me and I watch as the liquid soaks me through and through. My black pants are growing heavy and turning brown.

Flashing lights hurl me back onto Thorson Ave, lying in the dark, arms pressed against a rigid body, thighs tucked up, but it’s of no use.

Not these pictures, not now! Oh, God, not now! No flash!

I gasp and a splash of the liquid lands in my mouth. The foul taste explodes on my palate. My tongue burns and I reflexively throw myself to the side, landing on all fours, gagging a few times without throwing up.

With all my might, I force myself to breathe calmly like I did in the coffin at the very beginning for the first few minutes. In-out-in-out.

Everything’s fine. Lou is still here. Grey is still here.

Everything’s fine, Brendan. Calm down!

I spit on the ground a few times, but it doesn’t help. Again, black dots dance in front of my eyes.

Look around, stay here!

I obey myself and look left and right before retching again.

Beside me, the shit flows like a stinking creature in the direction of the spruce tree line. Lou lies beyond it off to the side and Grey crouches on her stomach and howls at me like it’s my fault.

I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand, spreading something disgustingly soft across it. In addition to disgust, anger is building up in my stomach.

“That was the wrong fucking lever!” I snap.

“I’m sorry,” Lou gasps breathlessly.

I suppress the urge to vomit and convulse internally. I’d like to shout at her that it was an unlucky pull and that she should listen to me next time, when I notice a strange lump on the ends of her hair.

“You have shit in your hair!” I blurt out triumphantly, pointing vaguely at her head. “It looks too funny!” As soon as I say it, I feel something run down my cheek. I wipe it and look at my fingers. Poop brown.

I look again at Lou, lying next to the caustic sludge. Grey is still wailing indignantly. Something trembles inside me. Deep in my stomach, again and again. My shoulders shrug.

I don’t understand right away, but sounds I’ve never heard me make come out of my throat like choppy air pumps. I laugh. More and more, until my abdomen hurts and I can’t breathe anymore.

Eventually, I gag again, but then I continue laughing while Lou just stares at me like I’ve finally lost my mind. I don’t know how to stop, but after a while, the cramps in my stomach recede, the sounds stop, and I end up gasping for breath.

“You don’t want to know about all the places you have it,” I hear Lou interrupt the quietness flippantly.

A flock of blowflies circles around her head and suddenly I’m afraid I have to laugh again. I felt like I was losing control and I can’t let that happen. To get rid of the feeling, I shake like a dog, look from Lou to Grey, and then to the fringe of pines.

“Race you to the lake!” I call out to Lou, abruptly jumping to my feet. With four long steps, I reach the trees and hear frantic ringing behind me. Lou took up the chase. I gasp and swear as I dash through ferns and trees in front of her, leaving a foul stench behind me.

Fully dressed, I jump into the water and my breath catches. The lake is freezing cold, not yet warmed by the midday sun. I dive a few feet along the sandy bottom and come to the surface with a snort.

“It’s fucking cold!” I call out to Lou, who’s standing on the bank with Grey in her arms. Taking a breath, I lower myself under the water again, rub both hands through my hair and feel the thick sludge dissolving. When I resurface, Lou is kneeling on the shallow bank, leaning her head down to dip her hair in the water. Of course, she can’t swim and doesn’t dare go in the water. However, the lake isn’t all that deep, so there is no danger.

I wade a few steps through the water, the heaviness of the wet pants pulling me down a bit, but I’m definitely not going to take them off. Lou could jump to the wrong conclusion.

I look down at myself with a disgusted snort.

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