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〃What？〃 Impatient。
〃Dude； I don't feel so good。〃 He rubbed at his eyes； and the burn redoubled。 〃Ouch！ Sonofabitch！〃 Now his nostrils were burning； and the smell was getting stronger。 〃Something's wrong here； man 。。。 〃
〃Don't get paranoid on me； Drew。 I thought we were havin' fun。〃
〃Yeah； but 。。。 〃
A thunderclap ignited in fiery gray light； directly above their heads。 Drew's bones nearly flew out through his skin； he could feel his nerves jangle and his heartbeat rev。 〃Christ！〃 he yelled； feeling suddenly lightheaded。
The thunderclap faded。
But the gray light remained 。。。
。。。 and that was when they heard the sound： a crackling like ravenous flame； huge as it welled up to bury the silence。 The world's largest wad of cellophane； crinkling slowly in the hand of an angry god。 Black static； edging in from another dimension。
ing up from the water below。
Drew turned to look at Boonie。 Boonie's answering stare was uncharacteristically blank。 What the fuck 。。。 ？ Drew watched him mouth； but the sound refused to carry。 The barrel slipped out of his grasp and thundered to the truck bed on its side。 Drew winced； felt it rather than heard it。
And still the roaring drone persisted； maddening： more liquid than static； the longer he listened。 He turned toward it； staggering for the gate： head muzzy； body voltaged numb。 The roach dropped unnoticed from between his thrumming fingers。
As Drew stared out over the edge。
At the terrible source of the sound。
The fish were trying to get out of the water。 There was no other way to describe it。 They were literally throwing themselves into the air： leaping up and flailing in desperate but fleeting defiance of gravity。 As if they were trying to spontaneously evolve； evolve into birds who could fly off to heaven； evolve into anything that could possibly escape and survive。
No where。
No way。
He watched in horror as the water beneath them began to bubble and churn。 Then the gray light flickered； faded to black。
Behind him； Boonie let out a scream。
Drew turned just in time to see the drum rumbling toward him； picking up speed as it closed on the edge。 It was the one that had slipped from his cousin's grip； but it wasn't the only one moving。
The whole back of the truck was a flurry of jittery motion； the last dozen barrels rocking and shuddering on their bases。 As if something had e alive inside of them。
As if that something wanted out。
Drew barely managed to sidestep the drum as it thundered past him； disappeared over the side。 There was one long； astonishingly pregnant moment of roaring silence。
Then the drum broke the surface； like egg…drilling sperm。
And thus was the new world conceived。
Born of poison raised in poison claiming poison for its own it rose a miracle of raw creation hot black howl of life and death intertwined and converted to some third new option agony blip with an echoing tail so long it seemed to have gone on forever only now the tail was wagging the dog dredging up silt and sewage bursting metal eggshell skins in a riotous shrapnel dance of power surging self…aware gathering mass assassinating shape infesting polluting corrupting in hideous birthday celebration it rose already killing and stared into the face of its maker。
Drew was less than six feet away from the rail when the massive liquid blowback erupted： a solid pillar of displaced fluid that shot from the creek to the peak of Black Bridge in a fraction of a second。 It towered above him and stayed there； impossible： fracturing physics； disemboweling logic。
Coalescing into form。
The creature loomed； not freeze…framed or static but swaying like a wind funnel； an enormous oily serpent。 Against the black sky； it did not look real； but he could feel the incredible life…shredding charge of its presence； pulsating in the air。 It made every hair on his body stand on end in total； mortal terror。
And then the lightning struck； releasing him utterly from his sanity。 In the light； he could see all too clearly the things that suffered and swirled within it。 Could see the rusted struts and rotted shells of the barrels： skeletal； clawing。 Could see the multicolored Rorschach toxins that were its blood and soul。
Could see the hundreds and hundreds of fish： not dead； no longer alive。
All of them staring。 At him。
With new eyes 。。。
Then the lightning decayed； and before he could scream； the black wall descended upon him。
Boonie dove off the side of the truck in the second before it hit。 He was still in the air when several tons went WHOOOM and splattered across its bed。 He couldn't see what happened to Drew。 He didn't need to see to know there was nothing he could do。
Boonie was heavy； and plummeted fast。 He hadn't had time to plot a course。 The railroad tracks came up to meet him； head…on and far too quickly。
He got his arms up and tucked his body enough to keep his neck from snapping； all it cost him was a splintered clavicle and； on the second bounce； some teeth and lip； the two merged together in a wet hard bone…shard buckshot hail that gagged him as he rolled； came up； instinctively assessed the situation。
No motion from the truck； except for the steam curling off the exterior。 The door was still open； the cab was still vacant； the headlights still glared。 Beyond the truck lay Toad Road and escape； the other way just led deeper into the Black Bridge woods。 He could drive one whole hell of a lot faster than he could run。
That pretty much wrapped it up。 Boonie vaulted for the cab； keeping one eye on the railroad ties and the other one peeled for forty…foot monsters。 There was a harsh static crackle in the air that kept getting louder； the closer he got。 It wasn't the sound from the creek； so it didn't mean shit。
It was the radio； he found out when he hit the driver's seat。 Starview 92 had disintegrated into ear…splitting hiss。 Bad sign。 He grabbed the stick and jammed it in gear。 Nothing happened。 He laid on the gas and got dick。
〃GOD DAMN IT！〃 he bellowed； grabbing the keys and grinding the ignition。 〃GO 。。。 ！〃
That was when he noticed the rivulets； moving across the windshield。 Not down。 Across： a lateral； spider…webbing motion； like a hundred liquid tentacles gripping the cab。 He stared in slack…jawed dumbstruck awe as the glass started to steam。 The liquid pressed impossibly against the pane and squeezed。
Boonie dove for the passenger side； grappling with the handle。 All around him； the safety glass starred。 He cracked the door open； started to bail 。。。
。。。 as the windows blew inward： a blinding； razored spray 。。。
。。。 and then he was out the door and running； running for his life； a thousand tiny septic barbs of shrapnel lodged in his face； his hands； his neck and back and legs that tripped on a tie and brought him down； all two hundred and forty…seven pounds of him； shrieking pain as his scar…pitted Frankenstein's former right knee smacked cold steel rail 。。。
。。。 but he couldn't stay down or the game was fucking over； so he pistoned back up to his feet and hobbled with all his might； ignoring the pain； ignor