Anthology of Ichor III: Gears of Damnation (26 page)

Hal shook Sylvia and Anna’s limbs from atop his form in a swift graceful motion and moved forward quickly. He stopped in front of Violet and gazed into her eyes with serious intensity as he spoke.

“
Violet you don’t have to respond to that. Don’t encourage him,” Hal said.

"Oh," Erwin said with pursed lips. "Are you trying to be her knight?"

Hal turned to Erwin. He stared at the youth’s fat-laden face with an expression of hatred.

“
Erwin go take a walk. A long one. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, no one wants you here,” Hal stated.

“
I’m not going anywhere until I win this,” Erwin said.

“
If
you win,” Violet stated.

“
Well Violet," Erwin began. "I have to say that your little display of dead plants, a busted IPod and contaminated plant food sure won’t take the medal this year.”

“
How do you know your project will win?” Violet asked.

Erwin leaned forward and he narrowed his pale gray eyes with a twisted grimace.

“
I always win my lady,” Erwin hissed.

Small droplets of spittle fell from the corners of Erwin’s mouth during his snake-like exhalation of breath. The tiny beads of saliva dripped from his face and the stringy strands of milk-colored liquid landed atop the front portion of his shirt in wet spatters.

Violet and Hal moved away from Erwin with loud cries of disgust.

“
Ugh!” Anna cried.

“
What a freak!” Sylvia exclaimed.

“
Yeah it's no wonder he doesn’t have any friends,” Anna said.

“
With grades like mine I don’t need friends," Erwin said. "I’ve already been scouted by recruiters from the best Ivy League universities
and
I have good reason to believe that any day now I will be receiving and accepting an early admission offer from Harvard. And yet you three belly grubbing low lives haven’t even taken the SATs yet. So, I’m well on my way ladies and gentleman to becoming Bill Gates rich.”

“
You’re well on your way to be fitted for a straight jacket,” Violet said.

Hal, Anna and Sylvia laughed.

Erwin’s cheeks flushed a dark shade of magenta. He pressed his thin lips together while he stared at Violet.

Violet took a step towards Erwin. She pointed at his feet.

“
And I don’t think they’ll let you wear your favorite
school bus yellow
boots to the sanitarium. Did your mother help you put them on today? Like she did everyday at dismissal in first, second and third grade?” Violet asked.

Anna and Sylvia hooted with laughter.

“
Good one,” Hal said with a nod.

Erwin’s hands fell from their perch atop his suspenders. He opened his mouth and clacked his teeth together in a swift jarring motion. He continued to stare at Violet while grinding his teeth in a slow menacing fashion.

Loud grating noises suddenly filled the large room.

“
Try a mouth guard for that tooth grinding problem. It’ll save your teeth,” Violet stated.

Erwin let out a high pitched cough before raising his left hand and pointing a fat finger at Violet.

“
You’ll see! You’ll all see! I
will
win this. I’ll win everything! And when I’m a billionaire, I’ll spit on all of you!” Erwin shouted.

“
There will be no expulsion of saliva on my watch,” A low voice said.

Violet looked behind Erwin.

Principal Lubbitz was standing a few paces behind the chubby young man.

The middle aged man’s cone-shaped head was covered with a sparse patch of thinning gray hair. A pair of shining silver spectacles was perched atop his slightly rounded nose. He wore a slate gray suit and he held a large metal clipboard in his grasp.

His pale lips were pressed into a thin line. He stared at the rear of Erwin’s scarlet hued head with a look of increasing impatience across his slightly weathered features.

Erwin’s lower lip trembled while he continued to gaze at Violet.

After a brief moment, Erwin took a shuddering breath before he spun on his heel and turned around. He stared at Principal Lubbitz for a brief moment before raising a chubby hand to the side of his head in a clumsy salute.

“
Dr. Lubbitz. How wonderful to see you,” Erwin stammered.

“
You see me every day Erwin. Now, it's time for your presentation. Show me your project,” Principal Lubbitz stated.

“
Certainly sir,” Erwin said.

Erwin lowered his hand from his head. He clicked his rubber-covered heels together before he turned away from the aging man and ran across the auditorium.

Loud squeaking noises echoed in the large hall with each rapid step he took.

Erwin stopped in front of a large sheet-covered table that was pressed against a brick wall. He turned around with a lively hop. He stamped his feet atop the floor and rubbed his hands together while gazing at the standing students near him.

Principal Lubbitz turned away from Erwin. He looked at the pupils around him.

“
Come along students,” Principal Lubbitz said. "Time to view projects."

Principal Lubbitz turned around and he walked across the crowded auditorium.

Violet folded her arms across her bosom before she followed Principal Lubbitz with a low huff of reluctance.

Hal followed Violet.

Anna and Sylvia looked at each other briefly before they turned around and ran behind Hal.

The shapely young ladies leaped to Hal's side and they wrapped their arms around his middle. They pressed their shapely forms against the blonde youth's while continuing their walk forward.

“
Hi again Hal,” Anna giggled.

“
Yeah hey,” Hal said quickly.

“
I wonder what that freak Erwin has done for his project this year,” Sylvia said.

“
Yeah, I can’t wait to see it. Remember that weird thing he did last year with all the glowing fish?” Anna asked.

“
Yeah the bio-lube job thing,” Sylvia said.

Violet stopped walking in the center of the auditorium. She turned around and stared at Sylvia.

“
Its called bio luminescence," Violet declared. "And its found in the wild.”

“
No one asked you,” Anna said.

“
But you needed telling. So I did,” Violet stated.

“
Well thank you Mrs. Science,” Anna spat.

“
No thank you Mrs. Rutger," Sylvia laughed. "
Mrs. Erwin Rutger.
”

Anna pressed her face against Hal’s shoulder with a braying laugh.

Hal looked at Anna with an expression of irritation across his handsome features.

“
That’s not funny Anna,” Hal said.

“
He’s right," Sylvia said quickly clearing her throat. "What you said is like so not funny, Anna.”

“
Yeah well. It's not funny?” Anna added.

Violet glanced at Hal before she turned around and walked forward. She moved quickly across the space before stopping near a crowd of students who stood in front of her.

Erwin Rutger stood near the front of the area.

A large table covered with a black sheet rested in the space beside him.

Principal Lubbitz stood in front of the table. The middle aged man tapped the clipboard in his grasp against his right leg while he stared at the shrouded piece of furnishing.

The sounds of loud shrieks and resonant thumps suddenly echoed in the space behind Violet.

Violet turned around. She saw a large crowd of wide eyed young men standing a few paces behind her.

The youths were all pointing at the floor and smiling.

Violet looked at the floor.

Anna and Sylvia lay in a tangled heap of twisted limbs in the center of the stone flooring.

The two red faced young women rose carefully to their feet with expressions of hatred across their pretty features.

“
You won’t get away with this you jerk!” Sylvia cried.

“
Nobody dumps us. Nobody! I don’t know who the hell you think you are, Hal!” Anna wailed.

“
Come on, Anna. He’s not even worth it!” Sylvia hissed.

Sylvia grabbed Anna’s hand and she turned around. She stared at the group of wide eyed young men who stood in her path for a brief moment before raising her left hand and she flung her delicate limb in their direction with a huff of impatience.

“
Out of my way! Right now!” Sylvia shouted.

The young men jumped to attention and they leaped from the angry woman’s path.

Anna and Sylvia shoved the gawking young men near them while they rushed forward. The two young women hurried from the crowded space with exasperated grunts.

A few of the boys followed the young women with wide smiles plastered across their features.

“
Stop following us you creeps!” Sylvia screamed.

“
Get away from me Steve!” Anna shouted.

“
Come on Anna. Please just give me a chance,” Steve said.

“
I said no!” Anna screamed.

“
I’m so much better for you than that Hal jerk,” Steve whined.

“
Touch me one more time Bill and I swear I'll hurt you!" Sylvia warned.

“
I just want to talk to you Sylvia. You're so hot and…” Bill said.

"You think I'm hot Bill?" Sylvia asked.

"Well yeah," Bill replied.

"Well I have something for you. Just stand right there and close your eyes…" Sylvia purred.

"Okay," Steve said.

The sound of a loud banging noise filled the room.

“
Bill watch out for that table man!” Steve yelled.

"Huh?" Steve asked.

The sound of a strange rattling noise echoed in the vast space just before a loud crash resounded in the auditorium.

“
Ow!”

Violet felt a light bump on her side. She looked up and saw Hal standing next to her.

Hal stared down at her with a wide smile.

“
What happened to Anna and Sylvia?” Violet asked.

“
Oh. I told them I wasn’t interested,” Hal replied.

“
Oh,” Violet said.

“
They didn’t take it very well,” Hal said.

“
Oh,” Violet repeated.

“
Look, Violet. Would you uh…” Hal began.

“
Erwin," Principal Lubbitz said in a loud voice. "Kindly begin your presentation. We're all waiting."

“
Sure sir!" Erwin shouted. "Attention everyone! May I have your attention please!"

The students in the auditorium looked at Erwin.

“
Well," Hal said softly to Violet. "I uh. I guess I’ll talk to you after…”

“
Shhh!” a low voice hissed.

Violet and Hal turned away from each other. They looked at the suntanned face of a Bill Weatherly who stood near them.

The young man’s face was covered with bruises and small scratches. His dark hair was disheveled and he rubbed at his bleeding nose with a sniff.

Bill stared at Erwin with an expression of awe across his battered features.

“
Bill, what happened to you?” Violet asked.

“
Oh I asked Sylvia out and she threw a table at me. I’ll ask again when she calms down. She told me she liked my Netbook last week and she kissed me too so I think I have a good chance with her,” Bill responded absently.

“
Uh okay,” Violet said.

“
Bill man," Hal said. "You're bleeding."

"I am?" Bill asked rubbing his head.

"Yeah dude. Look, maybe you should go to the nurse,” Hal said.

“
I’m allright," Bill stated.

"Bill you don't look so good," Violet said.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I wanna hear Rutger’s presentation. He killed it last year with those glowing fish,” Bill said.

Violet and Hal looked at each other briefly before they turned away from Bill and focused on Erwin.

“
Salus!” Erwin squeaked.

The students in the auditorium stared at Erwin with expressions of confusion.

Erwin cleared his throat with a loud chortling noise before he continued his speech.

“
Today I seek to prove the existence of something that man has failed to provide absolute proof of. But I will do so, today!” Erwin exclaimed.

Violet felt warm fingers close atop her left palm. She stared down at her limb and saw Hal’s hand clutching hers.

She looked up at the handsome young man. She saw him staring at Erwin with a wide smile across his chiseled features.

Violet’s heart raced. She turned away from Hal and stared at Erwin. She took a deep breath and smiled softly.

Erwin took a stumbling step backwards. He turned to the sheet-covered table beside him and grabbed clumsily at the black drape. He released a loud chirping noise before yanking the dark coverlet from atop the furnishing.