The Skin Show (14 page)

Andy
gripped Karen’s arm, but halted when he saw Bonnie appear from behind Henry,
raising a scythe above her head. The sun glinted off its sharp, curved blade.

Karen
saw it and screamed even louder.

Andy
yanked her to him. “Come on!”

They
turned away from the old couple, and ran. Karen glanced behind them and
shrieked. Andy didn’t need to look to know they were being chased; he could
hear the heavy paddings of feet in the gravel at their heels.

“Thy
wicked shall meet thy wrath!” shouted Henry from behind.

Andy
ran around the front of his car, gazing over the roof to where he’d expected to
find Henry and Bonnie just inches from them.

They
weren’t there. It looked as if no one had been pursuing them at all.

“Come
on, Andy!” he heard Karen shout. His door opened from the inside. “Let’s get
out of here!’

Andy
stared at the roadside stand a moment longer, then allowed himself to get in
the car. He shut the door, pushing the lock button. As he put the key in the
ignition, Henry crashed down on the hood of the car with a loud bang. His arms,
outstretched, draped the windshield.  

Andy
and Karen both screamed.

Henry
wrapped his fingers around the knife’s ivory-white handle, and yanked it out.
Blood volleyed in thick spouts across the windshield from the cavity where an
eye had once been. Face squished against the glass, blood smearing, Henry
continued shouting at them. “Wicked! I see it now! You are already forsaken!
You will join the wicked! Then you will
diiiiieeee!
”

“Get
the hell off my car!” cried Andy.

“I
see clearly now, my Lord! I see clearly!”

“Andy!”
shouted Karen. “Look!” She pointed out her window.

Outside
the window, he could see Bonnie stalking alongside the car, the scythe’s tip dangling
in view. He pictured her using it to smash through the glass. He could feel the
blade puncturing him.

Henry
slapped the windshield, pounding the glass. The car pugnaciously shook, rocking
Andy in his seat. Outside was chaos, inside was just as bad from Karen’s frenzied
shrieks. It felt as if his head would burst from the sharp pierces of her
cries. 

Finally,
he willed himself to crank the car. The sudden roar of the engine caused Bonnie
to jump back, alarmed. Realizing what it was, anger showed on her once peaceful
face. She charged the car, swinging the weapon, massive breasts rocking from
side to side.

Andy
threw the gear in reverse and stomped the gas. Bonnie missed the car, landing
on the ground and rolling. She sat up with a wide streak of dirt on her chest.
The reversed momentum yanked Henry from the car, the awful thump of him landing
resonated from outside. Andy didn’t take the time to see if he was all right.
He slammed the gear into first and took off.

Karen
continued squealing. A dinging resounded through the car, announcing they
hadn’t buckled up. Her screams began to dispel. She looked around as if she’d
forgotten where she was and had started to remember. As she reached for the
seatbelt, she noticed the bag of pears clutched in her hand. That brought about
another fit as she pushed the button on the door panel to lower the window.
Once it was down far enough, she chucked the bag out of the car, and raised the
window back in place.

In
the rearview mirror, Andy watched the bag bounce along the road behind them,
spilling pears. He tugged down the safety strap, buckling it in place. The
annoying ding ceased. “Karen?”

She
continued to squeal, bouncing in her seat. “
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod…
”

 “Karen!”
She stopped long enough to look at him, then groaned like someone who’d heard
awful news. “All right, this has gotten out of hand. We’re going back to
Brickston. Enough of this.”

Karen
shook her head violently side to side. “No! I don’t want to go past that fruit
stand again! I can’t! What if they’re still out there?”

“I
don’t want to either, so we’ll just find a way around it. But, enough is
enough. After that, I can’t handle anything else!”

“Me
neither.” Karen sank in her seat. She put a finger in her mouth and began to
gnaw at the tip. Her eyes were wide and frightened. He could see her trembling.

Andy
saw streaks of blood sliding down the windshield. He pulled back on the switch
for the wipers. Warm soapy water drenched the windshield, foamy bubbles making
it look as if it was raining. The water turned pink as it sloshed across the
glass. The wipers came on, the rubber blades rubbing it all away. When it was
done, there was no evidence of Henry’s blood except for coagulated dots in the
corners. Now clean, it was easier to see through the glass.

They
drove for a few minutes, the only sound being the grinding of Karen’s teeth on
her fingernail. As Andy lighted a cigarette, he was beginning to think they
might have to turn around, and risk driving past the couple.

He
was nearly finished with the cigarette before Karen spoke.

“What
if it was just an act or something?”

“An…act?”

“Yeah,
a joke, you know…an
illusion
.” She attempted a smile that came across as
desperate.

Andy
remembered the wet punch of the blade going into Henry’s eye, the small burst
of white fluid right before the blood came. No way could that have been faked.
In a movie, sure, with a special effects team, an eye appliance, fake blood,
and retractable knife. Done on the spot how Henry had performed it meant only
one thing: it was real.

And
even if somehow it was a joke, why would a seemingly nice old couple do it?
They were fine until Karen mentioned The Skin Show.  

“Andy?”

He
looked at her, saw the pleading despair in her eyes, then faced forward once
again. If he told her it
was
a joke, she’d force herself to believe the
bullshit as well. He should probably lie to her, saying what she wanted to
hear.

He
couldn’t.

“You
know what it was,” he muttered.

Her
hopeful expression dropped to a scowl. Turning away from him, her hair flapped
outward in a honey-shaded swipe. She crossed her arms under her breasts. He
couldn’t see her face from the curtain of hair hanging by her head.

Angry
at himself, Andy wondered why he couldn’t have let her have it her way.
Although he knew he was only lying to her to spare her feelings, couldn’t he
have just done it? Was he really so mulish?

About
to apologize to Karen, she leaned forward, the harness pulling taut against her
breasts.  

“What’s
wrong?” he asked.

“Stop
the car.”

“What?”

“
Stop!”

Andy
faced forward and saw the slim figure up ahead. She was a black profile against
the sun, standing with a foot on each lane, the yellow line running between her
legs. She was holding a cardboard sheet in front of her.

“Stop
the goddamn car!”

Finally,
using both feet, Andy stomped the brake. The car swerved, the back end veering
out to the left. Karen fell against her safety harness. It snatched her back,
throwing her against the door. Andy’s weight shifted. He felt his body being
pulled to his own door. He was afraid either the car would start flipping or
he’d plow over the woman ahead of them.

The
car continued to spin, sailing past the woman. She didn’t move, didn’t flinch.
She only stood there, the sign in front of her. When the car came to a halt,
they were looking at the woman’s backside. They were close enough that Andy
could see she had on a denim-colored top that left the small of her back
visible between the tips that slimmed down to points. They brushed the
waistband of her short corduroy skirt, the arcs of her buttocks just peeking out
from the thin khaki edgings.  

Andy
could hardly swallow. It felt like a wool sock was lodged in his throat. His
body quaked, shuddering all the way through. His legs were tight, knees locked
in place. Wheezing, he turned to check on Karen. She had both arms shielding
her face, crossing at the wrists. Her hair was a mess, sprigs stirring slightly
from the pants of her breaths as it covered her face.

“You…okay?”
His voice sounded garbled, like speaking through a funnel full of pebbles.

“What…the…
hell
…?”
Karen threw her arms down. Her flustered face showed straight anger. The
flushing in her cheeks made them almost seem bruised, and Andy wondered for a
moment if she’d somehow been hit while the car was spinning. “What the hell is
she doing just standing in the middle of the road!?”

Andy
put the car in park. Birds continued to chirp in the distance. Summer winds
blew, swaying the weeds in a lazy synchronized dance. Tranquility was all
around them, but it felt unnatural after what had just happened.

The
woman lowered her arms. The sign swung by her right thigh. Sweat glazed her
dark skin. Andy gaped as she turned around. Her hair was the color of sand,
tightly crimped curls that came partway down her back. She didn’t look to be
wearing any makeup, but the skin of her face was of different hues. Her plump
lips curved slightly, showing a sort of acknowledging grin.

She
raised the sign for Andy to read. Written in black marker across the front was
not one of the more common requests he expected: a destination such as
Green
Bay or bust.
Nor did it have a panhandler’s sympathetic plea for help.

The
message was simple, and it stippled Andy’s skin in gooseflesh.

The
Skin Show.

“Am
I seeing this right?” Karen asked.

“Afraid
so.”

The
woman hadn’t budged from her spot. Andy checked the rearview and saw no cars
approaching from the back. They were alone on this stretch of scenic highway
with a stranger and a sign that either predicted the future or was the rarest
of coincidences.

“What
are you going to do?”

Andy
almost threw the car in reverse, putting as much distance between them and this
woman that he could. He knew he wouldn’t, however, and only just slowly shook
his head to answer Karen.

“Do
you think we just happened to come across her by chance?” Karen asked.

“If
I
don’t
believe that, what’s the other option?” He remembered the woman
on the phone, and what she’d said. “Think she was sent here to meet us?”

“I
don’t know.” Karen reached for the button on the door paneling.

“What
are you doing?”

“I
have no clue.” She pushed the button. The window whirled down. Unlatching her
seatbelt, Karen leaned out the window. “Hey.”

The
woman smiled. She looked no older than twenty-one, a youthful face, flawless
and beautiful. Her teeth were radiantly white, bouncing the sunlight off their
clean surfaces. “Well, howdy!”

“Hope
we didn’t scare you too bad.”

“You
talkin’ bout the little mishap? Ain’t nuthin to worry me. I was the dummy
standin’ in the road.”

“So,
you’re all right?”

“I
am now. You the first car I seen all day. Hitched a ride with a trucker early
yesterdee, and the bastard tried to get touchy-feely with me, if you catch my
meaning.”

“I
believe I do. What happened after that?”

“I
punched him in the balls, then he threw me out of the truck. I didn’t think it’d
take me so damn long to find another ride.”

Andy
watched the woman talk to Karen through the windshield. Her voice was slightly
muffled, but he could hear her clearly. Her accent reminded him of the actress
Andy McDowell—southern, with a soft, pretty drawl. It was almost as if she
wanted to sound dumber than she actually was. He wasn’t sure why he thought
that, but it seemed like a true fit.

“You
folks wouldn’t happen to be heading west, would ya?”

“What’s
west?”

The
woman smiled, a bit slyly. “It’s not the direction that matters, it’s what’s
there.”

“The
Skin Show?”

The
woman nodded. “That’s right.”

She
said
right
like
rahght.

“So,
what is it?”

“I’ve
been waiting on y’all all day, to give me a ride. You’ll find out all about The
Skin Show.”

“Hang
on.” Karen dropped back down in the seat.

“I
was beginning to think you weren’t ever going to stop the little chit-chat.”

Karen
shook her head. “She’s playing us.”

“You
think?”

“Now,
now. Don’t get snarky.”

“Sorry.”
Lack of sleep was wearing on his nerves. “So, she wants a ride.”

“Yep.
And, we’re supposed to give it to her. I’m guessing it’s all part of the show.”

“What
should we do?”

“It’s
your car. You decide.”

“We’re
both agreed that she’s up to no good?”

“That’s
right.”

“But
if we give her a ride, she’ll get us to The Skin Show.”

“That,
I’m almost sure of. I bet she knows Danny and Rosco, might even be able to take
us right to them.”

“True.
But, I don’t like the idea of this woman hopping in the backseat, and having
her behind me.”

“No
worries. I’ll get in the back and let her take the front. We’ll be able to
watch her from all angles.”

That
hadn’t been Andy’s original intention, but he liked the idea of having the
woman up front. He would be closer to her, to those long smooth legs. Just an
arm’s length away. He could touch her if he wanted.

I
would never…

And,
he wouldn’t. Even without Karen loitering in the backseat, he’d never have the
guts to try something so bold. “All right. If she turns out to be too much of a
freak, we can kick her out.”

“Agreed.”
Karen opened the door and hoisted herself out. She waved for the woman to come
over. “It’s your lucky day.”

“It
really is!” She pranced over to the car. “Thank you so much!”

Karen
leaned down and pulled the latch. The seat shot forward, and Karen climbed into
the back.

“I
get to ride in the
special
seat?” asked the woman.

“You’re
the guest of honor,” said Karen, getting situated.

The
woman pushed the seat back, clicking it in place. Then she scrambled in. She
was so tall that her knees brushed the dashboard. Andy got a glance between her
legs and saw a smooth band of skin between her thighs.

No
panties.

Quickly,
he looked away, his eyes glimpsing the gleam of her tanned thighs. He kept his
eyes on the steering wheel as she adjusted herself.  

“Don’t
need this anymore,” said the woman, tossing the sign out. Then she pulled the
door shut. To Karen, she said, “Got enough room back there?”

“Plenty.”

“Can
I scoot back some?”

“Sure.”

In
the corner of his eye, Andy watched as she reached between her legs to find the
latch for the seat adjustment. She pulled up and the seat slid back. “Is that
okay?”

“Fine,”
said Karen.

“Good.
I was awfully cramped. Sorry. I’m so damned tall.”

“It’s
fine, I assure you.”

She
turned to Andy. “Well, howdy to you.”

Andy
looked at her, keeping his eyes aimed above her chin. “Hi.”

“What’s
your name, cutie?”

“Andy.”

“And
it is you.” Smiling, she held out her hand. “Call me Sugar.”

Andy
heard Karen muttering something about Sugar having to be kidding. He ignored
it, raising his hand to take hers. It felt warm and slick in his gentle grip,
as if she’d recently applied lotion. He imagined her legs felt just as silky.
He could feel his hands sliding up their velvety surfaces.

“It’s
nice to meet you,” she said.

“The
pleasure’s all mine.”

Sugar
winked. “It sure will be soon enough.

Clearing
his throat to drown out Karen’s groan from the back, he took his hand away and
put it back on the wheel. He could still feel the slippery touch of her lingering
on his fingers. “So…where am I going?”

“Well…we
need to be heading the other way.” She thrust her thumb behind her, aiming where
they’d been traveling before the incident. “Got to get yourself turned around
like you was.”

“Ah.
I can do that.”

“I
bet you can.” The tip of her tongue nudged between her plump lips, then ran a
wet trail across their plump surfaces. “I bet you can.”

“Oh
my God,” sighed Karen.

Sugar
had to have heard the comment, but she gave it no acknowledgement. She kept her
gaze on Andy: her eyes tapering slightly, a sly smirk at the corner of her
mouth. Andy knew she was putting on a show for him, but damn it, he couldn’t
make himself not enjoy it. He was a sucker, and knew it. He’d become captivated
by her looks, the imaginable feel of her, and the peach-like aroma emanating
from her perfect skin.

Andy
got the car turned around without any problems, proving Sugar right. Then they
were heading west once again, with Sugar as the navigator now and Karen tucked
away in the backseat like a kid put in time out.