horrors2

Dirty_Sanchez.A_Tin_of_P.tex

  1\chapauth{Dirty Sanchez}
  2\chapter{A Tin of Popcorn}
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  8``He was right, three left,'' I said aloud, my own voice startling me
  9as it broke the silence of the restroom. ``Not very many but they're
 10gonna have to do''. I lined the shells up on the sink like stalwart
 11little soldiers and paused for a moment to make sure nothing heard
 12me. I need to stop talking to myself.
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 16``Won't be enough,'' the voice in my head replied. ``You saw what
 17happened to that deer. Three or Thirty, it won't be enough.''
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 21The deer. The memories came back to me in a flood. Its hard to
 22believe that just this afternoon we were fooling around, shooting
 23cans by the campsite and sitting by the fire.
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 27It all started with a can of overpriced popcorn. You know the kind,
 28one half covered with a powdery orange substance that's supposed to
 29be cheese and the rest a solid brick of caramel and popcorn that
 30requires an ice pick to break apart. The popcorn itself was not my
 31problem but rather the scr\-awny kid who brought it. Timmy was his
 32name, or was it Tommy? It doesn't matter. All that mattered were my
 33Captain's words to me in his office that morning.
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 37``The Commissioner feels that we need to do more for the community,''
 38He said. ``I volunteered you to take a boy scout troop camping this
 39weekend.''
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 43``You're joking,'' I replied.
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 47``I never joke. You know that. Besides,'' He continued, ``Bavarius,
 48you've been a little weird since you returned to duty and you're
 49making everyone around here uneasy. Doing this will show you're
 50just a regular guy.''
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 54``A regular guy,'' a voice echoed in my mind. ``I wish.''
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 58``When?'' I asked.
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 62``Saturday.''
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 66``I'm busy.''
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 70``Not any more. He will be here in a little while and they said he's
 71bringing you a gift. Make sure you smile.''
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 75Sure enough, about two hours later a kid showed up with the can, a
 76bandanna, and an invitation to join them camping. He was a
 77squirrelly little fellow, who seemed to be as uncomfortable as I
 78was. Despite how ridiculous the situation, I determined to make the
 79best of it. What else could I do?
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 83After shaking hands with the little guy and feigning gratitude, I
 84asked him where we were going.
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 88``Timber wolf lake.'' He replied.
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 92``I don't have any camping gear.''
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 96``Oh, you don't have to bring anything, well have all the gear you
 97need. But don't forget to bring the popcorn.''
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101``This popcorn?'' I replied. I had no intention of eating the
102garbage. Maybe I could give it away.
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106``Yes,'' he said, looking me straight in the eyes. ``Don't forget it.
107Its a tradition.''
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111``I'm really not much for traditions,'' I said with a smirk.
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115``Its very Important.''
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119``Uh, Ok,'' I replied, still smirking.
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123``Great! See you Saturday. Nine O'clock,'' he said and bolted out the
124door.
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126``That boy looks like a frightened animal,'' the voice in my head
127remarked.
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131Saturday morning came and I dragged myself out of bed hung over and
132smelling like the floor of a frat house basement. I showered, threw
133on my clothes, and ran out the door. I would be late but at least I
134would show up. Good thing I didn't have to pack anything.
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138When I finally arrived I was greeted by a pack of impatient and
139excited boys and one pale, stern looking gentleman, who I could
140only assume was their troop leader.
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144``Sorry,'' I mumbled. ``I'm not much for early mornings or
145camping.''
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149``Don't worry about it,'' he offered. ``Thanks for coming. The rangers
150won't let us camp here without a police escort. Not since those
151campers disappeared last year. If you didn't come we could'nt go at
152all.''
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156``Glad I could help,'' I lied. ``I'm Luke. Luke Bavarius.''
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160``Pleased to meet you Luke. I'm Tim.''
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164With the formalities out of the way, he rounded up his group and we
165began our hike. After a few hours of walking my mind cleared and I
166began to observe my fellow campers. A very unusual bunch. There
167were eight of them. They all appeared to be about ten years old,
168blond, and skinny. And there was something else. They were all very
169quiet and jumpy. Once, shortly we passed the last park restroom, I
170stepped upon and broke a stick which shattered the silence of our
171hike. All eight boys stopped simultaneously, their heads snapping
172toward me in unison. A second later, they seemed to realize what
173they had done, put their heads down and continued walking.
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177``Creepy.'' the voice in my head commented. But what do I know about
178kids?
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182We finally arrived at the campsite. The boys, a flurry of quick
183movements, erected the tents, hung up the food, and gathered fire
184wood. When the work was done they left me sitting on a log alone as
185they went off to do whatever it is young boys do on a camping trip.
186I took a second and looked around. The air out here was fresh and
187invigorating. The temperature was perfect, the sky was blue, there
188were sounds of nature everywhere. Suddenly feeling good for the
189first time in ages, I picked up a discarded soda can and walked
190down to where the boys were. Pulling my side arm out of my pant leg
191I yelled ``Who wants to learn to shoot?''
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195Suddenly, the boys were all just standing there looking at me with
196a blank expression. ``You brought your gun?'' Tim asked.
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200``Habit, I guess.'' I replied.
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204``You have much ammo?'' He asked.
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208``Twenty rounds.''
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212``Come here boys,'' he said loudly ``Mr.\ Luke is going to show you how
213to shoot.''
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217The boys gathered around me and I put on a show. First they wanted
218to see me hit the can from ten paces. Then, twenty paces. Next they
219pointed out a log in the lake they wanted me to shoot. It seemed
220that they couldn't get enough of watching me blow things apart. I
221have to admit, I was enjoying it too. I also was working up an
222appetite.
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226``So there you go boys,'' I announced.
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230``Come on!'' a boy shouted.
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234``Keep going!'' another added.
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238``I'd like to boys,'' I said, ``but I'm almost out of bullets.''
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242``You have three left.'' said the smallest boy, who seemed to be the
243troop leader's son and was opening his mouth for the first time
244since asking me to go with them.
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248``Maybe another time guys, I'm hungry.'' I said, ending the debate.
249We walked back to the campsite and settled in for the night.
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253After a dinner of half-cooked hotdogs and baked beans heated in the
254can, the silence settled back in and the sun began to go down. Tim,
255the troop leader stood up to speak.
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259``Boys, I think it is time for dessert. Son, do you have the tin of
260popcorn?''
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264``I, um, already gave it to him dad.''
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268``Oh. You didn't happen to bring it with you, did you Luke?''
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272``I'm sorry,'' I said sheepishly. ``I was in a hurry.''
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276Tim glared at his son who turned paler than usual and stared down
277at his feet. ``Never mind then!'' he shouted. ``Bed time,
278everyone!''
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282Without a word Tim and the boys turned and quickly disappeared into
283their tents. Suddenly alone, I turned and walked to the tent that
284had been designated as mine and laid down on the cool sleeping bag.
285As I lay there the day's activity seemed to catch up to me and I
286drifted off to sleep.
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290The sound that awoke me was like nothing I had heard before. It was
291a sound of pure, primal terror. Instinctively, I jumped to my feet,
292grabbed my Beretta and entered the darkness. The moon was full and
293high in the sky. With the fire burned out and no other light
294sources I could see quite clearly and distinctively. Too
295clearly.
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299A flash of movement about fifty yards from the tent caught my eye,
300but it took me a few moments to figure out what I was seeing. It
301was a deer, running with something hanging off the side of it. It
302was now making a gurgling sound as the creature attached to it tore
303at its throat. In a heap the deer went down. I could hear it being
304torn apart. I pulled my gun and shouted at the creature, thinking
305it was a mountain lion or coyote. It looked up at me and in the
306light of the moon and I realized what I was looking at. Or, perhaps
307I should say, {\em who} I was looking at. There, perched on the
308disemboweled buck was a young human-like creature in a Boy Scout
309uniform. Blood dripping from fangs that protruded from his mouth,
310he seemed to be sizing me up while also staring at my gun. The
311sound of breaking brush began to come from all around me. I had a
312choice to make. Fight or flight. I made a break for it.
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316In the moonlight I could see the trail we hiked out on almost as
317clearly as I could during the day. The adrenaline flowing through
318my veins allowed me to run faster and further than I had since my
319days in the marine corps. At first I thought I could hear someone
320behind me, but eventually there was nothing but the sound of my own
321footsteps. I rounded a bend in the trail and saw in the distance
322the restroom that we passed on the way to the campsite. Unable to
323run any longer, I lunged for the door, found it unlocked, and dove
324inside, latching it behind me.
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328The restroom only had one door and no windows. I was cornered but
329at least I only had to defend a single point of entry. I ejected
330the clip from my pistol and counted the rounds. Only three rounds
331left.
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335``Won't be enough,'' the voice in my head replied. ``You saw what
336happened to that deer. Three or Thirty, it won't be enough.''
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340``I'm afraid there is more than three of us,'' the voice behind me
341says. I can feel the hot breath and sets of eyes on me.
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345``If you only ate the popcorn we prepared for you then you would
346still be asleep right now,'' another voice, a child's voice, says
347from the shadows.
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351``I'm not much for traditions,'' I whisper as the teeth close upon my
352throat. 
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