Molters Read online

  MOLTERS

  C.A. GLEASON

  Text copyright © 2012, 2015 C.A. Gleason

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover art by Darko Tomic

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  PART 1

  Wretched

  CHAPTER 1

  Out for his walk while his dinner digested, Felix had his hands folded comfortably behind his back. His wife usually joined him, but she was not feeling well. The walk was not the same without her, and he almost did not go, but she had insisted. He hated to see her with influenza. She was such a strong woman, and it made him feel helpless. He was out a bit later than normal. It was nearly dark, and he was lost in thought without his wife to converse with.

  His pace halted when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, something hanging from a tree. He had walked the same path through the hills after dinner, night after night, for the past thirteen years since they had moved to Saarbrucken, so anything out of the ordinary was noticeable.

  An animal? Not like any he had ever seen. It was out of place—like a fish out of water, very alien. It was more like an egg, large and elongated, fatter at the bottom than at the top, and it was a stained-tobacco yellow, with dark splotches all over it. The skin pulsated, stretched, and looked as if it had small things swimming inside, trying to find their way out. The glistening organic sac of fluid bobbed toward the ground because of its weight; it was bound to snap the tree branch it hung from and split open, spewing its gooey contents.

  Coldness suddenly consumed Felix, as if ice water had been injected into his veins. His gut told him to get away from it—and fast—and that it was dangerous. He took an involuntary step backward. Then curiosity got the better of him, and he slowly approached it again. He looked forward to his wife warming him in their bed while he told her what he had discovered.

  It was some sort of cocoon, transparent to the depth of what was growing inside it. Initially, it looked like there were only small creatures inside. He was wrong. There was also something much bigger. The thing inside shifted, and Felix suddenly found himself looking directly into an open and inspecting eye. A tail broke through the top of the cocoon and stung him in the throat. Felix immediately tasted something like metal. He staggered backward and took a few short gasps, unable to breathe, and fell to the ground unconscious.

  CHAPTER 2

  Sunlight slowly snaked its way over the ocean to the beach where Jonah had passed out, and he opened his eyes to its warmth. It took Jonah a few seconds to realize where he was. He’d forgotten how he got there, but someone had wanted him to be warm. He woke up in a sleeping bag and had a blanket over that. The haze of the night before slowly cleared from his mind.

  He’d been at a party, a typical summer night in California. Too much tequila equaled waking up on the beach. He was sore, the kind of achiness he felt when he’d drunk too much and gotten into a fight. He remembered now. It wasn’t last night. It was two nights ago. A drunken idiot had tossed his dirty inch of beer on a girl Jonah used to date. Jonah warned him that he’d been drinking too much. He was right, because the guy made the mistake of challenging him, cursing as he did, so Jonah gave him a beating after he got him to the ground. It was probably why he was sore; it took a lot of sudden strength to immobilize someone. Jonah couldn’t remember if the guy had hit him with any punches. Jonah didn’t think he had.

  He probably wouldn’t have fought so quickly if he were sober. Drinking was Jonah’s way of staying off drugs, and a necessary evil. Only drugs get you kicked out of the military. You pay your taxes, bust your ass, and put your life on the line in a war for a government that doesn’t give a shit about you, but you can’t get high during downtime? It never made any sense to him.

  Jonah threw the blanket off himself and unzipped his sleeping bag. It wasn’t too cold, but it was cold enough for him to get goose bumps and dress in a hurry. Summer was almost over. Jonah wondered if his friends would be down for a trip. He was betting they would. The party scene was getting old.

  Eric would be in; he was sure about that. He wanted Danielle to go. He’d been attracted to her since he and Sharon had gotten married. If he could convince Danielle to go, then Sharon would too. They were practically connected at the hip. His and Sharon’s divorce had been final for a few years now, but they’d remained friendly. It was probably because they had the same group of friends. He’d told Sharon all about the places he traveled to. She’d always at least feigned interest, and if Daisy went, Gil definitely would. He’d just have to invite them in the right order to get a domino effect.

  *

  Gil was at a comic-book store when he finally started coming down from the night before. He’d been rolling too much lately. Jonah had introduced him to it in community college, but he didn’t do it anymore. Jonah liked to drink instead. Gil had always been quiet and independent and was picked on a lot in high school. Jonah was the first athlete who was ever a friend to him. That’s what Gil liked about him; he treated him like everyone else and was genuinely interested in what he had to say. The only times he’d ever seen Jonah angry were when he drank too much or when he stuck up for his friends. Sometimes Jonah’s temper scared Gil. It didn’t seem possible that someone so affable could become so violent.

  Gil was pretending to browse the new arrivals. He’d known what to expect. He was well aware of their release dates when they were posted online. The real reason he was there was to see the gorgeous young thing behind the counter again. He’d been in the store often since she’d been hired. She seemed to be acutely aware of how attractive she was too.

  The only reason that he wanted to see her so much was to try to get over Daisy. Jonah had said that the best way to get over a chick was to find another one, to move on. That was easier said than done. He’d loved Daisy for a long time and was pretty sure she still had no idea, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was just wishful thinking. She knew on a certain level, just as all women knew, that given the opportunity, any man would—

  “Help you find something?”

  The woman behind the counter had crept up behind him. Gil was startled but tried to appear calm. “No, uh, just browsing.”

  “Well, you’ve been looking at the same rack for about twenty minutes. Maybe I can suggest another rack to look at,” she said.

  Gil saw her cleavage out of his peripheral vision, but she was looking him right in the eye, almost daring him to get an intimate look at her. Gil swallowed.

  “Sure is lovely outside. It’s a shame I have to work all day.”

  She looked away, past him on purpose, Gil knew, allowing him the opportunity to stare at her. He did. Her breasts were beautiful. They looked so firm. He felt himself sweat. She looked back at him. It was a trick. She wanted to catch him, and her smile widened. Gil felt stupid. “I’d probably better get going.”

  “OK. Bye,” she said, watching Gil hurry out of the store.

  Gil looked back to see her laughing while looking in his direction.

  *

  Daisy was out. She’d decided to have a drink with her friends Tom and Mike. It was after their shift at the club where they all worked.

  “Shouldn’t have broken the seal,” Mike said, sliding off his barstool.

  Tom watched Mike disappear into the crowd. Then he turned to Daisy. “You want to get out of here?”

  “I just got here. I’m not even drunk yet,” Daisy said in her high voice. On numerous occasions, people had commented that she sounded like a little girl. One of the reasons she liked Tom was that he’d never mentioned it. “What about Mike?”

  “What about him?” Tom said.

  Daisy sipped her beer while judging Tom’s eyes. She’d seen that look before and given him what he wanted. But she hadn’t slept with him in a while. She’d been spending her time with Mike. They’d fooled around but hadn’t gone all the way. She could tell that Mike wasn’t quite right for her. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but she just knew something wasn’t there. She missed Tom, how enjoyable it was to spend time with him. She missed his touch. Maybe it was time to mix it up.

  Mike came back and sat down. “Whew! About ten pounds lighter.”

  Tom laughed. Daisy smirked and stared down into her beer.

  Mike cringed. “I mean, because of all of the beer I drank is now…Oh, that sounded not like I wanted it to sound. You two know what I mean?”

  “Of course,” Tom said.

  “I think I’m going to get going,” Daisy said.

  Mike blushed. “Really, why?”

  Tom didn’t react at all.

  “I’m not feeling well.”

  “I’ll get the bill,” Tom said.

  “Thank you. I’ll see you guys later,” Daisy said, staring into Tom’s eyes as she passed.

  Both watched her go. Mike finished his beer.

  “You don’t think it’s because of what I said do you?” Mike said.

  “You mean the piss joke that sounded like a shit joke? Nah.”

  Mike shook his head. “You’re a dick.”

  Tom threw a twenty on the table. “You have no idea.”

  *

  Daisy paced her kitchen, talking on the phone.

  “Who else is going?…Do you know what time it is, Jonah?…How long will we be gone?…I need to think about it…I said I’d think about it!”

  There were a few
light knocks at the door.

  “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later. Yes, I promise…I said I promise!” She ended the call and set her phone on the kitchen counter. “Golly!” Daisy opened the door. “Hi.”

  Tom came in, already kissing her, and she wrapped her arms around him.

  *

  “Jonah called,” Eric said, blowing out smoke.

  Danielle came back from the bathroom, naked. Eric pinched the cigarette butt between his lips and lifted the covers for her.

  She got in and snuggled up to him. “Will you put that out?”

  Eric mushed the butt into the ashtray on the nightstand.

  “About Germany?” she said.

  “Yeah.”

  “He called me too, but I haven’t called him back. Did you talk to him, or did he just leave a message?”

  “Left a message. Put my phone on vibrate. We were kind of busy.”

  She giggled and hugged him, burying her nose in his armpit. “Ooh, I love your smell.”

  “Don’t,” he said, and he turned her over on her side, spooning her.

  “Oh, fine,” she said. “Why Germany?”

  “He was stationed there. Said you’d have to live there ten years to see everything.”

  “Who else is going? Hopefully, Daisy. Take the attention off of me.”

  “She is. And Gil.”

  “Of course.”

  “Sharon probably.”

  “How do you think he’ll react to me and you?” she said.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Too smoky in here,” she said and went to the window.

  “It’ll get too cold. Get back in bed.”

  Danielle slid the window open. “I like it cold.” She hurried back, and Eric draped the covers back over her.

  “We should probably tell him soon,” he said. “Just to get it out of the way so there’s no weirdness.”

  Danielle shook her head. “No weirdness.”

  “Don’t make fun of me.”

  Danielle scooted closer to him. “Or what?”

  “You’re gonna get it.”

  “Oh, I hope so.”

  *

  Sharon walked out to the smoking area on her break. There were only a few customers, which made time slow to a crawl. She worked just down the street from where Daisy did. Daisy had wanted her to work at the club too, but she’d decided on the restaurant.

  Her phone rang, and she was expecting it. She’d received a text from Jonah that said he would call, and she’d already talked to Danielle about the trip. She answered it and lit up a cigarette.

  “What? I’m the last one you ask?”

  “I wanted to make sure everyone else was going before I asked you so you’d go.”

  Sharon smiled, blowing smoke. He could be very manipulative. They might still be married if they’d met at a different time, maybe when they were a little older, but certainly when he wasn’t so into drugs. He had a strong tolerance for all substances, so it was hard to tell when he was under the influence of whatever. Sharon realized later that he was high when she had met him.

  “You can see all the places I told you about.”

  Jonah’s infectious personality was hard to stay away from, even when she knew he was trouble. Before she realized it, she had been as into drugs as he was. Had she known how much of an addict he was, she never would have married him, but being so young and having so many happy times…

  “You’ll love it. I promise.”

  “Don’t promise me anything.”

  “OK, gorgeous.”

  “I don’t want to fight.”

  “I’m not fighting with you. I just—”

  “I mean when we’re there. I don’t want to fight with you.”

  “So don’t pick a fight with me then. Our fights were always up to you.”

  He was already doing it. What he always did. What he was always somehow able to do. It was never his fault.

  “Just concentrate on being on your best behavior,” Sharon said, blowing out smoke.

  “Of course. I gotta go. I’ll call you with all the details later.”

  “OK. Bye.”

  “Bye!”

  She ended the call. She dropped her cigarette, stepped on it, hesitated, and then lit another.

  CHAPTER 3

  Felix vaguely remembered the cocoon hanging from the tree, but he couldn’t remember where he was going when it had happened. Mostly he remembered the pain of its sting, even though it had subsided to just a dull throbbing now. His thoughts were coming in slow flashes. He had trouble remembering where he lived. He was lost and wasn’t sure how far he’d walked or even why he was heading in the direction he was.

  All he cared about now was getting somewhere warm. It seemed to be getting colder by the minute as he trudged up the road in the night. The active chimneys of the homes in the valley next to the road created a smoky blanket that hovered over the rooftops.

  A truck was approaching from behind him. Felix held up his hand. The driver honked and pulled over. Felix quickened his pace, anticipating how cozy the driver’s cab would be. He reached up and opened the door, immediately feeling heat billow out.

  “Wohin gehst du?” the driver said.

  “So weit wie du mich nehme. Ich brauche nur etwas schlaf zu bekommen und warm,” Felix said.

  The driver nodded. He threw the stick into gear, and Felix climbed inside the inviting cab.

  *

  They’d probably driven nearly two hundred kilometers when the driver’s guest started making strange noises while he slept. The driver had tried to speak with him for the last few hours, but he hadn’t responded. He knew he was still alive, though; he could see the jacket he’d pulled over his face moving with each breath.

  Felix’s hand suddenly dragged the jacket off. He was staring at the driver and making movements with his mouth as if he couldn’t breathe. He kept opening his mouth, about to say something or let something crawl out that was clogging his throat.

  “Sind Sie okay?” the driver said.

  Felix’s skin split down the middle of his face like a perfect seam, revealing a creature underneath, as if it were wearing his flesh as a disguise. The driver had a few seconds to scramble before it attacked him.

  CHAPTER 4

  Their train snaked through the German mountains. Jonah sat next to Eric, Danielle sat next to Sharon, and Gil sat next to Daisy.

  Jonah produced a fifth of whiskey from his bag. “Anybody want a pull?”

  It had become a tradition that anytime they all got together, Jonah would pull out a bottle of alcohol. Sharon knew it was how he was raised. His parents drank at any special occasion and most nights. Jonah had told her his dad started making him drinks when he was about thirteen.

  Eric put his hand out, and Jonah passed it to him. Eric took a drink and handed it back.

  “Danielle, you want a drink?”

  “I’m OK.”

  “I didn’t ask if you were OK,” Jonah said, taking a drink himself. “I asked if you wanted a drink.”

  “No, thanks.”

  “All right. Suit yourself. Daisy wants one, though.”

  “Fuck yeah, I do!” Daisy said.

  When she stood up, her shirt lifted, exposing her belly. Sharon saw Gil blush.

  Eric got up, and Daisy sat next to Jonah. Eric went back and sat next to Gil.

  After Jonah handed her the bottle, she chugged it. “Easy, Daze,” he said.

  Daisy stopped. She peeled her lips off the bottle and coughed. “Woo!”

  “Pace yourself,” Sharon said.

  Jonah put his arm around her. “I got her.”

  “Oh, OK, Jonah. We all know how that ends up.”

  Everyone laughed except Gil.

  It usually only took a few drinks for Daisy and Jonah to hook up. That’s what hurt Gil the most—that his best friend was able to do what he was incapable of, which was being close to the woman he loved more than any other he had in his life. Jonah told Gil that they’d slept together the first night they met, and it had been going on and off ever since, except when he and Sharon were married.

  It was strange, but Gil often felt a mixture of pain and pleasure when he was around Daisy. When he was close, it took all of his strength not to reach out and hold her, kiss her, or tell her how he felt. It was even more painful because of how frequently they spent time together as a group. Sometimes he wished he were in a different group of friends. That way he wouldn’t have to deal with his feelings for her every time he saw her. He wished he could stop thinking about her.