Germination (Feast of Weeds Book 1): A Novella

Chapter 2

The creep lay flat on the street, faceup. He twitched, stilled, twitched again. They'd stuck the creep with something that dropped him like a rock.

Every time he moved, I swear my eye flinched.

Two people in something like white moon suits hovered, taking measurements, writing on clipboards. People in navy jackets with yellow CDC lettering were erecting a tent around them.

Gabbi and I stood on the corner opposite the house of the woman and her trash can. The last direct rays of light turned the surrounding roofs a golden brown. The aroma of someone's backyard grill said a family was eating burgers like nothing had happened. A yellow line of tape hung between us and gawkers with their phones out recording every move. I kept our phone away. I wasn't like them, no matter how much I wanted to post about this. I wanted to help people who needed it, not enjoy someone's bad luck.

We were inside the taped circle. I very much wanted not to be. Officer Hanley had been nice to us before-sure he messed with our camps and kicked us off corners and out of squats, but he saved us even though we were street roaches.

Now he hovered feet away to make sure we couldn't leave.

I touched my eye and then forced my hand down. If I rubbed it anymore I was paranoid I'd break the skin.

Someone was going to call CPS. They'd act like they were doing it for my own good. They'd send me to a home, or ranch, or juvie. They'd tell me what to do, when to do it, how to do it-and have enough power to force me. I knew this. They had taken me in once. I had tried to kill myself.

"We've gotta get out of here," I said.

"No kidding," Gabbi said.

I was glad she had her courage back because at the moment I was like a little kid scared of the dark. I couldn't handle being trapped. She couldn't handle anything to do with her parents. We each had our traumas and tried to respect them.

I thought about how to get back to the van. I texted Ano a cryptic message about not coming after us. No sense them getting caught up in all this. They were at a nearby park, in a spot nestled among some old oaks we had claimed that day from the pervs that went to shag off together in the great outdoors. Otherwise the van was our home when we weren't at the library, the gym, the mall, or dreaming about owning our own piece of land one day.

The phone showed the second post had gone live. I was glad the information was getting out. I didn't know how to even begin to explain this situation, but I would find a way. I returned the phone to Gabbi's pocket.

A moon suit approached Officer Hanley. He motioned us over.

Moon suit held up a hand when we came within a few feet. "That's far enough." A woman's voice.

Her suit reeked of new rubber and plastic. This close, the clear plastic shield seemed to shrink her mouth and enlarge her eyes. Her glasses underneath were orange and made her blue eyes look like they were rimmed in fire. Her hair was stuck to her forehead, curled with pomade and pins.

"I am Dr. Ferrad. Please, understand time is of the essence. Were you scratched or bitten or otherwise injured?"

I didn't answer and so Gabbi remained silent too.

Office Hanley took a step forward but she held up her hand.

She raked her eyes over my legs, my bare collarbone, my arms, my face. Her face seemed larger than life behind the shield. She was the astronaut and we were the alien species she was deciding how to dissect.

Where the blood had landed on me felt like a neon sign. She must see it. She must know. And then she would take me away and they would never let me go.