Ace in a Hole|Chemical X Trilogy (Book II)

Hi, Mom!

SNAKE

"Empty," I said shuffling out of the shack.

It was kind of a funny thing to come out of my mouth. I'd been feeling empty at least since Ace had gone sick— probably since we lost our green. Ah, who knows? Probably longer than that even. The other funny thing about it coming out of my mouth was that I didn't hiss it. I was actually starting to remember that I was gunna just spit raspberries if I stuck my tongue outside my mouth like Grubber and apparently messier than him too. What's even funnier was that before the green I used to hiss what I spoke anyway. You know, between my teeth like a normal person instead of a snake.

Anyway, feeling empty as I was facing the blank faces of the guys didn't make me feel any better about that empty couch. Though, when that fathomlessly deep mind of Arturo took in my single word, he recalled some tragedy in the souls of his ancestors that made me shiver.

"Face it," he said, "the boss didn't want us to see him like that, so he went off somewhere to die alone."

I sucked in between my teeth. Billy didn't move as though not comprehending what Arturo was saying. Grubber squinted, his lips actually pursed, and I shivered again. It was so unnatural to see him like that. He looked back at me with this defiant look in his eyes. He had it at times, but I don't think I ever saw it stronger.

The wind whipped over the dump bringing in the sour smells of rotting food and oily must. Cars went on the way they always did making the wind sound more like a mechanical river. A motorcycle snarled. Some dog barked. Some kid squealed, and we just stood there digesting Arturo's epitaph.

I can't speak for the others, but I barely breathed as I blinked trying to comprehend a world without Ace in it, but I could not even comprehend a world where Ace was weak yet.

He was a living legend. I mean, I knew he was human and all, but I think for the first time I realized at least something about myself. Even though I knew he was human, I had thought of him as something immortal, and if something immortal could die, what did that make the rest of the mortal world? But I could get no answers from myself or the wind or Grubber's normal-looking but seriously intense eyes, and suddenly Grubber blinked.

I blinked too and huffed.

Then even more suddenly Grubber turned. Apparently we were all sort of staring at him, and the rest of us continued not moving a muscle as the world's eternity seemed to pass us by on all sides like we did not exist. Grubber walked with a steady confident pace away from us as though to step out of the time capsule our shoes were glued to as a bus squeaked somewhere in the distance and a shout from some angry driver somewhere in the opposite distance. A paper cup blew past us like a tumbleweed and echoed its empty insides. We watched Grubber, his tongue sticking out again and him trotting like a dog to go find his master. I felt my insides sink.

None of us followed him. None of us called after him. In retrospect, I'm still not sure if Grubber was just leaving because the gang no longer had a reason to exist without Ace and without the green or if he really was going to try to find Ace to keep him from giving up and dying in shame. I didn't really know Grubber enough to know what he would do in a situation like this.

I felt my head sink into my shoulders with that notion: I didn't know him. Did I even know Ace? Did I know Lil' Arturo and Big Billy?

Slowly I turned to them. They were apparently already looking at me. Maybe I sighed. If I had I was unaware of it. I just put my hands in my pockets and stared back at them in a deep slouch.

"Duh... what's going on again?" Billy asked.

"Tsss...." Was all I could answer through my teeth.