Animal Nature

Chapter 21

Ron Black leaned out the window of Bart's Lincoln Navigator and let out a whoop directed toward the Jeep full of girls pulled over on the side of the farm road. Ron recognized Brittany Bowden among them, though he saw her only from the glow of the joint the five girls were sharing. One of the other girls, a horsy-looking brunette, waved. Ron sneered at her before pulling himself back into the SUV.

"Ruben better have gotten that keg he promised," Bart said, navigating through the cornfield. Smoke rose from somewhere up ahead. "Otherwise there won't be enough beer to get all these girls drunk."

"No shit. And I'm hoping to crack Melanie Silvero's thighs apart tonight. She's got a tight little—"

Bart laughed. "Melanie Silvero? Man, you're gonna need a keg just for her."

Ron hated being interrupted. He glared at his oblivious friend.

The bonfire and hordes of teenagers came into view. Bart parked at the edge of the crop circle, then both boys sauntered over to a cluster of their fellow football players. Bart immediately got involved with the guys' chanting for Ruben Miller and Dave Riposo to "Chug, chug, chug!" Ron slipped away from this lame gathering and prowled the groups of people in search of his prey.

Ron's eyes roved over the crowd. The bonfire didn't help with visibility, but he hoped to at least spot the crowd of student council members Melanie always hung out with. Every group he passed, some dog-faced girl waved at him shyly. He ignored them. They were easy prey, those girls who dreamed of dating a popular football player. Easy prey, easy lay. Ron passed his spare time with them, while plotting his ravaging of every virgin in the junior class.

The October night blew a cool breeze. Ron paced the perimeter of the crop circle, hands shoved in his pockets. Maybe Melanie would be near the bonfire. She was the type of girl who was cold all the time. Compulsively organized, a ballet dancer, totally uptight. Ron tried to make out the silhouettes standing near the fire.

The cornstalks behind him rustled.

Ron peered into the darkness. Probably the wind. Ron strode toward the fire.

It was his lucky night. He spotted Melanie facing the bonfire, hands out to the flames. She was wearing a jean jacket over her tight top and the little skirt that barely made it halfway down those spectacular thighs.

Ron squared his shoulders and shrugged off his predatory face. Then Bart jumped in front of him.

"Dude, Ruben's got a roach he wants to share with us. Let's go."

Ron glanced from his muscle-bound friend to the hard-bodied girl by the fire and back again. Maybe a little pot would help him relax; sometimes he came on too strong. "Yeah, man, let's do it."

Bart led him to the edge of the crop circle, then, looking around none-too-subtly, ducked into the cornstalks. Ron followed.

The noise of the bonfire and the crowd faded quickly. The cornstalks rose over Ron's head and brushed against the sleeves of his varsity jacket. "Have you ever seen the movie 'Children of the Corn'?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Bart said. "This is totally creepy."

A few moments later Ron asked, "Are you sure you know where you're going?"

Bart stopped and looked around. Ron could only see moonlight shining on the green leaves all around.

"Maybe they're pulling a prank on us," Ron said to cover Bart's ominous silence. "I mean, Ruben's a senior."

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Bart cocked his head and squinted his eyes. Ron remained silent and immediately heard the cornstalks rustling again.

"It's just the wind, man," Ron said.

"Shut up," Bart whispered. "It's getting closer."

Ron had never seen his friend so spooked. The big jock's eyes were wide in his suddenly pale face. Bart looked ready to run at any moment.

But Bart was right. The sound was getting closer. Ron began edging back toward the line of smoke he could see rising over the tops of the cornstalks.

"What do you think that is?" Bart asked.

"Who cares? Let's get out of here."

Ron started walking with Bart close behind him. The rustling of the cornstalks echoed their steps. Then a growl brought Bart grabbing at Ron's arm. "What the hell was that?"

"Get off, man," Ron snapped, shrugging off his friend's strong grip. "People are gonna think we're gay for each other."

In their hesitation, they could hear the rustling quicken, accompanied by a grunting rhythm of breath.

"Run!" Bart half-screamed. He didn't have to say it twice. Ron was already bolting for the crop circle.

Coach Wheaton had always used Ron for the running plays. He could outrun almost everyone on the team. Bart was never very quick. The bulk of his muscles tended to get in the way. "Built like a truck," Coach said about Bart. "And truck's aren't allowed in the fast lane."

Ron was about ten yards ahead of Bart when he heard his friend cry out, followed by a loud thump and growling. He half-turned to see the tail end of some animal disappear into the cornstalks. His friend was nowhere in sight.

"Bart? Bart!"

The only response came from the creature. It jumped into the row of corn where Ron stood, frozen. "A wolf," he whispered. "A goddamned giant wolf."

The wolf's muzzle was smeared with blood.

"Bart! Shit!"

As Ron ran for his life, he didn't hear anything from his friend. He heard the galloping tread of the wolf behind him, closing in.

A few more feet, Ron chanted to himself. Get there, get there, get there—

He felt a tug on his leg, and went sprawling. Instinctively he kicked out at the thing that had bitten his leg, but when headlights flared just a few feet away, the pain suddenly released. Ron took the opportunity to jump up and run.

He pounded into the crop circle, slamming into several people who were milling around.

"Run!" Ron screamed at their blank, staring faces. "There's a wolf! It got Bart! It's coming!"

The faces blurred as Ron ran through the crowd. He reached Bart's Lincoln Navigator and yanked at the door handle. Instead of opening, the alarm went off, sending a blare of horns echoing in the night sky and lights flashing.

Ron pulled at his hair. Bart had the keys, and Bart was back there with that thing.

A hand on his shoulder spun Ron around. Ron looked into the faces of Ruben and Woody.

"What the hell, man?" Woody said, pressing his mean face into Ron's. "You just ruined our party."

Behind them people were fleeing to their cars.

"Bart—Bart's out there, this thing, this wolf attacked him! We hafta call the police!"

Ruben laughed. "Yeah, right. Come on, Black, get real."

"I'm serious!"

Woody backed off. "Come on, man," he said to Ruben. "Let's get outta here before the cops show up."

As they walked away, Ruben was still laughing.

Ron looked around. The party was clearing out fast. "Guys, wait! Don't leave me here with that thing out there!" He managed to climb into Ruben's car before Ruben took off down the dirt road, and sat in the back seat shaking and trying to catch his breath before his friends dropped him off at his house.