Bottom Feeder (3 page)

“Your scrawny ass is mine, piggy-piggy! Dem
titties, too. Dey comin’ off! I swear to son-of-a-shit I’m gonna
cut dem off!”

Lervette appeared at the entrance of the shed
covered in slop. In a matter of seconds she was barreling toward
Nina, teeth bared.

Nina took off for the little girl and
Maudwan’s pen. If nothing else, she’d have the same advantage she’d
had with the barrels. This time, though, she’d go through the pen,
then climb over the rails on the other side. For Lervette to catch
up with her, she’d have to either back out of the pen and run
around it, which would easily put some distance between them, or
the woman would have to follow her and climb the rails to cross
over to the other side. Lervette and all her blubber might be able
to run, but no way would she be able to hoist all that weight up
wooden rails without breaking them.

Maudwan stood near the north end of his pen
obviously riled by all the action. He grunted loudly, snorted,
tossed his massive head from side to side, hooves pawing in mud and
what looked like a thick, oozing pile of his own shit.

The little girl took a step back as Nina
rounded the gate and burst into Maudwan’s pen.

Maudwan let out a shrill, long squeal at the
same time Lervette screamed, “Don’t you go in dere, you pig-bitch!
Leave him be! Leave my man be!”

Her man?
Nina threw a glance at
Maudwin—at the mole on his snout—remembered the picture of the man
in Lervette’s house—the mole—the mole.

“Son-of-a-shit!” Lervette sloshed sideways
into the pen, her arms waving about for balance.

Nina headed for the rails at the back of the
pen. Five high—enough space between the thick slats to stick a foot
through. As soon as she lifted herself up on the bottom rail, she
felt something grab then slip off the back of her shirt.

“No, no, I said
come here!
” Lervette
yelled, her left hand grabbing again at Nina’s shirt.

“Fuck off!” Nina threw a back kick and nearly
lost her footing. She draped herself over the top rail of the pen,
looped her arms around the first slat so she’d have leverage, then
kicked with all she had.

The blow landed in the center of Lervette’s
chest, and the woman fell backwards with a loud,
Oomph!

Still squealing and pawing furiously, Maudwan
suddenly took off for Lervette, head lowered, tusks
long—pointed—wet.

Nina saw it coming, but too fast—too fast . .
.

Gawking, Lervette sat, seemingly paralyzed as
the animal charged—and drove his left tusk through the middle of
her throat. Maudwan dragged her twenty feet or more, then tossed
his head again, causing Lervette’s body to flop and jerk about. Her
eyes were open, so was her mouth, but both had that stuck look that
only belonged to the dead.

Grunting—grunting, Maudwan seemed content to
simply drag Lervette around the pen. The animal circled toward the
gate, his recent kill trailing blood, him trailing shit, just like
the first time Nina had seen him. It wasn’t his shitting that got
her attention this time—not even his size. . . .

It was the little girl standing near
Lervette’s house, waving at her—dress bright yellow and new—hair
clean and combed—a smile that lit up her face . . . right up to the
moment she faded completely from view.

The End