Amoeba (The Experiments)

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Nah.” She shook her head. “Ready.”

  “Yeah. Did you think of one yet?”

  “No.” Cal took off running, plowing into the Stasis dummy and sending it back a foot.

  “Good. Once more. And why not?”

  “Why not what?” Cal walked back the ten feet.

  “Why didn’t you think of something? There has to be something I do in our marriage that needs to be worked on.”

  “No.” Cal got ready to run again.

  “Cal, come on, I’m not perfect.”

  “Pretty much so.” Cal smiled at Jake and prepared. “Ready?”

  “No,” Jake said. “I told you something. This is a daily thing. You have to tell me something.”

  “There’s nothing to tell. You don’t need to change. I do.”

  Jake grumbled and rolled his eyes. “We’ll talk about it later. Let’s finish up. Do a slide in, sweeping out his legs.”

  Cal widened her eyes stepping back further. “All right.” She looked and took a few more steps back. “You gonna let him go this time?”

  “Yes.” Jake answered.

  With everything she had, Cal raced forward like a baseball player charging to second base. And in one swift movement, Cal leaped forward feet first, slid in the dirt with a huge dust cloud, caught the legs of the dummy, and swept it to the ground. The moment the dummy fell to the ground was the moment its heavy weight caused Cal - entangled within it - to flip over from her back to her stomach. She started to get up and fell back down.

  “Whoa.” Jake rushed down to her. “You okay?”

  Cal shook her head staring out blankly. “Yeah.” She blinked.

  Jake reached his hand down to Cal, hoisting her up. As his huge hands brushed her off, he noticed her balance was off. Slowly he raised his eyes to her. “You sure you didn’t hurt yourself?”

  “Yeah.” Cal took a second then helped him brush off the dirt. “I just got dizzy from being turned so fast.”

  “You didn’t eat. An empty stomach will cause that.”

  “You’re right,” Cal commented, and then snapped herself back together. “Race back?”

  Jake stared at her for a moment. No.” He grabbed her hand. “Let’s uh . . . walk.”

  ^^^^

  Before a wide metal door, Stan stood with Ollie and Rickie and, of course, a clipboard. “Rickie,” Stan told him. “You have to. It’s part of your job, guy. That’s why you’re getting paid three hundred dollars a day.”

  “No way, dude. You’re teasing me,” Rickie argued.

  “No, we are not.” Stan showed him the clipboard. “See for yourself. Ten seconds. First step.”

  Rickie turned back and looked at the door. “Dude, I can’t.”

  “Then you don’t get paid for today,” Stan stated. “Right Ollie?”

  “Right, Stan,” Ollie said.

  Stan held up the stop watch. “Ten seconds, three hundred dollars.”

  “Okay.” Rickie reached for the door. “But, like, you start timing me the second I go through this. Don’t wait.”

  “You got it.” Stan held his thumb on the watch. “Ready? And . . . Go.”

  Rickie flung open the door and stepped down the first step. The slam of the metal door behind him made him jump. ‘Two . . . three . . . four . . . five . . .”

  Creak

  “Six . . seven . . .”

  A slight, very soft moan was heard.

  Rickie’s eyes widened. “Eight nine ten. Guys!” He turned and banged on the door. “Guys!” Rickie heard another creak and another moan. “Guys!” The door opened and Rickie flew through, slamming it shut with his body. “I hate you guys.” Pouting, Rickie folded his arms and walked by Stan and Ollie who laughed at him. He turned half way down the hall and sang his words out to them. “And you’re in trouble.” Rickie spun his body and stormed off. “Cause, like, I’m telling my Dad.”

  ^^^^

  His growing coal black hair was still wet from his shower when Paul put it in a ponytail. He smeared the fog from the mirror as he checked his reflection, then stepped from his bathroom. He could feel his stomach churning in hunger, and wondered if he missed the clang of the pot signaling that breakfast was ready. Wanting to just head down to eat, but knowing what he had to do, Paul grabbed a pack of matches from his dresser and pulled one from the pack. As the sulfur tip struck and ignited, mixed with the ‘hiss’ of the lighting match, he heard something else. Groans.

  They were painful, but soft, coming from within his room where the shades were drawn and only a candle was lit. Confusion on why he heard them ended when he heard something else. Lou’s voice. Tiny, little, and miniaturized.

  “Help me. Please help me.”

  With his face glowing from the candle, Paul turned and the candle dropped to the floor when in the center of his room, no bigger than a foot tall, he saw a vision, bluish in color, ghostly, arms reaching out, bodies of the damned going after and trying to get a crying Lou. The vision was a calling, and after stamping out the small fire that had started, Paul left the room to begin on his new mission.

  ^^^^

  Joking around and in an upbeat mood, Jake lifted Cal in a swinging hug over a small puddle as they walked to the dining room. He set her down and kissed her. “Tell me.”

  “Jake, there’s nothing to tell. Really,” Cal told him.

  “I’m finding that hard to believe. If Chuck was here, I’m sure he’d rattle off a list. There has to be something.”

  Cal paused. “All right. You get up too early. There. How’s that?”

  “Cal, sweetie, I have to get up that early. I’m in the service.”

  “Well then.” Cal tossed her hands up. “That’s all I can think of.”

  “What about on the weekends when I don’t work? What if I sleep till . . .” Jake shrugged. “Six?”

  “If you want.”

  “Cal, are you paying attention? I only said six, that’s not . . .”

  “Sarge!” Rickie’s calling voice careened his way.

  Jake turned to see Rickie running to him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Sarge, they did it to me again.” Rickie caught his breath. “They . . .” he paused when Judge walked by with a ‘morning.’ Rickie waited until it was clear, and he dropped his voice to a whisper. “They Wes Cravened me again.”

  Cal hid her snicker and pointed to the dining building. “Jake, talk him calm again. I’m, uh, gonna get some coffee.”

  “Cal I . . .” Jake flung his hand in frustration as he watched her walk into the building. He looked back to Rickie. “Make it good, Rickie,” Jake warned, then proceeded to listen to Rickie dramatically ramble.

  Cal felt like she had walked into some bad summer camp movie when she saw Lou, cigarette dangling in his mouth, carrying a pot to the table. She waved to him, going to the coffee pot and getting a cup of coffee. Her eyes glanced at Judge who patiently waited by the table for Lou to set the food down, then Cal, mug in hand, found a spot at the table.

  At first, as Cal brought her lips to her mug, she thought it was Judge or Lou when she felt the weight near her. Then, through the aroma of the coffee, she smelled the bad after shave and she knew exactly who it was. So close, hip touching her hip. “Do you mind?” She merely shifted her eyes to Larry who sat backwards on the bench seat next to her, back against the table, elbows back.

  “Not at all,” Larry said, leaning into her coffee, placing his face to hers. When Cal went to swat him away, he quickly grabbed her wrist and slammed it to the table. “Don’t.”

  Cal’s jaws clenched thinking of how she would find an original way to nail him. “I’m warning you.”

  “Don’t warn me,” he told her gruffly. “I’ve noticed the happy reunion, the three of you back together, every night. Probably having some sort of kinky trio thing happening.” Larry clenched her wrist. “Not that it bothers me. In fact, I find it intriguing because you’re really cute.”

  “Fuck off.”

  Larry snickered. “Attit
ude. I was curious, Cal. I see how happy Jake is. I wonder if he would be so happy to find out that your little one night stand with Billy goes deeper.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Larry released her wrist. “How happy would Jake be if he found out about you and Billy kissing, mud covered, right before being chased by pigs. Or . . . that intimate embrace you took from Billy because Jake is too big to hold you like that.” Larry smiled. “I kept a few of those pictures Caldwell gave me. And you know what?” Larry spun and stood up, leaning over Cal’s shoulder. Cal stared coldly forward.“I’m tired of jerking off to them. If you don’t want Jake to know, be at my room tonight.” Touching her shoulder, Larry turned around only to see Judge standing there. “What old man?”

  Judge ignored him and sat down next to a blank staring Cal. He looked over his shoulder to see Larry sit somewhere else. “Cal,” He whispered. “You tell Jake. You tell your husband right now what that man said to you. You hear me?”

  Cal shook her head. “I can’t tell . . .” She stopped talking when she heard laughter. She looked back and saw Jake, Rickie, and Billy walking in. “I can’t.” She swallowed, then sipped her coffee waiting for the inevitable, the smiling trio to arrive at the table.

  “Dudes, it’s not funny.” Rickie sat down. “Cal-babe, you okay?”

  “Yeah.” Cal looked up then down when Jake set food in front of her. “Jake, I’m not . . .”

  “Eat,” Jake ordered, grabbed her hand, and placed a fork in it.

  Billy joined the table. “Cal, you okay?” He slid into a seat. “You look upset.”

  “No I’m . . .” Cal tried to answer.

  “Cal-babe,” Rickie interrupted. “If you want a little humor today, come on my fishing expedition with me and Reed. Wait . . .” Rickie laughed. “Me and Reed will hit the reef to see if we can possiblee, catch us all some big fish-ees.”

  In the silence Jake glared at Rickie. “What the fuck was that about?”

  “Just a little midmorning Rickie-Meister Shakespearean moment, Sarge. That’s all. So do you want to go fishing Cal?” Rickie asked her.

  “No, Rickie, I . . .”

  “She should stay inside,” Jake interjected. “It’s gonna get hot, and you did get dizzy this . . .”

  “I’m fine.” Cal spoke. “I flipped . . .”

  “You got dizzy?” Billy asked. “Are you sick?”

  “Fuck!” Cal slammed her hand down to the table and stood up. “I’m fine, all right!” She stepped over the bench, and without saying anything else stormed away from the table.

  Everyone looked at the door and to Jake.

  He peered up from his breakfast. “It’s a female thing.”

  Just when a long drawn out ‘oh’ came from everyone, the door to the dining room opened again and Cal popped her head in. “I heard that Jake. Thank you very much.” The door slammed.

  Caldwell Research Center - Los Angeles, CA

  April 7th - 8:30 a.m.

  Barb dropped the notes onto Greg’s desk just as she went to sit before him. “He got her again today. Yesterday, and the day before, he was subtle. Today, he was direct.”

  Greg flipped through the notes then leaned back. “And when did this second incident occur today?”

  “Two minutes ago, that’s why I scribbled it in,” Barb said. “I’ll have a typed report ready.”

  Greg closed his eyes and shook his head. “No rush yet. Just hold off until you do the final report for Rayon Clinical.” He handed her the reports back then brought his hands together under his chin.

  “How did you peg him for the candidate for this research?” Barb asked.

  “Honestly?” Greg shrugged. “I didn’t until four days ago. I had Paul pegged, but, hating to admit it, I was wrong. He seems to uh . . . clear his mind way too often.” Greg raised the corners of his mouth quickly in a flash smile.

  “He’s out there,” Barb commented.

  “Yes, he is. I like it.”

  Barb gathered up her notes. “I’ll keep you abreast of everything,.”

  “Please do.” He saw Barb stand up and he leaned into his desk. “Oh, Barb? Do me a favor?”

  “Yes?”

  “Have Control switch his vitamins again, please. Increase the dosage of potassium nitrate.”

  “Increase it?” Barb snickered. “Sir, the dosage we started four days ago is working fine.”

  “His frustration and hostility levels are growing,” Greg explained. “Increase it.”

  “But don’t you think it may have something to do with the fact that we’ve added the potassium nitrate to his vitamins? I mean, the man can’t get an erection now. He was so mad the second time his attempt at masturbation failed.”

  Greg lifted his hands and then spoke calmly in an explaining manner. “It may have a little, just a little. But this goes beyond his erections, and you know it.” Again, Greg leaned back. “Increase it now. Play it safe. Yes, Cal can kick his ass, but I won’t take a chance on her. The last thing I want is Cal getting raped.”

  “I understand.” Barb waked to the door. “Consider it increased.”

  “Thank you,” Greg said, sitting in a thinking mode after Barb had left. He rubbed his finger under his chin staring forward. “Yep. It’s the last thing I want.”

  I-S.E. Thirteen - The Island

  April 7th - 8:33 a.m.

  Cal stepped from the bathroom wearing only a towel. She combed through her wet hair while walking to her dresser to grab her coffee. She felt a lot better, physically and mentally, after showering,. Letting the water beat upon her for a while soothed any jumpy nerves she had. Until . . . she saw them sitting on her dresser, in plain view and intended for her to see. Three photographs, all black and white. The first one was of her and Billy in bed, the other two were one Jake hadn’t seen. Cal hadn’t seen it, either, until that second. Her and Billy kneeling, muddy, kissing. Her and Billy. His eyes closed, both of them holding on in what looked like more than a friendly embrace. Her stomach churned and cringed, especially when she saw the little note attached to the one picture. A note that simply read ‘Tonight’.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  I-S.E. Thirteen - The Island

  April 7th - 3:55 p.m.

  The tip of a black work boot covered with mud snuck up on Judge as he knelt down in his small garden area not too far from the back of his bungalow digging up his radishes. Judge peered up at the legs that wore grey pants all the way to the black man - arms folded - who smiled flashing the silver front tooth.

  Judge crawled back. “Oh my God.”

  “Looking foe me Judge?”

  Judge spun clockwise after he had backed up. He stumbled to his feet and swayed when he saw another man, not as big as the first, but a black man - thin. Trembling and wanting out of the situation, and telling himself he was imagining it, Judge turned again. Behind him stood a third man with long, greasy blond hair. The man was tall and brawny. Another spin, another man. Short brown hair, thin. All four were at a distance and moving closer. Judge’s heart palpitated as he kept turning and turning to find a way out. Closer and closer the four men drew. The trees around him spun out of focus and blood rushed to Judge’s ears. His stuttering mouth moved but no scream emerged like he wanted it to. And before Judge could take a step to run, he dropped to the ground when he passed out.

  ^^^^

  “So there I was,” Billy rambled as he and Cal strolled through the woods. “Eight years old. Eight, Cal. And I had to own up to the principal that I was indeed getting my first crotch shot by looking up the teacher’s . . . Cal?”

  “Huh?” Cal looked at him.

  “You weren’t listening.”

  “Yeah I was.”

  “Really, what did I say?”

  “Um . . . sorry.” Cal shrugged.

  “Geez. You ask me if I ever did anything that I didn’t want to do but was afraid not to, and then you don’t listen to me tell my story of peeping up my teacher’s dress.”


  Cal started to laugh. “You peeped up your teacher’s dress?”

  “Yes. But somehow it was funnier when I told it in full force.” Billy stopped her. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” Cal nodded. “I have something on my mind.”

  “Talk to me.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why? Does it have to do with me?”

  Cal hesitated. “No. No, not at all. I just have something stupid on my mind. Don’t worry about it.”

  “I do,” Billy told her. “You can’t . . .”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Judge.” Taking his hands from Cal’s shoulders, he ran past her down the small grade to Judge who was lying on the ground. He bent down to him and said, “Judge?”

  Judge moaned and grabbed his head. When he opened his eyes he semi shrieked, and jolted in a frightened manner.

  Cal made it down the hill. “Judge, what happened?”

  Judge looked around. To his left, to his right and behind him. “Heat . . . heat must have got me.” He wiped his brow. “I passed out.”

  “Here.” Billy grabbed his arm. “Let us help you to your bungalow where it’s cool.”

  “Thank you.” Judge stumbled in his stand. “Thank you.” He felt Cal secure his other arm, and with their help Judge walked back to this bungalow, but not without looking around and over his shoulder the entire walk back.

  ^^^^

  There was a certain whimpering painful cry that came from Reed that really annoyed the hell out of Jake. Cal and Billy stood by the door, hiding laugher that was generated more at Jake then at Reed.

  “Dude.” Rickie tried to soothe Reed. “Like, you’re gonna be fine, huh.” Rickie lifted the sheet covering the super swollen foot of Reed. “Sarge?”

  Jake raised his eye brows. “He’ll be sick but . . .” He paused when there was another whine. “Christ, you got bit by a jelly fish. You’ll be fine. I don’t think we have to amputate.”