Slither - Edward Lee [121]
It was supposed to be the other way around, wasn't it?
He saw now that the ova shooting out of his urethra had gradually gone from the size of BBs to the size of peas. He was literally peeing a pile of ova.
He felt even sicker when he looked at his penis.
It was yellow. With red spots.
"Oh, my fuckin' shit," he groaned.
"Looks like you're infected in a big way," the skinny woman said. She was up on one elbow, watching the grotesque spectacle.
"I ain't infected!" he bellowed. "And who the hell are you anyway? What do you know about this shit?"
"A lot," she said. "My name's Nora Craig, Professor Nora Craig. I'm a marine biologist with the college. You've been infected with what appears to be a genetically hybridized parasite that's part trichinosis worm, part ribbon worm, and part pinworm."
"I ain't infected!" he repeated. "It's-it's-it's ... just a few of 'em. Once I piss all of 'em out, I'll be okay."
"You're dreaming, Paul Bunyon. Once you piss all of them out, you'll still have the worms. A lot of those little yellow things already hatched-in you."
Finally, Slydes was done. One last ovum-the size of a gumball-squirmed out.
His face looked understandably sick. He pulled up his shirt, looked with more nausea at his red-spotted beer belly.
What am I gonna do now? he wondered.
When the pile of ova began to move toward Nora, she withdrew a small can of something, and sprayed them.
"What's that?" Slydes demanded.
"Bug repellent. It kills the ova, and the younger worms."
"Give it to me!"
Nora laughed. "It's not going to do you any good, pal. You've got those things all through your body. By now they're insinuated throughout your major organ systems. And some of the ova have already released a virus that's going into your brain. It'll change your behavior too, it'll change your DNA, to make you a more adaptable host. You're a breeding ground for the worms, buddy."
Slydes saw that the pile of yellow things had stopped moving. She ain't lying. It killed 'em. "Gimme that can, bitch! I'll drink it, and it'll kill any of 'em left."
She laughed even more boisterously, holding up the can. "This is poison, asshole. It'll kill you in a few minutes. But you know? I'd rather die from poison than die from those things." She threw him the can. "So go ahead. Drink up."
Slydes looked at the can. He wasn't much of a reader, but he could indeed read the words WARNING: POISON! and the universal skull and crossbones under it. Slydes swore and threw the can away. Three long strides took him over to Nora. He grabbed her hair and dragged her toward the head shack.
Nora shrieked. Slydes liked that. Sassy, smart-ass bitch. If you think THAT hurts ... He'd cut on her good, but first ...
He needed some water.
That's the ticket. I'll be all right. I'll get me a good long drink of water, and that'll be that. This bitch is just tryin' to scare me. I'm sure I've done peed all them things out .. .
Wishful thinking for a desperate man ... but a desperate man who was also a sociopath. "You're gonna be a of of fun, baby. I saw ya the other day-wanted to do a job on ya right then, lemme tell ya."
"You're a busted redneck no-account loser," Nora said, and yelped louder when he twisted her hair some more. "You're a fucking walking worm farm and you're gonna die."
"Keep talkin'. I'm a gator poacher. Did you know that?"
She responded through grit teeth, "Sounds like the perfect job for a big redneck moron like you."
Slydes whipped out his Buck knife. "But gator ain't the only thing I know how to skin." Then his big bearded face broadened in a grin. "I'll be nice'n slow, too. Might even pop ya a few times while I'm doin' it."
But first, the water. He dug the key from his pocket, and unlocked the dead bolt.
Even in her distress, Nora had to ask: "How do you have a key to that?"
"Damn it!" another voice barked out.
Slydes and Nora turned in startlement.
Trent stood behind them, his face stamped with anger. "Let her go, Slydes."
With a smirk, Slydes released