| Powder Monkey March 2010 |
Short Story #3
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| Do You See What I See? by Roger Campbell |
“Wake up boy.” Johnny shook his friend so much Billy fell out of his
hammock.
“What’s the hell’s wrong with you.” The fact he couldn’t hurt his friend
was the only thing that kept Billy from swinging his fists.
“Couple of them just walked in the door.”
“What? What time is it? Got to be after midnight.”
“Shore is. And they ain’t got no manners. Making a bunch of noises as
they tote some fancy boxes to under the vessel’s bottom. ”
“Gerry trying to hide some more squeezings again?” Billy laughed as he
brushed himself. “Come on, lets see what the fools are up to now. Ain’t no
moon out tonight huh?”
“Can’t tell. To dark to see.” Johnny stepped back expecting Billy to try to
slap him.
“Think we need to get any of the others?” Billy started to swing.
“Why? They can’t hurt us.”
“T’is true. Whoooo there, I’m getting hungry.”
“Hungry?” Johnny had a puzzled look on his face.
“I see a Georgia Peach.” Billy remarked as he ducked. Johnny did hit
the hat.
“Damn Yankee. Mind you manners. What they be doing?”
“Setting up some mighty fancy instruments they be. Hey, where she be
going? Hell, Gerry’s the one who ought to be leaving, she’s cute.”
“Down boy,” Johnny leant against the pillar. “With only one here maybe it’
ll get back to being quiet. Got something planned for later?”
Billy turned and looked at his friend. “Boy, you drinking again? Gerry ain’
t ever been quiet. I would say he’s loud enough to wake the dead.”
Johnny lowered his eyebrows and stared at Billy. “Shut up and lets see
what the fool’s up to this time. Can’t be as corny as that last stunt.”
For two hours Gerry just sat under the vessel’s remains staring at his
instruments.
“Now why be he doing that? Ain’t he got anything better to do than sit
under a wreck in the darkness looking at a bunch of fancy gear? Why ain’t he
at home with that lady of his? You’ve seen her. Wasn’t she that gal earlier?”
“Billy, for a city slicker you can sure ask some dumb questions some
time.” Johnny slapped his buddy on the back. “That fool thinks he can spot us
with all those boxes and stuff. Suppose to have a lot of modern scientific stuff
in them.”
“You serious? Ain’t poking fun of another Southerner are ya?”
“No way. That pup ain’t got the first idea of what it’s like to be a
Southerner. Hell, these here folks now-a-days ain’t got the first bit of common
sense. Damn, you remember those soldier boys that came in yesterday. Hear
a few say they be from New York. Billy, now seriously, you want to claim
them as fellow yankees?”
Billy shook his head as he responded. “That was a sorry bunch, that be.
Makes me wonder if all that killing was worth it. Now lets get back to this fool.
What we going to do to him? He’s suppose to be at home rights now. Sweet.
I’d sure be home right now if she be mine.”
“Huh, maybe we ought to give him a good reason to get home.” Johnny
rubbed his chin as he thought. “Got it. The fool ain’t going anywhere til he gets
what he wants. Lets give it to him.”
“What? How’s we suppose to do that? Remember what we got to work
with.”
“Not a problem. What does he want? He want to see us. So lets let
him.”
“Boy, where’s those corn squeezing you drinking? I want some.” Billy
looked around Johnny to see if he could spot a bottle.
“No, no. Listen. All we’s got to do is ask him if he wants to see us.”
Billy stopped and looked at his friend. “Damn, I wish I could smell, I
betcha he be changing the aroma of the whole place. I want to do it.”
“Be my guest.” Johnny swept his hands as if he was showing Billy the
way.
With a huge smile on his face Billy approached Gerry. As expected the
latter made no actions indicating he knew Billy was beside him.
“Mighty dark in here. But do you see what I see?”
“Who said that?” Gerry tried to jump up. With the bottom of the vessel
only inches above him, his movement wasn’t much. What was a lot was the
noise made when head meet wood. “Ouch!”
“Should look before you jump. Ain’t that dark. Now that not be an
answer. Let’s try it again. Do you see what I see?”
“I don’t see anything.” Wide eyed and carefully Gerry looked around as
he spoke. Everything looked the same as it had - black. All of the lights had
been turned off so they wouldn’t interfere with his equipment.
“You don’t see what I see?”
“No, I don’t see who you see, I don’t see anything. Where are you? Who
are you? Show yourself. I want to see you now.” Gerry slowly turned as he
talked. He was defiantly trying to look for something in the darkness.
“Be careful what you ask for.”
“Why?”
“Well, no matter how many fancy instruments you got, the only way you
can see me is if you’re one of us. And I do hope you join us. You’re pretty. I
can use a new girl friend.” Billy chuckle as he spoke.
After a moment of shock Gerry bolted for the museum’s front door. As
he ran away Johnny slapped Billy on the back.
“See the way he’s running? He ain’t coming back. Say, where’d you
come up with that line? Shore spooked him.”
“Listened to Brat when he used to do his girl friends up on the ship.
What a bull-shitter. Some of those lines he used were as corny as my uncle’s
corn squeezings. But a couple sounded real good. That one shore did scared
the freak. You don’t think he’ll be back? He do work here.”
“Of course he will. You know the living, ain’t got the first bit of common
sense. Bet ya we also see him tomorrow night. Come on, lets go back and
see the movie Sammy said he’d was going to show tonight. Said something
about it being a movie about some gal going to Dallas.”
hammock.
“What’s the hell’s wrong with you.” The fact he couldn’t hurt his friend
was the only thing that kept Billy from swinging his fists.
“Couple of them just walked in the door.”
“What? What time is it? Got to be after midnight.”
“Shore is. And they ain’t got no manners. Making a bunch of noises as
they tote some fancy boxes to under the vessel’s bottom. ”
“Gerry trying to hide some more squeezings again?” Billy laughed as he
brushed himself. “Come on, lets see what the fools are up to now. Ain’t no
moon out tonight huh?”
“Can’t tell. To dark to see.” Johnny stepped back expecting Billy to try to
slap him.
“Think we need to get any of the others?” Billy started to swing.
“Why? They can’t hurt us.”
“T’is true. Whoooo there, I’m getting hungry.”
“Hungry?” Johnny had a puzzled look on his face.
“I see a Georgia Peach.” Billy remarked as he ducked. Johnny did hit
the hat.
“Damn Yankee. Mind you manners. What they be doing?”
“Setting up some mighty fancy instruments they be. Hey, where she be
going? Hell, Gerry’s the one who ought to be leaving, she’s cute.”
“Down boy,” Johnny leant against the pillar. “With only one here maybe it’
ll get back to being quiet. Got something planned for later?”
Billy turned and looked at his friend. “Boy, you drinking again? Gerry ain’
t ever been quiet. I would say he’s loud enough to wake the dead.”
Johnny lowered his eyebrows and stared at Billy. “Shut up and lets see
what the fool’s up to this time. Can’t be as corny as that last stunt.”
For two hours Gerry just sat under the vessel’s remains staring at his
instruments.
“Now why be he doing that? Ain’t he got anything better to do than sit
under a wreck in the darkness looking at a bunch of fancy gear? Why ain’t he
at home with that lady of his? You’ve seen her. Wasn’t she that gal earlier?”
“Billy, for a city slicker you can sure ask some dumb questions some
time.” Johnny slapped his buddy on the back. “That fool thinks he can spot us
with all those boxes and stuff. Suppose to have a lot of modern scientific stuff
in them.”
“You serious? Ain’t poking fun of another Southerner are ya?”
“No way. That pup ain’t got the first idea of what it’s like to be a
Southerner. Hell, these here folks now-a-days ain’t got the first bit of common
sense. Damn, you remember those soldier boys that came in yesterday. Hear
a few say they be from New York. Billy, now seriously, you want to claim
them as fellow yankees?”
Billy shook his head as he responded. “That was a sorry bunch, that be.
Makes me wonder if all that killing was worth it. Now lets get back to this fool.
What we going to do to him? He’s suppose to be at home rights now. Sweet.
I’d sure be home right now if she be mine.”
“Huh, maybe we ought to give him a good reason to get home.” Johnny
rubbed his chin as he thought. “Got it. The fool ain’t going anywhere til he gets
what he wants. Lets give it to him.”
“What? How’s we suppose to do that? Remember what we got to work
with.”
“Not a problem. What does he want? He want to see us. So lets let
him.”
“Boy, where’s those corn squeezing you drinking? I want some.” Billy
looked around Johnny to see if he could spot a bottle.
“No, no. Listen. All we’s got to do is ask him if he wants to see us.”
Billy stopped and looked at his friend. “Damn, I wish I could smell, I
betcha he be changing the aroma of the whole place. I want to do it.”
“Be my guest.” Johnny swept his hands as if he was showing Billy the
way.
With a huge smile on his face Billy approached Gerry. As expected the
latter made no actions indicating he knew Billy was beside him.
“Mighty dark in here. But do you see what I see?”
“Who said that?” Gerry tried to jump up. With the bottom of the vessel
only inches above him, his movement wasn’t much. What was a lot was the
noise made when head meet wood. “Ouch!”
“Should look before you jump. Ain’t that dark. Now that not be an
answer. Let’s try it again. Do you see what I see?”
“I don’t see anything.” Wide eyed and carefully Gerry looked around as
he spoke. Everything looked the same as it had - black. All of the lights had
been turned off so they wouldn’t interfere with his equipment.
“You don’t see what I see?”
“No, I don’t see who you see, I don’t see anything. Where are you? Who
are you? Show yourself. I want to see you now.” Gerry slowly turned as he
talked. He was defiantly trying to look for something in the darkness.
“Be careful what you ask for.”
“Why?”
“Well, no matter how many fancy instruments you got, the only way you
can see me is if you’re one of us. And I do hope you join us. You’re pretty. I
can use a new girl friend.” Billy chuckle as he spoke.
After a moment of shock Gerry bolted for the museum’s front door. As
he ran away Johnny slapped Billy on the back.
“See the way he’s running? He ain’t coming back. Say, where’d you
come up with that line? Shore spooked him.”
“Listened to Brat when he used to do his girl friends up on the ship.
What a bull-shitter. Some of those lines he used were as corny as my uncle’s
corn squeezings. But a couple sounded real good. That one shore did scared
the freak. You don’t think he’ll be back? He do work here.”
“Of course he will. You know the living, ain’t got the first bit of common
sense. Bet ya we also see him tomorrow night. Come on, lets go back and
see the movie Sammy said he’d was going to show tonight. Said something
about it being a movie about some gal going to Dallas.”