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Chapter 15: The Wake.
By DC Green | 02 November 2010 |
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Page 1 of 3
 In one fluid motion, I leaped to my feet. The wave pitched square. Shadow loomed over me. I’d never surfed Deformities this big, or taken off so deep. But then, I’d never felt so reckless about the dodgy state of existence we laughingly call life. The lip cracked, a thunder god’s hammer. Inside the barrel, the vortex effect lifted me to my toes, threatening to tear me from my board and explode me into the razored reef. Another section scythed. I was so deep, the barrel so curved, I couldn’t even see the exit. I drove on, my head ploughing the lip’s underside. Crouching lower, I blasted through an ugly troll’s chandelier and squeezed through the pinching pit-hole. Behind me, the wave turned inside-out on naked reef. Damn. I really needed another wave. A deeper, deadlier one. Something to take me closer to the brink of death. So I could maybe start to feel alive again. But, already late for my sister’s wake, Carl fuming on shore, I paddled shoreward instead. Wake. What a weird word. Annie and I had always joked we’d be buried in the steel-cow field opposite Deformities. But on this grey, offshore day, just like my guts, the steel-cows were fly-blown corpses. The only mourners at Annie’s funeral were me, Ma, Crusty Carl and Catbird. For a range of reasons, we hadn’t advertised Annie’s death. Daphne Grrng had wanted to send a rep from Ripaquikbong, but I’d told her to shove her representative up her lava-splashed rectum. Sideways. Ma sobbed into Carl’s shoulder. Catbird looked like she wanted to lean on mine, but I deliberately stood away from her. Away from everyone. I so didn’t want to speak. But I knew I had no choice. ‘My sister… was the most remarkable person I knew. Saying that mightn’t have meant much half a year ago. We were just two farm groms from Hicktown, Dense. But since then we’ve both surfed across half the galaxy, and I still haven’t met anyone more remarkable.’ I paused. ‘From the day she wrestled her way out of Ma’s vagina before me, Annie pretty much whupped me at everything. She smashed me at school. She said sayonara to her virginity before I’d even figured out my dick came with multiple applications.’ Ma frowned. I kept babbling. ‘As for surfing, well, like Annie always said, I just wasn’t as competitive as her. It took me months to figure out how to do okay on the surf war tour. Annie casually came back from life-threatening injuries, disguised herself as me and absolutely BLITZED the field on Planet Hell, including Darth Staker…’ My voice-box tightened, as did Ma’s posture. ‘Now she’s won the ultimate race. I hope I can die with half the guts and style that Annie faced her fate – and every damned day.’ My voice fell. ‘Love you sis’. See you soon.’ ‘Zack…’ Like every other Dense citizen, Ma had been forced to work in Ripaquikbong’s new city factory. I’d never seen her so skinny or pale. ‘Don’t go back to those dang cosmic wars.’ She gripped my arm so hard, veins bulged on my hand. ‘I couldn’t bear burying the both of you.’ |