Library: The Bait Shoppe

The shadows slowly lengthened as the late July afternoon slid into evening. A light haze hung in the air as the days heat gradually relented but still clung tightly to ones body, bathing it in a damp sweat. The house sat on a quiet side street mainly populated with other postwar boom homes. The long years had brought many changes as each homeowner's dreams were realized with porches and additions of all shapes and sizes. This home had aquired at some point a full length veranda and a stand alone garage situated alongside the dwelling towards the back. Its car port yawned open invitingly, creating the impression of a deep dark cave whose recesses offered shelter from heat. The veranda offered more substantial relief in the form of an old couch up against the wall beside a tired and well-used beer fridge. The couch was currently occupied by two burly, bearded men drinking beer. Maybe bikers of old but their strong frames had started running to fat agains the onslaut of time. Nothing however, could dispel the aura of menace which hung around them like the stink from their unwashed bodies. Their little piggy eyes squinted out onto a world that seemed to fill them with constant displeasure. They were not the sole occupants of the veranda. A set of stairs facing the street lead down to the unkempt lawn. Sitting halfway down the stairs was a slim tomboy of a girl wearing tattered jean and an dirty shirt. Her youthful innocence shone out from her face and did much to offset her unkempt appearance. In front of her on the lawn stood a homemade sign advertising dew worms for three dollars a dozen. The childish scrawl on the sign clearly marked this as the young girl's endeavour. Undoubtedly the money earned from sales and kind-hearted tips went to this needy young lady to purchase things that average kids just took for granted. It would have been easy for her to despair and give up, sullenly resigning to fate's unfair gifts in life. Yet she perservered and made the most of her time while looking at the good side of life and planning for a better future. As she did now, sitting patiently with her elbows on her knees whilst cupping her cute elfin face in her hands, awaiting whatever gifts life might bring. The dusty yellow sports car slowed to a stop on the road out front of the house. The driver was a husky handsome late teen accompanied by a lithesome busty young blonde in the front seat. She was leaning towards the drivers open window, eager to see what transpired between her boyfriend and the others. The backseat had a solitary male passenger. Closer observation of him would reveal that he shared the drivers same features and was undoubtedly his younger sibling. He too seemed curious about the impending conversation and of the drivers motives. His coy glances to the front of the girls shirt showed that he was interested in far more. "Excuse me miss, do you have worms?" the driver enquired in an earnest polite voice. "Yes I do mister!" the cheerful little girl replied, face brightening with anticipation. The drivers face transformed from almost placid good nature to an alert feral grin as he almost tripped over himself in eagerness to deliver the next line. "Well then you better see a doctor and get some pills!" he almost shrieked before bellowing with loud laughter. The blonde clutched his muscular upper arm to her chest and went into a giggling fit, hiding her face in his shoulder. The younger brother sat open-mouthed in the back seat, shocked by his older sibling's audacity and the favourable impression it made on his date. Then he was pushed back into his seat as the car quickly accelerated away from the curb into the dusk, trailing derisive laughter in its wake. The little tomboys features remained frozen for a few moments after the cars departure and then slowly fell into a grimace of pain. The men on the covered porch remained still and silent, emanating cold fury. Teenagers could be very cruel as they find their way into adulthood. However, vengeful children could be imminently crueler still. A week later things were very much the same at the old house. The same two men occupied the veranda while the tomboy sat on the steps luxuriating in the end of another beautiful Muskoka summer day. Little did they know how perfect it would turn out to be. Tke yellow car returned almost at the same time and the tableau was set for a repeat performance. The players had changed this time though, the younger brother was driving now and another teenage girl was seated beside him. The rear seat was empty. He was on a first date and wanted to impress his young lady friend with a display of wit. After observing the effect it had on the cars previous passenger he figured it couldnt fail. "Hey you got worms?" he called from the drivers window. "Yeah" the child replied wearily with a trace of scorn. "Well then ya better go see a doctor and get some pills!!! Ahahahaha" he screeched triumphantly. Things were going better than he had planned. Over the course of the week he had dreamt up some further refinements to his mockery. "See ya later losers!" he screamed at the top of his lungs while extending his left arm out the window with his index finger and thumb forming an L. He then went to make his dramatic exit, popping the clutch and......stalling the car. The car slowly rolled forward a few feet and stopped dead. All was silent. With a knot in the pit of his stomach and heart beating wildly Kelad depressed the clutch and turned over the engine. The starter cranked the engine smartly for a few seconds but it never fired once. "Kelad quit fooling around and start the car!" his date hissed worriedly. "I am I am!" he snapped a trifle hysterically as the car failed to start again. The figures on the veranda slowly got up and started ambling towards the stairs. Kelad twisted the key again and again, cranking the engine longer and longer as the battery started to wear down. But it was of no use. Both he and the approaching men knew it wasnt gonna start. It was like he was trapped in a bad nightmare that was unfolding at an unhurried pace. He was an unwilling participant yet unable to change the inevitable course of events. Strong dirty hands seized him and pulled him through the open window. He was paralyzed with fear, a dark stain spreading on the front of his pants. "Leave him alone" his date shouted in a strangely husky voice. Ignoring her they dragged Kaled up the driveway towards the open garage. The tomboy capered around them excitedly giggling with glee. The girl got out of the car and followed them. "Dont touch me" she hissed while rubbing her body up against one of the burly men. Her date's impending punishment oddly exciting her. Kaled was too terrified to move let alone offer resistance as they tied him down on the shop table. The little girl clambered up and straddled his chest with her knees. A small galvanized pail was placed beside his one outstretched arm. Beads of water were condensing and running down its cool surface. He could sense its contents and already taste the bitter irony of the situation. "Would you like some worms mister?" the child said with a manevolent grin. She reached into the pail and her hand reappeared holding a fistful of writhing slimey dew worms. "Nuh nuh nuuuh" Kaled blubbered, his eyes rooted on her upraised hand. "Sure you would" she replied. Reaching out with her free hand she clasped his nose, pinching the nostrils together. Kaled instinctively opened his mouth to gasp for air and the little girl rammed the worms into it. Starving for air Kaled was forced to swallow repeatedly to clear his airway. "Hahaha, who's the loser now eh?" The tomboy's hand disappeared into the pail again to return with more crawlers. "Thats disgusting, take me away from here!" his date panted while he hands were working ferverishly at the front of one of the mans pants. He picked her up and went through a side door with her showering his neck with kisses. Kaled coninued to eat worms for a period of time. How long he could not recollect nor wanted to. When the girls tactics failed the remaining man offered him encouragement with a squeeze to his testicles. Eventually he passed out and the torment ceased. Rough hands shook him awake. He came to with a yelp and slowly focused on his surroundings. They had placed him in his car and he was alone. "We'll keep yer bitch for awhile, she likes real men" the second man said. "If ya can start yer car now ya can go, otherwise we got some more for ya". "We'll keep yer bitch for awhile, she likes real men" the second man said. "If ya can start yer car now ya can go, otherwise we got some more for ya". With bated breath Kaled turned the key. The engine roared to life on the first try. Whimpering softly he pulled away from the house and drove unsteadily down the street. Extreme nausea poured over him in waves. He had to get to the hospital and see a doctor. Maybe they could give him something for his condition.

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Library: The Bait Shoppe