Be My Buddy (Cut-Up)
by Zachary Robert Long (943 words, estimated reading time: 5 minutes)

I suddenly felt calm. And sleepy. I drifted into her little baby face. Opens her green eyes wide, did things with white rats. me. Covering me. feeling I’m anybody’s fuck here? I felt so warm beneath it. speed. The egg creatures moved with surprising work. dozen heartbeats. entire body shuddered from fear. Because they were about to do something slaps. I cried high. fear fading away with the cold. The tongue carried us closer. shivering. glowed red as flames – purple tongue rolled out. It rested heavily wet smacks A living sheet watched them move. bike halfway up the block. slide out from under it. stayed calm against the girls shaking all over from the cold. whipped cream. open in horror. green Jell-O fire. The camp director stepped fog swirled. Wet, so wet – the egg creature plopped over my skin. My hand didn’t fall off. the younger kids were screaming. my head The happy feeling lasted peaceful, dreamless sleep. sucking rows of jagged yellow teeth “Being raped while on a bad acid trip, killed slapped up against each other Throbbing steadily warm wriggle against my back like runny Come I could barely feel egg creatures – they were all ghosts now. tall waves of foam and spray. Singing her strange, sad song, reminded me of shiny blue marbles – can’t get to the other world – “We’re going the wrong way!”

Without thinking, I bent down and grabbed shadows near the wall. YOU STANDING ON MY HEART? she was singing the Camp Yes. “Where is everyone?” I cried. She flashes her smile, the one And then – in a flash – I had an idea. “It can’t be real!” I cried. Until the fog swept over the camp, I gasped Her round blue eyes It can’t be here in the woods. squirming and twisting silence The heavy only silence raised high Then my back started to itch I gasped. Struggled to breathe. a long whoosh of air I’m dead too! But our cries were drowned out her hair flying wildly behind her landed with a hard plop on the tongue. teeth. avoiding the camp again, and we both fell to our knees her pushed deeper into zen. No chills ran down my back. lucky girl to drown? him hard It moved on just as silently. making a disgusted face A white “Please answer my questions.” singing in that breathy whisper What’s going to happen to me? A smile spread over my face. with every move of her head – and flung itself over him. laughed. smacking sounds. No one smiled little squares of re-solemn. The creature was bouncing helplessly And I’m a little chubby. knew I had figured everything out saw a girl about my age, I kept my eyes on the box. “You’ll be my buddy – won’t you terrifying, Nothing happened love that burnt taste. joined together

Anyway, I was in the back of the house banging new kids. I tried to edge I’ve figured out the best way. It’s not as hard I always let my dad win And I think about how lucky I am. someone, lurking behind came “I’ve come very close,” pleased smile crossing his face. cute?” warm, dry body scrape over my bare skin. twisting and And I gasped and jumped back. I realized I was squeezing it tightly. coming out not?” blood. “Me, too,” he said, almost sadly Something popped in the fire. from behind me – last night. too hard bladed knife from him. So peaceful here. And so beautiful. Dogs I examined my tiny black paw “This is real life nearby tree. Laughing “Excuse me?” “Let’s hunt I’m staving!” what choice do I have blow or not. My heart began to pound as a group three babies encourage me. to taste. The ground tumbled and shook. biggest you ever saw, “Come on. green eyes hugged by frozen body, cries of help. thing out I suddenly felt exhausted. never to come I watched him make his At least hadn’t screamed frantically His heavy shoes kicked at my legs “You’ll be my buddy, won’t you?” He’s trouble, that guy. Real trouble. I didn’t finish . I could still feel it still itched like crazy had broken out mashed potatoes us. Real gross, huh?” Now what? you’re taking an animal and Come My chest heaving “I’m trying to send the right DNA I have to

How could I think about cereal at a time too panicked thick died there. An old lady surrounded by her dolls. In fact, He kept running till he got here. You were spying on me – right?” Everyone clapped CLOSED SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS. “Deep, deep into the woods,’ I’ll work with you in the backyard.” I took a deep breath and listened. mournful howl interrupted. gathering at the water hole You mean they should have burned mouth opened wider. when she reached the bottom spready heads, bobbing in the eerie, shadowy light from skeleton. death. It’s too easy.” “Yohhhhhhhh, Spirits!” he cried again, remains of dead plants.’ but their faces were tense up the tent. “Aren’t you freezing to death too?” every day at the playground rope caught. The kid couldn’t get it to move up coming on trees. And saw box to the doorway. a crumpled pair of jeans off some reason, I felt really nervous. I was drowning. She giggled. Drowning in hands and legs moving the dummy, bringing it downs Trapping me beneath it. my heart pounding. frozen pushed the knife blade into his buddy. up another shrunken head. blue goo on the cabin floor. Missed his toes? a tall boy HEL- “It won’t hurt that much,” and hit the O instead. the P in disbelief floated up a little higher.