12-16-2021, 08:17 PM
Jude peered back at the woman. His brown eyes bore no relation to meeker beasts of burden; instead he looked like a discontented big cat, some panting predator of the savanna. Certainly he was very drunk, and that gave his stare a leering quality, but his intoxication made his equal parts hysterical and unpredictable. Bovine Near might march dutifully into the murder cabinet, but the good Samaritan best not lift a reassuring hand to pat Jude's shoulder, lest he bash her with his backpack.
It was an improvement when the woman left them alone, but scarcely. Jude (who must have felt a certain eagerness toward the idea) considered bashing Near with his backpack.
"I don't have a gun," he muttered back, which showed where his mind was. He slipped the backpack around to his back, and did a half-loop around the truck so that he imposed its metal body between him and the cabin. "But she might, soon."
His position gave him some comfortable distance from Near, which helped with the urge toward violence. Jude felt both uncomfortably warm and cold. He leaned against the body of the truck, letting the cold seep into him. "What are you going to do after this?" 'This' being very general, referring to either tomorrow or next week or next year, all of time afterward. Jude certainly considered the night an event, as distinct as Christmas or Halloween. If nothing else, Near would probably remember the day he lost his dog.
It was an improvement when the woman left them alone, but scarcely. Jude (who must have felt a certain eagerness toward the idea) considered bashing Near with his backpack.
"I don't have a gun," he muttered back, which showed where his mind was. He slipped the backpack around to his back, and did a half-loop around the truck so that he imposed its metal body between him and the cabin. "But she might, soon."
His position gave him some comfortable distance from Near, which helped with the urge toward violence. Jude felt both uncomfortably warm and cold. He leaned against the body of the truck, letting the cold seep into him. "What are you going to do after this?" 'This' being very general, referring to either tomorrow or next week or next year, all of time afterward. Jude certainly considered the night an event, as distinct as Christmas or Halloween. If nothing else, Near would probably remember the day he lost his dog.