7

STONY GOT UP early Monday morning. He and Butler had promised Chili Mac they'd help him move into his own place near D'Artagnan's. When Stony got out of bed Albert was already watching cartoons. His old man had split for work and his mother was still sleeping. When he passed her bedroom she was tossing and turning, making weird moaning noises in her sleep. Stony shrugged and left the house.

***

Marie dreamed that she was sitting naked in her mother's house on the brocade piano stool. Her parents were standing in back of her laughing hysterically. She was glad they were happy and started laughing along with them. Her mother said between guffaws, "Don't worry, Marie, Doctor Marcus will be here any minute." Marie got scared. She hated Doctor Marcus. "Why is he coming?" she asked.

"Because look!" they both cried, pointing to her back. Then they doubled over with renewed laughter. Marie reached behind her back; her fingers touched something soft and sticky. She ran to the mirror and screamed. Her spine had split open from the base of her skull to a point above her buttocks, revealing a huge white pulpy larva.

Marie fell out of bed and vomited on the floor. She was trembling so badly she couldn't stand up so she just rested on all fours on the puke-spattered rug. She moaned. Her stomach heaved and convulsed in shuddering waves. She tried to wipe her chin, but when she lifted her hand she fell forward on her elbow.

"M—Mommy!" Albert stood in the bedroom doorway pop-eyed in horror.

She snarled at him, "Help me!" Albert backed away from her. "Help me, you little bastard!" Sobbing, Albert ran to his room. She heard him slam his door. Marie steadied herself, then leaned her arms and head against the side of the bed as if she were saying her prayers. She rested like this for a minute before struggling to stand up. She tried to take a deep breath but the back of her throat was raw from vomiting. She wiped her face on her sweat-soaked nightgown before staggering to the bathroom.

After a scalding shower she felt a little better. She brushed her teeth twice and gargled with Listerine. Her legs were still rubbery as she walked out of the bathroom in Tommy's raspberry terry robe. Passing Albert's bedroom she remembered in a flush of rage his running away. She clenched her teeth and swung open the door so hard that the noise of the doorknob smashing against the wall sounded like a gunshot. Albert squealed and jumped to his feet. A furious cartoon battle was raging on television, with animals sailing across the screen and crashing somewhere out of sight.

"I—I I'm's—sorry," he sputtered, spraying spit, "M—Mommy." The sight of Marie standing in the doorway, chest heaving like a steaming Medusa, made him wet his pants. He stared with horror at the spreading stain, then at his mother with a mute, pleading look.

"AN-NI-MAAAL!" Marie shrieked, bounding across the bedroom to grab Albert's hair, pulling his head up so that he almost stood on tiptoe. Albert screamed and in a spasm of terror started pumping his legs up and down, running in place, Marie's fingers entwined like snakes in his hair.