As Chris continued to drive, he slowed down his speed, hoping not to bring too much attention to Freddy’s car. When they got far enough away from the animals that the pigs became, Freddy and Michael continued bickering with each other in the back seat of the car.
“You forced yourself on Chris” Freddy said accusingly.
“He didn’t say no” Michael replied.
“He didn’t consent.”
“He was humping me.”
“He didn’t know he was humping you.”
“How could he not? He was cuddling me in bed.”
“He was acting subconsciously. He didn’t expect you were going to stick his dick inside of your asshole.”
“I was horny and lonely.”
“You should have woken him up and told him to stop, like you have in the past.”
“Freddy, I’m sorry. I lost my sense of control over this because I was angry at you. I was afraid I was never going to see you again, either because the mayor would kill you or Tom would take you away from me forever. What would happen if those things occurred, Freddy? Do you expect me to just never find a way to love anyone else?”
“I’m still alive, you asshole. I’m not dead yet.”
“You almost died once before. Didn’t you think that if you weren’t around, I’d want someone else to hold me in my arms at night?”
“Chris is straight, though. You’d never be able to have a relationship with him.”
“Uh—“ Chris tried to say.
“Chris gave me comfort when I needed him” Michael said defensively. ”When you weren’t there, he gave me the support I needed, in order for me not to lose my fucking shit.”
“He didn’t need to stick his dick in your ass in order to give you comfort” Freddy replied. “Didn't you stop to think that part of the reason I hired Chris was to help you deal with all of this stress? Why do you think I asked you and Chris to put aside your differences?”
“I thought you said it had to do with keeping me safe.”
“It did. It was also about making sure someone would be there to make sure you were ok and look out for you when I wasn't around to comfort you. Chris is a good guy, but you took advantage of him, to fulfill some sort of angry bit of revenge against me.”
“You cheated on me first! Twice! And if I hadn’t stopped you that other time, then Sofya would have had her way with you, too!”
“I mean” Sofya replied honestly “he’s not wrong, Freddy. You were about to hook up with me that time you were over alone at my father’s house.”
“You were trying to have your way with me against my will!” Freddy replied defensively. “You tried to rape me, just as Michael tried to rape Chris!”
“I didn’t rape Chris!” Michael screamed.
“You had sex with him without his consent! What do you think that is?!”
“He didn’t say no!”
“He didn’t say yes, either!”
“Argh” Sofya thought to herself, as Freddy and Michael kept arguing, while Chris continued, with great difficulty, to drive on the backwoods roads. “These two will never shut the fuck up, no matter how hard I try to get them to stop. It seems like this shit is never going to end.”
While Freddy and Michael continued to bicker, Tom and Josh saw their shared car approach. They stood at the Flower street exit of the dog park, having waited a long time for their ride to finally arrive.
“There it is” Josh commented. “Finally. Getting a driver to agree to take a dog with us was really tough.”
“You could have just gone without me” Tom replied, as the car stopped in front of them.
“Josh Benson?” the driver asked, as he rolled down his window.
“That’s me” he replied, as he walked over and opened the passenger door.
Josh got into the front, as Tom pushed Lady into the back seat of the car. Sitting down next to her, Tom fastened his seat belt, before the driver drove off.
“Where are you two off to?” the driver asked.
“I’m a bit of the ways out of town” Josh replied, as he gave the driver his address. “Tom, do you mind if I get dropped off first? That way, you can have the driver all to yourself to run your errands.”
“Fine” Tom grumbled in reply, as he pet Lady on the back, who began to shake nervously.
While Tom and Josh's driver began his route, Chris continued to drive Freddy's car. Sofya was reaching her very last nerve, as Freddy and Michael continued to argue with each other.
“You have a lot of nerve complaining about faithfulness” Freddy said bitterly.
“I have been faithful” Michael replied defensively “up until this point. Meanwhile, you’ve cheated on me three times.”
“As a dog. Never have I ever cheated on you as a human being.”
“It still hurts, Freddy. It still hurts me when I hear of you fucking those dogs. It still hurts me that I saw your naked ass on top of that stray bitch in the park all those years ago. It still hurts me knowing that you were a father of two, now potentially three, litters of puppies. Your doggy DNA has probably made many more generations of puppies after that. It still hurts me to know that, if I hadn’t rescued you, that Sofya would have raped you.”
“You have some nerve to keep bringing that up” Sofya sneered in reply. “You’re complaining about me trying to have my way with your husband, but the only cheater in this car is you.”
“That’s not true” Chris replied. “You fucked me this morning, too.”
“Slut!” Michael sneered.
“In my defense” Sofya replied “my husband has been cheating on me.”
“Mine did too.”
“I did not!” Freddy snapped.
“Yes you did! Three times now!”
“Well” Sofya replied “unlike you, I plan to file for divorce when this is all over with. I can’t be with a dirty cheater like my husband ever again.”
“I thought you were supposed to be this powerful witch, Sofya. How is it that you missed something like this after so many years together with Roberto?”
“Shut the fuck up, Michael!”
Sofya tried to use her magic, before Chris pushed her down. The car began to swerve off the road, before Chris got himself back on track.
“Jesus fucking christ!” Chris yelled. “I hate to scream and yell, but you almost fucking killed us just now. Hands to your yourself! All of you! Hands to yourselves! No more hitting! No more smacking! No more punching! No more magic! Understand me?!?!?!”
The car got silent, as Chris began to hyperventilate.
“God! I hate yelling like that, but I had to. My father used to do this when me and my brothers would act up as kids. I hate having to do that, but it was necessary. You almost got us killed or spotted by the cops, Sofya. You all need to shut up right now, so we can have five minutes of silence in this car. I can’t keep swerving like that or we’re going to gain the attention of the police.”
“So what?” Sofya asked. “I’ll just transform their piggy asses too.”
“Enough with the magic, Sofya. Save your energy for the mayor and his goons.”
“I’m not feeling fatigued.”
“Sofya, listen to me. Five minutes of silence, so I can calm down.”
“Where are we going?” Michael asked.
“Zip it.”
“Chris?”
“Zip it!”
The car fell silent, as Chris slowed down and drove at a more leisurely pace. Back in town, the shared car turned around and headed towards the set. Standing on the sidewalk, waiting for a car of their own, was Evan and his grandmother.
“Man” Evan said with an annoyed tone in his voice. “I can’t believe the trailers got totally wrecked. No more candy. No more chips. No more junk food. No more commercials. This day has turned out to be a total stinker. The worst Halloween ever.”
“It wasn’t so bad” his grandmother replied cheerfully. “Think of it this way. Your classmates are going to be so jealous when your commercial airs on TV during the holiday season.”
“Like it’s ever going to air.”
“It will. I know it will.”
In that moment, Josh spotted them standing around from his window.
“That’s Freddy’s kid and my mother in law!” Josh exclaimed to the driver. “Stop the car!”
“What?!” Tom exclaimed.
The driver pulled the car over, so Josh could call out them.
“Hey guys!” Josh yelled, as he rolled down his window.
“What are you doing?!” Tom asked angrily.
“Uncle Josh!” Evan said, as he ran towards the car.
“Hey Evan” he replied. “You guys need a lift?”
“We have a car coming soon” Evan’s grandmother replied, as she approached the vehicle.
“We ordered it half an hour ago!” Evan complained. “They still haven’t arrived yet.”
“Why don’t you hop in with us?” Josh offered.
“Oh no they don’t!” Tom snapped. “Uh uh, no! I never agreed to this!”
“It’s ok” Evan’s grandmother said. “I’m sure our car will arrive soon.”
“Come on, grandma” Evan said. “That car will never come. Let’s take a ride with uncle Josh.”
“No!” Tom snapped. “They can wait for their own vehicle.”
“Tom” Josh said, as he turned around to give him a serious look. “Please be nice. The good deeds you do will come back to assist you when you need it later.”
“The world has screwed me over! What is letting your bratty nephew and his grandmother into the car with us going to do for me?”
“Evan” his grandmother said. “I think we should just wait for the other car. I'm sure it will come soon.”
“Come on” Josh said.
“Yeah grandma, come on” Evan added.
“Fine, they can come” Tom agreed reluctantly with a sigh. “That is, if she agrees to pay the fare.”
“Oh certainly” Evan’s grandmother replied.
Evan opened the back door, as they tried to figure out a seating arrangement.
“There isn’t enough room back here” Tom said. “Not with Lady here.”
“She can lay on the floor by your lap” Josh suggested.
“My dog is not sitting on the floor.”
“Come Lady. Down you get.”
Willingly, Lady got down from the seat and put her head in Tom’s lap.
“See, Tom? That wasn’t so hard.”
Tom groaned, as Evan and his grandmother got into the car with them.
“Another condition” Tom said. “I need to run my errands after Josh is dropped off first.”
“I can be patient” Evan’s grandmother replied, as she closed the door.
Evan groaned, as his grandmother pulled out her communication device.
“How much do I owe you guys?” she asked.
“It’s ok, Irene” Josh replied. “I can pay my own way.”
“$25” Tom said.
“Josh, be nice. She’s on hard financial times right now.”
“I am too, asshole.”
“Language dear” Evan’s grandmother scolded. “My grandson has sensitive ears. It’s ok, Josh. I don’t mind paying.”
“Where am I going?” the driver asked impatiently.
“My place first” Josh replied. “Then Tom will tell you where to go from there.”
The driver shrugged his shoulders, as he pulled out and began to head over to Josh’s apartment.
“I’ll send you your payment now” Evan’s grandmother said. “Tom, is it?”
“Yes” Tom replied coldly.
Josh groaned, sighing in defeat, knowing that Tom was not going to budge on this. While Evan’s grandmother worked towards sending Tom payment for his share of the car fare, Freddy’s car was silent for exactly five minutes. The second the quiet period ended, Freddy spoke up.
“Michael.”
“Let’s not start arguing again” Chris said sternly. “If you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all.”
“It’s not mean. I just wanted to ask something.”
“What’s it about?”
Freddy sighed, before he looked at Chris.
“Actually, maybe I can ask you instead, Chris.”
Michael raised his eyebrows, as Chris looked back at Freddy from the rearview mirror.
“What is it, Freddy?” Chris asked calmly.
“Chris, did you consent to having sex with Michael or did he rape you?” Freddy asked.
Chris let out a sigh, trying to compose his thoughts, before he answered honestly.
“Honestly, I don’t consider what we did as non consensual sex. Sure, Michael inserted my dick into his asshole when I was sleeping and I did pull out when I woke up and realized what I was doing. However, I only pulled away from him because I was worried about what your reaction would be, not because I didn’t want to do it.”
“So, you did want it?”
“Yes, Freddy. Truthfully, I wanted it. I wanted his mouth on my dick, after I saw his mouth on yours. I wanted to fuck him. I wanted to cuddle him. The only reason I put up any defense at all was because I didn’t want it to jeopardize your relationship with Michael, that’s it. Michael didn’t rape me. What we did together was consensual.”
“You mean that, Chris? You’re not just saying that to try to ease tensions or make me less angry?”
“No, Freddy. It’s the god honest truth. I really wanted to keep this a secret from you, but Sofya said Michael was going to blab.”
“I wish I had taken bets” Sofya said with a chuckle.
Freddy growled in her direction.
“I didn’t mean to just blurt that out, Chris” Michael replied. “I just couldn’t bring myself to hide it from him. When Freddy gave me that look he does when he’s angry with me, I just couldn’t hide it from him. I’m not a good liar. I’m too much of an open book.”
“I appreciate your honesty with me” Freddy said truthfully. “I’m happy to know you don’t keep secrets from me. That at least counts for something.”
“Freddy, I was just angry and lonely. I wasn’t thinking logically and I acted impulsively. I did something stupid and I don’t want this to ruin our marriage. I love you. I don’t want to lose you. Not because of this or because of the mayor or because of this stupid fucking curse. I love you and I want you to stay with me forever.”
“I love you too, Michael. I know you were angry with me and you’re right. I act impulsively all the time. I don’t always think through my actions either. I should have stayed in the house like you told me to and never insisted we go on that walk. And you’re right. If we were forced apart, then I wouldn’t want you to be alone for the rest of your life. Chris?”
“Huh?” Chris replied nervously, as he continued to drive.
“If something were to happen to me, before this is all over, then I give you my consent to be Michael’s partner.”
Chris let out a tear in his eye, as he reached back and patted Freddy on the knee.
“Don’t say that right now, boss.”
“Freddy” Michael said with a tear in his eye. “No.”
“It’s true, Michael” Freddy replied with a sigh. “I don’t want you to have to be lonely if I can’t regain my humanity or if I die from this. I want you to be happy, even if I'm gone. You deserve to be happy no matter what happens to me. Chris is a great guy and an absolute gentleman. If anyone should be able to fill in for me should I pass or get stuck as a dog, then it should be him. It should be you, Chris.”
“Oh wow” Sofya said.
“Freddy” Chris said, as he started to tear up.
“Freddy” Michael said, as he also teared up. “I don’t love Chris. I love you. What I did with Chris was done out of anger, not because I love him.”
“I know” Freddy replied “but you deserve to love again if I’m not here. If you and Chris somehow fall in love with each other if I go, then I’ll be ok with it. I thought about it as I was a dog, too. If I’m stuck with Tom and Lady as Buddy, then I could grow to accept being her mate, especially since she’s going to have my litter of puppies.”
“Ugh.”
“It may not be ideal. It may not be what I really want, or who I really want to be with, but I could learn to find acceptance in it. We should work on fighting this curse first, though, so it doesn’t ever come to that.”
“I still want to try to make this up to you. Chris?”
“Yes, Michael” he replied.
“I want you to help us try to work this out.”
“How can I help?”
When the shared car made its way to Josh’s apartment just outside of town, the driver pulled up to a complete stop.
“It was nice working with you, Tom” Josh said. “Let’s stay in touch. Maybe I can use your other dog for some commercials, once she comes out of her heat and you get her spayed.”
“I’ll consider it” Tom replied.
“Nice to see you again, Irene.”
“It was so great to see you again after all these years, Josh” she replied, giving him a hug. “I hope I don’t have to wait so long to see you next time.”
“Well, that depends a lot on Michael, I guess. Evan, it was nice to see you again, man.”
“You too” Evan replied, as he shook his hand. “Sorry I called you a scary, homeless man when we first met. That was kind of mean.”
“Heh. Don’t sweat it. I get it. Glad I could help you out with getting this commercial. Sorry the candy and stuff got wrecked by the stray dogs, but I’ll make it up to you, somehow. I promise. Until we meet again.”
Evan and his grandmother waved goodbye, as Josh got out of the car. When he closed the door, he briefly waved back, before he went into his building. When Josh was inside, Tom turned to look at Evan and his grandmother.
“We’re running my errands first” he said with a scowl. “Then, after I am finished and dropped off at my house, you will be dropped off. Understand?”
“Whatever” Evan replied.
The driver nodded and began to head towards the supermarket just outside of town. Back in Freddy’s car, Michael made his original proposition again.
“Freddy’s the one who really wanted to fuck you.”
“I just can’t bring myself to do it, Michael” Chris replied.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t find Freddy attractive.”
Freddy frowned, as Michael kissed him on the cheek.
“I find you very attractive and very sexy.”
Freddy’s briefly smiled at this compliment.
“I don’t, though” Chris replied.
“It would do our relationship a world of good” Michael said.
“To have your husband cheat on you again?” Sofya asked sarcastically.
Michael glared at her angrily, before he continued.
“Freddy really wants this and I—“
“I don’t need it that badly, actually” Freddy interjected honestly.
“Huh?”
“I said I don’t need—“
“I know what you said, but why?”
“Because at the end of the day, I love you. I’m still mad at you for forcing your way on Chris when I wasn’t around, but at the end of the day, all I really care about is you. I know it’s going to take some time, for the both of us, to move on from this. If we can defeat the mayor and get back the ring, then we will take the time we need to really hash this stuff out.
“I love you and I don’t want to lose you. We both have made mistakes, but we can move on from this. Neither of us intended to hurt the other. We should accept that we still want to be together and find a way to patch things up between us and move forward. We can do it. I know we can.”
Freddy leaned in for a kiss, as Michael kissed back.
“Don’t fuck in the car, please” Sofya said.
Freddy glared at her angrily.
“I can’t believe that you two are just getting over this like it’s nothing” she continued. “Michael practically flipped an entire shit over Freddy and I almost hooking up, but Michael takes your load, Chris, three times and Freddy’s all like—“
“Enough, Sofya!” Freddy snapped. “You don’t have a right to say anything here. Your views are unwanted right now. You tried to have your way with me.”
“Like Michael had his way with Chris.”
“He didn’t really force me” Chris said defensively. “I did want to do it. I just didn’t want to piss off Freddy by doing it, that's all. I consider him my friend and I missed him for all these years. I didn’t want Michael to push us away again.”
“Chris” Freddy said. “I didn’t know you cared about me that much.”
“It’s true, Freddy. You were a great guy growing up; probably the best guy out of all the guys I’ve ever known. Sure, I get a little freaked out with your ogling and stuff, but so what? You didn’t force your way on me."
“Like Michael did” Sofya snorted.
“Sofya!” Chris and Freddy yelled at her.
Sofya sighed, before Chris continued.
“As I was trying to say, it's just some innocent staring. It's not a big deal. I ignore it because you inspire me everyday I’ve been on the campaign trail with you. You really know how to connect with people. I believe in you and what you stand for. I really believe you’re going to win this thing and make the town we grew up in a better place. I’m proud to serve along side and keep you safe from the threats to your life. I'll be happy to stay by your side as the next elected mayor of our hometown.”
Chris chuckled, as he wiped tears from his eyes.
“I’d offer to hug you right now, but you’re nude and in the backseat, so it’s kind of awkward.”
“It’s ok” Freddy said, as he went to pat Chris on the shoulders.
“Freddy, we can hook up sometime.”
“Uh” Sofya said “that was a total 180.”
“Chris” Freddy said. “It’s ok, man. You don’t have to do it. I totally understand.”
“Michael’s right. I’m kind of responsible for putting you guys in this mess. I should have slept downstairs or in Evan’s room last night. I shouldn’t have cuddled Michael. I should have resisted more than I did. I take the blame for this as well and I really want to try to do what I can to help you guys resolve your differences. Michael’s right. This is really what you wanted, not him.”
Chris scratched his beard and at his shirt, before he continued.
“When this is all over, if you still want, then we can find a time to be alone together and we’ll hook up with each other. I can’t promise you the sex is going to be great, but I will try my best to make it as pleasurable for you as I possibly can.”
Freddy let out a tear, before he nodded in approval.
“So with that out of the way” Chris continued “what’s our game plan now? We’re running low on gas and it’s starting to get dark. What are we doing here?”
“I can help with the gas” Sofya said, as she used her magic to fill up the tank.
“But that still doesn’t help with a place to hide” Michael said. “Where are we going to go now?”
An hour or so earlier, the mayor’s other driver picked him up from the scene of the fallen tree. He came just after an ambulance and a squad of police vehicles and firefighters showed up to survey the damage and retrieve the dead bodies. The mayor’s other driver was put onto a stretcher. He was wearing an oxygen mask, as he was taken to the hospital to see if he had any long term damage. On the drive back into town, the mayor spoke to Marley.
“Call my other advisors” he ordered. “We’re having an emergency meeting in my office tonight.”
“Yes sir” Marley replied.
As Marley gathered the group together, the mayor had a thought.
“What state should my commie rival be in now? Should he stay as a naked man or perhaps I should turn him back into a dog? I wonder.”
The mayor pondered this idea for a while, before he was dropped off at his office. When he made his way inside the town hall building to his private office in the back, his advisors, minus Adam and Dennis, were already sitting around waiting for him.
“Oh good!” the mayor exclaimed. “You showed up before I got here! Not the most incompetent idiots on the planet after all! At least you’ve done something right for once in your fucking miserable, useless lives!”
The mayor brushed past them and sat down in his chair.
“So” he continued “show of hands. Who thinks I should keep Freddy Benson naked and on the run?”
Half of the advisors raised their hands.
“And who thinks I should turn him back into a dog right now?”
The other advisors raised their hands.
“Split room, I see. Debate time. Make your cases to me right now.”
“We’ve got police departments from here to San Francisco on alert for a naked man in a car with three other people” an advisor argued. “If you change him back now, then it makes it harder for them to track their vehicle down.”
“They have the license plate number. Unless they somehow change vehicles, which is a possibility, then they could go off of that.”
“Still, it makes him much more recognizable. A license plate is something a police officer might miss, especially if the car isn’t speeding or going too slow.”
“Plus” another advisor added “if someone spots him and snaps a photo of him naked in the car, then we can have the images posted online. Wasn’t that part of why you wanted to change him back on the set of that commercial in the first place?”
“It was” the mayor replied “but that didn’t work out.”
“The plan could still be redeemed if you keep him nude and on the run.”
“But what if he’s wearing clothes now? What if they got him something to put on by now? ”
“That’s why I think you should change him back again” a third advisor suggested. “If he’s a dog, then he could potentially rip whatever clothes he’s wearing. I assume they only have so many of them in the trunk of the car.”
“Plus” a fourth advisor added “that dog isn’t Michael’s, it’s that guy Tom's. If someone spots Michael with the dog, then he can be arrested for theft and then Freddy is no longer in his direct control. We can easily bully that guy Tom into handing over the dog to us, just as we got the ring from him a few days ago.”
“I agree” the mayor said. “Gentleman, I’ve made a decision. I’m changing him back right now.”
After the mayor read the inscription, the ring began to glow. Many miles away from town, Chris continued to drive Freddy’s car. The passengers discussed a place to call it a night.
“I’m getting tired” Chris said, as he yawned. “I’ve been driving for hours now. We need to find a place to rest up.”
As Chris tried to think of a suggestion, Freddy started to get itchy.
“Freddy?” Michael asked curiously. “Why are you scratching yourself so much?”
“I can’t help it” Freddy said, as he continued to scratch himself. “I’m just getting so itchy all of sudden.”
“Uh oh” Sofya said.
Soon enough, Michael saw creamy, white fur sprout from Freddy’s stomach.
“Shit!” Freddy exclaimed, when he saw the fur grow on his stomach. “It’s happening again!”
“No!!!!!!!” Michael yelled.
Freddy began to dog out, as his knees bunched together. His back got furrier and his posture shifted to that of a dog sitting.
“Pull over the car!!!!” Michael yelled.
“I’m in the middle of driving right now!” Chris replied loudly.
“Pull over the fucking car, Chris!!! I can’t take this shit anymore!!!!”
Freddy feet turned into paws, along with his hands. His nails became sharp, pointier than he had remembered them being previously,
“Pull the fucking car over right now, Chris!!!!!”
“Michael!” he replied. “Calm yourself down!”
Freddy tried to reassure Michael that everything would be alright, but freaked him out when a paw landed on his shoulder.
“Ahh!” Michael yelled, as he pushed Buddy’s paw away from him. “Pull over the car!”
“I’m driving right now!” Chris replied. “We need to keep moving!”
Buddy whimpered, as Freddy disappeared and shifted into the body Tom’s German Shepherd. His tail grew out and waved slowly back and forth, as a result of the nerves he was feeling in that moment. In anger, Michael grabbed Chris’ shoulders and gripped onto them tightly.
“Holy shit!” Chris yelped, as he swerved the car off the road.
“Holy shit!” Sofya yelled, before Chris brought the vehicle to a complete stop.
After the car abruptly stopped, Chris turned around, his bearded face as red as a tomato.
“What the fuck were you doing, Michael?!?!?! You could have gotten us killed just now!!!!!”
Michael ignored Chris’ angry scolding, as he unlocked the door and ran out of the vehicle. Buddy barked loudly, as he desperately pawed at the door when it closed shut with a slam.
“Shit, shit, shit!” Chris, muttered angrily to himself, as he got out of the car. “Michael! Get back here right now!”
Sofya got out of the car and let Buddy out as well.
“Sofya?” Chris asked, as Buddy jumped out of the car and sprinted after Michael. “What are you doing?”
“Freddy has a stronger sense of smell” she replied. “I figured he’ll find him faster and catch up to him before we could.”
“Somebody could catch him and take him away from us. Come on, we have to go after them now.”
Chris grabbed Sofya’s arm and ran towards Buddy, who was running as fast as he could towards Michael.
In his office, the mayor suffered from a temporary bout of forgetfulness.
“Wait a second” he said aloud. “Did I just turn him into a dog or did I turn him back from being a dog?”
“No clue, sir” an advisor replied.
“Hmm. I’ll try reading it again.”
The mayor read the inscription again, before Marley gave him an ominous warning.
“You should be careful with how many times you read that inscription, sir. You don’t know what kind of magic it’s capable of. It may have been responsible for the amnesia the town suffered yesterday. It could have caused the tree to fall down on the road. It could even turn you into a dog, if you’re not careful.”
“It’s not going to turn me into a dog!” the mayor scolded. “It only turns that fucking pinko into one!”
“I’m just saying, sir.”
“Well don’t!”
Michael ran for a minute, before he approached his destination. Turning inside the gates, he made his way into the cemetery. Buddy followed closely behind him, with Chris and Sofya further off in the distance. Inside the cemetery, Buddy was making tracks, before he felt an ache in his body. He stopped for a moment, as Michael ran further away than he could reach him.
“Shit” Freddy thought to himself, as his body mutated again. “How does it keep happening so fast?”
Before he knew it, Buddy had shifted back into Freddy, nude on the ground once again. Approaching him from behind, Chris and Sofya ran over and helped a naked and muddy Freddy get back on his feet.
“I lost him” Freddy said as he stood up, seeking to catch his breath.
“Where do you think he ran off to?” Sofya asked nervously.
“I have an idea. Sofya, you head off to the left. Chris, you head off to the right, I’ll head down straight. If we find him, the person who does should let the others know.”
“Gotcha” Chris replied.
Sofya nodded her head, as the two of them ran off in their assigned directions. Freddy started to trudge carefully forward. He had a feeling he knew where Michael was running off to, so he wanted to find him alone, without the others with him. He spent a few minutes perusing the various tombstones of those who had long since passed, before he found who he was specifically looking for.
Bent over a tombstone was his husband, Michael. His head was in his hands, kneeling on the ground. Freddy hadn’t been to this cemetery in fourteen years. Although he hadn’t been there in ages, he remembered his last time being here like it was yesterday. Freddy had a lot on his plate over the years, hence why he never came for another visit. Plus, no one he knew personally was buried in this particular cemetery. This wasn’t the case for his husband, Michael.
As Michael was a stay at home dad, he made many visits to this cemetery over the years. During the day, he’d spend the late mornings here, crying and grieving over who he had lost. He went a lot times in the years prior to this day, but had made an effort over the last few years to come less and less often. The cemetery was a source of comfort and pain over who he had lost many years ago, so it was hard to stop making his regular appearances at this particular plot.
Standing above Michael, after quietly making his way over to him, was Freddy. He felt a sense of sorrow and sympathy for his grieving husband, the man he loved so much. Kneeling down next to him, nude as the day he was born, Freddy placed a gentle hand on Michael’s tense shoulder. In that moment, Michael looked up to the sky and screamed as loud as he could, with tears flooding from his eyes.
“No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Freddy looked at the engraving on the tombstone, as Michael continued to sob into his hands on his knees. The following was inscribed in stone that stood before them:
Ralph Scavolini
1982-2026
In the year 2026……