Entry #2

Trees
by SF Johnston


I ain’t the smartest guy in the world. But I know when I’ve seen enough of these goddamn trees.

So when Blake brings us to town from the logging camp, I stomp the leaves off my steel-toes and run straight into Clancy’s, where I get half drunk and full-on horny. That’s when I up and kiss Darlene Cuthbert on the mouth.

It’s that red dress of hers, and what with Blake gone off to piss.

Of course, my luck being what it is, Blake comes back just as Darlene’s slapping my face. He calls Shawn over, who says something about dickheads, and next thing I’m hogtied in the back of Blake’s pickup.

Back in the goddamn trees. Christ, that was fast.

Shawn laughs every time we take a bump and I come down hard. We skid up to the camp and Blake is seriously irate. I was just fooling around, man. Come on, buddy.

Blake says talking shit in the woods is one thing. He drags me off the flatbed and I fall into the dirt, whereupon Shawn kicks me in the head.

Things go dark.

I hear chainsaws when I come around. Frankly, it makes me nervous, tied here as I am to this fucking tree.

But it’s just my brains, buzzing. I’m alone.

Man, Darlene sure looked good in that dress. But what’ve they got me looking at now?

I ain’t the smartest guy in the world. But I know when I’ve seen enough of these goddamn trees.