Fruity Rain extended preivew (Patreon)

Fruity Rain.

“Phew.” Terry sighed as he rolled the container of chemicals along the riverbank. “Whose idea was this again. I don’t see how this is supposed to save us time.”

“Stop complaining. We will get these barrels down to the new factory location without wasting any gas or having to go around all of those loops and bends because of this stupid river.” Quinten sighed. “And I am not going to sit in a truck with shitty heating listening to your idea of music for four hours.”

“Hey, the blues is good music. It’s better than your heavy rock.” Terry moved his dark hair out of his face, only for the wind to blow it back in front of his green eyes. “And a lot quieter. I don’t know how you still have your hearing. Shesh.”

“At least my music doesn’t try and make you depressed.” Quinten rolled his eyes.

Terry shivered. “I still think we should have used the truck. It is freezing out here. Isn’t it supposed to be spring now? Besides, what is it that we are even transporting.” He tapped his hand on the edge of the ruby-red cylinder. “What the hell is in this thing. It sure as hell stinks, that is for sure.”

“I don’t know. I don’t get paid to ask questions. I don’t want to risk a promotion because I was getting too nosy.”

“What?”

Quinten snorted. “Just do your job. We are almost there.”

“But I. . .” Terry lost his grip on the container, and it rolled down the riverbank. “Oh shit!”

Quinten twisted around. “What the hell did you do!”

Terry slid down the hardened muddy slope. “Me? You distracted me, you dolt.”

“Stop trying to blame people and just get. . .”

His eyes went wide as the container’s lid bounced open, and red goopy liquid burst forth into the river. “The container.”

Terry gulped. “That isn’t good.”

Quinten backed up the slope. “We weren’t here. Ok.”

“But they are going to notice one of their stock missing.”

Once Terry was back up the slope, Quinten grabbed him by the collar of his grey jacket. “Look, we weren’t here. This didn’t happen.” Terry gulped. “When we get to the factory, and they confront us about the missing shipment, we tell them we were robbed.

Held up at gunpoint.”

“But what about the shipment we didn’t lose?”

Quinten shook Terry. “Look, do you want to lose your job or not? Do you want to lose your chance for a promotion or not? We didn’t spill that container. It was stolen. Yes?”

Terry gulped. “Yes. It was stolen.” He looked at the ground.

“Now good. Let’s get the rest of this shit down to the factory.” He let go of Terry and held his hand over his nose. “Besides, I can’t stand the smell here.

The smell of cherries is really becoming overwhelming. Ughhh.”

Terry scratched at the back of his head. “Umm, you don’t think anything bad will happen, do you? We did just spill a bunch of chemicals into the river.”

“It will be fine. Don’t worry.”

***

Rachel stretched her arms. “Ok. The week is finally over.” She bent over and rubbed down her pale legs. “Time to get together with the girls and go out for our run around the town.

Ahhh.” She rolled her shoulders. “Maybe this time we can run down to the lighthouse. It has been so long since I have gone down to the lake. And now that everything is warming up, what better time to tip our toes in the water.” She smiled and opened her front door. “Well, let’s do this.”

Rachel jogged out her door and down the small stone pathway towards the sidewalk. Her neighbor Mr. Sandwell slowly stood up and blinked his weary eyes at her as she jogged past. “Hi there.” She waved as he scratched at his ass with his newspaper. “How’s it going?”

He rolled his blue eyes. “I wish I was still in bed.”

She laughed as she took a moment to stop. “But it is a beautiful morning.

Just look at how the sun shines through those clouds. How can you not be happy?”

Mr. Sandwell groaned. “I have to get my blood drawn today. I’m not looking forward to seeing how bad my kidneys are doing.” He shivered. “Why does keeping healthy have to be so hard?”

“Oh.” Rachel sighed. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you get better.” She turned her head and hurried away from the awkward conversation.

As she turned the corner, she could already see Jackey and Mona chatting next to a mailbox. “Oh, I see you two are already raring to go.”

Jackey turned and smiled, her pink hair bouncing off her shoulders. “Well, if someone didn’t sleep in.” She bounced on her sneakers. “Come on. I am dying to go already.”

Mona laughed. “Did that new hairdo change your personality Jackey?”

“What?” She turned her head as she bounced back and forth. “Just because I have extra energy and pink hair, you think the two are related? Shesh.”

Rachel laughed. “Well, I think we are going to have a good time. And I’m happy to see you two.” She wrapped her hands around her friends. “I can’t wait to talk about the trials of the week.”

Mona giggled. “You mean that the week even exists? I thought that we black out for five days and then wake up on the weekend because those five days are just so, so bad.”

Jackey looked back and forth. “Look, can we have less talk and more jogging? I had three coffees this morning, and I need to work off some energy.” She ran a lap around them. “So, let’s go. We can talk on the move. But no standing around. Go, go, go.”

Rachel laughed. “Ok, ok. We are moving.” As they began their run, Rachel looked at the sky and the dark clouds moving in. “I hope the forecast is wrong, and we won’t get rained on.”

Mona nodded her head. “Ya. Fifty percent clear skies. Fifty percent horrible showers.” She shuddered, her red bangs falling in front of her face. “I don’t want to have a downpour when we are over a mile from our homes.”

Rachel blinked as she felt something cold bounce off her nose. “Ugh, well, that isn’t a good sign.” She shivered as she felt a strange sensation rock her body. “Let’s hurry with this run.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Jackey ran across the street.

“Hey!” Rachel blinked her hazel eyes. “I didn’t mean. . .” She sighed.

“Well, come on. We have to catch up with her.”

Mona laughed. “I guess she really did drink a lot of coffee today. I have never seen her with so much energy.” Mona turned her head. “Hey, are you alright?”

“Hmmm?” Rachel blinked her eyes. “Oh ya. I’m fine. I just. . .” She laughed.

“I just had a bizarre feeling a bit ago. It was nothing.”

“Ugh.”

“Really, Mona. I’m fine. Let’s focus on catching up to Jackey, ok.” She patted Mona on the shoulder. “I don’t think me having weird jitters is that big of a deal.”

“Right.” Mona hurried on ahead.

Rachel looked down at the ground. “At least, I think that is all it was. It was strange, though. It felt like some weird jolt mixed with cherries spreading throughout my body. I don’t know how to explain it. Oh well. No need fussing over it.” As she hurried to catch up, her belly suddenly rumbled.  Gurrggle. “Ughhh. I said no need fussing over it.” She slapped her stomach and continued jogging.

As Rachel caught up with the others, more and more droplets fell from the sky above, each of them sending strange, juicy shockwaves through her body. Rachel shook her head as the others came into view. “Hey, I think we should. . .” She gasped as she saw the red dots on Jackey’s skin. “What in the world is going on?”

Jackey bounced around in place. “I don’t know. One minute I am jogging, and the next, I feel a strange juicy sensation spreading throughout my body.” She shakes her head as her entire face turns red. “It just becomes more and more intense.”

“Now, if you would just stay still, I could figure out what is wrong here. I think.”

Mona turned and looked at Rachel. “Honestly, I’m stumped. At first, when Jackey stopped and was complaining about a strange fruity sensation, I thought she just overdid it today with the coffee. Now I don’t know what to believe.”

Jackey scratched at her arm. “I feel funny.”

Mona rolled her eyes. “I know you feel funny. You have been telling me that for the last few minutes.”

“No. Like really funny.” Gurrggle. “And tight. I feel so very tight.”

Rachel’s eyes widened. “Jackey! Your stomach! It’s growing.”

Mona took a few steps back. “Holy crap!”

Jackey rubbed her belly. “I. . .” She moaned. “I just feel so full and bloated all of a sudden.” Gurrgle. “And juicy. Soo very juicy.”

“What are we going to do?” Mona looked at Rachel. “This isn’t something that you just umm. . .” She scratched at the back of her head. “Well, no one has ever really talked about what to do in this situation. Shessh.”

Jackey took a deep breath. “Can we just get back to our morning jog?” She pulled up her shorts as they tried to slide down her body. “Just because my skin is red, and my waistline is expanding a bit doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep going.” She bounced around on her feet, and they all could hear the sound of something sloshing around in her body. “Umm. . .”

Jackey grabbed her round belly and shook it. “What is that?”

Rachel put her head on Jackey’s belly. “It sounds like. . . no, it feels like juice.”

Mona crossed her arms. “How would you know what that feels like?”

Rachel stood up. “I work at a grocery store. I know what fruit feels like, ok. And Jackey feels very juicy.”