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Joe and Davis sat with their backs turned to each other, sharing a comfortable silence. It was calm out here on the lake, the fog floating gently above the water. The sun had painted the sky different shades of purple and orange. Stars were beginning to come out of hiding. The two men sat lost in thought as they fished.
Davis’ reel began to unwind, the bobber disappearing under the surface for a moment before popping back up. He glanced behind him to see that Joe had moved, crouched at the deck and staring at the water. He faced forward again, gulping. This had to work. Please, God let this work. He sighed in relief as the line was pulled again. Whatever poor thing had a hold of it was diving for the creek bed.
Davis jumped when Joe howled from behind him. He turned to see his brother pacing back and forth, tearing at his shirt with a crazed look in his eye. He focused on reeling the fish, trying to ignore the nonsensical wailing that echoed through the woods around them. He scrambled to grab the net when his catch finally surfaced. Joe was standing on it, forcing Davis to tug it out from beneath him.
He scoops the fish out of the water and throws it onto the deck. Both men watch it gasp and writhe for a moment. Davis reaches out to pick it up, drawing back when Joe’s head snaps towards him.
“What are you doing?” he snarls. His hands are balled up at his side, whole body tensed up like he would attack at any second.
“I was just gettin’ him for you, that’s all.” Davis said shakily.
Joe didn’t say anything, just kept staring at him with cold, dead eyes. Davis slowly knelt down and took the fish. He turned it in his hands, inspecting it for a moment. It was young, barely old enough to be considered mature. Scratches marred one side of it’s scales. Battle scars from a narrow escape. Shame it’s luck had run out this time.
“Look at ‘im. Isn’t he a damn beaut?” Davis says as he holds out his hands for Joe to see. “You go on and have ‘im, I already ate.”
Drool was spilling from Joe’s mouth, pooling at his feet. His breathing was ragged. His eyes were wide, pupils blown to the point of hiding his iris. Davis could hardly stand to look at him. It took everything he had to not shove the fucker down and lay into him right then. But he held back, it wouldn’t be too much longer now.
Joe snatches the fish out of his hands, scratching him in the process. Davis shouts and clutches his hand. Blood ran down his arm, the cut was deep. As he reached over to grab a towel, he heard a horrible creaking sound. He turns to his brother and feels his blood run cold.
Joe’s maw was hanging open to reveal rows of sharp, gnarled teeth. The sound of his bones grinding and scraping was deafening. Davis watched as his brother’s form changed, now towering over him. His limbs grew out, making him look thin and gaunt. What little fat he had melted away, bones clearly visible under his skin. Those empty eyes shifted, rolling into the back of his head. The whites faded to a deep crimson.
Davis was frozen with fear. He’d seen it in this form before, but never this close. He watched as the monster placed the fish into his mouth, gently closing it’s jaws around it. There’s an awful gulping sound, Davis following the lump with his eyes as it slid down the monster’s throat.
...Nothing’s happening.
The creature’s face turns towards him. It’s looking straight at him now. It drops on all fours and crawls closer to him. Davis snaps out of his panic, stumbling backwards. It’s within arms length when it stops suddenly. It’s claws reach for it’s stomach, body beginning to bend in on itself. It huffs, then it starts retching.
It falls onto it’s back and begins twitching. Davis stands up from where he’d fallen, reaching down to grab the gun at his hip. He stops when he remembers what this… thing… had done to his baby brother. He stares, only moving back when the beast starts thrashing uncontrollably.
It’s claws were grasping aimlessly at nothing. The red of it’s eyes changed through a myriad of different colors. White foam began pouring from his lips. It was letting out a series of inhuman shrieks, clearly in pain.
Good… Let that fucker suffer.
Only when he’s sure it’s dead does he approach, the gangly limps curled inward. Davis reaches down to touch it. The skin sloughs off, almost melting, revealing a black oily substance that weeps out onto his boots. He doesn’t try to hide his disgust anymore.
Davis grabs the creature under it’s arms and drags it to the back of the boat, trailing the tar across the deck. He lifts the corpse up so the upper half is leaning over the side and looks at it’s face. Even though it’s contorted, it still looks like Joe. He’s almost tempted to hold it close to him, just so he can hug him one last time.
Before he can do anything stupid, Davis shoves the body over the side. Instead of sinking to the bottom as expected, the body begins to sizzle and melt into the water. After less than a minute, it’s evaporated, what little residue left floating away in the current. Davis watches it until it fades from view. He takes a moment to look around and realizes that he’s finally alone.
Without meaning to, Davis lets out a sob. It starts slowly at first, building up until he’s sitting on the deck, face in his hands. Tears wash the blood, both his and the monsters, down his arms. He throws his head back, staring up at the sky, now a dark purple canvas above him.
He cries for Ma, it got to her first. He cries for Mimi. He cries for Pop. He cries for Joey. It was his job to be there. It was his job to look out for them and he wasn’t there. He’d never have them back, left behind with nothing but memories and questions of ‘what if?’. He wonders what he did right to have someone as amazing as Joe in his life. He wondered where he was now, is he happy? He wonders…
Where did ya come from? Where did ya go? Where did ya come from, Cotton-Eyed Joe?